Summary

A newspaper clipping from a World War I album containing images likely to have been taken by Captain Edward Albert McKenna. The album contains photographs of the 7th Battalion in Egypt.

The clipping is from The Argus newspaper dated Tuesday, April 25, 1916 and is a message from King George V sent to the Governor-General and passed onto Sir John Madden (the Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria). The message is in the form of a tribute to 'the Heroes who died at Gallipoli' and expressed George V's sympathy for the families of those who died during that campaign.

The album relates to the service of Captain Edward Albert McKenna. McKenna, born in Castlemaine, Victoria, was a 36-year-old department manager of soft goods when he enlisted on 17 August 1914. He lived at 5 St James Buildings, William Street, Melbourne, and had been married to Elizabeth ('Lillie') Mary McKenna since 1910. He embarked from Melbourne 19 October 1914 on the HMAT Hororata, and served in the 7th Battalion Australian Infantry.

He was killed in action in Gallipoli around 25-30 April 1915, aged 37. His kit bag was unusually full, even containing seven shirts, a pillow, six towels, a travelling rug, gumboots, and pyjamas and slippers. Also amongst his possessions was a camera, although no photographic prints or albums.

He was buried at 7 Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli. His details appear on the honours roll on the web page of the Australian War Memorial.

Description of Content

Newspaper clipping entitled 'Message from the King.'

Physical Description

Newspaper clipping.

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Returned and Services League (RSL) Collection, Military Memorabilia Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Public Life & Institutions

  • Acquisition Information

    Donation from Mr J. Willis, circa 1986

  • Acknowledgement

    Mr. J. Willis

  • Creator

    The Argus, Melbourne, Australia, 25 Apr 1916

  • Collector

    Lillie McKenna, Melbourne, Australia, 25 Apr 1916
    As the article was dated April 25, 1916 it seems reasonable that Lillie would have collected the clipping at this time.

  • Person Named

    Sir John Madden, 25 Apr 1916

  • Inscriptions

    Printed in black ink on the front of the clipping: 'TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1916 / Message from the King / Tribute to the Heroes / Who died at Gallipoli / The following cable message from His Majesty the King / was received yesterday by the Governor-General, and has / been placed at our disposal by the Lieutenant-Governor of / Victoria (Sir John Madden): / Tell my people of Australia that to-day I am joining with / them in their solemn tribute to the memorial of their heroes who / died in Gallipoli. / They gave their lives for a supreme cause in gallant com- / radeship with the rest of my sailors and soldiers who fought / and died with them. Their valour and fortitude had shed fresh / lustre on British arms. / May those who mourn their loss find comfort in the convic- / tion that they did not die in vain, but that their sacrifice has / drawn our peoples more closely together, and added strength and / glory to the Empire.' Printed in black ink on the back of the clipping: 'THE ARGUS, TUESDAY, APR / versary of An / ...[text continues]'

  • Classification

    Military history, Service, Publications

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Technology

  • Type of item

    Image

  • Overall Dimensions

    119 mm (Width), 169 mm (Height)

  • References

    National Archives of Australia: McKenna Edward Albert, barcode 1949283, series B2455/1.

  • Keywords

    Military History, World War I, 1914-1918, Newspapers, Royalty: British