Guard, William Henry Gladstone

Collection relating to the First World War military service of William Henry Gladstone Guard, who served firstly as 116 Private (Pte) Guard with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF), and later as 1707 2nd Lieutenant (previously Sergeant) Guard with the 20th Infantry Battalion, AIF. The collection comprises three items. The first is Pte Guard's original pocket size handwritten diary kept during the period 12 August 1914 to 9 February 1915. The diary also includes two pencil sketches, a list of names, and an inscription on the inside back cover 'Love from Little Billy & Nancy'. The second item is an original notebook, described by Sgt Guard as a roll book for 14 Platoon 'D' Company, 20th Battalion AIF. It contains a list of names written in handwriting other than Sgt Guard's, as well as two pages of handwritten notes Sgt Guard wrote for the battalion attack on trenches O.G.1 and O.G.2 at Pozieres on 4 August 1916. Sgt Guard stated he wrote the orders as they were dictated by the Commanding Officer leading the platoon. The notebook was later damaged from being pierced by a shell fragment in the same bombardment in which Sgt Guard was wounded. The roll book was returned to Sgt Guard two years later, as he was leaving London for repatriation to Australia. An access photocopy of the notebook has been provided in the collection. The third item is a three foolscap page typed account titled 'Clery and Mont St Quentin 29th-31st August 1918'. Notes by Lieut. W.H.G Guard, 20th Battalion' and is available to view & print online via Finding Aid titled 'The One Hundred Days: guide to selected Private Records, 1918' http://www.awm.gov.au/findingaids/private/100days.xml.