Quilt

Quilt Description:

White linen, commercially produced single bed sheet, that has been subsequently autographed and embroided to make a quilt or coverlet. All embroidery is in two gauges of white cotton embroidery thread. Unless otherwise stated the embroidery is in stemstitch, with a small amount of chainstitch. All the autographs would have originally have been written in pencil before being over-embroidered. The top edge of the quilt has a 6cm deep hem edged with drawn threadwork. Beneath it, in satinstitch, is a decorative scroll of grapes, vine leaves and tendrils. The hem and scroll were part of the original bed sheet. Beneath this is hand stemstiched lettering 'Rylstone Autograph Quilt'. The main body of the quilt is covered with numerous embroidered autographs bordered by a wide variety of embroidered shapes. The shapes include stars, flowers, circles, and five large multi-facetted circular shapes. The central circular shape bears the cypher of King George V and 'FOR OUR DARDANELLES AUSTRALIAN WOUNDED 1915'. Two of the other circles bear the names 'A.C. ROBBINS A.H.FREEMAN' and 'J.D. SANDSTROM' (Robbins and Freeman were Rylstone district Gallipoli casualties). The other two circles bear the names of well known Australian commanding officers killed on Gallipoli, 'Genl Bridges' and 'Cols MacLaurin Braund [and] Onslow Thompson'. The names of 49 soldiers with a Rylstone district connection have been written by the same hand around some of the circles and then embroidered over.

Summary

Autograph 'quilts' were a common method of fund raising in Australia during the First World War, especially in country areas. The idea behind them was that an individual would sign the quilt in pencil and then pay to have the signature embroidered over. In this way funds were raised for the war effort, The Rylstone quilt is unusual in that the signatures and decorative embroidery are in white on a white ground. The majority of quilts were embroidered with red thread on a white ground.

There are over 900 names embroidered on the quilt. They include names of soldiers from the Rylstone district and the signatures of civilians from the Rylstone in New South Wales. As far as can be ascertained , 49 soldiers from the district are listed on the quilt. Work continues to identify the servicemen. All those identified enllisted between August 1914 to July 1915, implying that the quilt was completed by mid-1915.

Source: http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL28488/


The quilt is now held by the Australian War Memorial.

Sunday, 25 May 2014

John William FARRAR


John W Farrar
Photo: Dan Hatton


 Major John William Farrar, OBE, Australian Army Medical Corps. RTA 27 April 1919.
Ref: AWM, REL28488 List of 49 Names.doc

Major John William Farrar's medals are held by the Military Heraldry and Technology unit of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Links: 
http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL38034.002/
http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL38034.003/

 Details as obtained from the AWM site: 

Associated with the service of Temporary Major John William Farrar. Farrar was born in Rylstone, New South Wales on 13 October 1889 and graduated from the University of Sydney in 1914 with a Bachelor of Medicine. He served in German New Guinea and Suva aboard the hospital ship HMAS Grantala from August to December 1914 before transferring to the Royal Army Medical Corps and seeing service on the Western Front.

Farrar served with the 9th Field Ambulance from July to August 1915, 2 Battalion, the Royal Scots from August to October and the 7th Field Ambulance from October to 9 March 1916. He returned to Australia aboard the invalid ship HMAT Ascanius where he remained on duty with the rank of Temporary Captain. On arrival in Australia Farrar took up civil employment as the Admitting Medical Officer at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Farrar applied for a commission in the Australian Army Medical Corps on 22 June 1916 and embarked for overseas service on 30 September with the rank of captain. Farrar arrived in Plymouth on 19 November and proceeded overseas to France on 1 January 1917. There he was taken on strength by 1 Australian General Hospital (AGH), Rouen. He transferred to 6 Field Ambulance on 23 March, but was then transferred to 5 Field Ambulance on 28 March.

During his time with 5 Field Ambulance, Farrar was also temporarily attached to 23 Heavy Artillery Group, 23 Battalion as the unit's Regimental Medical Officer and 2 Australian Division Reinforcement Camp.

Farrer was posted to 4 Australian Field Artillery as the unit's Regimental Medical Officer on 1 January 1918. He was promoted to temporary major on 28 February and taken on strength by 3 AGH where he was appointed acting Registrar. Farrar served with this unit until 20 March 1919, when he reported to the Director of Medical Services in London.

Farrar was granted three months leave with pay before returning to Australia aboard HMAT Runic on 27 April 1919, where he remained on duty as a Medical Officer. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire on 3 June, his citation noting that 'as registrar of this hospital [3 AGH] during a very severe epidemic of Influenza he was of invaluable assistance. It was mainly through the excellence of his arrangements that the Hospital was able to cope so successfully with a very great number of cases'. Farrar was also mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's despatch of 8 July for 'conspicuous services rendered whilst serving with the Australian Imperial Force'. On arrival in Australia, Farrar's appointment in the AIF was terminated on 3 August.

Ref: AWM, http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL38034.003/

Source: Dan Hatton


 
Photo: Dan Hatton

John William Farrar was a member of the Rylstone Golf Club in 1910.


Source: Portrait in Cottage Museum
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