Letters, photos and a diary: a first world war soldier's suitcase of souvenirs – in pictures
After serving on the western front, private Mick Ward from Bairnsdale in Victoria placed the memorabilia of his war into a small brown suitcase. Almost a century later, its contents – photos, letters and other mementos – have gone on display in Melbourne, offering a glimpse into one man’s experience and a chance to find out who he was
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Wartime items including photos and personal paraphernalia were collected by first world war veteran Michael ‘Mick’ Ward and discovered inside a suitcase in Melbourne.
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Melbourne Museum senior curator Deborah Tout-Smith inspects the small leather suitcase into which Ward placed the memorabilia of his war.
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A soldier’s pay book (24 February 1917 - 1 July 1918) issued to Ward.
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A tin-type photograph found inside Ward’s suitcase.
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The diary Ward kept during his service on the western front between 1916 and 1918.
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An envelope and bandage from Victoria Barracks in 1924.
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Several photos were part of 107 items in the suitcase, although it’s not clear if any of them were ward.
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A 1918 calendar with the words ‘Greetings from Australia’ inscribed.
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A hospital receipt and a newspaper clipping make up the trove of memorabilia.
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A wallet that belonged to Amos Mederith, a soldier killed in action in October 1917.
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Ward’s collection of first world war mementos was acquired by the Melbourne Museum in 2016.
