Loney Letter
1916A penciled letter dated 3rd September 1916 from Private Peter Loney Jnr., who enlisted as alias Joseph Martyn 7043 in the 1st Battalion, to his father Private Peter Loney Snr. 6277 who was current enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), serving in the 28th Battalion.
At the outbreak of the First World War the threat of enemy naval attack was high with members of Australia’s Permanent Force not permitted to volunteer for overseas service in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). This restriction led to some deserting their service roles, which if caught, would have been a court-martial offence. This letter written by Peter Loney Jnr. describes how he travelled around Australia to desert from the Permanent Force at the Princess Royal Fortress and joined the AIF in Cootamundra NSW. NB: Father Private Peter Loney Snr 6277 who enlisted on 14 April 1916 gave his son Peter as next of kin; his address at the time of his enlistment was at the Forts Albany, Western Australia.
Details
Details
Desertion from the Permanent Force at the Princess Royal Fortress is one that is not largely documented, and with little or no reference to any objects or stories.
New South Wales
Australia
Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum
Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum
Other items from Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum


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