POSTCARD: PRIVATE MELVILLE TRENBERTH

Photograph from the Thelma Green bequest. Another photograph of Private Melville Trenberth is in Album 5, 'Photos Trenberth family tree for the Subiaco Museum', 2004.52.
Sepia portrait of Private Melville Trenberth in army uniform. Melville was the second Melville born, 24/4/1897, died 11/2/1973, the ninth child of Elisha and Jane Hattam Trenberth. Melville, an uncle to Thelma, never married. His mother Jane Hattam Trenberth was living at 24 Catherine Street, Subiaco, when she was informed by the Defence Department that her youngest son, Private Melville Trenberth, 44th Battalion was admitted to the Edmonton Military Hospital suffering from pneumonia. According to his service record, Melville was a miner. In July 1915, Trenberth successfully enlisted for the AIF but was discharged after a few weeks of service due to the withdrawal of his parents’ consent. Trenberth was more successful in his second attempt to enlist in January 1916, where he was assigned to the 44th Battalion and embarked from Fremantle on the HMAT Suevic in June 1916. Private Trenberth was transferred to the 11th Battalion after his arrival to the front. He was wounded in the thigh in mid-1918 and was discharged from the AIF on 28 March 1919.