State Library WWI photo digitising project unearths young soldier Former SA Premier Sir Thomas Playford leading the 1970 Anzac Day march. A PROJECT to digitise World War I State Library photographs has unearthed a boyish photograph of a young soldier who would survive the war to become the longest-serving Premier of South Australia. State Library archivist Jenny Scott discovered the photograph of the young Thomas Playford when working on a project to upload thousands of glass plate negatives to the internet via the Flickr website. Ms Scott said she was able to confirm the young man's identity with information with the photo confirmed the young man's identity. GALLERY: Can you identify SA's unknown soldiers? In 1915 when it was taken, the 18-year-old was just photograph No.1061. It was to be almost 20 years before he was elected to State Parliament as the Liberal and Country League member for Murray. Picture No 1061 - Private Thomas Playford Playford's grandson Thomas Playford said the family was excited by the find. "I would love to see it - anything of this sort from his early years is significant," he said. Playford served in France and was wounded in action on November 5, 1916, receiving a "severe" gunshot wound to the abdomen. He returned to duty in 1917 and returned to Australia in 1919, going on to serve as SA's premier for 26 years from 1938. The Playford glass negative is one of thousands now available on Flickr. The Library expects there will be interest in a photo of three Norwood SANFL players who went to Gallipoli together, two of whom never returned. Phillip de Quetteville Robin, among the best players of the era, was the first Australian to enlist and the first Australian footballer to die at Gallipoli. Along with Victoria Cross winner Arthur Blackburn, Robin gained the furthest ground of any Australian during the Gallipoli campaign. He and fellow Norwood footballer, Brunel John Nash were killed at Gallipoli. Nash disappeared on the day of landing. The third Redleg footballer, George Darling Beames was an eyewitness to the battle. The Australian War Memorial has released to adelaidenow pictures of 11 unidentified veterans.