P03236.252 Accession Number: P03236.252

Description

Studio portrait of three Australian Prisoners of War (POW). Identified left to right is 5573 Private (Pte) Leslie Bernard Crisp, 18th Battalion from Crookwell, NSW; 2694 Pte Robert Hugh Leister, 53rd Battalion from Parkes, NSW; 6232 John Robert Bell, 4th Battalion from Narandera, NSW.

Pte Crisp enlisted at the age of 30 on 18 April 1916 and embarked for overseas on 9 September 1916 aboard HMAT Euripides. He was wounded in France on 3 May 1917 and shipped to England for medical treatment. Four months later he had recovered sufficiently to rejoin his unit in France and was again wounded and captured on 15 April 1918. He was held as a POW in Germany until repatriated to England on 13 January 1919. Pte Crisp arrived back in Australia on 19 May 1919 and then on 14 October 1919 embarked for London for Special Service. He arrived back in Australia on 27 February 1920.

Pte Leister enlisted at the age of 23 on 17 April 1916 and embarked for overseas on 7 October 1916 aboard HMAT Ceramic. He was reported wounded and missing on 31 March 1917 and later confirmed as a POW. After repatriation to England on 10 January 1919 he reported to the Red Cross "Awaiting transference to Southall. Suffering from gun shot wound in left leg. Up and about.”

Pte Bell enlisted at the age of 38 on 26 April 1916 and embarked for overseas on 9 September 1916 aboard HMAT Euripides. He was reported wounded and missing on 15 April 1917 and later confirmed as a POW and interned in Limbur, Germany. Bell was repatriated post-armistice and arrived in England on 12 January 1919 before being discharged in Australia on 1 July 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 301.