Bagot, John Frederick (Captain, b.1886 - d.1961)

Collection including a small handwritten diary, relating to the First World War service of 97 Captain John Frederick Bagot, Australian Light Horse, Gallipoli, 1915. Bagot enlisted during September 1914, initially training with the 9th Light Horse before transferring to the 13th Light Horse at Broadmeadows. Bagot married Eileen ‘Billie’ Dubois Ive, the week before he embarked for Egypt. ‘Wedding Day’ is entered in Bagot’s diary, on 22 May 2015. A small piece of rose coloured fabric is housed with diary; the fabric is believed to be from the wedding dress worn by Billie. A photograph captioned ‘Billie, 22.5.1915’ is pasted to the final page of the diary. Entries in the diary are infrequent and brief, and relate primarily to Bagot’s time in Gallipoli. Bagot was 29 years when he embarked on 28 May 1915, holding the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He arrived in Gallipoli in September; his diary entry on Thursday 9 September reads ‘Boarded small transport and arrived at Anzac soon after midnight’. The following day Bagot camped in Shrapnel Gully, ‘digging little burrows called dugouts’. Bagot served in Gallipoli for four months, with the remaining war years in France. In November 1917 Bagot was promoted to the rank of Captain. The collection also includes a Mentioned in Despatches’ certificate, dated 7th April 1918, commending Capt JF Bagot for ‘gallant and distinguished services in the Field’. Bagot returned to Australia in February 1919.