Pte Ralph Goode (Lilydale), 2^nd Field Ambulance: In France. In his diary – ‘The first time I’ve had a chance for a spell, it’s been hell, double hell and triple hell all in one, slaughter and nothing else. But our boys have routed Fritz out, taken three lines of trenches and a village, Pozieres, but it’s awful. The artillery, tear shells, poison gas, stink shells, how we are alive I don’t know? The German prisoners say that our artillery fire is the worst they’ve experienced since the war began, and I don’t wonder at it.

Today the boys captured Pozieres, old Fritz is on the run it’s great, we are just about dead beat but it doesn’t matter. Our casualties are heavy but we’re like J W; as long as the troops stick it, we will, bet yer life’.

Pte Cliff Wardell (Lilydale), 31^st Battalion: In France. In a letter to his brother in Lilydale –‘We have been sent to the rest camp 8 miles away, it is run by soldiers. We had a bath and clean clothes and a shave, one razor for the lot of us, and now we feel tip top. We are being fed up a treat – eggs, bacon, a pipe and cigarettes and anything you want. I have lots of things to tell you but I am not allowed. We are having wet weather here’.

Pte George Pendlebury (Seville): After being discharged from the AIF for being medically unfit, he is transferred to the Australian Army Service Corps for home service.