Diary pages of an unidentified soldier
Pages from a First World War diary were given to me recently by a relative of the Shipway family as it was thought these diary notes were from William Charles Shipway, my great grandfather, former Mosman Councillor and former NSW MP. However William Charles Shipway was not a soldier in the First World War, only the Sudan War of 1885. I have researched other Shipways in the First World War and the closest match was a distant relative, James Albert Shipway. However he was in the 28th Infantry Battalion and from the excerpts of this diary it appears my 'unknown soldier' was in the 5th Brigade 20th Battalion.
The diary, which is typed, is written from 15 August 1915 in Heliopolis to 12 March 1916 when the soldiers were in Egypt just prior to leaving for France. The excerpts below may give a clue to his identity. Among the other soldiers names is his friend, Mosman boy, Brett Allport, so perhaps there is a Mosman connection...
added by MLB
- Start date
- 15 August 1915
- End date
- 12 March 1916