Three Australian officers at Gallipoli, identified from left to right: Lieutenant Roy Kernot of the 1st Division Engineers; Lieutenant Edward Stanley Whitehead of the 3rd Field Company Engineers and Lieutenant Louis Willyama Avery (later MM) of the 1st Division Engineers. The three friends were all associated with the Silverton Tramway Company in Broken Hill and survived the war. image courtesy Australian War Memorial P00244.001
Avery, Louis Willyama – August 1916
Aug 6th.
… A draft of 116 Engineers left for France, but did not include me.
Aug 16th
Draft of over 200 men left for France. Still survive.
Aug 25th
Caught 9.30 a.m. train with a Broken Hill pal for week end leave in London. Went to theatre to see “Peg O’ my Heart”.
Aug 26th
Went to Palladium Theatre & saw Little Titch.
Aug 27th.
Out punting on the Thames at Thames Ditton. Arrived back at Christchurch at 10 p.m.
Aug 28th.
Left Christchurch for Hayling Island (near the Isle of Wight) for a course of Musketry Instruction. Am billeted with an old couple & it is nice to sleep in beds again.
Aug 31st
The Machine Gun instruction is very interesting and useful. Vickers & Lewis machine guns.
