Our July 6 sale includes some very ‘Australian’ items, connected with the legend of the ANZAC troops of WWI.
The landing at Gallipoli by the ANSAC forces – made up from mostly Australian and New Zealand troops – are considered to be the ‘Baptism of Fire’ for the fledgling nation of Australia.
The rare (unique?) Will Dyson lithograph in this sale is known as ‘The Ghost of Gallipoli’, and was produced by Will Dyson as a small cartoon in the 1927 Melbourne Herald edition on ANZAC day. It was very popular, and an edition of 1,000 large-size lithographs were made and distributed to the Victorian branch of the Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia (RSSILA). This example is one of those – but as well as the expected signature of Dyson they all have, this example has additional signatures alongside:
Will Dyson
A Jacka
W Dunstan
(Will Dyson)
John Monash
Rob C Grieve
G M Ingram
The first 3, central, and last 2 signatures are all Victoria Cross winners in WWI: in the middle is Major General Sir John Monash KCB VD, the most important WWI Australian General. These individuals all showed great courage under fire, and lived to tell the tale. They are well documented on the excellent Australian War Memorial website.
There also you will also find the original pen & ink drawing by Dyson which was the source of this print.
Other ANZAC items
There are a number of other lots that relate to the ANZAC story: from a local estate, a series of ‘A’ badges represent the ANZAC day marches for 1941, 1945 + 1948. A small enamel badge in the same lot is dated 1942, above a re/white/blue enamel banner and the initials ‘GL’ – this is the ‘Gallipoli Legion’ badge, worn only by vetrans of Gallipoli. It bears the number ‘V744′ on the back, and ’42’ in the attached crown gives us the year, 1942. This club for vetrans of the Gallipolli landings was set up in Sydney in 1934, lasting until 1989.
Among the badges from the same source are some interesting WWII badges, including a Royal Australian Armoured Corps hat badge featuring a WWI tank, and an RAAF badge made by casting perspex onto a metal badge, then frosting the resulting mould to look like metal.
See them on Invaluable, to be sold July 6th.
