| Accession Number | P07410.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia: New South Wales |
| Date made | 1915 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of three members of the 17th Battalion, left to right 1708 Private (Pte) Arthur ...
Description
Studio portrait of three members of the 17th Battalion, left to right 1708 Private (Pte) Arthur Noel Heuston; 1785 Pte Ernest Joseph Tidmarsh and 1692 Pte Jack Emanuel. The friends, who were members of the Cronulla Surf Club, enlisted on the same day and embarked together with the 2nd Reinforcements from Sydney embarked on board HMAT Suffolk (A23) on 28 July 1915. They served at Gallipoli then the Western Front. With the rank of Company Quartermast Sergeant, Tidmarsh was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for gallantry during an action at Noreuil, France, on 15 April 1917. He was subsequently promoted to Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (RQMS). On 10 November 1918, RQMS Tidmarsh died of influenza and double pneumonia in a Paris hospital, aged 33. Privates Heuston and Emanuel survived the war and returned to Australia. This photograph was published in two editions of the St George Call newspaper (11 December 1915 and 9 November 1918). The articles described them as "Cronulla surf-soldiers" and "soldier surfers".