Before the War
Before they were soldiers, they were sons, brothers, classmates and friends.
They grew up in cities, towns and rural communities across Australia and around the world. They attended school, played sport, learned trades, spent time with family and friends, and looked forward to the future.
The photographs on this page show these young men before the First World War, many while they were still children. Generously shared by descendants, families and historical societies, many of these images are believed to be presented together here for the first time..
Within only a few years, they would enlist. Their wartime journeys would be very different. Some were killed at Fromelles with no known grave, others were wounded or taken prisoner of war, many returned home to lives forever changed, and some remained missing until their rediscovery at Pheasant Wood more than 90 years later,
These photographs remind us that every soldier had a life before the war. Before they became the men of Fromelles, they were simply young people with families, hopes and futures.
Walter Arthur Potter (1895–1972)
Before the war, Walter worked for the New South Wales Government Railways at Waterfall, south of Sydney. Like many young Australians of his generation, he left behind family, friends and a promising future when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. He served with the 54th Battalion, survived the Battle of Fromelles, and endured more than two years as a prisoner of war in Germany.
Guy Gibney
These photographs show Guy Gibney with his sister Iris in the years before the war, first as small children and later as teenagers after the family had settled in Australia.
They are a powerful reminder that the men who served at Fromelles were once children, brothers, sons and schoolboys, with ordinary family lives far removed from the battlefields of France.
Guy later served with the Australian Imperial Force and became one of the many young men whose life was forever shaped by the First World War.
Harold Wallace Roth
This family portrait shows a young Harold Roth with his parents, Ellen and George Roth, in the years before the First World War. Like countless Australian families, the Roths posed proudly for a photograph that captured a moment in time long before the upheaval and loss that war would bring.
The image reminds us that before he became a soldier, Harold was a son growing up within a close family circle. Such photographs provide a rare glimpse into the lives, relationships and hopes that existed before military service and the events of 1916 changed so many Australian families forever.
William Joseph Cullen
This photograph shows William Cullen at about five years of age with his younger sister Josie, aged about two, around 1902. Taken more than a decade before the Battle of Fromelles, it captures a moment of childhood and family life that would otherwise have been lost to history.
Growing up in Victoria, William was one of many young Australians whose future seemed full of promise. The photograph reminds us that before military service, he was a son, a brother and a child surrounded by family.
Percy George Archibald Barr
These photographs, taken in England in 1902, show the Barr family before their migration to Australia. On the left are Percy’s parents, Beatrice and Thomas Barr, while the photograph on the right shows Percy and his brother Stanley as young boys.
The images capture a family at the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Like many Australians who later served in the First World War, Percy's story began far from the battlefields of France, surrounded by family, childhood memories and the promise of the future.
Rossiter Alfred Barrett
This photograph shows Ross Barrett as a young boy enjoying a game of golf, long before the First World War would take him far from home. Like many children of his generation, his early years were spent with family, school, sport and the everyday experiences of growing up.
The image captures a moment of youth and innocence, preserving a glimpse of the boy behind the service record. Before he became a soldier, Ross was a son, a friend and a young Australian with a future full of promise.
Louis Goodwin
This childhood photograph shows Louis Goodwin many years before the First World War, capturing an ordinary Australian boy whose future was still unwritten. Like so many family photographs of the era, it preserves a fleeting moment from a time of innocence before the outbreak of war changed the course of countless young lives.
The image reminds us that before he became a soldier, Louis was a son, a family member and part of a community. Generously shared by his descendants, this rare photograph helps preserve his story and ensures he is remembered not only for his military service, but for the life he lived before the war.
Henry Robert "Harry" Grubb
This treasured family photograph shows Henry Robert "Harry" Grubb at about 13 years of age with his five adoring sisters: May, Allie, Nell, Florence and Birdie. Taken before the births of his younger brothers, Arthur and Oswald, it captures a close-knit family in Melbourne long before Harry became a soldier of the Australian Imperial Force.
