| Accession Number | P09039.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Digital print |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1917 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 4773 Private William Clarence Downey, 15th Battalion, of Townsville, Qld; ...
Description
Studio portrait of 4773 Private William Clarence Downey, 15th Battalion, of Townsville, Qld; formerly of Belfast, Ireland. A miner prior to enlisting in September 1915, Pte Downey embarked from Brisbane with the 15th Reinforcements on board HMAT Commonwealth (A73) on 28 March 1916. He arrived in France for service on the Western Front in May 1916 and was wounded in action by a gunshot wound to the knee in February 1917. Pte Downey returned to his unit in January 1918 and was recommended for the Military Medal (MM) for service at Cerisy, France, on 8 August. On 24 August 1918 he was wounded in action by gas. Seriously ill, he was invalided to England where he died on 23 September 1918, aged 33. On 17 June 1919, Pte Downey was posthumously awarded the Military Medal (MM).