Informal portrait of Padre Woods with part of the Shellal mosaic

Chaplain Maitland Woods holding up the inscription from the Shellal Mosaic. A literal translation of the inscription reads: 'This temple with rich mosaics did decorate our most holy bishop...and the most pious George, priest and sacristan, in the year 622 according to the era of Gaza, in the 10 years of the indiction'. The mosaic once formed part of the floor of an old Byzantine basilica or church which was supposedly built when the Children of Israel journeyed through Egypt about 561AD and was discovered near El Arish by the 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade during the second battle of Gaza on 23 April 1917. The mosaic was carefully removed by Australian and New Zealand volunteers under the guidance of Padre Woods and is now on display in the Australian War Memorial. From the collection of 299 Wallace Owen McEwan, 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment.