32091 Sergeant (Sgt) William Henry Joyce, an Official Photographer and Cinematographer serving ...

32091 Sergeant (Sgt) William Henry Joyce, an Official Photographer and Cinematographer serving with the Australian War Records Section (AWRS) setting up a 35mm movie camera in France.
Sgt Joyce was sent to the Australian Base Depot at Le Havre in early April 1919 to film drafts of soldiers passing through the depot as they were demobilised before returning to Australia. The Department of Repatriation and Demobilisation had asked the AWRS to make a film of the demobilisation activity that could be shown to Australian troops in France and Belgium so they knew what to expect when they passed through the depot. The Department even went so far as to suggest the title of the film; "From War to Peace: Returning the Australian Soldier to his Native Land". A 23 minute silent film was made and is now held in the AWM as Film No. F00054 - "Stages in the demobilization and repatriation of members of the AIF".
The unidentified Lieutenant Colonel on the right, smoking a pipe and wearing the oval 3rd Division colour patch, is likely the Commanding Officer of one of the three Depots, that in 1919 grew out of the original Australian Infantry Base Depot as the number of soldiers the AIF needed to repatriate dramatically increased at the end of the war. The soldier on the left, and largely obscured, is probably Joyce's assistant.
The large leather case under the tripod is the camera case, and the small object directly under the camera is a film magazine.
This photograph of Sgt Joyce at work was taken by Lieutenant S.H. Skipper, who at this time was giving lectures to demobilising Australian troops as they were processed through the Le Havre depot.