P03236.203 Accession Number: P03236.203

Description

Studio portrait of two Australian Prisoners of War (POW) with their sporting trophies. Identified sitting on left is 2650 Corporal (Cpl) Joseph Ross Furniss, 55th Battalion, from Eastwood, NSW and standing on right is 99 Cpl Walter Ernest Devenish, 5th Machine Gun Battalion, from Perth, WA, wearing sports clothing. Cpl Furniss enlisted on 6 August 1915 at the age of 28 and embarked for overseas on 2 November 1915 aboard HMAT Euripides. He was captured at Laventie, France, on 20 July 1916 and held as a POW in various camps in Germany until repatriated to Holland on 13 August 1918. Cpl Furniss arrived in England on 22 November 1918 and arrived back in Australia on 23 April 1919. Walter Devenish enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 26 April 1913 but deserted on 28 June 1915. He subsequently enlisted in the AIF as Walter Ernest Holman on 12 July 1915 at the age of 21 and embarked for overseas with the 31st Battalion on 9 November 1915 aboard HMAT Wandilla. He was wounded in the right leg and captured at Fleurbaix, France, on 20 July 1916. Cpl Devenish was repatriated to Holland on 5 July 1918, arrived in England on 18 November 1918 and arrived back in Australia on 24 December 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, Album image number 240.

Details

Conflicts

• First World War, 1914-1918

Events

• Battle of Fromelles

Tags

• Prisoners of war