P03236.232 Accession Number: P03236.232

Description

Outdoor portrait of a group of allied Prisoners of War (POW) at a POW camp at Schneidemuhl, Germany. Identified in back row, second from right is 5350 Private (Pte) Gordon Vidger Cross, 16th Battalion, from Kelmscott, Western Australia. Seated in front row, second from right is an unidentified soldier, the only other Australian in the group. Pte Cross enlisted at the age of 31 on 17 January 1916 and embarked for overseas on 17 April 1916 aboard HMAT Aeneas. He as captured at Riencourt, France, on 11 April 1917 and held in numerous POW camps in Germany. On 28 October 1917, he wrote from a camp at Friedrichsfeld, Germany as follows: "I was very please to receive 24th Oct, two of your Red X parcels. I need not say how very pleased I was to get them. They are the first I have had and they are lovely. I wrote about 2 weeks ago, asking for some things, but was surprised to get them so soon, I have seen letters from you - I note you intend sending some clothes and toilet things also tobacco, all of which will be most welcome to us all. Most of us are well & if you send to each one of us what your letters say, you cannot do much more. We are all very thankful to you - all hope all in Old England & Australia are well." Pte Cross was repatriated to England on 18 December 1918 and arrived back in Australia on 10 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, Album image number 277.

Details

Conflicts

• First World War, 1914-1918

Tags

• Prisoners of war