Studio portrait of 830 Trooper Charles Baxter Powell, 9th Light Horse Regiment (LHR) who was a 39 ...

Studio portrait of 830 Trooper Charles Baxter Powell, 9th Light Horse Regiment (LHR) who was a 39 year old farmer and grazier from Adelaide, South Australia when he enlisted on 20 October 1915. He embarked for overseas from Melbourne on 13 April 1915 aboard HMAT Wiltshire. The light horse were considered unsuitable for the initial operations at Gallipoli, but were subsequently deployed without their horses. The 9th LHR landed in late May 1915 and was the reserve regiment for the Brigade's disastrous attack on the Nek on 7 August, and subsequently suffered 50 per cent casualties attacking Hill 60 on 27 August. Exhausted and under-strength, the 9th LHR then played a defensive role until it finally left the peninsula on 20 December 1915. Back in Egypt, in March 1916, the 9th LHR joined the forces defending the Suez Canal from a Turkish drive across the Sinai Desert. The Turks were turned at Romani. Although it didn't take part in the actual battle, the 9th LHR was involved in the advance that followed the Turks' retreat back across the desert. Trooper Baxter was killed in action on 9 August 1916 and buried half a mile south of Hod Bada, Egypt. After the war, his remains were moved to the Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, on the eastern side of the Suez Canal, 160 kilometres north east of Cairo, Egypt. One of 131 photographs displayed on an honour board showing members of the Adelaide Rowing Club who enlisted for active service in the First World War. The original is held by the Adelaide Rowing Club who kindly loaned the board to the Australian War Memorial for copying.