First World War Galleries - Object Backgrounder

GALLIPOLI

Anzac landing boat

A precious artefact of the Gallipoli campaign, this lifeboat belonged to the troopship HMT Ascot, which carried men of the 13th Battalion ashore on 25 April 1915. The boat was found abandoned on the beach after the war.

Lone Pine diorama – historical background

The bayonet charge to take the Turkish trenches at Lone Pine was intense, bloody, and wild. Made by the 1st Australian Brigade at 5.30 pm on 6 August 1915, it was intended as a diversionary action to draw the Turks’ attention from larger attacks elsewhere. At Lone Pine, the infantrymen rushed the Turkish lines, already hammered by artillery fire, only to discover many of the trenches had been “logged over” and they had to fight their way in. What followed was described as being “like a battle of savage beasts at the bottom of a pit”. Once the trenches were captured it was necessary to hold them against counter-attacks. These attacks went on for days, and more battalions were drawn into the action. Seven Australians were later awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery, including an almost unprecedented four going to a single battalion, the 7th: it was something almost unprecedented in the history of the award. But the cost of the battle was high – almost 2,000 Australians were killed or wounded.

Lone Pine – object background

While the First World War dioramas at the Australian War Memorial were to be based on a thorough knowledge of the history of each battle, Charles Bean also wanted them to have an emotional and visual impact. He wanted the artists commissioned to convey a sense of what it was like for those who fought and to engage the interest and empathy of the audience. Bean also knew that the dioramas could give visitors a tangible focal point through which to remember or visualise the place where their son, husband, comrade, or brother was killed.

Dioramas such as Lone Pine sometimes elicited strong emotional responses. During the 1930s the Australian War Museum held an exhibition in Sydney which included some of the early dioramas. One veteran was reduced to tears. “It’s that Lone Pine model,” he said. “I’ve got to get out. It’s too much for me. My pal was killed there beside me.”

Work began on the Lone Pine diorama in 1924. Louis McCubbin painted the original figures, background, and modelling. The background was later repainted by George Browning according to the original design by Louis McCubbin, first in 1953–54 and again in 1982.

Lone Pine

Artist: Wallace Anderson, Louis McCubbin, and George Browning

Places and date made: created in Melbourne in 1924–27

Medium:
  figures: oil, wax on lead;
  background: synthetic polymer paint with oil and gold leaf on plywood;
  modelling: dry colour on plaster over wood and wire

Acquisition detail: acquired under commission in 1927

Gallipoli aerial photography – Touchwall

Dating from the later part of the Gallipoli campaign (October–November 1915), these aerial photographs have never previously been publicly displayed as a complete mosaic. They provide a unique view of the Anzac area, from the beaches to the battlefields.

Although aerial reconnaissance and photography were still in their infancy in 1915, they played a significant role in allowing British commanders on Gallipoli to study details of Turkish movements and dispositions, and provided much-needed topographical data which helped to fill in many blank areas on the map.

These photographs were taken by men of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), flying primitive aircraft such as the Sopwith Tabloid and the Short 225 seaplane from bases on the nearby island of Tenedos, or operating from the seaplane carrier HMS Ark Royal. A number of Australians, including volunteers on loan from the AIF, were among the aircrew.

The Touchwall uses the original aerial photographs to visualise the physical environment of the Gallipoli campaign in a direct and personally involving manner. Visitors can access information on over 60 different points of interest on the Gallipoli peninsula including Anzac Cove, Lone Pine, and the unobtainable third ridge.

Lance Corporal Neville Wilson’s cap

Steel helmets were not worn on Gallipoli and, consequently, many casualties were incurred through head wounds. Lance Corporal Neville Wilson was a bit luckier; he survived bullets going through his peaked cap on two occasions. His cap with its two bullet holes, each marked in indelible pencil with the dates of the close calls, is on display in the new First World War Galleries.

Neville Wilson was a 24-year-old station overseer from Bowen Downs when he joined the light horse as soon as he could in 1914. He was an original member of the 1st Light Horse Regiment. The light horse did not take part in the landing at Anzac, but was soon needed. They were sent to Gallipoli without their horses in May. It was in those early weeks that Lance Corporal Wilson first had a Turkish bullet pierce his cap.

