Stretcher bearers of the 6th Australian Infantry Brigade bringing in an injured soldier. This ...

Place Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Mont St Quentin
Accession Number E03105
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Glass original negative other
Maker Unknown Australian Official Photographer
Place made France: Picardie, Somme, Mont St Quentin
Date made 1 September 1918
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Stretcher bearers of the 6th Australian Infantry Brigade bringing in an injured soldier. This was at a time when the German forces still held the hill and the soldier on the right is holding up the Red Cross flag to minimise the risk of being fired on. While the Germans frequently used the Red Cross flag when collecting wounded, it was rather unusual for our bearers to use it as German snipers generally disregarded it. Note also the use of four stretcher bearers. Earlier in the campaign two stretcher bearers only were allowed for each stretcher and they used to wear slings round their necks to take some of the weight. In the last stages of the war the 'carries' were usually longer and consequently four men were allowed to carry each stretcher.