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Excerpts from the First World War diary of Corp. HENRY Oscar Nelson No 1001 4th Australian Division Signal Company AIF France “7-12-14

Enlisted in Australia 31-5-15 Embarked from Australia on HMAT AJANA A31 16-7-15 Arrived in Cairo 30-8-15 Departed for Gallipoli on SS Southland 2-9-15 Torpedoed by Austrian submarine near Lemnos Island. Picked up and taken to Mudros by SS Ben Mcrea , a sea plane boat which has since been sunk by shell fire. 6-9-15 Resumed trip to Gallipoli, arriving Anzac Cove 9.30pm same day 12-12-15 Evacuated peninsula with advance party 7-3-16

Transferred to Aust Div Sig Compy 9-3-16 Promoted Corporal as motor D.R. (motorbike dispatch rider) 27-3-16 Moved to Serapeum (from Tall Al Kabir ) on the Canal. Marched the whole way 39 miles over sand 30-3-16 Arrived Serapeum very tired 1-6-16 Left Serapeum for Alexandria on route for France 8-6-16 Arrived at Marseilles travelled aboard Kinfrauns Castle 9pm , entrained for north of France 11-6-16 Arrived at Bailleul 8am after 63 hours on train , voyage was most beautiful at that time of year. We passed by Paris and saw Eiffel Tower from the distance. After detraining at Bailleul we took up billets in the Convent buildings 6-7-16 Was attached to Div Arty (Artillary) as DR (Dispatch Rider) 12-7-16 Moved to Domart (Somme).

Travelled by motorbike and had a good spin for 70 miles on good roads 6-8-16 Went into action Div at Tara Hill (Somme) 21-9-16 Was run over by a Limber (2 wheel artillery carrier) was a bit shaken 19-10-16 Slipped on railway xing and fell in front of motor lorry 25-1-17 Went to Blighty (ENGLAND or BRITAIN) on first leave had a good time. Coming back train collided 30 killed 60 wounded at Forges-les-Eaux 1917 and 1918 shows constant moving from one town to another in the Ypres and Villers-Bretonneux area of Northern France 11-10-17

Moved to Ramparts at Ypres 23-10-17 Moved to Scottish Lines camp 25-10-17 Returned for rest to Bomy with 13 Bde H.Q (13th Brigade Head Quarters) 13-11-17 Division moved by easy slogs to Gamaches I remaining with Bde. 22-12-17 Returned to Div at Haut Allaines near Peronne 25-3-18 On account of German push were hurried to the Somme to a place called Basseux 26-3-18 moved on to Baizeux (Baisieux) arr midnight 2-4-18 Shelled out of Baizeux and went to Beaucourt 14-8-18 Attached to D A as D R at Guallancourt to take Ralph Sesters place who was killed by shell on 13-8-18 11-11-18 Armistice Day 26-11-18

Went to Paris on leave 27-12-18 Went to England. Spent time at Sutton Vemy Camp 18-12-19

Went on indefinite leave got married 22-12-19 Married at Pompey (PORTSMOUTH) and spent four good months on leave 27-3-20

Sailed from Liverpool on S.S. Zealandia (or possibly S.S. Zealandic a British Ship) 15-5-20 A date to be always in my memory when we arrived off Sydney Heads a site I had not witnessed for five years. We went off same evening at about 9.30pm and had a great reception and went home to my people at Rhodes near Sydney. Thus terminating a life of five years trials and uncertainties of a soldier on Active Service.” Oscar resumed his career with the Railways and retired 29/4/1951 as Station Master at Hornsby , Sydney.

He enjoyed a good retirement , working in his substantial vegetable and flower garden with Lillian and holidays at his daughters farm near Albury. Oscar passed away at the Concord Repatriation Hospital on 12/10/1965 aged 75 , survived by his wife Lillian , son Bryce , daughter Mavis and 4 grandchildren.

Submitted by: Colin Henry