In August 1915 the British launched their big offensive at Anzac. This time Wilson was a part of the 1st Light Horse Regiment’s bayonet charge at Pope’s Hill on 7 August. Although not as well known as the famous charge at The Nek, the charge at Pope’s Hill took place at the same time and was every bit as bloody and futile. The light horse got into the Turks’ lines but could not hold on. Of the 200 men in the charge many were killed and less than 50 came out unscathed. Wilson was one of the survivors, although his cap now bore the second hole; another escape.

A year later, almost to the day, Wilson was in mounted action in the Sinai desert. This time his luck ran out and he was severely wounded in the battle of Romani. He was invalided home, his war now over.

WESTERN FRONT

Trench warfare: A-frames and duckboards – historical background

In 1914 the Germans had invaded Belgium and northern France, and had almost reached Paris. In the developing deadlock, each side tried to outflank the other, resulting in a line of trenches that eventually stretched from the Belgian coast in the north to the Swiss border in the south. The early war of movement descended into siege warfare, with the advantage usually held by the defender. Trenches could be aboveground “breastworks” or extend (particularly on the German side) to deep underground fortifications.

Mortars, illumination flares, machine-guns, and the standard rifle and bayonet were normal trench weapons, with artillery, connected by telephone, remaining some way behind the line but in constant support. Trench life could be a dull routine or, during an attack or shelling, terrifyingly dangerous. Each side tried to dominate the “no man’s land” between the opposing lines with patrols and raids. Raiders were armed with grenades, knives, and clubs. Patrolling ensured that troops maintained an aggressive spirit and constant vigilance.

Trench warfare: A-frames and duckboards – object background

Early trenches on the Western Front were often hastily dug under fire or while in immediate danger of attack. However, with the advent of static warfare, in which the front lines were considered almost permanent, increasing amounts of time and effort were expended on standardising and regulating these structures. British trenches were generally constructed around inverted timber A-frames floored with duckboards. Revetting wire (a form of mesh) stapled to the sides of the trench helped to stabilise the earth walls.

Pheasant Wood objects

Lady’s ring (Pheasant Wood)

This nine-carat gold-and-opal ring was recovered during the excavations at Pheasant Wood. Of a feminine design and size, it seems likely to have been a keepsake given to a soldier by a sweetheart or wife. For the soldier carrying it, the blue opal may have signified a small piece of Australia.

Sergeant Ernest Jentsch, 53rd Battalion (Pheasant Wood)

Twenty-two-year-old Sergeant Ernest Jentsch of the 53rd Battalion was one of the many Australians killed in the attack at Fromelles in July 1916. His death was confirmed to the Red Cross by the Germans, and his identity disc eventually returned to his family. No grave was discovered after the war, so Jentsch, along with many others, was listed as having no known grave. It was not until 2009, with the discovery of the remains of 250 men in a mass grave at Pheasant Wood, that his resting place was identified.

A mother’s badges (Pheasant Wood)

Ernest Jentsch’s mother, Alice, received badges from the Australian government. Although not issued until after the war, these badges identified her loss to the community. The blue enamelled Female Relatives’ Badge was granted to mothers, wives, or close female relations of all those serving in the AIF. The silk Mothers and Widows Badge was supplied only to those who had lost a son, a daughter, or a husband in service. When Alice Jentsch died in 1962 her eldest son’s resting place had not been found.

Railway ticket (Pheasant Wood)

Australians were shocked when an investigation of the mass graves at Pheasant Wood in 2009 revealed an astonishing collection of artefacts relating to the 250 bodies buried there. It had been expected that human remains and metal items would be present, but the variety of other materials and the state of their preservation was surprising. This train ticket – a return from Fremantle to Perth – may have marked an unknown soldier’s final journey in Australia before his troopship departed.

