Darge Photographic Company collection of negatives

Studio portrait of 763 Private (Pte) Edward William Hamilton Bailey (real name Edward William Hamilton) 2nd Cyclist Battalion from St Kilda, Victoria holding a baby. A 21 year old labourer prior to enlisting for the first time on 1 October 1914, he embarked for overseas with the 1st Reinforcements of the 3rd Battalion from Melbourne on 22 December 1914 aboard HMAT Themistocles (A32). While serving at Gallipoli, he was taken ill and evacuated to Cairo and then returned to Australia and discharged medically unfit for further service on 3 December 1915. He re-enlisted on 3 November 1916 and embarked for overseas as an Acting Corporal (service number 763) with the 7th Reinforcements of the 2nd Cyclist Battalion from Melbourne on 16 December 1916 aboard HMAT Medic (A7). Following further training in England, he joined the 3rd Battalion in France. While there he was awarded a Military Medal for bravery in keeping open communications with company posts to warn of danger at Mont de Merris near Strazeele, France on 14 April 1918. He was later wounded in action on 12 August 1918 near Harbonniers, France. After being evacuated to England for medical treatment, he was returned to Australia, arriving on 8 May 1919. Although shown wearing Sergeant stripes, he was a Private throughout his whole service except for the duration of the voyage from Australia to England in December 1916 when he was an Acting Corporal. This is one of a series of photographs taken by the Darge Photographic Company which had the 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.