Diary of William McKenzie

Places	Africa: Egypt Africa: Egypt, Cairo Africa: Egypt, North Egypt, Mena Europe: France Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert Bapaume Area, Pozieres Area, Pozieres Europe: Greece, Aegean Islands, Lemnos Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney Oceania: Australia, Victoria, Bendigo
Accession Number	AWM2019.22.2
Collection number	PR84/150
Collection type	Digitised Collection
Record type	Item
Item count	1
Object type	Diary
Physical description	69 Image/s captured
Maker	McKenzie, William
Place made	Australia: New South Wales, Sydney, Egypt, France, Ottoman Empire: Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli
Date made	1914-1917
Conflict	First World War, 1914-1918
Source credit to	This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.

Places

Accession Number

AWM2019.22.2

Collection number

PR84/150

Collection type

Digitised Collection

Record type

Item

Item count

Object type

Diary

Physical description

69 Image/s captured

Maker

McKenzie, William

Place made

Australia: New South Wales, Sydney, Egypt, France, Ottoman Empire: Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli

Date made

1914-1917

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Source credit to

This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.

Diary relating to the First World War service of Chaplain William McKenzie, 4th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. This diary was written by William McKenzie between September 1914 and March 1917, and contains stories of his service. In his diary, McKenzie relates his experiences of enlistment and embarkation, including his facilitation of meetings, sing songs, and concerts aboard the ship. He then records details of his time in Egypt, including training, marches, parades, and sightseeing. In April 1915, McKenzie travelled with his Battalion to Gallipoli, Turkey, and his diary records his activities there. In Gallipoli, McKenzie helped to care for the wounded and buried large numbers of dead soldiers, often under enemy fire. He also wrote many letters in reply to families inquiring after their loved ones, and was a censor of letters sent home by the men.

After the evacuation of Gallipoli and several months in Egypt, McKenzie travelled to France with his Battalion. There, he records in his diary that, in the process of burying bodies, he had to search for as many fragments as he could find, as they were often blown up into many small pieces. He also wrote about the first Anzac Day, commemorated by the troops in France one year after the landing at Gallipoli. Throughout his service abroad, McKenzie held numerous large meetings and concerts, which he also recorded in his diary. Additionally, this collection contains several documents and photographs found within McKenzie’s diary.