Boot and sock (Pheasant Wood)

The recovery of boots from the Pheasant Wood site was not altogether unexpected, since moist, low-oxygen conditions can preserve leather effectively. The discovery of an almost complete sock, however, seems miraculous in the circumstances. Machine-knitted, this was probably an army-issue item, rather than a gift from home.

“Dead man’s penny” (Pheasant Wood)

After the war the families of each man or woman who had died in the service of the British Empire were presented with an individually named bronze plaque commemorating their loss. More than 1.3 million of these plaques – soon dubbed “dead man’s pennies” – were produced. The Jentsch family received this tribute to their son, Ernest, in 1922.

Monkey lucky charm (Pheasant Wood)

One of the most intriguing items recovered from Pheasant Wood, this finely carved ivory figure of a monkey is thought to be of Japanese origin. Since it was not linked to the remains of any of the identified soldiers, its significance is likely to remain a mystery.

Brooch (Pheasant Wood)

Although the 5th Division had been in France for only three weeks or so, many soldiers had already begun to obtain souvenirs of the new land. When his unit was billeted for the night in Estaires, a town about eight kilometres behind the front lines, Private Henry Cressy of the 54th Battalion seized the opportunity to purchase this small brooch. He probably intended to send it home as a gift, but was still carrying it when he died at Fromelles in July 1916. Cressy’s brother, Edward, also serving in the 54th, was wounded on the same day.

Toothbrush (Pheasant Wood)

Although its bristles have long since disappeared, the head of the toothbrush carried by Private Fred Dyson is still clearly recognisable. From Kempsey in New South Wales, 19-year-old Dyson was a member of the 54th Battalion. Like many toothbrushes of the period, this one was made of horn, probably from a cow.

Iodine ampoules (Pheasant Wood)

In a special pocket inside his tunic every soldier in the BEF carried a field dressing and a small glass vial of antiseptic iodine with which to treat wounds. Many carried more than one. Although the dressings had long since disintegrated, the excavations at Pheasant Wood revealed dozens of the iodine ampoules, many with their contents still intact. Although it was believed that iodine ampoules were introduced only in 1917, the examples recovered from Pheasant Wood suggest otherwise.

Shoulder title (Pheasant Wood)

Members of the AIF wore a curved brass title bearing the word “Australia” on each shoulder of their uniform. Many of these titles were discovered with the bodies at Pheasant Wood.

“Rising sun” collar badge (Pheasant Wood)

Although many of the bodies found in the Pheasant Wood excavations proved to be Australian, relatively few of the characteristic “rising sun” collar badges worn by each member of the AIF were discovered. It is likely that many were souvenired by the Bavarian troops who opposed the Fromelles attack, and who were later responsible for the burial of the dead.

Smoker’s pipe (Pheasant Wood)

Many soldiers were smokers, and although cigarettes remained the most popular option some men preferred to use a pipe. This well-used example has had some carving work done by its owner, who may have been Private Harold Edgar Perrin, a Victorian of the 31st Battalion.

Crucifixes and scapular (Pheasant Wood)

With one unidentified body was found a heart-shaped leather pouch containing two crucifixes (one in nine-carat gold, the other a copper alloy) and a smaller leather heart. These items are in the tradition of the Catholic scapular, a symbol of religious devotion. Presumably made as a protective amulet by a loved one, such objects would suggest that either the giver or the wearer – or both – were devout Catholics.

Shoulder strap and title (Pheasant Wood)

A few unmistakably Australian items were discovered during the Pheasant Wood excavations. Amazingly, this brass “Australia” shoulder title was recovered still attached to the recognisable shoulder strap of a soldier’s woollen tunic.

Coin purse (Pheasant Wood)

This small leather purse, carried by an unidentified soldier killed at Fromelles, contains a number of corroded coins.

Pencil (Pheasant Wood)

Most soldiers carried a pen or pencil to jot down information, keep a diary, or write home. Indelible pencils were favoured because they were cheap, could not be erased, and if moistened formed a permanent ink. A number of these pencils were found in the Pheasant Wood mass graves. Interestingly, this one – a Staedtler – was manufactured in Germany.

