| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P01981.034 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Lennard, F |
| Place made | Germany: Gustrow |
| Date made | 8 September 1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Theatrical billboard advertising the "Bing Boys" a Prisoner of War (POW) entertainment troupe on ...
Description
Theatrical billboard advertising the "Bing Boys" a Prisoner of War (POW) entertainment troupe on the occasion of the Second British Pierrot Entertainment at POW camp, Gustrow, Germany. Portraits on billboard are clockwise from top left: Corporal (Cpl) W. Brooks; possibly 22/351 Cpl William Ebdon, Durham Light Infantry; possibly 13716 Sergeant (Sgt) John Ridge, 8/North Staffordshire Regiment; 6271 Private (Pte) William Hamilton, 36th Battalion, from Manjimup, Western Australia; Cpl F. Smith; 126593 Private Albert Louis Pruden, Royal Army Medical Corps; 596 Cpl Harold le Plastrier Jackson, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF), from Coburg, Victoria; Cpl A. Markham, pianist; 510101 Pte Harold Charles Phelps, 1/London Scottish; 9363 Pte Harry J. F. Checketts, 1st Royal Berkshire Regiment; and Cpl E. Smith. Pte Hamilton enlisted at the age of 29 on 3 April 1916 and embarked for overseas with the 16th Battalion on 30 October 1916 aboard HMAT Suffolk. He was captured at Riencourt, France, on 11 April 1917 and held as a POW in Germany until repatriated to England on 30 December 1918. Pte Hamilton arrived back in Australia on 2 August 1919. Cpl Jackson enlisted at the age of 24 on 2 October 1916 and embarked for overseas on 27 July 1917 aboard SS Matunga. SS Matunga was bound for Rabaul, New Britain, when the vessel was captured by the German Navy raider Wolf and escorted north west to Offak Bay, Waigeu Island. On 26 August 1917, a fortnight after arriving there, the Germans unloaded personnel and cargo from the Matunga and sank the ship. The crew were taken onboard the Wolf and later interned at a German POW camp at Gustrow, Germany. Cpl Jackson was repatriated to England on 31 December 1918 and arrived back in Australia on 16 June 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 248.