| Accession Number | P06863.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | 1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 2770 Private (Pte) Arthur Oakes, 55th Battalion of Murringo Creek, NSW. A ...
Description
Studio portrait of 2770 Private (Pte) Arthur Oakes, 55th Battalion of Murringo Creek, NSW. A farmer prior to enlistment, Pte Oakes embarked from Sydney on HMAT Ceramic (A40) on 7 October 1916. After training in England he was taken on strength to France on 8 February 1917. He was killed in action soon after on 9 March 1917. According to eyewitness reports given in Pte Oakes' Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing File, "He was a very popular among the fellows: we called him 'Oaksey'. It is also recorded that Pte Oakes and 2528 Pte Frederick James Schafer, also of the 55th Battalion, were killed by the same shell; They were buried side by side, no cross was erected, but a rifle and trenching tools were laid across, forming a cross.