Outdoor portrait of 737 Sergeant Major Rudolph Norman Clive Kirsch, 8th Battalion from Auburn, ...

Outdoor portrait of 737 Sergeant Major Rudolph Norman Clive Kirsch, 8th Battalion from Auburn, Victoria standing outside a tent holding a rifle. A 21 year old clerk prior to enlisting on 17 August 1914, he embarked for overseas as a Colour Sergeant with G Company from Melbourne on 19 October 1914 aboard HMAT Benalla (A24). After a stopover in Albany, Western Australia, they arrived in Egypt on 2 December 1914. Following further training in Egypt, the battalion took part in the Gallipoli landings on 25 April as part of the second wave. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant on 28 April and was then promoted to Lieutenant on 4 August 1915 and to Captain (Capt) on 12 March 1916. After serving at Gallipoli, he then proceeded to France in April 1916 and was wounded in action at Pozieres on 25 July 1916. Following evacuation to England for further medical treatment, he returned to France in February 1917. Capt Kirsch was killed in action near Ypres, Belgium on 4 October 1917 and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres with others who have no known grave. His brother 2347 Private Vivian Roy Kirsch, 38th Battalion was killed in action on the same day and is also commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial. This image is from the collection of brothers Lt Alan Crawford Couve and 2nd Lt Henry Thomas Ladson Couve from Dandenong, Victoria. They photographed members of their unit in Egypt prior to serving at Gallipoli where they both died.