Darge Photographic Company collection of negatives

Studio portrait of 2635 Private (Pte) Andrew Reginald Foster. A japanner from Melbourne, Victoria prior to enlistment, Pte Foster embarked with the 6th Reinforcements, 24th Battalion from Melbourne on HMAT Ulysses on 27 October 1915. Later transferring to the 7th Battalion he was invalided to England suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest and hand as well as severe shell shock. Following his recovery he rejoined his battalion and was wounded in the back. He was once more invalided to England and following his recovery he again rejoined his unit. On 23 August 1918, aged 27, he was killed in action and was buried in the Heath Cemetery, Picardie, France. 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. See also DASEY2074.