27th Battalion grave photography project

The grave of 5068 Private (Pte) John Cook Smith of Darling River, NSW, 27th Battalion, killed in action (KIA) 7 June 1918, in Franvillers Cemetery. Left to right is the grave of 3862 Pte Horace Pearce of Richmond, NSW, 20th Battalion, KIA 5 June 1918; 4851A Corporal Gerald Saville Maxwell of Bendigo, Vic, 28th Battalion, KIA 1 June 1918; 1942 Sapper Frederick Lawrence Green of Kyneton, Vic, 7th Field Company Australian Engineers, KIA 27 May 1918 (deceased's uncle and four cousins were killed in action); 6176 Pte Frederick William Masson (Frederick William Deakin Masson) of Northam, WA, 28th Battalion, KIA 1 June 1918; 3608 Lance Corporal (L Cpl) Albert Parrish of Gerringong, NSW, 2nd Australian Pioneers, KIA 27 May 1918 (brother of 3607 L Cpl Thomas Lindsay Parrish, 2nd Australian Pioneers, who died of wounds 25 September 1917); 6649 (Roll of Honour shows 6640) Pte John Reid, enlisted Claremont, WA, 28th Battalion, KIA 1 June 1918. This image is one of a set of photographs of the original graves of some members of the 27th Battalion. The Battalion funded the purchase of the camera through its adjutant Captain (Capt) Southon for 5541 Pte G R Barrington to photograph the graves. The camera and negatives were then acquired by Major John L Treloar on behalf of the Australian War Museum, reimbursing costs for the camera to Capt Southon.
One of a set of 66 images requested by Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Royden Chalmers. The 27th Battalion history 'The Blue and Brown Diamond' relates that 4210 Henry Matthew Skinner MM and battalion photographer Barrington left Mont-sur-Marchienne on 2 February 1919 to photograph scattered graves of soldiers of the unit. Skinner features in a number of the images photographed by Barrington. Copies were supplied to next of kin and near relations.