| Place | Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Goulburn |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P01625.003 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Film copy negative |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 5435 Private (Pte) William Joseph Punch, 1st Battalion and 53rd Battalion. In ...
Description
Studio portrait of 5435 Private (Pte) William Joseph Punch, 1st Battalion and 53rd Battalion. In his infancy, William Punch was the sole survivor of a massacre carried out by white settlers in 1880. He was adopted and raised by a white farming family in Goulburn, New South Wales. Despite restrictions on Aboriginal service, William enlisted in December 1915, and embarked with the 17th Reinforcements from Sydney on HMAT Ceramic on 14 April 1916. After twice being wounded in action, he was evacuated to England where, on 29 August 1917, aged 37, he died of pneumonia and endocarditis. He was buried with full military honours in East Cemetery, Boscombe (Bournemouth), England.