Tuck, Stanley Thomas (Air Mechanic, b.1891 - d.1956)

Typed and bound transcript of Private Tuck's original diaries for 1917 and 1918 with introductory and concluding text prepared by his daughter, Mrs G Kirby. The 1917 diary is written as an extended letter and recounts his 'adventures' with humour and keenly observed detail, describing life aboard a troopship, impressions of Africa, the resourcefulness of the Australians in France, reconnaissance work, flight accidents and arranging for his diary to be sent back to Australia. The entries in the 1918 diary (a French daily diary) are much briefer and more serious in tone; sometimes only recording details of air crashes and deaths because of heavy shelling and bombardments. The 1918 diary comments on the German losses on the Somme and heavy transport activity on the roads, as well as the successful hopovers by the 2nd Division on 4 June ('Liberty Day') and the 4th Division on 8 July.