Twenty-three original World War I letters and memorabilia from two Bunbury brothers have been transcribed by volunteers at the City of Bunbury Local Studies and History Collection office.
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The letters, written by Norman Leonard and Victor Bird to their brother Horden Teede in Bunbury, document aspects of their service in the Middle East and in France and Belgium.
Written in copperplate handwriting, the letters were donated to the Local Studies and History Collection from members of the Teede family via the Bunbury Historical Society.
While the originals will be stored in the controlled-atmosphere archive room, the transcriptions allow the letters to be read by the public.
City of Bunbury Senior Library Officer Debra Dearman said the letters were a poignant reminder of the value of family and the closeness of the Bunbury community during times of conflict.
“These two brothers wrote affectionate letters back home to their brother in Bunbury expressing their homesickness and asking for information on the family,” Ms Dearman said
“The letters are significant, not for their rousing heroic exploits, but for what seems the ordinariness of their experiences.
“But this ordinariness often masked the difficult conditions they served under.
“They express sadness at news of the death of a Bunbury connection and chronicle the names of a number of men they encounter who were also serving at the time. We are appreciative of the Bunbury Historical Society and the Teede family for allowing us the privilege of taking ownership of the letters.”
The letters offer a glimpse into the experiences of these young men who, despite facing the hardships of war, are also exposed to new countries and places they would never have otherwise seen.
Victor Bird’s letters, in part, read like a travelogue on France and Belgium where he makes comments about the scenery, the towns and comparisons with Bunbury.
There are also descriptions of fighting on the front line where he is wounded while in the trenches and repatriated to England for hospitalisation.
Having been a member of the Bunbury City Band, Victor joined a band during his repatriation in England and reports to be playing in “tip top form”.
Norman Leonard spent his time in Egypt where he was transferred to the camel corps and following an operation for appendicitis serves his time out at the Australian Army Base Post Office.
Sometimes amusing, sometimes sad the letters are poignant reminders of the effects of war.