Generously shared by his family, this image reminds us that before the Battle of Fromelles, Harry was a much-loved son and brother, growing up surrounded by family. Killed in action on 19 July 1916, his story is one of many that reflect the profound loss experienced by Australian families during the First World War.
William Henry Turner
This photograph shows William Henry Turner before the First World War, preserving the image of a young Australian whose life would soon be changed by military service. Like many family photographs of the era, it captures a moment before the uncertainty and hardship of war became a reality.
William survived the Battle of Fromelles after being captured on 20 July 1916 and spent more than two years as a prisoner of war in Germany. Generously shared by his descendants, this photograph reminds us that behind every service record is a person with a family, a story and a life that began long before the battlefield.
Percy Bontoft
This childhood photograph shows Percy Bontoft many years before the First World War, preserving the image of a young Australian surrounded by family and the everyday life he knew before military service. Like many treasured family photographs of the era, it captures a moment of innocence before the events of 1916 would change so many lives forever.
Generously shared by his descendants, this rare photograph reminds us that before he became a soldier, Percy was a son, a family member and part of a community. It offers a personal connection to the man behind the uniform and helps ensure his story continues to be remembered more than a century after the Battle of Fromelles.
Roy Leslie Martin
This childhood photograph shows Roy Leslie Martin many years before the First World War, preserving a glimpse of the young Victorian whose life would be cut short at the Battle of Fromelles. Like many treasured family photographs, it captures a moment before war separated families and changed the course of so many young lives.
More than a century after his death, Roy became the 181st Australian soldier identified from the Pheasant Wood mass graves through DNA and historical research. Generously shared by his family, this photograph is a powerful reminder that every identified soldier represents a family finally reunited with one of their own.
Percy John Greenwood
This family photograph shows Percy John Greenwood in the years before the First World War, preserving the image of a young Australian long before military service and the Battle of Fromelles became part of his story. Like many treasured family photographs of the era, it captures a moment of everyday life before war changed so many Australian families forever.
Generously shared by his descendants, this rare photograph provides a personal connection to the man behind the service record. The Fromelles Association of Australia was also honoured to acquire Percy's original Memorial Plaque, commonly known as the 'Dead Man's Penny', helping preserve another important piece of his family's history for future generations.
Standing: Victor and Henry
Sitting: Arthur, Linda, and May
Arthur Ernest Francis
This family photograph shows Arthur Ernest Francis with his parents in the years before the First World War, preserving a treasured moment from a happy family life before military service and the Battle of Fromelles changed their future forever. Like many family photographs of the era, it captures the bonds that existed long before the tragedy of war.
Generously shared by his descendants, this rare photograph reminds us that before he became a soldier, Arthur was a beloved son and part of a close-knit family. More than a century later, it continues to preserve the memory of the young man behind the uniform and the family who never forgot him.
Charles Arblaster
This photograph shows Charles Arblaster at Duntroon after returning from leave in 1913, posing proudly with a koala in the Australian bush. Taken before the outbreak of the First World War, it captures a young officer enjoying a moment of peace before his life was shaped by military service and the hardships of the Western Front.
Generously shared by the Arblaster family, this rare photograph provides a glimpse of the man behind the uniform. More than a century later, it preserves the memory of Charles not only as a respected officer, but as a son, a family member and a young Australian whose story continues to inspire new generations.
Downie Dodd
This family portrait shows Downie Dodd on the far right, alongside his parents, siblings and extended family in the years before the First World War. Also pictured on the far left is his brother, James Dodd, who would later enlist alongside Downie and serve with the 53rd Battalion before returning safely to Australia in 1919.
Generously shared by the Dodd family, this remarkable photograph preserves a family together before war altered their lives forever. It reminds us that behind every soldier was a family whose story was also shaped by the events of 1916, and whose memories continue to be cherished more than a century later.
Claude Branscombe Vaughan Cameron
This family photograph was taken during a holiday in the Dandenong Ranges before the First World War. Claude stands in the back row, second from the left, surrounded by parents, siblings and relatives, capturing a happy family gathering long before military service and the Battle of Fromelles changed their lives forever.
