Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

One of the plaques at the base of each of the memorial trees. Gunner A.E. Richter. Lest we Forget

DCM, MM, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

7083 Private Robert William Thompson, with his motherless little children prior to Embarkation

"Six Snug Signallers" Outdoor group portrait of six signallers in the snow. Identified back row, left to right: 19636 Gunner (Gnr) Reginald Sylvester Mason; 19822 Gnr Gilbert James Simmonds; 19657 Stanley Clarence Whiting; 19806 Gnr Lewis Ewen McKenzie (later MM). Front row, seated: 19616 Gnr Frank Orman Ball and 19634 Gnr Allan Lyle McPherson (later MM). These men embarked for service overseas with the 8th Field Artillery Brigade aboard HMAT Medic (A7) on 20 May 1916 (Gnrs McPherson, Whiting and Ball from Sydney and Gnrs McKenzie and Simmonds from Melbourne). Gnr Mason, a printer from Corrowa, NSW, prior to enlistment, died of wounds in Belgium on 27 September 1917, aged 22. The other five men survived the war.

Group portrait of RAAF members of No 1 Course, Empire Air Training Scheme in Ottawa, Canada. Of 38 trainees, 17 were KIA (of those 9 in 1941 alone) and a further 8 were PoW, a graphic illustration of the harrowing odds for bomber crews. These were the first Australian trainee pilots sent on the scheme. After each trainee's name is noted his rank, awards and fate, obviously at a date subsequent to this photograph. Identified are: 407071 Richard Lyndon Barrett (Sergeant, killed 30 June 1941 on operations over Germany); 407072 John Miller Bishop (Flying Officer); 400024 Thomas Raymond Breheny (Flying Officer); 408000 George Maxwell Briggs (Pilot Officer, killed 10 May 1942 on operations over Malta); 400025 Robert Balmain Campbell (Flying Officer, killed 23 July 1941 on operations over the North Sea); 406004 Selwyn McKenzie Clark (Flight Lieutenant, DFC); 407041 Montague Charles Carrington Cotton (Squadron Leader, DFC); 400051 Ronald Gustave Damman (Sergeant, Prisoner of War (POW)); 407018 Robert Lindsay Davies (Pilot Officer); 402000 Frederick Agnew Vance Drummond (Sergeant, died 8 May 1941 in an accident in Scotland); 400054 Patrick Field (Sergeant, killed on operations over the Middle East); 402002 Clive Mayor Hall (Flight Lieutenant, POW); 408012 Philip Francis Grant Harbottle (Flying Officer, died 12 July 1942 in an accident in Queensland); 406027 Kenneth Marshall Hicks (Pilot Officer, killed 17 August 1941 on operations over France); 406012 Alexander McBride Kerr (Sergeant, POW); 407077 John Kinnane (Flying Officer killed 1 July 1941 on operations over Denmark, Mentioned in Despatches); 402048 George Lloyd (Flight Sergeant); 408001 Michael Mayne Maxwell (Flying Officer); 402004 Joseph Michael McCullough (Sergeant, killed 18 August 1941 on operations over the Middle East); 400044 John Philip McKechnie (Flight Lieutenant, POW, DFC); 404007 Eric William McLeod (Pilot Officer, died 25 March 1941 in an accident off Scotland); 402005 Allan Frank McSweyn (Flight Lieutenant, POW, MC); 407078 Ian Arthur Lace Milne (Sergeant, POW); 400045 David Knaggs Oak-Rhind (Pilot Officer, killed 21 May 1941 on operations over the English Channel); 400030 Eugene Hugh O'Neill (Squadron Leader, DSC, DFC); 400029 Laurance David Orbuck (Sergeant, killed 10 April 1942 on operations over Germany); 407079 William Ronald Phillips (Pilot Officer, killed 28 May 1941 on operations over United Kingdom); 402007 Alexander Cyffin Roberts (Flight Lieutenant, escaped POW, Mentioned in Despatches); 400031 Keith Edward Robinson (Flight Lieutenant, DFC, AFC, Polish Flying Badge); Ross (Sergeant, killed on operations over north west Europe); 407019 Maxwell Robert 402008 Arthur George Schwager (Flight Sergeant, killed on operations over the Middle East); 402041 Thomas William Scott (Flight Lieutenant); 407021 Frank Gemmel Sheppard (Flight Lieutenant); 400032 William John Shirtcliffe (Pilot Officer, died 25 February 1941 in an accident in United Kingdom); 402009 Eric Blair Tainton (Flight Lieutenant); 402011 Robert James Uhrig (Sergeant, died 10 April 1941 in an accident in United Kingdom); 400033 Ernest Valentine Walliker (Flight Lieutenant); 400048 Peter Frank Wilson (Flight Lieutenant); 407023 Francis Ainslie Wood (Flying Officer); 408003 Jack Steven Richards Woolnough (Flight Sergeant, died 17 January 1942 in an accident in United Kingdom).

