Metal edged leather wallet attributed to Trooper Royal Charles Dennis, 7th ALH

« Prev Item Next Item »

c. 1920

Overview

Rectangular, metal edged, leather wallet with a hinged back and a press button clasp on the front for opening.
When opened, there is a metal border which holds the leather in place. On the left hand side, there is a single leather flap extending almost to the top which can be lifted to insert paper bills. On the right hand side, there is an identical flap which has a further layer of leather with curved top, creating a pocket into which business cards could be placed.
The leather on the outside is worn in places and the hinge and outer metal edges have corroded with age. The inside is in good condition.
There are no maker's marks on the wallet.

Historical information

Royal Charles Dennis was born in 1893 in Sydney, Australia. A stationer by occupation, he attested for the Australian Imperial Force in May 1915 and embarked from Sydney for the Middle East with B Squadron, 12th Light Horse Regiment on 13 June 1915 on board HMAT A29 Suevic.
Following disembarkation in Alexandria and a temporary stay at Camp Mena, Egypt, he served in Gallipoli with the 7th Light Horse Regiment from 29 August and was wounded in action on 7 September, remaining with his unit at Anzac.
On 1 December 1915, he was admitted to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station on the peninsula, from which he was evacuated to Cairo and admitted to the Australian General Hospital. Following a period at convalescent camp at Alexandria, he returned to the 12th Light Horse Regiment on 22 February 1916 seeing further operations in Egypt, Sinai and Palestine.

Dennis was attached to the 4th Light Horse Brigade Signals Troop on 10 August 1917 and was present with the Brigade at the time of their celebrated charge to take Beersheba on 31 October 1917. On this occasion, late in the afternoon, they advanced over open ground in a pure cavalry charge, getting under the Ottoman guns and capturing the town. Over 700 Ottoman soldiers were captured and, more significantly for the Australians, the vital water wells were secured. In achieving this, the 4th Light Horse Brigade lost 35 men men killed and 39 wounded.

On 20 July 1919 Dennis embarked from Suez in the troopship S.S. Morvada bound for Australia and was discharged in Sydney on 28 October 1919. He died in 1982.

The portrait of Royal Charles Dennis was copied from Ancestry.

The wallet was purchased with the leather-clad hip flask with Britannia metal cup which is engraved to Royal Charles Dennis. It is believed to date from the 1920s.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW00722

Item type

Themes

Material