OBJECT TITLE / NAME

Letter Nov 23rd 1914

DATE1914

MEDIAArchive

COLLECTIONHastings-Western Port Historical Society

REG NO.A49

HISTORY

Dr. Leonard Darby was the Chief Medical Officer of HMAS Sydney during her engagement with SMS Emden off the Cocos Islands on November 9th 1914. After the action he wrote his report to Captain J. C. T. Glossop, Commanding Officer of HMAS Sydney, and this was published in Australia in 1915. Dr. Darby’s original handwritten report is in the possession of the Manuscripts Section of the State Library of New South Wales. The report describes the action from the point of view of the two ship’s surgeons. (Quoted from Internet site WW1, the medical front)

DESCRIPTION

A letter written by Dr. Leonard Darby, Senior Medical Officer of HMAS Sydney, dated Aden, Nov 23rd 1914, and describing the activities of the medical team on board the Sydney during the battle with the SMS Emden. The letter is signed “Len” and also initialled “L. D.”, but the name of the addressee is not given. The letter has “copy” handwritten on the top left hand corner and is not the original report, but apparently a private letter. Names given in the letter are: Dr. Todd, Dr. Ollerhead, William John Cooke, Jarvis Belcher, W. R. Prevost

SUBJECTS

Doctors, Maritime history, Medical services, World War, 1914-1918

KEYWORDS

Belcher, Jarvis, Cooke, William John, Darby, Leonard, Glossop, J. C. T., HMAS Sydney (Ship), Ollerhead, H. S., Prevost, W. R., SMS Emden (Ship), Todd, Dr