Ellis Trooper (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition. [Egypt? Privately Published, circa 1919]. Oblong folio, an album containing 96 original gelatin silver photographs (each approximately 66 × 110 mm) loosely inserted behind window mounts (each with a printed caption), four to a page, on both sides of 12 leaves. Burgundy cloth lettered in gilt on the front cover (beneath the Rising Sun emblem); covers slightly worn, with some tarnishing to the gilt; occasional inoffensive silvering-out; in excellent condition. A scarce self-published photographic record of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, from the Battle of Romani (3-5 August 1916) to the capture of Gaza (1-2 November 1917), by way of Al Arish, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Deir al-Balah, and Wadi Gaza. Apart from a dozen 'local colour' photographs, all relate directly to actions of the ANZAC Mounted Division, including snapshots taken in action, ambulance and field hospital units, troop movements, captured Ottoman and German soldiers, the daily life of Australian Light Horse men (including horse races and surfing), and railway and bridging projects. The lettering at the bottom corner of the cover has led institutional and trade cataloguers to attribute this album to 'Tpr. J. Ellis'. No Ellis appears in the nominal roll of the 7th Light Horse. However, one 'T. Ellis' is listed as wounded in action in the official history of the regiment, and a search of service records leads us to suggest that 564 Private Thomas Ellis is most likely the compiler and photographer. After enlisting with the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance in December 1914 he served at Gallipoli. Attached to the 7th Light Horse Regiment (also part of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade) in August 1916 he was wounded in action soon after (a gunshot wound to the neck), before returning to active duty with the 7th Light Horse until the middle of 1918, at which point he returned to the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance. The preponderance of photographs showing ambulance units would seem to support this attribution. The album must have been compiled for presentation to fellow Light Horse men in a period of leave, most likely in Egypt between February and April 1919 or possibly afterwards in London. Comparison with other examples suggests that Ellis had identical tooling applied to a range of similar but not identical commercial albums, accounting for the different appearance of the covers and mounts in other copies we have traced (the mounts in this example have a Vidalon-lès-Annonay watermark). All copies have 'Sent by [Name]' inscribed on the front pastedown; although this is in a uniform hand, it is not written by Ellis (see his digitised service record for examples of his handwriting). Provenance: 'Sent by Lcpl. S. Vohr' is inscribed in ink on the front pastedown of this copy. Sophus Carl Vohr of Jamestown, South Australia, enlisted at Morphettville on 19 August 1914; his service number - 32 - is a reflection of his very early enlistment. A Gallipoli veteran, he saw action in the Middle East with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment.

[Cover title]. [London? : privately published, c.1918]. Oblongfolio, 230 x 320 mm; original red cloth over boards, upper board with gilt-lettered title surmounted by theAustralian Commonwealth Military Forces badge (also in gilt); front pastedown inscribed in ink ?Sent by Dr. Goggins?; containing 96 black-and-white gelatin silver prints in uniform 60 x 100 mm format, window-mounted four-per side on [12] card leaves, all with gilt-printed captions on the mounts, and including images taken by Trooper Ellis in Cairo, Romani, Katia, El Arish, Mesaid, Rafa, Khan-Yunes, Bilah, Shallal, Wadi-Ghuzzeh, and Gaza, documenting operations against Ottoman Turkish and German forces, including many shots of captured prisoners and ordinance, and Lighthorsemen in action in the field; the album's contents have been exceptionally well preserved, with the prints and mounts in virtually flawless condition; the binding is likewise in excellent condition. An important photographic record of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade'scampaigns in the Middle East during World War One. Rare self-published album by Trooper J. Ellis (7th Light Horse Regiment, 2nd Light Horse Brigade) containing photographs taken by him which cover the period from the Battle of Romani to the Third Battle of Gaza (August 1916 - October 1917).Trooper Ellis is known to have compiled a similar album,Souvenir of Palestine,which has entirely different content. We believe that both of Ellis's albums are likely to have been published immediatelyafter the war, probably in late 1918. All of the surviving examples of these albums have an inscription on the front pastedown with the formula 'Sent by [xxxx]' - as in the album offered here - which suggests they may have been produced and sold in London and that they were then mailed to family or friends back in Australia. The SLNSW catalogue entry for Souvenir of Sinai & Palestine states: 'Ellis was the photographer, caption writer and self-publisher of the album.' The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was raised as part of the 2nd Contingent of the AIF. It was organised into threeregiments- the5th,6thand7th - each of approximately 520 men. The brigade's three regiments were drawn fromQueensland(5th) and New South Wales (6th and 7th). Trooper J. Ellis must therefore have enlisted in New South Wales. All of these units were raised throughout September and October 1914. The brigade embarked at Sydney for the Middle East in December 1914.