Informal group portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) Charles Selby Alfred Noad, MC (not in view); Lt James ...

Informal group portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) Charles Selby Alfred Noad, MC (not in view); Lt James Alan Falconer; Lt Noad’s wife Mrs Gwen Noad and Lt Noad’s young son. There is an unidentified male standing behind the son. The portrait was taken during their visit to Buckingham Palace, where Lt Noad was presented with his MC by the King. The portrait has the words "'Our Much libelled Selves, Lt. Charles Noad MC, Lt Falconer, Mater and the Mighty Atom; Buckingham Palace 23-1-18" written on the bottom right corner. Lt Falconer of Malvern, Vic, enlisted as a private with A Company, 5th Battalion on 17 August 1914 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Orvieto on 21 October 1914. On 9 May 1915 he was promoted to Lance Corporal with the 2nd Field Ambulance Brigade; 20 August 1915 he was promoted to corporal on the Gallipoli pensinular, and on 25 August 1915 he was acting sergeant. On 25 November 1915 he was promoted to sergeant with 57th Battalion. On 12 August 1916 he was promoted to warrant officer class 2 whilst in France. On 13 September 1916 he was promoted to 2nd lieutenant in France. On 9 March 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant and from his ‘excellent example to his men in March 1918 east of Messines’ he was awarded the Military Cross (MC) 24 October 1918. Lt Falconer was killed in action in France on 25 April 1918 aged 23 years. He is buried at the Daours Communal Cemetery Extension in France.