I have owned this postcard photograph for many years. As you will see, it shows two men of the Australian Imperial Force: a Corporal, standing, and a seated Sergeant. On the back it is signed, saying “To Agnes H. Hales, Head Teacher, St Mary’s School. From Jack A. Lewis, RQMS“. The card is stamped “Nov 28 1916 – 10th Training Battalion“. It was not used postally and there are no addresses.
A search of Australian army service records led me to this record: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=11582701
It is of a 1331 John Arnold Lewis, who was among the first to land at Gallipoli with 8th Battalion on 25 April 1915 and was wounded very shortly afterwards. After making a recovery, he was sent to England and arrived to join the permanent staff of the 10th Training Battalion on 2 October 1916. At this time he was at the rank of Sergeant, but was promoted to Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant on 23 November 1916.
These facts are clear enough, but the clincher is a comparison of his signature: postcard (left), attestation form (right).
Jack was a popular name adopted for men who were actually called John.
Jack Lewis was born at Wellington* in the Madras Presidency in India, where his father was presumably in the army. When Jack enlisted at the age of 19 on 7 November 1914, his father was a Staff Sergeant Instructor at Dunnolly, Victoria. *Not Wellington, New Zealand, as the Australian records index suggests.
It is quite amazing to be able to match up a 1916 postcard photograph produced in England with a service record produced in Australia, and see the same man’s handwriting: the wonders of the internet and digitisation. Oh, and thanks to Jack for signing the card so brilliantly.
Now the much harder job: who is his Corporal pal?