Studio portrait of 151 private (Pte) John Gordon McKenzie, 32nd Battalion. A farmer from Ororoo, ...

Place Europe: France, Nord Pas de Calais, Nord, Lille, Fromelles, Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery
Accession Number P09291.444
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Film original negative 120 safety base
Maker Unknown
Date made c October 1915
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Studio portrait of 151 private (Pte) John Gordon McKenzie, 32nd Battalion. A farmer from Ororoo, South Australia, prior to enlistment, he embarked with A Company from Adelaide on 15 November 1915 aboard HMAT Geelong (A2) for Suez. The battalion relocated to the Western Front, France, during June 1916. Pte McKenzie was reported as missing in action on 20 July 1916 and was subsequently determined to have been killed in action on that date and had no known grave. He was aged 25 years. In 2008 a burial ground containing the bodies of 250 British and Australian soldiers was located at Pheasant Wood, France. The soldiers died during the Battle of Fromelles on the night of 19-20 July 1916 and were buried by German troops. In 2010 all of the remains were reburied in the newly created Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. At the time of the official dedication of the cemetery on 19 July 2010, ninety-six Australians had been identified through a combination of anthropological, archaeological, historical and DNA information. Since then other Australians, including Pte McKenzie, have been identified.