Previously accessioned as D2/6/3

Dr Walker, a medical practitioner, observed and treated a variety of people for an array of illinesses, ranging from dental problems to venerial disease during his travels and professional life, some of which is documented in his diaries. He and Mrs Walker also observed and described some Australian Aboriginal ceremonial activity and associated materials. WD Walker

This diary, comprising 2 volumes bound together, is labeled "Letter Concentrates" 1917 -. The fly leaf is also annotated "20581 AAMC AIF, aged 20 yrs 8 mths enlisted T&W 9&10.7.18 Pt Elliott Sth Australia". Inside the front cover is "A Catechism That is to Say, An Instruction to be learned of every person before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop" and a woven green and gold place marker. This item covers locations around ukEngland and the European Western Front, as well as the return boat trip via South Africa.

WD Walker saw no active war service and was stationed in ukEngland at AIF, base hospitals at Fouvant, Bulford and London, but he toured much of the western front in 1919 prior to his embarkation for home. He traveled to ukEngland in ship HMAT Gaika and returned on the TS Ypiranja.

As the volume comprises "letter concentrations" which identify the sender and abbreviate the contents of correspondence there are too many individuals named to index them in this brief inventory. This part encompasses the full period 1917-1920 and is followed by a personal diary dealing with the period June 1918 to September 1920 which documents the period of his overseas service as a private in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AIF, AAMC). The volume includes newspaper cuttings headed 'Trench comforts' dated 17 July 1918, 'Grey days of "Grouse" ' an expert thinks some sunshine would end some -strikes' 4 February 1918 and 'Skating now Possible severe spell may follow London's coldest day' 9 February 1919, and two loose sheets 'letters and notes 1920', undated letter or card list, loose leaf note regarding formation of football team committee dated 15 October 1918, notes on location and contents of war cemeteries visited in Belgium and France in October 1919.

In addition there are some examples of the note paper provided by the Abbotsford Hotel in London, a loose leaf pencil list of cemetries on the western front which also notes a list of deceased South Australian AIF, service men.
The list includes:

• 2753 G Symonds, 3136 CH Horwood, 1014 J Hylton
  
  
• 2588 SJ Cameron, 345 N Dunstan, 5783 BJ Adduon, 2907 GL Young
  
  
• 8350 W Dickinson, 34 RNT Wilson, 2187 R Pomray, 4637 CQ Wakeham, Chas Aitken
  
  
• 2970 FH Baker, 5841 JM Jameson, 4999 WH Baker, 2528 Sgt Bellew
  
  
• 4541 JA Swain, C Hellew, 72190 D Yeates, 4704 WRE Craig
  
  
• 396 A Whittlemore, Lt Lucas, 2736 M Small, 977 Pte Smith, 3945 JD Stephens
  
  
• 3230 WE Watson, 2848 HF Moore, 3195 S Lambert, 1697 AK Mallyon, J Watson
  
  
• 3653 WH Mitchell, 3618 H Rassmussen, 4274 AB Pearce, 317 AJ McKinnon
  
  
• 3502 WK Baker, 6845 HW Neilson, 497 CF Barward, 2711 JW Porter, 2804 HT Davies
  
  
• 474 TA Dearlove, TE Field, 3360 H Pierce, Lt Alex Pearce, EG Podman, CC Hughes
  
  
• WL McGee VC, Lt NB Meacher, 4063 FN Ingles, Sgt W Wade, Capt A Sinclair
  
  
• 5576 RR Inason, 3607 Sgt A Hood, 1455 AO Ivall, 3563 JH Bailey, 7414 ,Burton
  
  
• 13865 Wheldon, 4240 Caldow, Lt. Walker., 22479 Smith, 2185 T Maddern
  
  
• 7389 McIntosh, 4847 (?4487) Buchanan, 6538 McCallum, 6717 Corbey
  
  
• 4490 Conchman, 7446 Turner, 4538 Grant, 4549 McConchy, 2185 McKay
  
  
• 15439 Wilson, 3160 Massey
  
  

Loose leaf pencil notes (21 July 1918) listing many generals and African locations near 25 November 1919.