4.5-inch howitzer – historical background

The booming of artillery fire was a constant backdrop to the fighting on the Western Front. In the early years of the war the armies suffered from a lack of artillery and shells, and from the poor quality of ammunition. These deficiencies were soon overcome by the mobilisation of war industries, which resulted in greater production and higher manufacturing standards. The technical aspects of using artillery also advanced rapidly. Although there were heavy guns of awesome size and devastating effect, it was the horse-drawn field guns and howitzers that became the most familiar. This 4.5-inch howitzer was light, mobile, and could deliver plunging fire on enemy trenches and fortifications.

Rugby League “Mudlarks” jersey

In 1916 the 4th Australian Machine Gun Company formed a Rugby League team, the Mudlarks, to compete with teams from other units. One enthusiastic Mudlark was Lance Corporal Richard Overy from Haberfield in Sydney. The team was disbanded after the company suffered heavy casualties in the attack at Bullecourt on 11 April 1917. Overy’s jersey still carries the mud of his team’s final game.

Cricket bat – “Where there’s a will, there’s a bat”

Cricket was always a popular recreation for Australian soldiers, and was played whenever possible. This bat, which had suffered a broken handle, was repaired with whatever could be scrounged by men of the 10th Light Horse Regiment. It was used in impromptu games by those manning outposts during the Egyptian rebellion in early 1919.

German dog gas mask

The Germans made extensive use of messenger dogs, who were considered almost as valuable as men and equally vulnerable to poison gases. Respirators for dogs were therefore created from ersatz fabric (in this case, paper-based) which could be soaked in a protective solution. Most dogs would presumably have been reluctant to have the mask put over their muzzles, so the rabbit fur lining may have served as an encouragement.

British howitzer (4.5-inch howitzer) – object background

Together with the 18-pounder field gun, the 4.5-inch howitzer was one of the principal artillery pieces used by the AIF in the First World War. While always in the minority, the 4.5 was probably the best and most modern field howitzer at the time, and more than 3,000 were eventually built. Well suited to the harsh conditions encountered on active service, the gun was able to deliver plunging fire into enemy trenches and emplacements, which made it an invaluable and popular weapon.

British 4.5-inch howitzer

Calibre: 4.5-inch (114-millimetre)

Weight of weapon: 16 kilograms

Weight of projectile: 1,473 kilograms

Range: 6,500 metres

Mont St Quentin diorama – historical background

The hill of Mont St Quentin overlooks the ancient town of Péronne and the Somme River. Here, in August 1918, the Germans, dispirited and soaked by the rain, prepared to make a stand behind barbed-wire entanglements and amid the old trenches of earlier fighting. The hill was the strategic key, and it was vital that it be captured quickly. This task was given to the Australian 2nd Division, while the 5th Division was to take Péronne. This time there was thin support from the artillery, and no tanks, but both sides had plenty of machine-guns. It quickly became an infantry battle, sometimes reduced to bitter hand-to-hand fighting. For a while the result hung in the balance, but by 1 September the town and hill were in Australian hands. The victory had cost 3,000 allied casualties, but the Germans had been dealt a stunning blow and were forced to fall back towards their Hindenburg Line.

Mont St Quentin – object background

Mont St Quentin was the first diorama produced in the First World War series and represents a tactically difficult situation as well as the daring of the Australian soldiers. The sculptor, C. Web Gilbert, said when making the diorama, “I want to satisfy not only the art critic and the military enthusiast, but the Dinkum Digger critic.” Gilbert chose Mont St Quentin first “not only because it lends itself best to picturesque treatment, but because it typifies and crowns the great sweeping victories of the AIF that preceded the smashing of the Hindenburg line – and then the Armistice”.

One bereaved father followed the progress of the Mont St Quentin diorama very closely. John Garibaldi “Garry” Roberts had lost a son, Frank, in the attack on Mont St Quentin. Roberts expressed his grief over the death of his son by befriending his son’s comrades and by keeping a diary and a voluminous collection of cutting books recording every aspect of his son’s part in the war. Twenty-seven volumes of these cutting books are now held by the State Library of Victoria. Gilbert was a friend of Roberts and in 1919 sent him photographs of the small wax sketch model of the diorama. Beside a press photograph of Gilbert at work in front of the diorama, Roberts wrote a short, precise description of the action of Frank’s company and noted the spot where he had been killed.

In mid-1919 a comrade of Frank’s wrote to Roberts that a photograph of the model that he had sent “brings everything back so vividly … The shattered brick wall is just as it actually was, and the trees too, all a perfect prototype of those which I saw over a year ago.” The diorama must have meant a great deal to Roberts, who had been unable to visit the battlefield for himself. Here was a model that someone who had been there thought showed the scene “just as it actually was”. Doubtless there were many bereaved relatives for whom Mont St Quentin proved just as moving and significant.

Mont St Quentin

Artist: Charles Web Gilbert, Louis McCubbin and Arlo Mountford

Place and date made: created in Melbourne in 1920–23; background created in Melbourne in 2013–14

Medium:
  figures: paint on lead;
  modelling: paint on plaster over wood and wire;
  background: 6-channel HD digital animation, sound.

Acquisition detail: acquired under commission in 1923; background acquired under commission in 2014

Wreckage from a British tank (Bullecourt tank parts) (Caption text)

The decision to support the Australian attack on the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt in April 1917 with tanks instead of the normal artillery barrage was a fateful one. The Australians had never before operated or even trained with tanks, and the Mark II tanks employed on this occasion were unreliable, under-powered, and poorly armoured. Only a few arrived in time for the start of the attack. Eventually, 11 took part, but most became targets for German artillery and machine-gunners and were soon standing crippled or burning on the battlefield. Their crews fought bravely but had little impact on the outcome. The attack was a disaster.

British Mark II tank No. 799, commanded by 20-year-old Welshman Second Lieutenant Harold Davies, was destroyed by enemy fire while leading Australian troops in their attack on 11 April. During the action Davies’s tank had veered to the right and crossed the German lines, which meant it was well out of position before it was knocked out and captured. It had fought a brave action. Most of the crew managed to get clear, but Davies was last seen lying dead beside the vehicle. He has no known grave. The tank was later reduced to wreckage and eventually buried. Its remains were uncovered decades later on the old battlefield.

Matron-in-chief Grace Wilson (Uniform of Grace Wilson)

Formerly at Brisbane Hospital, Grace Wilson became principal matron of the 3rd Australian General Hospital (3AGH) at Lemnos in 1915, dealing with the heavy casualties from Anzac. A gifted leader and organiser, she quickly overcame the chaotic situation she found there, raising the unit to a high pitch of efficiency. Wilson later served on the Western Front, and also acted as temporary matron-in-chief at AIF Headquarters in London, but 3AGH, whose colour patches are seen on her uniform, remained her great passion.

Medals awarded to Matron Grace Wilson

Grace Wilson’s medals are a tribute to her lifetime of service to the medical profession and the Australian military. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross 1st Class in 1916, and three years later she was created a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). In 1929 she was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal – the highest distinction a nurse can receive – by the International Red Cross. Wilson served with the AIF nursing services again during the Second World War.

Mechanised transport (FWD Model B truck)

The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company of Clintonville, Wisconsin, USA, was the first manufacturer of practical 4x4 trucks, the potential of which was quickly recognised by the military. The three-ton FWD Model B was introduced in 1912 and proved highly successful during the war, being used in large numbers by both the British and US armies. The AIF, which had no truck fleet of its own, received vehicles from British stocks, and the FWD was particularly favoured by heavy artillery units owing to its excellent pulling power.

Monash’s uniform

The son of Jewish Prussian immigrants, engineer and citizen soldier John Monash rose from commander of an infantry brigade in 1914 to commander of the Australian Corps in 1918. His decisive nature and meticulous eye for planning were among the keys to the Australian Corps’ successes. Knighted in early 1918, Monash took charge of repatriating the AIF to Australia at the end of the war, and carried this task through to a successful conclusion. Recognised as one of the most talented military leaders Australia has ever produced, by the 1920s Monash had become the most famous living Australian.

