Australian World War 1 Identity Disc and “I Go To Return” Gold Boomerang – Lt. Gordon Massey

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1907 pattern aluminium identity disc made out to World War 1 AIF soldier, Leiutenant Gordon Massey. Disc is threaded with a leather cord and also attached is a 9 carat gold boomerang. Boomerang measures about 35mm long by 10mm high, body of boomerang is about 4mm by 1mm thick. Identity disc is stamped:

LIEUT. G. MASSEY
2nd
PIONEER
BATN.
A.I.F.
C.E.

Curved front of the boomerang charm is engraved:

I GO TO RETURN

Flat back of the boomerang charm is engraved:

Gordon Massey R.G.M. 1916

Additonally the back is stamped 9ct and by the maker “Palfrey”

Gordon Massey, a civil engineer enlisted in February 1916 in Melbourne, Victoria and was teken onto the strength of the 5th Reinforcements/2nd Pioneer Battallion. He joined the 2nd Pioneer Infantry Battallion in England in November 1916 where he appears to have remained until March 1917 when he was taken ill with gastric ulcer. In May 1917 he was returned to Australia where he spent further time in hospital until August of the same year. At that point he was discharged from the AIF.

You can view Gordon Massey’s service record here.

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