| Place | Europe: Belgium, Flanders, West-Vlaanderen, Messines |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P10738.001 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Digital file |
| Maker |
Unknown Unknown |
| Date made | c 1915 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of Francis Joseph Betts
Description
Pre-enlistment studio portrait of 530 Private (Pte) Francis Joseph Betts, 42nd Battalion. Pte Betts, a labourer from Nobby in Queensland, enlisted on 26 October 1915 and embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Borda (A30) on 5 June 1916. He was wounded at Messines, France, on 9 June 1917 and evacuated to England. On 20 December he was evacuated to Australia aboard the hospital ship Runic where he died on 22nd January 1918. He was buried at sea and is commemorated at the Villers- Bretonneux Memorial, France. Pte Betts was aged 23.