| Accession Number | P07218.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Digital print |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | 1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 3131 Acting Corporal (A/Cpl) Aloysius (Arthur) John Day, 58th Battalion, of ...
Description
Studio portrait of 3131 Acting Corporal (A/Cpl) Aloysius (Arthur) John Day, 58th Battalion, of Warrnambool, Vic. A shop assistant with four years service in the senior cadets and Naval Reserves, A/Cpl Day enlisted in September 1916 and left Australia for England in December 1916. Having reverted to the rank of Private (Pte) in June 1917, Pte Day arrived in France for service on the Western Front the following month. He was admitted to hospital with shell shock after the 58th Battalion's attack on Polygon Wood in September 1917 and rejoined the unit three months later. Pte Day was part of a light machine-gun team when he was killed instantly by a high-explosive shell during an attack on German positions at Ville-sur-Ancre near Dernancourt on 4 July 1918, aged 23. He was buried nearby, but the cross marking his grave was later lost, and consequently he has no known grave.