| Accession Number | P05921.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Negative |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | 1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of brothers 2750 Clarence Roy (Roy) Whittle (standing) and 2751 Sidney Percy ...
Description
Studio portrait of brothers 2750 Clarence Roy (Roy) Whittle (standing) and 2751 Sidney Percy (Sid) Whittle (seated) taken just prior to their departure in 1916. Roy, the eldest son, enlisted on 13 June 1916; he was 22 years old and a plumber who worked at Lemon's at Goulburn. His brother Sid enlisted around the same time and was a 20 year old carpenter. Sid had previous military service with the 43rd Infantry Regiment - the Riverina Regiment militia unit . They left Australia from Sydney, aboard the HMAT Ceramic on 7 of October 1916, members of the 6th Reinforcements to the 56th Battalion. Roy turned 23 during the voyage. They were Lewis Gunners in the same gun team, but were put into different teams in March or April 1917. Soon after, Roy was killed during a heavy German artillery barrage on the 14th of May 1917, during the Battle of Bullecourt. At the time he was killed, the 56th Battalion was in a sector of the line located just south-east of Bullecourt. He has no known grave. Sid remained with the 56th Battalion and was promoted to Lance Corporal in December 1917. On 2 September 1918, Sid was shot through the right thigh during the fighting for Peronne; he returned to Australia in 1919.