Monash’s medals

Considering his military achievements, Sir John Monash received comparatively few awards, although his orders of knighthood – Knight Grand Cross of St Michael and St George, and Knight Commander of the Bath – were among the highest the British Empire could bestow. He was also decorated by the French, Belgian, and American governments, and in 1929 the Australian government promoted him and Sir Harry Chauvel to the rank of general, making them the first Australians to achieve this high position.

Private Giles’s uniform

After 15 days in the line and a successful attack at Morlancourt on 29 July 1918, the 29th Battalion was relieved and marched back down into the valley of the river Ancre, near Heilly. One of the unit’s soldiers, Private George Giles, was stopped here, and his entire uniform and equipment collected by the AWRS for preservation. Charles Bean recorded in his diary that the uniform was collected and the photographs taken to show the men just as they were, and to provide a detailed record of the everyday experience of Australian soldiers on the front line.

Giles’s uniform, ragged, dirty, and covered in mud, remains one of the Australian War Memorial’s most popular and enduring exhibits. It has been on almost constant display since the 1920s, and has come to symbolise the Australian digger to generations of visitors.

Making the photographic record (large-scale official photography display)

Photographs from the front were vital for official records, for the newspapers, and for use in wartime propaganda. In the war’s early years, including the Gallipoli campaign, the photographic record depended on contributions from soldiers, official correspondents, and British sources. On the Western Front, where a prohibition on unauthorised photography was strictly enforced, the Australians had to rely on British official photographers until their own were finally appointed in November 1916.

In July 1917 two outstanding Australian photographers were engaged – Captain Frank Hurley and Lieutenant Hubert Wilkins. They had both worked with polar expeditions. After covering the Ypres fighting, Hurley went to Palestine to record the light horse’s operations. Around this time, the war photography program came under the direction of the newly established Australian War Records Section. During 1918 Wilkins led a team which produced an outstanding record of the work of the Australian Corps in France.

SINAI AND PALESTINE

Semakh diorama – historical background

Semakh was a small mud village on the southern end of Lake Tiberias (the biblical Sea of Galilee) that served the important Haifa–Damascus railway. Turkish and German troops had been sent to reinforce the small local garrison, and they turned the village and its stone railway buildings overlooking the open plains into a strong

defensive position. With the British advancing on Damascus, it was important that Semakh be captured. The task fell mostly to the 11th Light Horse – a regiment of South Australians and Queenslanders with a significant number of Aboriginal troopers. Advancing by moonlight in the early hours of 25 September 1918, the Australians came under machine-gun fire. The order was given: “Form line and charge the guns.” With swords drawn they rode into the fire. Once in the village, they dismounted and went in with bayonets. The enemy fought doggedly, and many were killed. The capture of Semakh cost the Australians 43 killed or wounded. Of the 364 enemy prisoners taken, 150 were Germans.

Semakh – object background

This diorama depicts the events of 25 September 1918, when the 11th Light Horse Regiment attacked the village of Semakh in Palestine. The scene was created from the official histories and photographs supplied to the artists. The diorama was originally exhibited in Melbourne in 1927–28, and was first displayed at the Memorial in Aeroplane Hall, where it remained until 1971. Louis McCubbin had painted the original figures, background, and modelling. The background was originally painted on linoleum that had been adhered to Masonite, and over the years it had become very brittle; when moved it was irretrievably torn. The current background was painted by Alexander McKenzie in 2013.

McKenzie travelled to the site of Semakh in September 2013 to get a sense of the scale of the landscape and the atmosphere. He went to the site at dawn to see the play of light and dark over the water and surrounding hills.

Here McKenzie has incorporated historical elements into the background, including the town of Semakh, which no longer exists, and the current landscape to connect the past with the present. He has included the portion of the official history that tells of the enemy attempting to escape by motor boat before being “caught by machine-gun and Hotchkiss fire, and burst into flames”. The sinking boat can be seen ablaze near the shoreline.