3495A Gunner (Gnr) Harold Constantine 5th DAC

'He fell. The rest marched on to Victory. Ah my poor little son.' inscription on headstone gives an insight into the grief felt so far away.

Grave of 425413 FSGT Alistair Dale Johnston, the Wireless Operator of 467 Squadron Lancaster PO-B for 'Baker' on 10/11 May 1944

916 Frederick Rawlings Pheasant Wood Cemetery Fromelles France

An Australian transport wagon, galloping along the road near Red Lodge, behind Hill 63, in Belgium, whilst the Germans were shelling the batteries of the Australian and New Zealand Artillery concentrated there for the battle of Messines, which opened on 7 June 1917. Note that enemy shelling has set fire the camouflage over the guns. The gunners may be observed endeavouring to put out the fire although the position was still being shelled.

AWM caption : Richmond, NSW. c. 1938. Supermarine Seagull V (Walrus) amphibian aircraft of No. 5 (Fleet Cooperation) Squadron RAAF lined up for inspection on the tarmac in front of the Squadron's hangar at RAAF Base Richmond. Note the squadron pilots in front of the aircraft with maintenance personnel standing under the wings of the aircraft. Aircraft serial numbers A2-2 and A2-5 are at the far end of the line.

WW1 medal set - embarkation before 31 Dec 1915. 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

QX10333 Athol 'Ned' Bayly - on right. Middle East, probably mid 1941

Gillies St Primary School - 1904

Lauri Sheard's grave alongside his colleagues at Bomana War Cemetery Port Moresby Papua New Guinea.

Distinguished Flying Cross (original WW1 style ribbon), 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Memorial Stained Glass Window in the Uniting Church Knightsbridge SA, commemorating the life of Leonard GURNER, a parishoner

Studio portrait of 808 Private (Pte) Antonio Augustine Picone, 6th Machine Gun Company from Stawell, Victoria (born in Italy). A 19 year old fruiterer's assistant prior to enlisting on 14 June 1917, he embarked for overseas with the 15th Reinforcements from Melbourne on 26 November 1917 aboard SS Indarra. Following further training in Egypt and England and a period of illness in England, he arrived in France on 22 August 1918 and joined the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion. Pte Picone arrived back in Australia on 6 February 1920.

Bullecourt church and Slouch Hat memorial. Stevve Larkins collection

Pilot Officer Clarence Charles Bennett

Photographed during WW2 service

Reginald Francis GRIMLEY

William Wilson Smith

Group portrait of five Australian Soldiers from the 5th Divisional Ammunition Column. Left to right, back row: 3495A Gunner (Gnr) Harold Constantine; 1513 Gnr Allen Wylie Scott; Probably 2222 Driver James Thomas Sheehan. Front row: Gnr H Williams; 2603 Gnr Arthur Rayworth Davison, later killed on 20 August 1917.

A diagram of the Barrage Plan for the Australian Corps advance. The barrage was fired on preset timings without the benefit of radio communications so advancing troops had to be careful not to get too close to, or be left behind by the line of the creeping barrage. The level of complexity of such a plan epitomises the sophistication of Artillery by this stage of the war. Each battery of guns would be using different firing data on a relentless schedule from their many and varied locations in order to achieve this effect on the ground.

Positions of forces at dusk on October 31, 1917, during the Battle of Beersheba at the time of the charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade. British forces are shown in red, Turkish forces are shown in blue. The position reached by the regiments of the 4th Light Horse Brigade after the attack is shown in pale red. Note: there is no evidence that the 4th Light Horse Regiment crossed the Wadi Saba during their attack, nor that the 60th Division attacked south of the Wadi Saba. The Australian Mounted Division headquarters is shown where the Anzac Mounted Division headquarters moved to, after the capture of Tel el Saba. Neither the Gullett map nor Bou's map locates the headquarters of Anzac Mounted Division, Australian Mounted Division and Desert Mounted Corps at Kashim Zanna despite numemrous sources placing them there. [Preston 1921 pp. 25–6, Powles 1922 pp. 136–7, Hill 1978 p. 126]

No 156 Squadron May 1943 at RAF Warboys, CO WCDR Rivett-Carnac

Albert James DUNSTER's brief active service record

The 460 Squadron Badge and motto "Strike and Return"

Mk21 Beaufighters just after delivery to No. 93 Squadron after its formation in early 1945, at Kingaroy Queensland.

