27th Battalion grave photography project

The grave of 2346 Private (Pte) Francis Isaac Dickson, 27th Battalion, of Jamestown, SA. A labourer prior to enlistment, Pte Dickson embarked from Adelaide with the 5th Reinforcements on HMAT Themistocles on 13th October 1915. He was killed in action 13 July 1918, and was buried in the Adelaide British Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, France. 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.