Soldiers in a trench at Gallipoli

Photograph of a 'sap' (a deep narrow trench constructed to approach an enemy's position), with several soldiers sitting in the trench. The caption for the original photograph reads 'A "T" Sap, Walker's Ridge."

CEW Bean describes this photo as 'taken on 'Walker's Ridge' in May 1915. (The light horseman who is smoking in the background and the private in the foreground were father and son.) ... Taken by Pte. H.V. Woods, 4th Fld. Amb. Official history of Australia in the war 1914-1918, Volume 12 photographic record, plate 77.

From an album of photographs taken by Harold Vynne Woods at Anzac Cove in 1915. Shows scenes in the camps, huts, trenches and dugouts, beach scenes showing the detritus of the landing and in one case a naked digger bathing, and a fine series of posed and unposed group and individual photographs of diggers, both at rest and on duty. Photographically this is a remarkably successful series of snapshots, many of the images are beautifully composed and framed and it is possible that Woods was quite experienced.

Twenty-five year old carpenter, Harold Vynne Woods, enlisted at Morphettville on 22 September 1914, joining the 4th Field Ambulance. After promotion to Sergeant he was selected to attend Officer Cadet Battalion and on qualifying for a commission was promoted to Lieutenant. He was wounded in France in May 1918 and returned to Australia in October 1918. After the war he lived at Victor Harbor and died on 20 December 1993 aged 104.

A copy of this photo appears in the collection of Thomas Woolmer English, see PRG 381/23/3

Permission to use this item for any purpose, including publishing, is not required from the State Library under these conditions of use.

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