27th Battalion grave photography project

The battlefield grave of 2219 Private (Pte) Horace Fordham Pottinger and 4195 Pte Ernest Elmer Reynolds, both of the 27th Battalion. Pte Pottinger, formerly of London, England, was a labourer from Brighton, SA, prior to enlistment and embarked with the 4th Reinforcements from Adelaide on HMAT Star of England on 21 September 1915. After being wounded in action, he rejoined the Battalion and, on 2 March 1917, was killed in action, aged 32. Pte Reynolds, a miner from Kadina, SA prior to enlistment, embarked with the 10th Reinforcements from Adelaide on RMS Mongolia on 9 March 1916. He was killed in action aged 25, also on 2 March 1917. Following the Armistice their graves could not be relocated and both men are commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial. This image is one of a set of photographs of the original graves of some members of the 27th Battalion. The Battalion funded the purchase of the camera through its adjutant Captain (Capt) Southon for 5541 Pte G R Barrington to photograph the graves. The camera and negatives were then acquired by Major John L Treloar on behalf of the Australian War Museum, reimbursing costs for the camera to Capt Southon.
One of a set of 66 images requested by Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Royden Chalmers. The 27th Battalion history 'The Blue and Brown Diamond' relates that 4210 Henry Matthew Skinner MM and battalion photographer Barrington left Mont-sur-Marchienne on 2 February 1919 to photograph scattered graves of soldiers of the unit. Skinner features in a number of the images photographed by Barrington. Copies were supplied to next of kin and near relations.