Shaw and Adams, 15th Field Ambulance

An album of photos and postcards relating to Privates Lionel Shaw and Robert Adams, 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance / 15th Australian Field Ambulance.

This album is only partially filled, but the pages that are used, are covered with images and postcards relating to the two soldiers, who embarked together after enlisting in March 1915.

Initially assigned to the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance in 1915, they sailed on HMAT Borda in June and were stationed in Egypt, while the Gallipoli offensive was taking place.

Private, later Sergeant Lionel Vincent Shaw, hailed from Sandgate, his father was deputy Town Clerk for the city of Brisbane. Shaw was aged 29 and single when he enlisted, he returned home four years later with his wife Cynthia whom he married in 1918 and their infant daughter.

Private, later Lieutenant Adams was an experienced soldier with 4 years prior service with the Royal Army Medical Corps in South Africa. Adams had left behind his estranged wife and three children in Hobart when he enlisted.

The photographs indicate that they spent much of their free time seeing the tourist destinations of Cairo as any young men would, given the opportunity.

In March 1916 the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance was abandoned as units were reassigned and these two mates were posted to the 15th Australian Field Ambulance. Under the command of Dr Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Horn, from Toowoomba, the two embarked for Marseille and a very different experience of war. We don't have any personal narratives of Shaw and Adam's experiences, but we do know that the 15th Australian Field Ambulance were heavily involved in the front line, putting themselves in mortal danger to retrieve their wounded comrades, to bring them back to safety and medical help.

Read more ...

• Diaries of Herbert Thomas Moffitt Mallyon, 15th Field Ambulance, M 767 Herbert Thomas Moffitt Mallyon papers, State Library of Queensland
• Service Record, SHAW, Lionel Vincent
• Service Record, ADAMS, Robert John
• Unit War Diaries, 15th Australian Field Ambulance
• Album. Item 2, 6774 W.O.J. Kielly papers, State Library of Queensland