Identity disc : Private E D Hood, 29 Battalion, AIF

Places
Accession Number REL/02893.001
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Personal Equipment
Physical description Aluminium
Maker Unknown
Place made Australia
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Description

Single round aluminium identity disc with stamped out hole for suspension. The front of the disc is impressed 'E.D. HOOD/ 2661/ D/ 29AI/ A I F/ PRESB'.

History / Summary

Identity disc belonging to Edward Duncan Hood, who was killed in action at Flers, on the Somme in France, on 25 October 1916. Hood was born at Carrum, Victoria, in 1891, and was working as a labourer at Mannnerim, near Queenscliff, before joining the AIF. A married man with three young children, he nevertheless enlisted in January 1916, becoming Private 2661, a member of the 5th Reinforcements to 29 Infantry Battalion. He sailed from Australia in April 1916 and joined his unit in France in August of the same year. Only two months later he was killed, probably by shellfire near the ruined town of Gueudecourt, during the preparation for an attack by the 5th Australian Division on the enemy trench system in front of le Transloy. Edward Hood is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, about 4 kilometres south west of the area where he was killed. This disc is a late issue example of the single discs issued to Australian soldiers until early 1916, when they were replaced by a pair of composite fibre discs.