Outdoor portrait of a group of Australian ex-Prisoners of War (POW) in the grounds of a ...

Outdoor portrait of a group of Australian ex-Prisoners of War (POW) in the grounds of a convalescent hospital in England with an Australian Army Staff Nurse. The three seated soldiers holding the Australian flag, are wearing hospital-issued uniforms. Identified standing left to right 538 Private (Pte) Arnold Thorp, 28th Battalion, from Maddington, WA; 1719 Pte Frank Osborne Hannan, 28th Battalion, from Donnybrook, WA; Staff Nurse (later Sister) Elsie Brookman; 4101 Pte Archibald Frederick Dadswell, 28th Battalion, from Fremantle WA. Sitting from left to right 2014 Pte Henry Board, 26th Battalion, from Bicheno, Tasmania; 286 Sergeant (Sgt) Albert Victor Thomas Green, 28th Battalion, from Perth WA; and 1854 Pte Albert Alexander Howard, 10th Battalion from Norwood, SA. Pte Thorp enlisted at the age of 23 on 2 March 1915 and embarked for overseas on 29 June 1915 aboard HMAT Ascanius. After serving at Gallipoli, he went on to serve on the Western Front where he was wounded in the upper left thigh and captured at Pozieres, France, on 29 July 1916. He was held as a POW in Germany until repatriated to Switzerland on 12 December 1916 and then onto England on 14 September 1917. Pte Thorp arrived back in Australia on 17 August 1918. Pte Hannan enlisted at the age of 19 on 14 June 1915 and embarked for overseas on 23 July 1915 aboard HMAT Demosthenes. He was wounded in the left arm and back and captured on the Somme, on 29 July 1916. He was held as a POW at Munster, Germany until being transferred to Switzerland on 14 December 1916 and later repatriated to England on 11 September 1917. Pte Hannan arrived back in Australia on 4 February 1918 and was discharged on 16 April 1918. He re-enlisted on 13 June 1918 but was discharged “Services No Longer Required” on 8 August 1918. Pte Dadswell enlisted at the age of 18 on 5 January 1916 and embarked for overseas on 1 April 1916 aboard HMAT Ulysses. He was reported killed in action but later confirmed to have been wounded and captured at Pozieres, on 29 July 1916. He was held as a POW in Germany until he was transferred to Switzerland on 13 December 1916 and then repatriated to England on 14 September 1917. Pte Dadswell arrived back in Australia on 4 March 1918. Pte Board enlisted on 25 June 1915 at the age of 26 and embarked for overseas on 10 September 1915 aboard SS Makarini. He was wounded in the left arm and side and captured at Pozieres, on 29 July 1916. He was held in POW camp in Hannover, Germany until he was transferred to Switzerland in December 1916. Pte Board arrived in England in September 1917 and arrived back in Australia on 13 February 1918. Sgt Green enlisted at the age of 22 on 8 March 1915 and embarked for overseas on 29 June 1915 aboard HMAT Ascanius. Following service at Gallipoli, he was wounded in the left leg and captured in France on 29 July 1916 and held as a POW in Germany. Sgt Green was repatriated to Switzerland on 12 December 1916, arrived in England on 13 September 1917 and arrived back in Australia on 4 February 1918. Pte Howard enlisted at the age of 22 on 5 January 1915 and embarked for overseas on 1 April 1915 aboard HMAT Port Lincoln. After serving at Gallipoli, he was transferred to the Western Front where he was wounded in both arms and captured at Mouquet Farm, France on 22 August 1916. He was held as a POW in Germany before being transferred to Switzerland on 13 December 1916. He was repatriated to England on 11 September 1917 and arrived back in Australian on 20 December 1917. 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 237.