Wartime letters on display at Mentone RSL reveal the reality of the Anzacs

THE thoughts of a young soldier on his way to war have been revealed in a collection of letters, written almost 100 years ago.

Mentone RSL vice-president Tony Wilson with some of the letters from his uncle who died in Belgium during World War I. Picture: Chris Eastman

THE thoughts of a young soldier on his way to war have been revealed in a collection of letters, written almost 100 years ago.

The letters from Digger Arthur Sydney Wilson to his sister Mary in 1917 are simple, sometimes mundane observations from the 20-year-old as he travelled to the front.

But his nephew Tony Wilson said their simplicity made them all the more poignant.

“They don’t tell any magical stories about the glory of war,” he said.

Mr Wilson, who is the vice-president of the Mentone RSL, was sorting through his deceased aunt Mary’s possessions, when he stumbled across the bundle of old letters she had stored away for decades.

The writings would help resurrect the story of his uncle Arthur, who grew up on Collins St in Mentone — or Cheltenham as it was then — and served and died in World War I at 20 years old.

And to commemorate the Anzac Centenary, the Mentone RSL will put these letters on display in a special exhibition open to the public throughout April.

“I only discovered them a few months ago,” Mr Wilson said.

Mentone RSL vice-president Tony Wilson with some of the letters from his uncle who died in Belgium during World War I. Picture: Chris Eastman

“They were in my aunt’s papers which had been hidden away for years.”

Mr Wilson said the letters did not glorify war, but would instead help piece together the story of a young local soldier which might otherwise have been lost forever.

The handwritten letters explain how Arthur endured the nine months between the time of his enlistment until his death in 1917, and how he survived each day in military life.

Most of the letters, written to 23-year-old Mary, have survived the test of time.

“It’s a complete set from the time he enlisted, until just before he died,” Mr Wilson said.

“They don’t tell any magical stories about the glory of war; it’s all stories about a simple soldier who was lonely. It’s sad, but it’s so true of so many.

“The letters are full of misspellings and things, but they’re just so poignant.”

The letters were analysed by Kingston Council historian Graham Whitehead who pieced the story together.

Original World War I uniforms, and more than 100 photos will also be part of the display exhibition at the RSL.

Mr Wilson is now seeking advice on how the letters can be preserved.

THE SHORT LIFE OF ARTHUR WILSON

n Grew up in Collins St, Mentone, which was then Cheltenham

n He was a 20-year-old labourer when he enlisted

n On February 19, 1917, he was bound for England on board HMAT Ballarat

n His ship was struck by a torpedo from a German U-boat when they were in the English Channel

n He managed to survive and made it to England

n On September 10, 1917, 203 days after leaving Melbourne, he was posted to fight in France

n He was killed during the Passchendaele offensive on October 13, 1917

n Arthur’s burial place is unknown, but he is remembered on five memorials across the world, including at the Memorial Wall in the Mentone Parade Memorial Park