PRIVATE: Albert Ernest WORRALL; 1906-42, at Age: 36yrs. Military: 2nd Australian Imperial Force - Australian Army - WWII - 2nd/29th Australian Infantry Battalion. Origin of Portrait: (AWM) Australian War Memorial; Accession No: P02784.025.

A posed photograph of de Havilland DH 5 Scout plane (Serial A 9242) of 68 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (renumbered as No 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps from 19 January 1918) at an aerodrome in Lincolnshire, England, with 24 year old Cootamundra born Lieutenant Sydney Winton Ayers in the cockpit. Ayers was later shot down on 22 November 1917 over Bourlou Wood while ground strafing German troops and positions in support of the tank-assisted Cambrai attack - he died of his wounds two days later. The same month this image was taken, Ayers' brother, Private Charles Thomas Ayers of 58 Battalion, was killed at Polygon Wood. The legend painted down the right side of the DH5 scout indicates it was a presentation aircraft, paid for by subscriptions and fund-raising in Australia. This particular aircraft, 'New South Wales no 14' (also known as The Women's Battleplane) was presented on 12 April 1917 to 68 Squadron by 'the women of New South Wales and others', who raised 2,700 pounds. Notable amongst the subscribers were the Tweed and Armidale Battleplane Funds. Generally disliked by pilots for its lack of performance, vibration, and tendency to shed valves, the DH5 was being replaced by the SE5a by the end of 1917. See also A02177.

G for George a tribute to all RAAF Aircrew who flew with RAF Bomber Command

Cecil Ronald "Ron" Weinert, Korea

The eight Handcocks

Informal group portrait of RAF ground staff with RAAF and Royal New Zealand Air Force air crew of a Mitchell bomber squadron, 180 Squadron RAF with the Second Tactical Air Force. Left to right: two RAF ground crew, Jock (Fitter) and Alf (Rigger); 422248 Flying Officer (FO) Jack B O'Halloran, pilot of Sydney, NSW, (later Flight Lieutenant and DFC); 417379 Pilot Officer James Crosby (Jim) Jennison (later Flying Officer and DFC) of Adelaide, SA; 422175 FO Reg J Hansen of Sydney, NSW; FO Harry M Hawthorn, RNZAF of Hastings, NZ. The aircraft was lettered D and the pilot named it 'Daily Delivery' and the nose art illustration portrays a stork carrying a large bomb. RAF Dunsfold Surrey UK C263114

Group portrait of twelve NCO‘s of the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service relaxing at the 2/7th General Hospital, Australian Army Medical Corps, after the march past ceremony and prior to taking up postings to the 2/7 or the 2/8 Australian General Hospitals. 1. NFX201487 (NX201487) Corporal (Cpl) Jean Pynor; 2. NFX202015 (NX202015) Cpl Eileen Everett Lloyd; 3. NFX174883 (NX174883) Cpl Thelma Maxwell Lawless; 4. NX130961 (N409388) Sergeant (Sgt) Marie Therese Bouffler; 5. VX112622 Sgt Jean Hamilton Baird; 6. VX121486 (V501002) Cpl Eleanor Mary Birchall; 7. VX112994 Sgt Sheila Florence Mathers; 8. VFX126851 Cpl Laura Alma Lawson; 9. NF451738 Cpl Nancye Joan Brierley; 10. VX91145 Cpl Patricia Lock; 11. NX148139 (N410205) Sgt Alice Mary Murray; 12. NX169975 Cpl Elsie Seccombe.

Harry Crockers grave at Pheasant Wood

MID Medal Set: British War Medal, Victory Medal (with oak leaf symbolising Mentioned In Dispatches)

John Carr Ewen's medal set; L-R Miitary Cross, Distinguijhsed Conduct Medal, Military Medal, British War Medal, Victory Medal, Pacific Star, British Service Medal 1939-45, Australian Service Medal 1939-45

One of the former 87 Squadron Mosquitos painted red privately registered and sponsored by AMPOOL ready for departure to London for an air race. It never made it crash landing in a swamp in Burma after a bad weather diversion.

Some of the Australians involved in the Dams Raid. Most were not to survive the War.

England. 1944-06-11. Group of aircrew at No. 180 squadron RAF. Left to right: 405107 Flying Officer (FO) W. Kirk, Brisbane, QLD (KIA 20 June 1944); 405054 FO B. W. Klemm, Brisbane, QLD; 415259 FO H. Hawthorn, Hastings, NZ; 417379 Flight Sergeant J. Jennison, Adelaide, SA; 422248 FO J. B. O'Halloran, Sydney, NSW; 422080 FO R. M. Kennard, Canberra, ACT.

“Blood, Sweat and Fears” ISBN: 978-0-64692-750-3 Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australia who served in WW1