H09324
Photograph H09324 First World War, 1914-1918St Pol, France. c. 1918. A British Army despatch rider finding it was not easy to ride his motor cycle in the snow. (Donor British Official Photograph D2457)
G00579 Accession Number: G00579
Description
A despatch rider galloping from Suvla Bay to Anzac Cove to avoid being sniped at. Great risk was run by these men in carrying out their very important duties. The rider is possibly 852 Private (Pte) Stirling Fritz Blacket, who enlisted in the 2nd Light Horse on 19 December 1914. After being wounded at Gallipoli in August 1915, Pte Blacket returned as a despatch rider to Suvla Bay in September. In an interview with his grandson in later life, he described the taking of a photograph of either himself or his fellow despatch rider on the Gallipoli Peninsula. 'I distinctly remember the time the photographer got permission to take the photo. He had a valuable camera and valued himself. It was hard to take photos in a safe place to avoid you or the photographer getting shot up. The place I suggested was a quiet little beach on Anzac Cove, with just a couple of graves there. I told this photographer that one of us would ride around there so he could take photos. That goes down well with the public when they see someone galloping around. So we did a canter around for him while we were sitting upright on the horse and he took these photos. We couldn't ride fast as there was a lot of traffic. When despatch riding we would crouch over the neck of the horse to avoid getting shot.' Pte Blacket continued to serve in the Light Horse, and was awarded a Military Medal, for his part in the capture of seven Turks near Khor El Ajham on 21 July 1917. He was also commended for his work as a despatch rider at Gallipoli and in the Middle East.
Details
Accession Number
G00579
Photographer
Lieutenant Ernest Brooks
Classification
Photograph
Object Type
Negative
Physical Description
Colour: Black & white
Date Made
September-December 1915
Place Made
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Credit Line
Admiralty Official Photograph
Copyright
Copyright expired - public domain
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