First World War Black and White Photograph of a Hospital Train and Waiting Ambulances, Heliopolis

c. 1915
Overview

Small black and white photograph of a stationary hospital train, with a fleet of 16 Australian Army ambulance lined up alongside track waiting for the wounded to be unloaded.

Historical information

This series of black & white photographs was collected by Private Eric Sydney BANNISTER, regimental number 19. He joined the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) on the 11th August 1914, just a week after war was declared on Germany. The mission of the ANMEF was to destroy German radio stations and occupy German New Guinea and surrounding areas. The ANMEF secured military occupation on the 13th September 1914. The photographs are from two areas of Australian military deployment during the First World War. Ten (10) are from a deployment to German colony of New Guinea in 1914 and another eighty (80) from Cairo dated 1915 and 1916.The photographs of his deployment are of national significance and show one of Australia’s first military action in the First World War.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-12-2018.3.56
Item type
Photographs
Material
Photo Paper
Width
98 mm
Height or length
65 mm
Weight
1 g
Inscriptions and markings

Handwritten in black ink on back "Arrival of a Hospital train at / Heliopolis with wounded".

Contextual information

This photograph shows a stationary hospital train, with a fleet of Australian Army Ambulances waiting for the wounded to be unloaded. The photo appears to have been taken from the roof of the nearby Heliopolis Palace Hotel, site of the No. 1 Australian General Hospital during WW1.

Place made
Heliopolis, Egypt
Year
Primary significance criteria
Historic significance
Scientific or research significance
Social or spiritual significance
Comparative significance criteria
Interpretive capacity
Rare or representative
Well provenanced
Google Maps search term / URL
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gWHZtRH1mm24SAjK8
Last modified
Monday, 21 September, 2026
Completeness
100
Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum

Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum

Photo showing waiting Australian ambulance waiting for wounded to be unloaded from hospital train.
Photo showing Australian ambulances waiting for wounded to be unloaded from hospital train.
Rear view showing inscription.
Rear view showing inscription.

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