Reginald Walter Barrett Postcard Albums
Collection
Two postcard albums compiled by Reginald Walter Barrett, containing First World War postcards, photographs and clippings. The postcards cover Barrett's service and were sent to family and friends in Queensland. The postcards show images of various parts of Europe and Australia and some contain correspondence. The postcards have been rehoused in an archival album to facilitate access. The original postcard albums have been retained with the collection.
Reginald Barrett (1895-1962) was born in Brisbane, to Walter Scott Barrett and Catherine Farry. An ironmonger from Aspley, he enlisted in September 1916 and was assigned as a motor transport driver and served with 1st Division Supply Column and 6th Australian Corps Troops Mechanical Transport Company. After training in Melbourne, he travelled by train to Adelaide, where he embarked on the troopship, HMAT Miltiades, on 24 January 1917. After training at Parkhouse on the Salisbury Plain in England he proceeded to France in June 1917 to serve at the Base Mechanical Transport Depot. In September of that year he sustained a serious injury to his left ear and concussion at Base Command, Rouen, France. with the 5th Australian Mechanical Transport Company. Barrett returned to Australia in July 1919, and resumed his job as an ironmonger. In 1923 he married Mabel Armstrong Storey. The couple lived in the Brisbane suburb of Kedron; Ray Barrett, the well-known Australian actor, was their son.
In copyright.