| Accession Number | P08260.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Colour - Toned black & white print |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | December 1915 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 4407 Private (Pte) Alan Eglington Eckford, 24th Battalion; a lawyers clerk ...
Description
Studio portrait of 4407 Private (Pte) Alan Eglington Eckford, 24th Battalion; a lawyers clerk from Sandy Bay, Tasmania. Pte Eckford used the name "Allan Lane" when he enlisted in October 1915. However, his correct name was used when he embarked from Melbourne with the 11th Reinforcements on board RMS Malwa on 21 March 1916. He worked as a clerk at headquarters in Suez during June and July and then returned to his unit in Cairo. The 24th Battalion arrived in France for service on the Western Front in September. From September to November Pte Eckford served in the trenches in France and Belgium. In November he was treated for frostbite in both hands. Hospitalised for 3 weeks, he rejoined the battalion in December. He was treated several times for various illnesses from January until March 1917. He rejoined his unit for the last time on 12 March 1917. Pte Eckford was killed at Bullecourt, France on 3 May 1917. He was 19 years of age. Pte Eckford was the great grandson of Major Frederick Campbell Montgomery, 50th Queens Own; grand nephew of Major General Sir HT MacPherson VC; cousin to Lord Richard Haldam.