Outdoor portrait of 2870 Private (Pte) Robert Banham (left) with 2876 Pte Merton Lyndhurst ...

Accession Number P09291.326
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Digital print
Maker Unkles, John
Unknown
Unknown
Date made c January 1917
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Outdoor portrait of 2870 Private (Pte) Robert Banham (left) with 2876 Pte Merton Lyndhurst Biddle, 50th Battalion. Pte Banham, a labourer from Semaphore, and Pte Biddle a baker’s assistant from Kangarilla, South Australia, prior to enlistment, embarked with the 7th Reinforcements from Adelaide on 5 September 1916 aboard HMAT Afric (A19) for Plymouth, England. Pte Biddle served on the Western Front and was wounded in action on two occasions and was evacuated to England in August 1918 for treatment and recuperation. Following the cessation of hostilities he was returned to Australia for discharge on 17 April 1919. After training in England Pte Banham proceeded to France to join his battalion on the Western Front near Buire, France. He was wounded in action on three occasions, two of which required evacuation to England for recuperation and furlough. Whilst in England on the second occasion he also attended a Signaller Course with the 4th Division Signaller School at Codford before rejoining his battalion in France, in early April 1918. Pte Banham was wounded in action on the fourth occasion, near Villers-Bretonneux, and died of these wounds the following day. He was aged 42 years.