The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
The remains of a dugout at Roisel, France, which served as the Officers Mess of the 2nd Field Company Australian Engineers. On 15 September 1918, at about 4:00pm, Lieutenant George Knight Kerslake, 1st Field Company Australian Engineers, having just returned from England, joined Captain Frank Stanley Davidson, Captain Robert Adam Clinton MC and two Sappers (Spr) who acted as batmen for the officer, 18388 Spr James Burgess Morgan and 16245 Spr William Young, all of the 2nd Field Company Australian Engineers, for afternoon tea in the dugout. The dugout received a direct shell hit and all but Captain Clinton, receiving only minor injuries, were instantly killed. They were buried the following day at Tincourt New British Cemetery, France. This photograph is from an Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau file. The Bureau, which commenced operation in October 1915, sought to identify, investigate and respond to enquiries made regarding the fate of Australian personnel. It investigated the majority of personnel posted as wounded and missing on official Army lists, as well as written enquiries from concerned relatives and friends. Approximately 32,000 individual case files were opened for Australian personnel who were reported as wounded or missing during the First World War. The Bureau employed searchers to operate both at the front and in Britain. They searched official lists of wounded and missing, interviewed comrades of missing soldiers in hospitals and wrote to men on active service. Altogether 400,000 responses were sent back to those who placed enquiries with the Bureau.
Studio portrait of 16245 Sapper (Spr) William Young, Field Company Engineers, of Surry Hills, NSW. Spr Young was a miner before enlisting on 6 October 1916. He was probably of Chinese heritage and his
Group portrait of men in civilian clothes which was published in The Illustrated London News in 1916 with the following identifications: (1) C Matthews, 9th Battalion; (2) Robinson, 2 Worcestshire; (3
Studio portrait of 2481 Private (Pte) John Ralph Wright, 60th Battalion. Pte Wright, of Kew, Vic, enlisted on 28 May 1915. Later promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal, Wright was killed in action in
Studio portrait of 162 Sergeant Reginald Spurgeon Blamey, 14th Battalion. A crockery packer of Albert Park, Victoria, he enlisted on 9 September 1914 and sailed with the 14th Battalion aboard HMAT Uly
Studio portrait of 6530 Private (Pte) Charles Stuart Henderson, 16th Battalion. A farmer of Denmark, WA, he enlisted on 19 June 1916 and sailed from Fremantle, WA, on HMAT Suffolk with the 21st Reinfo
Informal portrait of 518 Private Alexander John (Alec) McIntyre, B Company, 22nd Battalion. Pte McIntyre worked as a miner prior to enlisting in Casterton, Victoria, on 12 March 1915 and sailed from M
Studio portrait of Captain Douglas Raymond Montford, 98th Infantry, Indian Army. This photograph was part of an Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau file relating to his cousin, 474
