Darge Photographic Company collection of negatives Accession Number: DA18548

Description

Studio portrait of 3262 Private (Pte) William Charles Bethune. A grocer from Cranbourne, Victoria prior to enlistment, Pte Bethune had twice been previously due to embark for overseas service but did not do so for unspecified reasons. He eventually embarked with the rank of Acting Corporal with the 8th Reinforcements, 39th Battalion from Sydney on HMAT Wiltshire on 2 February 1918. Following his arrival in England he joined the 46th Battalion and reverted to the rank of Private. Later suffering from influenza he was evacuated to hospital. Following his recovery he rejoined his battalion and following the Armistice was detached to the Australian Infantry Brigade Depot. He returned to Australia on 23 July 1919. This is one of a series of photographs taken by the Darge Photographic Company which had a concession to take photographs at the Broadmeadows and Seymour army camps during the First World War. In the 1930s, the Australian War Memorial purchased the original glass negatives from Algernon Darge, along with the photographers’ notebooks. The notebooks contain brief details, usually a surname or unit name, for each negative.

Details

Conflicts

• First World War, 1914-1918