Generously shared by Jan Nargar, this treasured photograph preserves more than just Claude's memory—it tells the story of a close family at a moment in time before war touched their lives. Images like this remind us that behind every soldier was a family whose love, hopes and memories endured long after the fighting had ended.
Norman Leslie Brumm
These photograph capture Norman Leslie Brumm before the First World War as part of a musical family in Albury. One shows three of the Brumm brothers—Harry, Norman (aged 13) and Arthur—were part of the Albury Town Band at the South Street Band Contest in Ballarat in October 1911.
This image preserve a glimpse of Norman's early life before military service. They remind us that before he became a soldier, he was a young musician, a brother and a valued member of his local community.
Edwin Laurence Landsler
This photograph shows Edwin Laurence Landsler as a young man before the First World War. Taken from the Australian Jewry Book of Honour: The Great War 1914–1918, it captures a cheerful teenager long before he became a soldier. When he enlisted in 1915, Edwin added two years to his age, perhaps to avoid the need for parental consent.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Edwin was the youngest son of his family and worked as a clerk before joining the Australian Imperial Force. Within months of arriving in France, he was killed during the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916, aged just 21. His photograph reminds us that before he became one of the fallen of Fromelles, he was a young Australian with a future full of promise.
Stanley Colless
These photographs capture Stanley "Stan" Colless before the First World War as an active young sportsman and member of his local community in Penrith, New South Wales. One shows him with the Penrith Under 21 Football Team, while the other records his involvement with the Penrith Rifle Club, reflecting the sporting and social life he enjoyed before military service.
Generously preserved by the Arnold (Roley) Jordan Collection at Penrith City Library, these images offer a glimpse of Stan's life before he became an officer in the Australian Imperial Force. They remind us that before the Battle of Fromelles, he was a footballer, marksman and respected member of his community, with a future that would be cut tragically short in 1916.
Standing - Raymond, Wesley, Archibald
Sitting - Henry, Alice, Mervyn, Joseph, Ian, Harley
The Choat Brothers
Taken about 1914, this remarkable family portrait shows the Choat family of Melbourne shortly before the First World War. Standing are Raymond, Wesley and Archibald Choat, while their parents, Henry and Alice, are seated with their younger children, Mervyn, Ian and Harley. Within a short time, three brothers from this family would enlist in the Australian Imperial Force.
The Battle of Fromelles would shape each of their lives in very different ways. Lieutenant Raymond Hadden Choat was killed in action on 19 July 1916, Lieutenant Wesley Paul Choat was wounded and taken prisoner of war, and Sergeant Archibald Percy Choat survived the battle. This photograph preserves a moment when they were simply three brothers surrounded by their family, before war forever changed their lives.
Top left - Joe, Bert and Allan; Top Right - Rear - Lilly, Alice (mum), May, Front - Hazel and Tom (c. 1917) Bottom left – Alice and William (c. 1890)
Allan William James Irving
These treasured family photographs capture Allan William James Irving before the First World War with the people closest to him. One shows Allan with his brothers Joe and Bert, while another records his parents, William and Alice Irving, and a third shows the family together with Allan, his sisters May and Hazel, and his young niece. Together, they preserve a glimpse of a close-knit Victorian family before war changed their lives forever.
Generously shared by descendant Dan Irving, these images remind us that before he became a soldier, Allan was a son, brother and uncle surrounded by family. Killed during the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916, his story reflects the sacrifice of thousands of young Australians whose lives were cut tragically short.
Eric Floyd Hancock
This striking portrait captures Eric Floyd Hancock as a young man in Dungog, New South Wales, before the First World War. Shared by the Dungog Historical Society, the photograph shows Eric in civilian clothes, full of promise before he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and left Australia for service overseas.
Like so many young Australians of his generation, Eric exchanged civilian life for military service, never knowing what lay ahead. Killed during the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916, this photograph reminds us that before he became one of the fallen, he was a son, a teacher, and a young man with his whole life before him.