Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

As a teenager, I happened across a display case at the War Memorial containing a diary which was found on the chest of a dead officer. The last few entries were written as the man lay badly injured. One of his last entries was a message to let anyone who found him know that Jack Allen was in a nearby gully, and that he believed that Jack was badly hurt.
My Uncle (Jack) died in that battle near Buna on the North coast of PNG several days after being found.
As a kid, I never realised the incredibly small chance that I would happen across that diary opened at that last page given the huge holdings in the museum.
It was amazingly moving to read that note written by an injured man in the hope of helping my uncle in case he himself was beyond help when friends finally arrived.
I've often wondered if there is any chance that that diary could still be found among the no doubt hundreds of thousands of items which have been rotated through the museum over the years.....