| Accession Number | P08234.002 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Colour - Toned black & white print |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia: Victoria |
| Date made | 1915-1916 |
| Conflict |
China, 1900-1901 (Boxer Uprising) First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 4565 Private (Pte) Duncan McPherson, 13th Battalion, of Port Melbourne, Vic. ...
Description
Studio portrait of 4565 Private (Pte) Duncan McPherson, 13th Battalion, of Port Melbourne, Vic. Pte McPherson had previously served as 150 Able Seaman (AB) McPherson, Victorian Naval Contingent, in the Boxer Uprising in China. AB McPherson embarked on SS Salamis on 30 July 1900 and returned to Australia in 25 April 1901 on board SS Chingtu. He later worked as a labourer and stevedore before enlisting in the First World War. According to family stories, when he enlisted he put his age down from 55 to 42, dyed his hair with boot polish, and named the fourth of his seven children as his eldest. Pte McPherson embarked with the 14th Reinforcements, 13th Battalion, from Sydney on HMAT Ballarat on 16 December 1915. Pte McPherson transferred to the 54th Battalion and was later killed in action at Fromelles, France, on 19 July 1916. His actual age at the time of his death was 56 years. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the VC Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles.