Studio portrait of six Prisoners of War (POW) at German POW Camp Dulmen, Germany. Photograph sent ...

Studio portrait of six Prisoners of War (POW) at German POW Camp Dulmen, Germany. Photograph sent to Australian Red Cross in London by 2013 Private (Pte) John Edward Withnell, 28th Battalion, from Perth Western Australia (possibly left front). Pte Withnell enlisted at the age of 18 on 28 June 1915 and embarked for overseas on 2 September 1915 aboard HMAT Anchises. He was captured at Warlencourt, France on 16 November 1916 along with 18 others from his unit. They were taken to Cambrai and then Treacourt where they received extremely bad treatment and bad food. After three months the 250 POWs were reduced to 30 through starvation and sickness. Then on 13 March 1918 he wrote from POW Camp Dulmen "Thanks to parcels we are in perfect health and will try and keep ourselves so; should they stop I don't care how soon I finish. I have again got myself in a large Barrack of prisoners, mostly French and Belgian so will soon speak French properly. We have every convenience here but not overmuch freedom. We romp about like a lot of kids." Pte Withnell was repatriated to Holland in November 1918, arrived in London on 7 December 1918 and returned to Australia on 10 April 1919. Handwritten on back of photograph reads "J.E. Withnell 2013 Gefangenenlager Dulmen Westf Germany. Please send me some boxing gloves." 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 116.