Roll of Honour Photographs
14 April 2008 News by Joanne Smedley. 9 Comments
The Australian War Memorial is encouraging Australians to look through their family wartime photographs to find images of the more than 102,000 men and women who died while on active service, and whose names are on bronze panels of the Roll of Honour.
The photographs will allow all Australians to remember these individuals as their families did. An online version of the Roll of Honour is available on the Memorial’s website. Photographs are linked online to the entry on the Roll, which personalises the information.
The ultimate aim is to add a photographic image to every name. Currently there are 6,600 photographs linked to the online Roll of Honour. This project started in the 1920s, when Charles Bean thought of the concept. John Treloar, the first Director of the Memorial, wrote thousands of letters to families seeking portraits. The internet and email, combined with an increasing interest in family and military history, has seen this project acquire a new life.
We need your help
First check if a photograph is linked by searching the Roll of Honour database
If there is no linked photograph, contact a curator about how you can help by providing one:
- Phone (02) 6243 4593 or
- email photographs@awm.gov.au or fill in the form to ask questions or have someone contact you.
Left to right: ‘Bluey’ Truscott, Sister Moston, Seabrook Brothers, Rex Cooper, Paul Denehey.
More information
April 17th, 2008 at 9:56 am
the only recolection off the war years was through my uncles who served with australian and newzealand troops.was off the great commrade ship he said was very vital and a great friend ships were formed ,and to this day some off his friends are still alive.but sadley not all my uncles are they had a time when the germans train was stolen right from under there noses.that is one off the last stories we shared sadly before he died .thank you sandra
April 21st, 2008 at 11:23 pm
My maternal grandfather, Sydney Keith McKessar, (33rd Bn 1stAIF, regimental no. 2615)was killed in action in France in 1917. An article about him appeared in an issue of a 1994 regional newspaper. This article contains a photo. I have located other memorabilia, which may include more photos, in a regional museum and will be viewing these in July. I intend to photograph some/all of these items. At this stage I could send you a copy of the image in the article; or wait until after viewing the other items. Let me know if I can help.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:30 pm
I am the widow of Arthur James Robertson who died of malaria whilst serving with the Australian Army Training Team on 5th December 1967. A friend told me you were looking for photos of those who died on active service. Just now I looked up the Roll of Honour Photographs and to my delight saw that there was already a photo which included my husband during his service in Malaya. I have ordered a copy online. Would you like a copy of a ‘protrait’ type photo of Arthur for your collection or will the one you already have suffice.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:25 am
This is a good project.
If no suitable photographic portrait can be otherwise found, would you consider using enlistment photographs held on service records in the National Archives of Australia? It will lack the personal dimension of a family held photograph, but perhaps will be better than nothing.
No doubt this question has been revisted many times in the long life of the project!
April 26th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
If Bill Clarke reads this, I can supply you with a grave photo of your great Uncle Sydney McKessarwhich we took in France.
We are obviously distant relatives and he appears on our family tree.
Sandra McKessar
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:52 am
hi everyone i’m doing a project on war at my shcool if u have any good sites let me know
May 28th, 2008 at 1:53 am
If Bill Clarke or Sandra McKessar read this, I will be visiting the Strand Military Cemetery in two days time, on Friday 30th May. I live in the UK at the moment, and we’ve been meaning to visit the grave of my Grandfather’s (Alfred George McKessar) older brother (Sydney Keith McKessar) for some time. I’ll take some photo’s and would be happy to email these on to you both.
Malcolm McKessar
May 29th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I supplied a photograph of my Uncle Arthur HP Newson to the Memorial’s project last August and I hope this image will be made available soon for public view. This young man’s World War One Medals (1914/15 Star, British War and Victory Medals) have been missing from my family’s possession for over a generation(most probably sold sometime after the Great War)and it is a deeply personal loss for which subsquent decendants never recover from. If anyone reading this can solve this mystery for us, I would appreciate hearing from you. Thank-you.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I have a photo of my uncle, Wallace Vivian Bridle, a Private in WWII. On the Roll of Honour, Wallace’s second name is spelt incorrectly (Vivien). Wallace was killed in battle in New Guinea in January 1944. My aunty was told he died ‘facing the foe’. Wallace has four surviving siblings, Jack Bridle 95(Tumut), Trixie Clugston 94 (Adaminaby), Rolfe 92 (Tumut), Clyde 84 (Tumut).