Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum > Records

First World War Black and White Photograph of Pte. John Edward BAMFORD, 3591

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c. 1917

Overview

A black and white photograph of an Australian soldier posing on a standing camel and holding a rifle pointed up into the air with his right hand. The soldier is wearing a hat, a lightweight short sleeved top and shorts, He has a utility belt around his waist and wears boots with fabric puttees on each leg. He is seated on a saddle covered with a blanket and is holding one rein in his left hand. The picture appears to be taken at a desert camp with a white tent behind the camel and other buildings further in the background. The landscape is mainly sand. There is an inscription written in black ink at the top left-hand side and further inscriptions on the reverse in both pen and pencil. The photograph has several creases and marks both front and rear.

Historical information

During the First World War portraits served as a vital personal link between soldiers deployed overseas and their families at home. Soldiers frequently visited local photographic studios while training in camps or on leave for studio portraits or informal, semi posed portraits were taken in camp settings by fellow soldiers or military photographers.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-12-2020.6.2

Item type

Photographs

Themes

War and Conflict > World War 1

Material

Ink

Pencil

Photo Paper

Width

89 mm

Height or length

137 mm

Weight

3 g

Inscriptions and markings

On the front “Egypt. 21/9/17” written in black ink. On back “21/9/17 / To Vera From Jack with / Love xxxxxxx / xxxxxxx / xxxxxxx /” written in black ink with “To Vera From Jack” written in pencil.

Contextual information

Private John Edward BAMFORD 3591 was born in England in 1896 moving to live in Albany WA. He served for three (3) years as a member of the 12th Company Australian Garrison Artillery at Princess Royal Fortress, Albany. He enlisted in the AIF in April 1917 at the age of 21, joining the 10th Light Horse Camel Corps and embarked from Fremantle on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on 30 June 1917. He served in Egypt and returned to Australia on 2 August 1919. During the Second World War John enlisted in the VDC 4th (Bunbury) Battalion on 26 April 1942 and was promoted to sergeant in September 1942. John Died in Collie on 28 March 1961 aged 64.

Keywords

Princess Royal Fortress

Place made

Egypt

Year

c. 1917

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance