Darge Photographic Company collection of negatives

Studio portrait of H Thomas, possibly 5097 Private Pte Henry Thomas, 24th Battalion from Orbost, Victoria. A 19 year old labourer prior to enlisting on 17 February 1916, he embarked for overseas with the 13th Reinforcements from Melbourne on 28 July 1916 aboard HMAT Themistocles (A32). Following further training in England, he proceeded to France where he joined the 24th Battalion on 8 December 1916. After being wounded in action on 2 March 1917, he was evacuated to England and then returned to Australia. Pte Thomas arrived back in Australia on 18 September 1917 and was discharged after having his left arm amputated. This is one of a series of photographs taken by the Darge Photographic Company which had the concession to take photographs at the Broadmeadows and Seymour army camps during the First World War. In the 1930s, the Australian War Memorial purchased the original glass negatives from Algernon Darge, along with the photographers' notebooks. The notebooks contain brief details, usually a surname or unit name, for each negative.