Semakh

Artist: Wallace Anderson, Louis McCubbin and Alexander McKenzie

Place and date made: created in Melbourne in 1926–27; background painted in Canberra in 2013

Medium:
  figures: pewter with paint;
  modelling: plaster over wood and wire with metal and paint;
  background: oil on canvas

Acquisition detail: acquired under commission in 1927 and 2014

LEGACIES OF THE WAR

Marrickville’s Winged victory

Erected to the Honor and Glory of the Men of Marrickville who gave their lives for God and the cause of humanity in the Great War 1914–1919. “They died that we might live – Hail – and Farewell! – All Honor give To those who nobly striving nobly fell, That we might live!”

A central element of community life in Marrickville, New South Wales, for many years, Gilbert Doble’s memorial statue of the Greek goddess Nike on the municipal war memorial was generally known to locals as Winged victory. Sir Walter Davidson, Governor of New South Wales, unveiled the statue and memorial before a crowd of 15,000 in May 1919, placing it among the first monuments to the Great War to be completed. Many hundreds of others across the nation would follow in the months and years that came after.

A community’s loss

Marrickville, a municipality of the city of Sydney, was proclaimed in 1861, and by 1914 had a population of 30,000 to 40,000. Of these, around 4,000 (or ten per cent of the community) enlisted in the armed forces during the war, and more than 450 were killed in action or died as a direct consequence of their service. The names of the dead were recorded on the base of the Marrickville war memorial. Winged victory, which stood atop a six-metre column as part of the memorial, formed a centre for the community’s sorrow at its loss, but also for its pride in the achievements of its sons.

A unique approach

Gilbert Doble, a resident of the area and an established monument sculptor, was a logical choice to produce the centrepiece for Marrickville’s new war memorial. He decided on an unorthodox construction method for Winged victory, comprising a metal armature over which a thin copper sheet formed the outer skin. The resulting effect was so impressive that many observers assumed the statue to be cast bronze. However, the light structure proved vulnerable to the elements, and was severely weathered by years of exposure atop its column.

Loss and restoration

In 1962, nearly 45 years after it was erected, Winged victory was removed from its column. Numerous lightning strikes and storms had seriously damaged and weakened the structure, and it was placed in council storage, during which time the badly damaged lower section was lost. In 1988, with Bicentennial Council funding, the statue was fully restored by Sydney sculptor Dr Alex Kolozsy and returned to its original position atop the Marrickville war memorial. Following another 20 years in situ, it was again removed as a result of further deterioration. Owing to the fragile state of the statue, it was no longer suitable for outdoor display. Marrickville Council has commissioned a new bronze interpretation of the Winged victory for a permanent local display.

Winged victory

Artist: Gilbert Doble

Place and date made: made in Sydney in 1918–19

Medium: copper alloy

Acquisition detail: donated by Marrickville Council in 2014

FACES OF WAR

Photograph ribbon – appears throughout the galleries

Taken from a collection of thousands, this portrait display offers a personal and poignant insight into the impact of the First World War.

Laced throughout the First World War Galleries is a small ribbon of portraits of servicemen and servicewomen, and the relatives and communities who supported them at home.

Since it was first conceived by Charles Bean during the First World War the Australian War Memorial has been collecting photographs of servicemen and servicewomen, particularly those represented on the Roll of Honour. Bean hoped to memorialise their sacrifice by displaying portraits “in a frieze around the waist of the central hall in any great future Australian Museum”.

Although Bean’s vision of a pictorial Roll of Honour was never realised, this portrait display references his early concept while looking more broadly at the experiences of soldiers represented in the Memorial’s vast photographic collection.

Beyond the stories of those who lost their lives there are tales of award recipients, men who made the war seem like a heroic spectacle, and others who spoke of hardship and adversity. Many of the stories included in the display will be familiar to visitors: John “Barney” Hines, the “Souvenir King”; Oliver Hogue, known by the pseudonym “Trooper Bluegum”; and Jim Martin, often regarded as the youngest Australian to die on active service. Others will be less familiar, and some are unknown.

The portrait ribbon provides an insight into the personal experiences of the men and women who served during the war, recognising that every individual has a unique story tell.