Outdoor portrait of a group of Australian, English and Canadian prisoners of war (POW) at the ...

Outdoor portrait of a group of Australian, English and Canadian prisoners of war (POW) at the German POW camp at Landschutt. Most or all of these men were members of a failed escape attempt. Identified left to right are: Lieutenant (Lt) Cecil 'Bill' Molle Feez, No 4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC); Lt Hillyard, the camp dentist (Irish); Major (Maj) Albert Debrisay Carter DSO, RFC (Canadian), president of the escape committee; Lt G Newbury (from West Indies) and Lt Oscar Thomas Flight, No 2 Squadron AFC. Lt Feez, from Yeronga, Queensland enlisted in the AIF as an 18 year old grazier on 22 August 1916 and embarked for overseas as a Gunner with the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade (service number 31938) from Sydney on 10 February 1917 aboard RMS Osterley. In July 1917 he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps and graduated as Flying Officer Pilot. After being promoted to Lieutenant (Lt) on 10 March 1918, he was shot down near Arras, France and captured by the Germans on 28 March 1918. He was held as a prisoner of war (POW) at Limburg, Germany until repatriated to England on 13 December 1918. Lt Feez returned to Australia via the USA at his own expense, arriving back in Australia on 29 April 1919. Lt Flight was a 20 year old university student from Bendigo, Victoria when he enlisted in the AIF and embarked for overseas as a Sapper (service number 3018) with the 5th Field Company Engineers (FCE) from Melbourne on 24 November 1915 aboard HMAT Ceramic. After serving in France with the 5th FCE, he transferred to the AFC on 28 August 1917 and graduated as a pilot on 22 January 1918. After being posted to France on 27 February 1918, he was captured on 28 March 1918 and held as a POW in Germany until repatriated to England on 13 December 1918. Lt Flight arrived back in Australia on 7 April 1919. Cecil Feez served as a Squadron Leader in the RAAF in the Second World War. Oscar Flight served as a lieutenant in the Second AIF. Maj Carter was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1918 while in the POW camp. He was later awarded a Bar to the DSO and the Belgian Croix de Guerre. He was repatriated on 13 December 1918. Carter then joined the Canadian Air Force and was posted to No. 123 Squadron. On 22 May 1919, Carter was killed in a flying accident.