P01981.057 Accession Number: P01981.057

Description

Group portrait of repatriated allied Prisoners of War (POW) somewhere in England. Identified from left to right, back row: 3639 Private (Pte) Harry Asher Pryor (taken POW 20 July 1916); 1990 Pte Arthur Frederick Mason (taken POW 20 July 1916); 3310 Pte Arthur Barton Walter (taken POW 19 July 1916); 18 Corporal Robert McDonald (taken POW 20 July 1916); S G White; and G P Rusell.
Front row: 2375 Pte William Frick (taken POW 26 Jun 1915); 1107 Sergeant Norman George Ellison (taken POW 21 Jul 1916); 473 Pte Thomas John Herbert Davids (taken POW 20 Jul 1916); and J Lewis.
Pte Frick was a 24 year old labourer prior to enlisting on 20 July 1915 and he embarked for overseas with the 5th Reinforcements from Sydney on 5 October 1915 aboard HMAT Themistocles. He was wounded and captured at Bois Grenier, near Armentieres, France, on 26 June 1916. In a report of his capture, a fellow soldier wrote "He was a signaller. We had raided a German trench at Bois Grenier one night and I was next man to him when he was wounded. He was conscious but could not move any of his limbs. When the time was up and we had to go back, we left him behind. We asked after him by a notice on a board, putting it where the Germans could read it. They answered in the same way and told us that he was 'lightly' wounded, was doing well and was in one of their hospitals." Pte Frick was held in various POW camps in Germany until repatriated to England on 26 December 1918. He arrived back in Australia on 12 April 1919. One of a series of over 400 photographs sent by Australian POWs in German camps to Miss M E Chomley, Secretary, Prisoners Department, Australian-British Red Cross Society, London. Original album housed in AWM Research Centre at RC00864.

Details

Conflicts

• First World War, 1914-1918

Places

• London
• Germany

Tags

• Group portraits
• Repatriation
• Prisoners of war camps