Significant events are documented as follows:

• exhumation of mother's body at Port Elliot 5 July 1918 for reinternment next to father at Port Pirie, made will after discussions with Aunty and Nell 28 July 1918
  
  
• new camera 3 August 1918
  
  
• departed Australia per HMAT Gaika 6 August 1918
  
  
• assistant in charge isolation hospital 8 August 1918
  
  
• landed Gravesend for Fovaunt 13 October 1918
  
  
• hospitalised Hardcott 24 October 1918
  
  
• disembarkation leave London 7 November 1918
  
  
• posted to Bulford for VD Hospital duties 2 December 1918
  
  
• hospitalised 5 December 1918
  
  
• flight in a Stuntrug Plane to Ludgershall 18 December 1918
  
  
• purchased BSA motor cycle 17 January 1919
  
  
• 10 days pay stoppage for 10 days absent without leave 23 January 1919
  
  
• St Peters College and Prince Alfred College overseas meeting (about 200 present) in London 28 March 1919
  
  
• stunted in Avro with Lt Hicks at Hendon 31 May 1919
  
  
• moved to Abbotsford Hotel 8 July 1919
  
  
• brought Sprite VP camera and consumables 11 August 1919
  
  
• non military employment approved to 31 October 1919
  
  
• granted leave to travel to war areas and fParis 24 September 1919
  
  
• great railway -strike 27 September 1919
  
  
• visited Parke Davis 30 September 1919
  
  
• toured France etc from 7 October 1919 to 21 October 1919. This section has not been indexed in detail
  
  
• on boat list for TS Yperinga for 15 November 1919
  
  
• transferred to list for TS Cape Verde 12 November 1919
  
  
• joined TS Yperinga for return to Australia 15 November 1919
  
  
• expressed career aspirations "...use my profession for a few years simply as a means to an end and travel as ships doctor and physician and surgeon and natural historian to exploring and hunting expeditions...", tonsils out 22 May 1920
  
  

Photographs documented include:

• photos of parents grave 8 July 1918
  
  
• Aunty and WD Walker at Van Dyck's South Australian Hotel 2 August 1918
  
  
• photograph self at Moore's 3 August 1918
  
  
• photograph self in rickshaw Durban 29 August 1918
  
  
• crossing line photos 14 September 1918
  
  
• photos isolation quartette, coaling, Freetown Peter Thompson 21 September 1918
  
  
• photos in gown and mask Deane, Uren, Darsh, Hall and Brown 16 October 1918
  
  
• WD Walker with Hec Sugg 3 November 1918
  
  
• No 8 Ward Brimstone Bottom Isolation Hospital including Sister Whiz Bang, Nurse Wherry (and others possibly including Major Jim Strachan, Major Gibson, Major Goldstein, Major Mahon, Staff Sgt Wright, Sgt Toppin, Colonel Stuart, Lt Colonel Courtney James Wiley, Eddy Munro), Catrina 17 December 1918
  
  
• photos from home in mail including Angus Street, Doll, Ma, Dorothy, Adam, Scott, Jean, Toc, Miss Kitchen and Mrs Player 18 February 1919
  
  
• snow falling at Bulford 20 March 1919
  
  
• photos Tower of London Armoury 29 March 1919
  
  
• WD Walker in Picadilly with Ack and Bob [?RSS] 5 April 1919
  
  
• VD photos 26 April 1919. This item is restricted.
  
  
• photos WD Walker, Ack and Bob [?RSS] 8 May 1919
  
  
• WD Walker at Muswell Hill 14 May 1919
  
  
• WD Walker with Tom and Andy in ukOxford St 19 May 1919
  
  
• 16 photos at Hendon 31 May 1919
  
  
• ukHenley regatta 3 July 1919
  
  
• peace thanksgiving St Pauls 6 July 1919
  
  
• photograph of Dorothy Adams 8 July 1919
  
  
• WD Walker and Baggs at ukOxford St 16 July 1919
  
  
• WD Walker at ukOxford Studios 24 July 1919
  
  
• purchased post cards etc views of tanks in peace procession. Abbey and Tower etc 20 August 1919
  
  
• Boche cemetry 9 October 1919
  
  
• exhumations and reinternment of war dead at Zonmebeke and Passchendaele 10 October 1919
  
  
• bones and crosses at ButtedeWarlencourt 15 October 1919
  
  
• Alan Pearce's grave at ukHeath 17 October 1919
  
  
• Inverness brought photos, Lochness 30 October 1919
  
  
• Ben Nevis 31 November 1919
  
  
• brought photos Worchester series 4 November 1919
  
  
• dolphins off ship TS Yperinga 19 November 1919
  
  
• at Dr Juttner's Tanunda 9 January 1920
  
  
• 20 photos of sheep (including disection of hermophradite Rodney Ranges 2 September 1920
  
  

Individuals, subject matter and locations noted include:

• Leo Seppelt, Mr Mallyon, Judge Murray 1 July 1918
  
  
• Dr and Mrs Leitch 6 July 1918
  
  
• Tom Leitch, Joan and Betty Goode, Jean Langley 14 July 1918
  
  
• Sister -Uren, Sister Deane 23 August 1918
  
  
• Mrs Morey 7 November 1918
  
  
• Mr and Mrs Smith, Agnes and Miss Aggie Young, Mr Burton, 9 November 1918
  
  
• Jim Ralph 20 November 1918
  
  
• Frank Hughes, Major Jim Strachan 3 December 1918
  
  
• Hec Sugg 11 December 1918
  
  
• Sgt Wright and Sgt Toppin 23 December 1918
  
  
• visited the Smiths in Rutherglen Glasgow 31 December 1918
  
  
• Jessie MacQueen, Andy, Duncan McLeod 2 January 1919
  
  
• Murray Sinclair, Agnes, Mr Patterson 5 January 1919
  
  
• Agnes, Murray, Ken, Andy and Jessie 7 January 1919
  
  
• Sir Wm [William] McEwen 8 January 1919
  
  
• Dr Jack McEwen, Sir Wm McEwin 13 January 1919
  
  
• Tom Pratt 17 January 1919
  
  
• Mollie, in Enoleigh St 21 January 1919
  
  
• Lt Col Courtney James Wiley 1 February 1919
  
  
• Sonny MHR 7 February and 11 February 1919
  
  
• Capt Kirkland 21 February 1919
  
  
• lent RSS 100 pounds 23 February 1919
  
  
• Alan Lamphee, Noel Foorde, Sgt Hawkes and Ron Horwood 1 March 1919
  
  
• Eddy A Munro 8 March 1919
  
  
• Major Jim Strachan 14 March 1919
  
  
• Jean and Toca Kimber 20 March 1919
  
  
• Mrs Scott's sister 22 March 1919
  
  
• Mrs Wilson 23 March 1919
  
  
• Major Jim Strachan 28 March 1919
  
  
• Mr and Mrs Nitschke 30 March 1919
  
  
• Eddy Munro 9 April 1919
  
  
• RSS 20 April 1919
  
  
• Bob Saladin [?RSS] at Pk House 24 April 1919
  
  
• RSS 29 April 1919
  
  
• RSS and Bill Bagnell 1 May 1919
  
  
• Bill Bryne 5 May 1919
  
  
• RSS, Sir Wm McEwen 8 May 1919
  
  
• Doctors Knox and Sequerra 8 and 13 May 1919
  
  
• Lt Col Morshead regarding non military employment 13 May 1919
  
  
• Mr Dunk and Madge 14 May 1919
  
  
• Sequerra, Winnie, Nell and Stanley 15 May 1919
  
  
• Mrs Randell George Anderson's aunt, Mr Dunk 16 May 1919
  
  
• Bob Saladin 17 May 1919
  
  
• Tom and Andy Bailey, Mr Cotton, Dr Knox 19 May 1919
  
  
• Mr, Mrs and David Gibbons 20 May 1919
  
  
• Tom and Andy Bailey 21 May 1919
  
  
• Lt Col Morshead 24 May 1919
  
  
• Mrs Rendell 31 May 1919
  
  
• Col Wiley, Col Stewart, George Anderson 2 June 1919
  
  
• Miss Perk's soldiers home 10 June 1919
  
  
• Sir Wm McEwen 16 June 1919
  
  
• lent RSS 20 pounds 3 July 1919
  
  
• Hugh .Cairns at ukHenley 5 July 1919
  
  
• Col Anderson 7 July 1919
  
  
• Rex Bennett 15 July 1919
  
  
• Jim Wiley, Jim Strachan 18 July 1919
  
  
• Mrs Hilda Pelqiest 31 July 1919
  
  
• Lt Col Gibbson, Jock Anderson 4 August 1919
  
  
• Dr Jms [James] Bunch 8 August 1919
  
  
• Jack Murray and Clarie Pellew 10 August 1919
  
  
• Miss Nellie Yule MBBS 21 and 22 August 1919
  
  
• Dr and Mrs Leitch 22 August 1919
  
  
• Madge Dunk 24 August 1919
  
  
• RSS 25 August 1919
  
  
• Madge Dunk, RSS 26 August 1919
  
  
• Madge, Winnie, RSS 27 August 1919
  
  
• Mrs Frazer, RSS 28 August 1919
  
  
• Pete Bowling 29 August 1919
  
  
• Major Howard, RSS 30 August 1919
  
  
• Miss Willis 1 September 1919
  
  
• Sequerra, Sir Hugh Digby 2 September 1919
  
  
• Hugh .Cairns 8 September 1919
  
  
• Col Wiley, Billy Muggins (ie WD Walker) 9 September 1919
  
  
• Major Howard, RSS 15 September 1919
  
  
• Col Wiley, Dr Eagle, Mr Glenny, Miss Allen at Burroughs Wellcome 19 September 1919
  
