WW1 Australian Army Officer

I am hoping someone might have knowledge of WW1 Australian Army officers uniforms.
In a photograph my officer has a brown/khaki lanyard on left shoulder. Also MM received as Sgt. No other shoulder patches are visible on high res. I believe the different colours of the lanyard represents either infantry, artillery etc.
(Google no help)
Thanks
Stephanie from Australia

HI

Can you post the photo?
regards

Robert

Try here.
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...sicSearch.aspx
His service record should include promotions.

This officer enrolled under an alias as he was wanted by police in England, then Queensland and NSW.
I have fully researched his family history under his correct name, but of course cannot access his AIF service record as he used an alias. I think this photo below was taken c 1917 on leave in London with his mother and sister.

https://www.british-genealogy.com/ex...ce84f0ab48.jpg
As you can see from his photo below as a Sgt (AIF rising sun on his cap) he was awarded MM.

https://www.british-genealogy.com/ex...cee8aa34f8.jpg

Thanks Stephanie

If you haven't already checked, here is a list of soldiers who used an alias and have been identified by documents within their service records.

https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/aliases.html

Thanks everyone. I had checked the adfa list, also Neil Smith's book "Aliases of Aust. Mil Forces" which lists 3000 aliases and I believe there were reputed to be about 15000 men who enlisted under an alias. I wonder if he received mail from his family and if they were aware of his alias?
My main interest then is to identify his uniform.. does the dark coloured lanyard indicate infantry or what?
Any help gratefully received
Stephanie

Hi Stephanie

I am a volunteer here - https://www.maryboroughmuseum.org/
I asked the owner your question (emailed the pictures too) and this is his reply - "Lanyards worn during WWI did not have any unit connection in the AIF. Usually they had a whistle attached to them or in other situations a revolver."
All I can say was that he was in the infantry, pity you can't see a shoulder flash.
regards

Robert

Thanks again simmo.

Hi Stephanie,

If the fellow survived the war, he most likely is in a battalion photo of officers taken in France in 1918. There seems to have been quite a lot of them taken, often more than one at different times, which helps if he was absent sick or wounded for one of them. If you could figure out which state he enlisted in, you could tend to eliminate the battalions which embarked from the other states. Or at least eliminate some of the states, like WA, TAS and SA. Qld if he had definitely cleared off. The embarkation rolls would give you clues as to which states battalions left from, though I daresay there is a list somewhere on the AWM website. Not all the photos show the faces clearly, but they seem to me to be improving, so there is a chance of identifying him. It surely is a conundrum.

It may help if you supply his "real" name and under which name did he receive the MM? I ask because my Great Uncle was in the CEF, but received his Commission in the Imperial Army.