Portrait of an Aboriginal serviceman, 234 Private (Pte) Walter Christopher (Chris) George ...

Accession Number P00889.012
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Film copy negative
Maker Unknown
Date made c 1916
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Portrait of an Aboriginal serviceman, 234 Private (Pte) Walter Christopher (Chris) George Saunders. A native of Warrnambool, Vic, Pte Saunders worked as a groom prior to enlisting on 29 August 1916 with 10th Machine Gun Company and later transferred to 3rd Machine Gun Battalion. Pte Saunders embarked for service overseas aboard HMAT Ascanius (A11) from Melbourne on 27 May 1916, and returned to Australia in June 1919.
Pte Saunders is the father of 337678 Lieutenant Reginald (Reg) Walter Saunders, 2/7th Battalion, and VX18629 Private Henry (Harry) Saunders, 2/14th Battalion. Reg Saunders was the first Aboriginal serviceman to be commissioned in the Australian Army in the Second World War. His younger brother Harry Saunders was killed in action on 29 November 1942 in Papua New Guinea.