The following local soldiers arrive back in Australia from the Middle East on the HT Essex:

Trp John Taylor (Olinda), 14^th Light Horse Regiment

Tpr Ernest Cassell (Lilydale), 4^th Light Horse Regiment

Trp Walter Morrison (Lilydale), 4^th Light Horse Regiment

Trp Bert Hutchinson (Lilydale), 4^th Light Horse Regiment: In a letter to his future wife, Jessie Mackenzie of Yalca, Vic –‘Arrived home on Friday evening and as I have been kept busy and excited I hope you will forgive me for not writing before. Were you in the gay city during the Peace Celebrations? We were ‘somewhere’ in the Australian Bight.

We had a fairly good trip home but I suppose you have heard all about the trip I hardly knew my brothers when I met them in the city but my sister still carries a hand. When I was playing cricket I had an accident and my sister still carries the evidence of my carelessness. This town has not improved since I left and it is very quiet. The weather is too cold for me but I expect all the boys feel the cold’.

The following local soldiers arrive back in Australia from Europe with their war brides on board on the HT Bremen, what they called a ‘family ship’, as it brought mainly war brides and children to Australia:

Gnr Howard Guttmann (Olinda), 2^nd Field Artillery Brigade & English war bride

Pte William Guillerme (Lilydale), Australian Veterinary Hospital & French war bride