Outdoor group portrait of Prisoners of War (POW) at POW camp Hamelin, Germany. Identified second ...

Outdoor group portrait of Prisoners of War (POW) at POW camp Hamelin, Germany. Identified second back row, fifth from the right, marked with a cross, is 5420 Private (Pte) George Johnstone Robertson, 16th Battalion, from Victoria Park, WA. Although he signed the back of the postcard 'Sgt George J. Robertson 5420' his service records indicate that he was a Private. Pte Robertson enlisted at the age of 27 on 2 January 1916 and embarked for overseas on 17 April 1916 aboard HMAT Aeneas. He was captured at Bullecourt, France on 11 April 1917 and held as a POW in various camps in Germany. Pte Robertson was repatriated to England on 26 December 1918 and arrived back in Australia on 10 April 1919. Also identified in the row of men seated on a bench, second from right, is 3695 Sgt Harry Percy Walker, 11 Battalion, of Beverley, WA. Sgt Walker enlisted as a Private and embarked for overseas service on 22 November 1915 aboard RMS Mongolia. He was wounded on three occasions and taken prisoner on 15 April 1917, at Bullecourt. At the time of the Armistice Sgt Walker was in Hamelin camp. Owing to the scarcity of food and overcrowding at the camp he and 2406 Corporal Thomas Andrew McKellor (or McKellar) left the camp early in December 1918 and made their way to Rotterdam, Netherlands. They arrived in England on 14 December 1918. Sgt Walker returned to Australia on 16 March 1919. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), gazetted London 30 January 1920. Handwritten note on back of postcard reads 'From The Boys at Hameln No 17 With Best Wishes 5-8-18.' 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 220.