  
• Mrs Nitschkie 21 September 1919
  
  
• Mr Dunk, Miss Wolfenden 23 September 1919
  
  
• Major Howard, RSS, Hugh .Cairns, Lt Stoddart 24 September 1919
  
  
• Pete Bowling 27 September 1919
  
  
• Mrs Leitch, RSS and Irene, Pete Bowling 28 September 1919
  
  
• 690674 Sgt W Kenyon 10 October 1919
  
  
• Sgt McGee VC 11 October 1919
  
  
• Lt Macmillan 13 October 12919
  
  
• George Rowe ('Fatty' from Pt Pirie), Alfred Mallyon 16 October 1919
  
  
• Dr McDonnell 20 October 1919
  
  
• Mrs Dunk, Hugh .Cairns 23 October 1919
  
  
• Mr and Mrs Smith, Andy Macqueen, Agnes 25 October 1919
  
  
• Bill Macqueen 26 October 1919
  
  
• Aunt Maggie Hutchison, Nan Patterson 27 October 1919
  
  
• Wm Walker of Kincardine, Magdalene Lawson
  his wife), Miss Quinn, Miss Dicky, Captain and Mrs Leisk, Aunt Nell, Fat Dorsch, Mrs Dickson 28 October 1919
  
  
• Agnes, Mr and Mrs Smith, Mr Patterson, Aunt Maggie, Mrs Leisk 31 October 1919
  
  
• Hugh .Cairns 1 November 1919
  
  
• Sonny 8 November 1919
  
  
• Nuts Hughes, Jim Ralph 9 November 1919
  
  
• Capt Murray, Col Jefferies, Col Ridley 13 November 1919
  
  
• Lt Col Murphy 19 November 1919
  
  
• Aunty Nell, Doll 24 December 1919
  
  
• Aunty Nell (waPerth) Miss Mears 26 December 1919
  
  
• Mrs Leich, Nitschke 1 January 1920
  
  
• Jim Handly, Ralph Green, Sid Stevens, Miss Dodds 4 January 1920
  
  
• Mrs Leitch, Mr Mallyon, Mrs Streich, Miss Kimbley 7 January 1927
  
  
• Aunt Willmington, Maude, Rene Rusk, Nan Robertson, Miss Young, Mrs Streich, Mrs Leitch 8 January 1920
  
  
• Sonny, Dr Juttner 9 January 1920
  
  
• Andy, Aunt Nell, May Locke 11 January 1920
  
  
• Marjorie Adams, Lucy Hoyle, May Locke, Nell and Aunty Nell 14 January 1920
  
  
• Dick Pearson, Marjorie Adams, Lucy Hoyle, May Locke 15 January 1920
  
  
• Jim Handly, Sid Stevens, Grassy Green, Joe Barton 18 January 1920
  
  
• Jim Fewster 24 January 1920
  
  
• Ham Welch, Herb Welch, Vern Carter, Hubert Basham, Mid Chibnall, Mr Gibbson, Jack Godfrey, Bronte Smeaton, Geo [George] Eastick, Bob Batten 3 February 1920
  
  
• Ben Poulton, Watty, Angus Johnson, Ken Fry, Dr Leitch 13 February 1920
  
  
• WK Bakewell 2 March 1920
  
  
• Reg Trigg, Mr Robertson 28 March 1920
  
  
• Chas, Doll, Andy, Nell, Spen, Jack, Auntie 1 April 1920
  
  
• Nell and Andy Bailey married 6 May 1920
  
  
• Aunty Nell, Miss Plummer 15 May 1920
  
  
• Sonny 13 June 1920
  
  
• Wacko West, Andy, Mollie, Lou Paterson 21 August 1920
  
  
• Wacko, Andy, Nell, Herb, Blain, Bill and Tom 24 August 1920
  
  
• Wacko, Blain 26 August 1920
  
  
• Phill Jones, Adams, Herb, Jack, Will, Brian 28 August 1920
  
  
• Mr and Mrs Jamison 29 August 1920
  
  
• Doll 30 August 1920
  
  
• Andy, Mr Chisholm, Chas 31 August 1920
  
  
• Wacko, Joe Lynch, Doll, Nell, Mr Chisholm, Andy 1 September 1920
  
  
• Frank Kelly 5 September 1920
  
  

The volume is completed with a birthday list by month, a Christmas card list (names and addresses), a list of "doings - eg 3. Last on boat at Cape Town" and finally a list of foreign currency and its Australian value.