| Accession Number | P07399.002 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Digital print |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | France |
| Date made | November 1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 438 Sergeant (Sgt) John Bertmore Shannon, 5th Machine Gun Battalion, of ...
Description
Studio portrait of 438 Sergeant (Sgt) John Bertmore Shannon, 5th Machine Gun Battalion, of Mackay, Qld. A grazier before enlisting in January 1916, Sgt Shannon left Australia with the 6th Reinforcements of the 13th Machine Gun Company in October 1916, and after transferring to the 5th Machine Gun Battalion in February 19167, arrived in Belgium for sevice on the Western Front in October 1917. At Peronne in September 1918 Sgt Shannon led a machine-gun team "very skillfully in support of the Infantry, passing through heavy artillery and machine gun fire. He showed an absolute disregard of danger, and his coolness, bravery and devotion to duty set the best possible example to his men, whilst the work of his guns generally proved an important factor in the success of the operations". He was awarded the Military Medal (MM) and returned safely to Australia in July 1919.