Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Nursing SIster Dorothy Elmes, a victim of the Banka Island massacre

WW2 RAAF Aircrew NW Europe Distinguished Flying Cross, 1939-45 Star, Aircrew Europe Star (operations over NW Europe before D Day) , Defence Medal (service in a prescribed area in this case the UK) , British War Medal 1939-45, Australian Service Medal 1939-45

Memorial to Men of Railway Town

1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory medal with the oak leaf clasp denoting Mentioned in Despatches.

Lieutenant Esson Rule 50th Bn Australian Infantry Died on 3rd April 1917 aged 22 Son of William and Ida Rule Born at Aberdeen, Burra, New South Wales Grave: A 24

Gilbert Pate's grave in Lezennes Communal Cemetery near Lille - "He fought and died a hero in the battle of the skies".

Opening of the Villers Bretonneux Memorial and adjacent cemetery 1938. Two years later it was overrun by another invadng German Army

"Star" boring plant, used by the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMM).

"Star" boring plant, used by the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMM).

6393 Sapper John Frederick BOARDMAN

Common Grave 294 - Lancaster ME -755 'AR-Z'

Kensal Green Cemetery is a remarkable heritage site in which are interred a large range of notable personalities in modern English history.

10185 Jack Reed striking a dapper pose

A Lockheed Hudson in the colours of 6 Squadron, similar in configuration to those operated by No. 2 Squadron in the early part of the Pacific War. This aircraft belongs to the Temora Aviation Museum in NSW.

AE2 in Fittzroy Dock Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour

39-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal (UK service), 39-45 British War Medal, 39-45 Australian War Medal

These plaques are placed at the base of elm trees lining Prescott Terrace (N) and Alexandra Ave (W) 87 of them

Graves of the crew of 460 Squadron Lancaster lost here 13th June 1943

Tom Tobin at this investiture for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Jane Eblen private collection

This Australian soldier’s skull has extensive damage caused by bullet wounds sustained in the Battle of Passchendale (or Third Ypres, Battle of Polygon Wood) in the First World War. He was shot on September 28, 1917. Most of the damage was caused by a lead bullet that entered the mouth and passed through the palate and right eye. Shrapnel destroyed the ascending ramus of the right jaw, and another bullet, visible here, struck the left frontal sinus. Philadelphia opthalmologist and surgeon WT Shoemaker treated this soldier at a battlefield hospital in France. This soldier survived his initial injuries and treatments. But, five days after his injuries, blind and disoriented, he pulled out the bandage materials in his mouth that packed the wounds. He bled to death. Mutter Museum Philadelphia

9.2 inch Howitzers of the 55th Siege Battery in action near Pozieres, late summer 1916

CPL W.M. JOLUIS, RADIOLOGIST AT WORK AT 106 CASUALTY CLEARING STATION. HE IS X-RAYING THE WOUNDED KNEE OF V64795 PRIVATE J. P. SPORN, 7TH BATTALION AMF WHO WAS WOUNDED AT WEARNE'S HILL.

A QANTAS Catalina operated for the RAAF at the Nedlands base in WA before setting out on one of the longest flights of the war.

Ian Henry Denver (enlisted as I.H. Deramore-Denver), DFC

Japanese PoW awaiting transhipment to Japan

The best tunnelling conditions were in the great chalk seams running across northern France. Excavation generally had to be conducted with great care to conceal t he diggings and where in the proximity of enemy miners, to prevent detection by listening devices. Men of the 3rd Australian Company excavating a chamber in the chalk in the Hulluch subway system. The chalk was dug out with miners' picks and filled into bags. These bags were trucked along the gallery to suitable positions, hauled to the surface and emptied at night. In places where the chalk crumbled, the walls had to be revetted, as is seen on the left. Identified left to right: Captain R. J. Langton MC, Officer Commanding, No. 1 Section (holding bag); 1194 Sapper (Spr) D. C. Vecchia; 6772 Spr C. A. L. Robinson, all members of the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company.

