Nimmo, Percy Ernest (Lieutenant)

Collection relating to the First World War service of Lieutenant Percy Ernest Nimmo, 48th Infantry Battalion. Collection consists of a typed transcription of a diary covering his entire period of service from embarkation on 11 April 1916 to his return to Australia and disembarkation on 3 July 1919.

In this diary, Nimmo commences to document his active service after embarkation from Adelaide. He outlines his own duties as well as general routines aboard HMAT Aeneas during the voyage to Egypt. Nimmo subsequently describes his first impressions of camp at Tel el Kabir, and training in challenging conditions at various locations in Egypt before proceeding to England. During this voyage, Nimmo comments on the presence of German spies on board the ship posing as Y.M.C.A. representatives, strict procedures enforced during the voyage, and expectation amongst the troops as the ship approaches England.

Whilst in England, Nimmo records his training activities and broader experiences exploring much of the country over a period of eleven months. He describes his initiation to Rollestone Camp, stints at Codford and Tidworth Camps, and training at bombing and rifle schools of instruction at Hayling Island and Lyndhurst. He also notes attending a number of large parades including occasions where King George V inspected troops at Bulford in September 1916 and April 1917, offering his impressions of the resultant pageantry and the bearing of the King.

After departing England, Nimmo records his journey to the Western Front and his first experiences on the front line during the Battle of Messines. He subsequently details his observations of active service in Belgium and France, describing scenes following the Battle of Polygon Wood, accounts of action relating to the German Somme offensive and his recollections of the Battle of Hamel and the Battle of Amiens amongst other events. After the Armistice, Nimmo remarks on the plight of refugees returning to ruined towns, and provides an insight into the broader state of affairs after travelling through France, Belgium and Germany on a period of leave. Concluding diary entries largely document Nimmo's journey from France to England and his voyage back to Australia.

• Diary transcript of Percy Ernest Nimmo, 1916-1919