King, Edwin Harold (Captain, b.1914 – d.1976)

Places	Africa: Egypt Asia: Ceylon, Colombo Middle East: British Mandate of Palestine, Palestine Middle East: British Mandate of Palestine, Palestine, Jerusalem Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Haberfield Oceania: Australia, Queensland, Southport
Accession Number	PR05104
Collection type	Private Record
Record type	Collection
Measurement	Extent: 1 cm; Wallet/s: 1
Object type	Letter
Maker	King, Edwin Harold
Place made	Australia, Egypt, Israel
Date made	1940-1941
Access	Open
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Copying Provisions	Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.

Description

Collection relating to the Second World War service of NX319 Captain Edwin Howard King, 2/2 Australian Infantry Battalion, Second Australian Imperial Force, Australia, Palestine, Egypt and Israel, 1940-1941.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of 14 letters from Captain King to his mother, Annie Pheobe May (neé Howard) King. These items of correspondence are dated between 17 February 1940 and 19 December 1941, and were written during his training in Australia, and service with 2/2 Australian Infantry Battalion in Palestine, Egypt and Israel. These letters contain details of his training, postings and movements, recreational leave (including site seeing tours and travels), health, food rations and meals, purchases of souvenirs and clothing – particularly noting prices and currency exchange values, requests for personal supplies, longing for home and sending regards to friends and family. He also discusses local weather and wildlife, attending church services, sending and receiving parcels and seeing fellow servicemen, including his brother NX14777 Bombardier Donald Howard King. Within these letters, Captain King details his views, discoveries and first impressions throughout his travels to Perth, Colombo, Jerusalem, Palestine and Cairo.

History / Summary

Captain Edwin Harold King enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force in Paddington, New South Wales on 22 December 1939. He served with the 2/2 Australian Infantry Battalion in Australia, Egypt, Palestine, Israel and Greece. Captain Edwin Harold King was medically discharged on 16 July 1942, due to a mental illness.