b'98695A CORRESPONDENCE OF ELEVEN LETTERSLetter dated Dec.21, 1919,FROM JOHN MONASH TO ADA BENJAMIN headed S.S. Ormonde, At Sea:(ne Krakowski): 1911 to 1926 A typed letter, signed in full:During the turbulent and hugely consequential years thatjust a line in great haste to thanks you and Flo very warmly included his service during World War One, John Monashfor coming to the Kings Park to see us for those few exciting [1865 - 1931] maintained a correspondence with his oldmoments. It is a great regret that the Minister of Defence flame Ada Krakowski [1864 - 1937]. Monash had marriedmonopolised the whole of my time in PerthHannah Victoria (Vic) Moss in 1891 and they had one child,Letter dated March 28th, 1924,Bertha. Ada Krakowski had married Samuel Benjamin, (whomheaded Iona St. Georgs Road, Toorak:she had met at the Melbourne Jewish School in the 1870s)A two-page typed letter, signed in full:and following his death in 1911, Alfred Bagshaw. The followingIn discussing the changes evident in two photographs sent six letters, several accompanied by their original envelopes,years apart, Monash concludes The two group photographs survived in the hands of Adas children until a few years agoare now safely reposing in my little collection of photographs and are now available for the first time, more than a centuryof my intimate friends.The years are dealing lightly with you.after the correspondence took place. The contents provide.My only daughter and I live together, with her husband and several fascinating insights into the life of one of Australiasmy little grandson. He is a very fine little chap, now nearly two most important military men, who also made a significantyears of age, and is a source of much pleasure to me.contribution in civilian life.Letter dated Sept.7, 1911, sent from Melbourne: Letter dated August 11, 1924,headed Iona St. Georges Road, Toorak:A hand-written and signed letter of bereavement to Ada on hisA typed letter, fully signed:hearing that her husband, Samuel Benjamin, had passed away. .I now have a second little grandson, aged about 6 weeks. .I can never forget the happy days in Perth with you &Both children are a source of much joy and pleasure to meSam, whom I deeply esteemed & whose loss will, I feel sure,.As for myself, they work me very hard, and I am much in be mourned by many request for all kinds of public services.Letter dated Dec.8, 1915, Accompanying this letter was a recent photograph headed Beauchops Hill, ANZAC - Gallipoli: of myself., which is included with this collection. It is A signed letter in Monashs meticulous hand-writing signed, dedicated and dated versoI am indeed a fortunate man to have been honoured with the command of so fine a body of men as the FourthLetter dated Jan.4th, 1926,Brigade headed Iona St. Georges Road, Toorak:.if I get out of this awful place alive & well,.I shallA typed letter, fully signed:make every effort to see youI was very shocked to get Doris telegram saying that you Letter dated Feby 13, 1918 had been ill in hospital with typhoid(with reference to the previous letter) Letter dated August 2, 1926,Three-page letter in Monashs hand, signed JM: headed Iona St. Georges Road, Toorak:.I also heard for the first time that you had safely receivedA two-page typed letter, fully signed:my letter written to you from Gallipoli in 1915, and that youWriting prior to a forthcoming visit to Perth, Monash writes had replied to it. Your reply never reached me, so many letters.I have not forgotten my disappointment at the few fleeting have been lost at sea by enemy action moments which we had together when I cam back from .the affairs of the 20,000 men under my command leave methe war, while I was unveiling the memorial to the Jewish little leisure or privacy that I cannot write even a page or twoSoldiers. At any rate, I hope that, on this occasion, we should without constant interruptions.life is very strenuous for abe able to do a little better than that. What do you think?. By Divisional Commander. this time, Ada and her family had moved to the remote farming .No doubt you have heard of my having been awardedtownship of Welbungin.a Knighthood in the New Years honours list. - As I am theLetter dated September 1, 1926,first Australian who has won his Knighthood in the field Iheaded Iona St. Georges Road, Toorak:am naturally very proud of it; but it is all due to the splendidA typed letter, fully signed:division which I have the honour to command, & which has had many great victories at Messines, Broodseinde,Back in Melbourne after his visit to Perth, Monash writes Paaschendale & elsewhere -. to say how much I enjoyed seeing so much of you and Letter dated Feb. 20, 1919, Flo, andto send you a copy of my book and a copy of my sent from 54, Victoria Street, London S.W.1. Presidental Address before the Association. While in Perth, A typed letter, signed in full: Monash had handed over the presidency of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. The book, your last letterreached me on November 30th, on thesigned and dated, accompanies the letter.very day when I relinquished the command of the AustralianGeneral Sir John Monash, GCMG, KCB, VD (18651931) was Army Corps, in order to come to London to commencea civil engineer and military commander during the First World organising the Department of Repatriation which I am nowWar. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the controlling. war and then, shortly after its outbreak, became commander Letter dated Apr.17, 1919, of the 4th Brigade in Egypt, with whom he took part in the sent from 54, Victoria Street, London S.W.1. Gallipoli campaign. In July 1916 he took charge of the newly A typed letter, signed in full: raised 3rd Division in northwestern France and in May 1918 There are many thousands of men waiting for ships, andbecame commander of the Australian Corps, at the time the everybody has got tp take his turn, but with reasonable lucklargest corps on the Western Front. Monash is considered one the great bulk of our men will be on the water by the end ofof the best Allied generals of the First World War and the most May famous commander in Australian history. Among his many honours, Monash University, founded in 1958, was named in his memory.'