Private E. H. Ely, of Harcourt, a member of the First. Australian Contingent has forwarded a number of post cards to his relatives as Harcourt, from which we have extracted the following:— Just a card or two to let you know 1 am in splendid health. We left Suez to come through the Canal at half past eight o’clock, and arrived at Port Said about 12 o’clock. It took 15 hours to come through. It is worth all we have gone through to see what we have seen. Coming from Suez we entered the Canal, sailing almost north. Coming along, we passed several stretches of trees like wild cherry trees,…

A compilation of letters that were sent by Lance Sergeant Ernest Harcourt Ely, to his relatives in Harcourt Victoria detailing his experiences from the front lines of World War 1. Ernest Harcourt Ely was born into the small rural farming community of Harcourt, Victoria, and along with his father and family grew apples. When the war broke out in 1914 he was among the first round of volunteers to join up on the 17th August 1914 and head off to the war. He was a prolific writer and sent many letters home detailing his experiences of life on the front line, his impressions of the country and the people he…