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Thursday 1 March 2012

Improvised Identity Disc: Trooper Archibald Ross, 9 Light Horse Regiment, AIF


ID Number    PERS008

Title                Improvised Identity Disc: Trooper Archibald Ross, 9 Light Horse Regiment, AIF

Maker             Unknown

Object Type  
Personal Equipment

Place made     Unknown

Date made      c 1918-1919

Physical          Copper
Description

Description
An Australian First World War improvised identity disc made from a halfpenny. A small hole has been drilled through the top of the coin and a brass ring has been attached for it to be worn as an identity disc around the neck of the wearer. The reverse of the disk has been ground down and is engraved ‘No. 2319 A. ROSS 9th A.L.H. REGT P EGYPT 1916-17 PALESTINE 1918-19’. The obverse has the profile image of King George V’s head.

Summary
Archibald Ross was a 24 year old farmer from Golden Grove, South Australia when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 18 January 1916. 2319 Trooper Ross embarked for overseas on board HMAT A41 Bakara on 28 April 1916 with the 16 Reinforcement of the 9 Light Horse Regiment.

On 1 June 1916 Ross was taken on strength of the 3 Light Horse Training Regiment, Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt. He was subsequently taken on strength of the Headquarters ANZAC Mounted Division on 10 July 1916. On 20 August Trooper Ross was admitted to 31 General Hospital, suffering from diphtheria (mild), returning to duty on 24 September 1916. Ross was appointed Driver on 3 August 1917.

On 14 July 1919 Driver Ross embarked at Alexandria for the UK under the 10 Percent leave scheme. The leave lasted from 1 August to 2 September 1919. On 25 September he embarked at Devonport for return to Australia and disembarked at Melbourne on 13 November 1919. On 4 December 1919 he was discharged in 4 Military District (SA).


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