Pte Norman Pontin (Lilydale) 14th Battalion: In camp in England. In a letter to his fiancée Alice Huston of Lilydale and her family – ‘Just a line to let you know I can find a little time to drop an occasional word to my other friends in Lilydale. Tho it isn’t for want of thinking about you, as you may guess, those thoughts can be nothing but pleasant; for you were always kind, to say nothing of Alice of course. It was difficult for me to always tell you as much in so many words, my gift of speech was ever rather scarce when I felt most.
Please don’t smile to yourself, for even Al can’t accuse me of talking much. Before we left Salisbury Plains there were nearly 100,000 men encamped; but they come and go all the time. Our present camp is in Dorset and is much better in every way. Hope it isn’t long before my weekend visits recommence, altered a little I hope in that Al and myself will be the visitors’.
Guy Berry (Seville): Leaves his family’s orchard at Seville and enlists in the AIF. He is 21 years old and this is his second attempt to enlist, he was first rejected on account of heart trouble following typhoid fever in his youth.
Gordon Howell (Wandin): Leaves his family’s property in Wandin and enlists in the military but as a permanent guard for home service only, he is 24 years old.