P03236.079 Accession Number: P03236.079

Description

Studio portrait of three Australian Prisoners of War (POW) in concert costumes at German POW Camp Soltau in Hannover, Germany. Identified left to right, 680 Sergeant (Sgt) John Trevenion Pennant (served under the alias John Trevenion), 13th Battalion, from South Melbourne, Victoria; 3097 Private (Pte) Albert Jones, 55th Battalion from Sydney, NSW; and 6736 Pte Matthew Watson Finlay, 13th Battalion, from Sydney, NSW. Sgt Trevenion enlisted on 7 September 1914 and embarked for overseas on 22 December 1914 aboard HMAT Ulysses. He was captured at Riencourt, France on 11 April 1917 and held as a POW until repatriated to England on 28 December 1918. Sgt Trevenion arrived back in Australia on 21 May 1919. Pte Jones enlisted on 31 August 1915 and embarked for overseas on 20 December 1915 aboard HMAT Suevic. He was captured at Fleurbaix, France on 20 July 1916 and held as a POW until repatriated to England on 11 December 1918. Pte Jones arrived back in Australia on 24 March 1919. Pte Finaly enlisted on 10 June 1916 and embarked for overseas on 8 November 1916 aboard SS Port Nicholson. He was captured at Riencourt, France on 11 April 1917 and held as a POW until repatriated to England on 26 December 1918. Pte Finlay arrived back in Australia on 17 April 1919. Handwritten note on back of photograph reads: "KREISGEFANGENSENDUNG ENGLISH Miss Chomley, Sec. Australian Red Cross, 36 Grosvenor Place London. SW1 England. 6736 Finlay M.W. 13th Batt A.I.F. Barrack 27 Soltau if Hannover, Germany July 25th 1918." 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, Album image number 106.