One of the ship’s assault landing craft, viewed from the aft gun platform of the landing ship infantry Westralia, as it swung aboard during the movement of the 2/24 Infantry Battalion troops, Morotai, 18 April 1945.

Australians standing by in a hot section of the front, 400 yards from the enemy. Many forward posts like this are isolated during the daylight hours (Original caption). This photograph was reproduced in the unit history 'Purple and blue: the history of the 2/10th Battalion' published in 1958. The men were identified in the unit history as, front to rear: VX35964 Private (Pte) William John Goodgame', VX36671 Pte Gordon James Watkins and SX1412 Pte Charles George Stening'. All three were promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal during their service. Lance Corporals Goodgame and Watkins were killed in action at Buna, Papua, on 24 December 1942. This image gives a clear impression a clear impression of the exposed nature of their position and the cramped conditions under which they operated. Charlie Stenning was a well known identity in the 2nd/10th Battalion Association after the War, Bill Goodgame in the foreground is clearly not planning to withdraw; he has no boots on! He is armed with a Thompson sub machine gun.

Unidentified solder entering tunnel under Hill 60, near Ypres

Personnel from HMAS Sydney, Tobruk and Murchison marching along George St, Sydney on 6 March 1953. [AWM 304621] ...

Edwards with his wife, left, and mother-in-law, right, leaving Buckingham Palace after attending an investiture ceremony at which he was awarded the VC.

Richard FETHERSTON - Postcard to work colleagues from Cairo

Korea, 1952-05. Three officers from 'A' Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), share a bottle of beer in a reserve area. The soldiers are (left to right): Captain Brian Poananga, a New Zealander serving with the battalion; 3/40105 Lieutenant Gilmer John (Gil) Lucas MC; 3/395 Major Jeffrey James (Jim) Shelton MC, the company commander. A graduate of the Royal Military College (RMC) Duntroon, Captain Poananga later became Chief of the General Staff (CGS) in the Royal New Zealand Army (RNZA).

Robert Glendenning Jemison's 'Dead Man's Penny' in a circular wooden frame. In the collection of his Great Nephew, Bruce James-Martin. In a fascinating twist of fate, Bruce is a friend of John Wadlow, narrator of the accompanying story.

HMAS Perth engaged in the Battle of Sunda Strait 1 March 1942, during which both HMAS Perth and USS Houston were sunk.

No. 2 Squadron B-25s lined up at Batchelor in the NT

A M2A2 105mm howitzer fires in support of 1 RAR from FSB Coral

Australian WW2 medal set for service in the South West Pacific - 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, 1939-45 War Medal, Australian Service Medal 39-45

Cause: Japanese naval guns in a pillbox at Mangam covering the Milford Highway.

BREAKFAST CIRCLE OF MEN OF "HQ" COMPANY, 2/28TH AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION. THEY ARE TAKING PART IN A DESERT "BOX" FORMATION EXECISE CARRIED OUT IN EXTENSIVE MANOEUVRES BY THE 9TH AUSTRALIAN DIVISION IN SYRIA AND LEBANON.

Flying Officer Robert McKerlie Croft

Arthur Harris: School cadets, Burra School, South Australia, 1907/8. Arthur Harris is seated second from right in the middle row. Service in school cadets was widespread in the colonies around the turn of the Century, and was a key component of the organisation of the Defence Force post Federation, following a review by Field Marshal Kitchener. They are armed with Martini-Henry .310 calibre 'Cadet' rifles. Photo: Harris family records

WW1 Meritorious service post 31 Dec 15 Embarkation: L-R Military Medal (MM), British War Medal, Victory Medal

Headstone of Private D S HAILES, 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion WW2. This is a private grave in Salisbury Memorial Park

In November 1967 a 9 Squadron Iroquois lands to pick up members of the 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR) during operation Santa Fe, a gruelling three week-long operation through inhospitable country some 23 kilometres from the Task Force Base at Nui Dat. [AWM COL/67/1127/VN]

Map illustrating the relative position of AO Surfers, Saigon and the Australian base at Nui Dat