AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH, WORLD WAR I POSTAL HISTORY, MAIL TO WOUNDED AND DECEASED SOLDIERS

Lot 1312	[ C ]	Estimate: $240 Starting Price: $180 1916 cover (date unclear) from Melbourne with 1d Red KGV, addressed to Private Duffy No. 3306 of the 14th Battalion. Before delivery Private Duffy had been killed in action in France on 3 July 1916, and he was buried in the Bois Grenier Cemetery. The cover is struck with a boxed 'DECEASED' (45 x 10mm) and has mss RS 10/11/17, reverse with 'DEAD LETTER OFFICE/BASE RECORDS MELB.' cds in red
Lot 1313	[ C ]	Estimate: $100 Starting Price: $75 1916 (17 May) cover sent from Portland (Vic) with 1d Red KGV pair tied by Portland '8' duplex, addressed to Private H. Hollard of the 1st Pioneer Battalion. Struck with 'UNKNOWN/2nd Training Battalion' in blue, mss 'not 2TB' and imperfect oval 'NOT WITH UNIT' in pink. Private Hollard was wounded in action in France on 26 July 1916 and following recovery returned to Australia on 4 May 1917. Cover with adhesive tape front and back, and rather spotty
Lot 1314	[ C ]	Estimate: $150 Starting Price: $115 1916 (6 Jun) cover from Sydney with 1d Red KGV, addressed to Private W. Bell of the 45th Battalion in Egypt. With boxed 'UNABLE TO TRACE/RETURN TO SENDER (55 x 10mm), and boxed 'Returned to sender/FROM RETURNED MAIL OFFICE/VICTORIA BARRACKS SYDNEY' (65 x 34mm), large boxed 'OVER', and with Victoria Barracks Return to Sender label affixed on reverse. Cover roughly opened and with small faults
Lot 1315	[ C ]	Estimate: $240 Starting Price: $180 1916 (1 Aug) cover sent from Spotswood (Vic) with 1d Red KGV, addressed to Private D.S.O. Cambridge of the 23rd Battalion. In the week preceding despatch of the letter Private Cambridge had been killed in action in France on 25 July 1916, and was buried in Pozieres Cemetery. The cover has been struck with a boxed 'DECEASED' (45 x 10mm) and a further straight-line 'DECEASED' (432 x 5mm) in red-violet, reverse with 'DEAD LETTER OFFICE/BASE RECORDS MELB.' cds in red
Lot 1316 (Withdrawn)	[ C ]	1916 (2 Aug) and (29 Aug) covers (with enclosures) from Sydney to Private A.L. Smith No. 19 of the 1st Australian Field Ambulance, both with mss 'Killed in Action' and with handstruck 'DECEASED' (38 x 5mm) and 'RETURN TO SENDER/SEE BACK' pointing finger. The earlier cover with Sydney Dead Letter Office Return to Sender label, the other with two Dead Letter Office datestamps. Private Smith served in Gallipoli before arriving in France on 30 March 1916. He was killed in action on 17 August, just prior to the despatch of
Lot 1317	[ C ]	Estimate: $100 Starting Price: $75 1917 (date unclear) 1d 'Star' embossed envelope from South Australia to Private J.M. Munn of the 27th Battalion. Private Munn was wounded twice in action on France, on 11 November 1916 and again on 25 September 1917. Ultimately, he was unfortunately killed in action on 2 September 1918. This cover probably dates from some time after his first injury, and has two strikes of boxed 'Wounded/France' (42 x 18mm), both crossed through. Small part of flap missing
Lot 1318	[ C ]	Estimate: $250 Starting Price: $190 1918 (22 Apr) cover with original enclosure from Melbourne with 1d Red KGV Die 2 pair, to Private R.A. Dransfield No. 2791 of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, with boxed 'UNDELIVERABLE/A.B.P.O./RETURN TO SENDER' (42 x 15mm) and 'Returned to Sender/FROM RETURNED MAIL OFFICE/VICTORIA BARRACKS SYDNEY', large 'OVER' and with Dead Letter Office labels of Melbourne and (over top) Sydney. Private Dransfield arrived in France on 22 May 1917, and was wounded shortly after (8 June), subsequently suffering from shell shock he was repatriated to Australia on 12 May 1918. This letter arrived after his departure
Lot 1319	[ PS ]	Estimate: $60 Starting Price: $46 1918 (10 May) O.H.M.S. lettersheet from Base Records Office Melbourne with PAID MELBOURNE machine, addressed to Adelaide informing the recipient that Private S.H. Bates 3235 of the 50th Battalion had been wounded. Private Bates was wounded in action in France on 24 April 1918 and was sent for treatment to the U.K.; he returned to Australia on the 'Nestor' leaving 12 December
Lot 1320	[ C ]	Estimate: $250 Starting Price: $190 1918 (3 Jul) 1d 'Star' embossed envelope from Terowrie (SA) to Lance Corp. Cyril James No. 4990 of the 32nd Battalion, with 'DECEASED' (52 x 7mm) in purple and boxed 'UNDELIVERABLE/A.B.P.O./RETURN TO SENDER (47 x 15mm) in violet, and with Melbourne Dead Letter Office 'RETURN TO SENDER' label affixed on reverse. Lance Corp. James arrived in France on 15 May 1918, and was killed in action shortly after, on 29 June; he was buried in the Vaux-sur-Somme Cemetery
Lot 1321	[ PS ]	Estimate: $60 Starting Price: $46 1918 (17 Sep) telegram to Queanbeyan (34mm rubber cds in violet) to a Mrs Sweeney informing her 'MILITARY CABLE FRED ADMITTED BRISTOL HOSPITAL GUNSHOT RIGHT LEG MILD', together with the envelope in which it was delivered.