Idriess, Ion Llewellyn (Trooper, b.1889 - d.1979)

Collection relating to service of 358 Trooper Ion Llewellyn Idriess, 5 Light Horse Regiment, AIF, Gallipoli, Egypt, Palestine, 1915-1918. The collection consists of eight original, handwritten diaries covering almost the entire length of Idriess's service with the 5th Light Horse Regiment.

This collection of diaries, compiled by the highly successful Australian author Ion 'Jack' Idriess, gives a remarkable insight into the day-to-day existence of the ordinary Light Horse trooper on active service in Egypt and Palestine. Idriess employs a lively, immediate, narrative style throughout the diaries, often describing minor incidents in vivid detail. The diaries reveal Idriess to have been a practical, adventurous, brave man, keen to see action and bored by military routine. He often expresses his love for Australia, particularly the bush, and his pride in Australia's war efforts. He is often strident in his criticism of officers in general, and British officers in particular, and his diaries contain many angry references to what he saw as the ill-treatment of the ordinary soldier, both Australian and British, and the privileges accorded to higher ranks. He expresses a loathing of petty rules and regulations, and the tedium of military life as he experienced it. Evident throughout the diaries is his compassion for the horses of the regiment, and other animals used for war work. A feature of the diaries is the many original and inventive ideas Idriess outlines for new weaponry, and improvements to existing weapons.

• Diary of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, 1915
• Diary of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, 1915-1916
• Diary of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, 1916
• Diary of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, August 1916
• Diary of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, October 1916
• Diary of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, 1916-1917
• Diary of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, 1917
• Diary of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, 1917-1918
• Diary entries of Ion Llewellyn Idriess, 8 June - 16 August 1917