Family portrait of the Allen family of Manly, NSW

Studio portrait of the Allen family of Manly, NSW. Identified seated centre is the widow, Mrs Hester Alice Allen (her husband John Thomas Allen died 7 October 1897) Hester is pictured with her children, identified from left to right, Robert 'Bob', Florence 'Florrie', Minnie and Stephen 'Steve'. 3003 Private (Pte) Robert Beattie Allen enlisted on 9 July 1915. His brother, 3002 Pte Stephen Charles Allen enlisted 9 days later. Both members of the 10th Reinforcements, 13th Battalion, they embarked together aboard HMAT Ballarat on 6 September 1915. The brothers were killed by the same shell, at Tom's Cut, near Mouquet Farm, on 14 August 1916. An eyewitness report in Robert's Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing File stated that "I knew the two Allens. They were both killed close up to Pozieres. A shell came over and took them both, they were two nice boys..." The Allen brothers have no known grave and are commemorated on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France.

• Informal portrait of 3003 Private Robert Beattie Allen, 3002 Private Stephen Charles Allen, 13th ...