▁var ic ose ▁ve ins ▁preced ed ▁his ▁emb ark ation ▁to ▁France . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁rather ▁than ▁joining ▁the ▁full ▁batt alion , ▁he ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁Training ▁Battalion ▁and ▁then ▁at ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁Div is ional ▁Base ▁Dep ot ▁after ▁he ▁arrived ▁at ▁Marse illes ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁This ▁transfer ▁meant ▁that ▁Sal ton ▁was ▁not ▁present ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁From elles ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁July . ▁That ▁action ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁virtual ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 0 th ▁Battalion . ▁They ▁suffered ▁ 7 5 7 ▁cas ual ties ▁from ▁a ▁pre - action ▁strength ▁of ▁ 8 8 7 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 9 ▁August ▁Sal ton ▁eventually ▁joined ▁the ▁batt alion ▁as ▁rein for cement ▁for ▁the ▁massive ▁battle ▁losses . ▁Stra ight away ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁front ▁line ▁in ▁the ▁From elles ▁area . ▁The ▁ha z ards ▁of ▁tren ch ▁war fare ▁were ▁ever ▁present . ▁Sh rap nel ▁and ▁high - expl os ive ▁shell s , ▁sn ip ers ▁and ▁tren ch ▁ra ids ▁all ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁short ▁time ▁Sal ton ▁surv ived . ▁ ▁Five ▁days ▁after ▁arriv ing ▁Sal ton ▁was ▁mort ally ▁wounded . ▁Sh ot ▁in ▁the ▁st om ach , ▁he ▁was ▁ev acu ated ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁Field ▁Am bul ance ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Australian ▁Cas ual ty ▁Clear ing