| Accession Number | P07261.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Falk Studios |
| Place made | Australia: Western Australia, Perth |
| Date made | 1914 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 725 Private (Pte) Percy William Thomson, 11th Battalion, of Walhalla, Vic ...
Description
Studio portrait of 725 Private (Pte) Percy William Thomson, 11th Battalion, of Walhalla, Vic (left) and an unidentified West Australian soldier (right). A miner before enlisting in August 1914, Pte Thomson had served in the 6th Victorian Contingent during the Boer War, and was promoted to Lance Corporal (LCpl) after two weeks in the AIF. He left Australia for Egypt on board HMAT Ascanius (A11) in November 1914, and took part in the Gallipoli Landing on 25 April 1915. LCpl Thomson was wounded in the following days, and was evacuated to Hospital Ship Galeka on 28 April 1915, but died of his wounds, aged 30. He was buried at sea. In his will, he bequeathed money to his sweetheart, Miss Violet Smith, who kept this photograph for the rest of her life, referring to him as "the man I was to marry".