| Accession Number | P07731.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | 1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 2329 Sergeant (Sgt) Walter Abotomey, 1st Battalion, of Sydney, NSW. A printer ...
Description
Studio portrait of 2329 Sergeant (Sgt) Walter Abotomey, 1st Battalion, of Sydney, NSW. A printer prior to enlistment, Private Abotomey embarked with the 1st Battalion on aboard HMAT Orsova (A67) on 14 July 1915. He served at Gallipoli as a temporary corporal from October 1915 until evacuated with influenza a few weeks later. From August 1916 he served in France with the 61st Battalion and 1st Battalion. He was wounded in action in October 1917 and promoted to corporal. In December 1917 Cpl Abotomey was selected, along with other members of the AIF, to serve with 'Dunster Force'; a special force established to reorganise resistance to enemy advances in Mesopotamia and Persia. In March 1918 he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. In May Sergeant (Sgt) Abotomey was diagnosed with severe tuberculosis. He returned to Australia in March 1919 where he died on 1 October 1920, aged 27.