Laws, William Allan (Warrant Officer Class 2, b.1914 - d.1989)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of VX4533 Warrant Officer Class 2 William Allan Laws, 2/6 Australian Infantry Battalion, Second Australian Imperial Force, Middle East and Germany, c1939 – 1944.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Contains three folders of material relating to Warrant Officer Class 2 William Allan Laws.

Folder 1 of 3 consists of 34 letters and 10 postcards from Warrant Officer Laws to his mother and his sweetheart, dated between 12 October 1941 and 25 March 1944. These items of correspondence were written by Warrant Officer Laws while he was a prisoner of war of the Germans, interned in Stalag VIII-B, Lamsdorf, Germany (now Poland). In his correspondence, Warrant Officer Laws writes about moving to a new camp in Germany, hearing limited news regarding the war, having a cleaning squad, receiving Red Cross parcels, Christmas and New Year celebrations, planning for his future after the war, receiving mail from family and friends, weather conditions, being part of work parties and doing manual labour, loosing part of his finger in a work accident, recovering in the camp hospital, losing weight, being frustrated with life as a prisoner, attending a cricket game, interacting with prisoners of different nationalities, attending shows at the camp theatre, and news regarding friends. Warrant Officer Laws also responds to news from home and sends his regards to loved ones.

Folder 2 of 3 consists of one pencil sketch of Warrant Officer Laws. This sketch was drawn in 1943 by a fellow prisoner, “H. A. Kettle” [exact identity unknown].

Folder 3 of 3 consists of one album of photographs relating to Warrant Officer Laws. This album contains photographs depicting friends and family members at home, life in the Army, and sightseeing in Palestine and Egypt, dated c1939-1941.