Ker Family World War One photographs [SRG 435/82/1-13] • Photograph
Robert Innes Ker.
Studio portrait of No.311 Private Robert Innes Ker, wearing WW1 uniform. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, and worked as a butcher in Broken Hill before he enlisted with the AIF, aged 19, on 19 August 1914. He served with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron, embarking from Adelaide on board the HMAT A17 ‘Port Lincoln’ on 22 October 1914. He also served with the 51st Battalion. He returned to Australia on 12 March 1918.
Unidentified soldier.
Studio portrait of an unidentified Australian soldier in World War One military uniform. Possibly a friend of member of the Ker family. Possibly No. 2463 Corporal John Robert Ker, cousin of Robert and William Innes Ker, who worked as a station hand at Burta Station, Broken Hill, before he enlisted with the AIF, aged 19, on 25 January 1916. He served with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 17th Reinforcement, and embarked from Melbourne on board the HMAT A58 ‘Kabinga’ on 8 May 1916. He returned to Australia on 17 July 1919.
Unidentified soldier.
Studio portrait of an unidentified Australian soldier in World War One uniform including cap, with a braid around one shoulder, holding a whip behind his back. Possibly a friend or member of the Ker family. Possibly No.2188 Private William Innes Ker, born in Port Pirie, who worked as an electric motor driver in Broken Hill before he enlisted with the AIF, aged 25, on 28 October 1916. He served with the 50th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement, and embarked from Adelaide on board the HMAT A35 ‘Berrima’ on 16 December 1916. He returned to Australia on 31 January 1918.
Robert Innes Ker.
Studio portrait of No.311 Private Robert Innes Ker in uniform, including bandolier, taken in Cairo, Egypt. Written on back: ‘Heliopolis, Egypt, Jan 26th ’16, With fondest love from Bob to Will’.
Robert Innes Ker and Clair De Lacy Kinnane.
Portrait of friends No.311 Private Robert Innes Ker (left) and No.310 Corporal Clair De Lacy Kinnane, both of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron, in military uniform. Clair is seated at a table and is writing a letter, and Robert is standing next to him. Written on back: Heliopolis, Egypt, Jan 26th ’15, With best wishes from Clair and Bob to Will’. Clair De Lacy Kinnane worked as an assayer in Broken Hill before he enlisted with the AIF, aged 19, on 19 August 1914. He served with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron, and embarked from Adelaide on board the HMAT A17 ‘Port Lincoln’ on 22 October 1914. He returned to Australia on 28 January 1919.
Soldiers dressed as women.
A group of ten Australian troops standing in a row, in ‘couples’, with one dressed in World War One military uniform and his ‘partner’ dressed in women’s clothes including dresses, skirts, hats and veils. The man on the far right is wearing a floral dress and bonnet and holding a wheelbarrow made to look like a pram with a baby. Possibly taken at Broken Hill.
Signal Company.
Group portrait of a signal company. Troops in the front row are holding signally flags and have lights and other signalling equipment. There are two small kangaroos in the front row with the men, and two of the troops have bugles. Taken in front of a brick and stone building.
Troops with a kangaroo.
Group portrait of uniformed Australian troops posing with a small kangaroo mascot. The Soldiers standing on the far left and far right are holding bugles. Possibly the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron, including Robert Innes Ker and Clair De Lacy Kinnane.
3rd Light Horse Regiment on parade.
Mounted soldiers of the South Australian Light Horse Regiment on parade for a Colour Presentation ceremony at Morphettville racecourse, South Australia. See B 10302 for a photo taken at almost the same time. This photo appeared in 'The Advertiser' Monday 21 September 1914, page 9: 'The above picture, taken from an elevated position, shows the 3rd Light Horse Regiment drawn up in line of troop on the Morphettville Racecourse after the Governor had presented the colours. Lieutenant-Colonel Rowell, I.O.C. shown in the immediate foreground with Major Fulton who is second in command. A little to the left behind the O.C. the Transport and Machine Gun Sections attached to the Regiment are depicted on the right and left flank of the troops'.
3rd Light Horse Regiment at Luxor.
Group portrait of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment at the temple at Luxor, Egypt, standing among the pillars and statues, with a guide seated at the front. Ross Smith is standing second from the left in the gront row of the group in the middle, between the two pillars. He was a sergeant with the 3rd Light Horse at the time. See also PRG 18/24/21 for a description of the visit to Luxor in the letters of Ross Smith, dated 13 April 1915: "After an excellent lunch, we visited the Temple of Luxor, which is somewhat similar to Karnak, but dedicated to another God. We had a photo taken with 3 huge statues of Rameses II in the background. There were about 20 of the same size statues in the place...You will see me standing in the middle of the bottom row in the centre with Jack next on my left. Timmy is sitting down well on my right, and Geoff. is standing looking up with his cap off on my left. Harry Aldridge is sitting on the stone and laughing and almost in front of me".
Australian and New Zealand Navy ships in Akaroa Harbour (N.Z.).
Nine war ships in harbour. A researcher has advised the following: 'The aircraft carrier is a second world war type carrier (possibly HMAS Sydney), the larger ship is a County Class heavy cruiser (1928-1959) (possibly HMAS Australia) and the ship with ID F424 is probably HMNZS Pukaki. The NZ ship had that number from 1948 to 1965 when it was scrapped.'