Soldier's Album

Puke Ariki’s Frederick William Watson album provides a remarkable insight into the day to day life of a soldier in the Gallipoli Campaign.  The album comprises 48 snapshots taken by Watson between 11 April 1915 and 15 August 1915.  Each of the photographs is captioned and dated, allowing us to accurately follow Watson’s itinerary and activities during this time.  There are some images of shrapnel bursts or men going into battle but the photographs focus mainly on the quieter moments between military attacks. There are many photographs of Watson’s comrades having tea at their bivouacs or posing with Turkish guns. Other snapshots taken on the Greek island of Lemnos, where Watson was transferred while ill with dysentery, reveal something of this New Zealand soldier’s fascination as he experienced a wider world. They include pictures of Senegalese soldiers, windmills and Greek farmers at work. Watson survived the Gallipoli Campaign but was killed in action at the battle of Messines on 7 July 1917.