Description
Object description
Two albums containing 525 photographs and 4 loose prints covering the service of Pte J M Edwards with the Lowland Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance (RAMC) in the Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine Campaigns during WWI.
Gallipoli material includes the Field Ambulance camp at 'C' Beach, Suvla Bay, the Ambulance's Advanced Dressing Station (ADS) near Chocolate Hill, and groups of officers and men of the unit (named officers: Major Beadles, Capt Findlater, Capt Hartnell, Capt Patterson, Lt Patten, Lt Rankin). There is also a photograph of the Ambulance's camp on Lemnos following the evacuation from Gallipoli. The unit's time in Macedonia is covered by views of their camps at Irikli and Uchantar as well as images of horse-drawn ambulance wagons and travois used to transport wounded. The terrain around Irikli is also covered as are buildings in the village of Petarch, the waterfront at Salonika and the local inhabitants. Covering their time in Egypt are numerous photographs taken around the camps at Abbasia, Ayun Musa, El Shatt, Geneffe, Mena, Mustapha (near Alexandria) and Sidi Beshr. Of particular interest are images of the Suez Canal defences and the interior of the YMCA canteen at Geneffe. There are also a number of group photographs (most individuals are named) taken in the camps at El Shatt and Geneffe and in the Nile Barrage Gardens, Cairo. Other subjects of military interest include two views of the memorial service for Lord Kitchener at Kasr el Nel Barracks, Cairo (June 1916), the Field Ambulance's move by rail from Abbasia to the Suez Canal (18 March 1916), a training march into the Sinai Desert in 1916, camel cacolets used to transport the wounded, Chatby Military Cemetery and Mena House Hospital. The collection also contains general views of streets and local inhabitants in Alexandria, Cairo, Ismalia and Port Tewfik. Sites of archaeological interest such as the pyramids, the sphinx and temples at Luxor and Thebes are also covered. For the campaign in Palestine there are a number of images of Turkish POWs and captured equipment, the latter including an ambulance wagon taken at Rafah, horse-drawn transport at Huj and an ADS north of Beersheba. There are also scenes taken at the British camps at Ascalon, Belah, El Ferdan and Fara. One album also includes a small number of photographs taken around Gaza in March 1918, these show shell damage to buildings in the town, the British tank 'War Baby' knocked out during the 2nd Battle of Gaza and the reservoir at Wadi Ghuzzeh. Finally, there are group photographs of the Field Ambulance's personnel taken at the village of Annaby (again the majority of men are named).