Informal group portrait of 19 members of the 33rd Battalion. Identified third row from the back, ...

Informal group portrait of 19 members of the 33rd Battalion. Identified third row from the back, third from the left is, probably, 1276 Private (Pte) Hampton Willis, of Guyra NSW. Pte Willis a grazier prior to enlisting in January 1916, embarked with the 33rd Battalion on board HMAT Marathon (A74) on 4 May 1916. They trained for several months in England before arriving in France in November 1916 to serve on the Western Front. In mid 1917 the battalion was sent to Ypres, Belgium. Pte Willis died on 7 June 1917 of wounds received in action the same day at Messines. He was 25 years of age. On the back of the photograph Pte Willis wrote " If photos get astray send / to Mr C. Willis/ Strathgarve/ Dalveen / Queensland/ Australia."