Group portrait of an allied Prisoner of War (POW) football team, possibly at Dulmen POW camp, ...

Group portrait of an allied Prisoner of War (POW) football team, possibly at Dulmen POW camp, Germany. The team consists of five Australians, two Canadians, four Englishmen and two Frenchmen. In the background are two Russians and one Italian. Identified standing in the back row of the group, second from the left (and marked with an x) is 3388 Private (Pte) Frederick William Nichols, 3rd Battalion, from Junee, NSW, who enlisted on 29 June 1915 at the age of 18 and embarked for overseas on 2 November 1915 aboard HMAT Euripides. Identified standing in the back row fourth from the left (and marked with an x) is 3288 Pte Thomas Harrison Dobson, 1st Battalion, from Auburn, NSW, who enlisted on 18 July 1915 at the age of 21 and embarked for overseas on 5 October 1915 aboard HMAT Themistocles. Identified kneeling in the centre row (and marked with an x) is 3467 Pte Herbert Alfred Wilkins, 3rd Battalion, from Howlong, NSW, who enlisted on 20 July 1915 at the age of 24 and embarked for overseas on 2 November 1915 aboard HMAS Euripides. Identified sitting in the front row on the far left is 4151 Pte John Joseph Costello, 54th Battalion, from Sydney, NSW, who enlisted on 20 August 1915 at the age of 23 and embarked for overseas with the 2nd Battalion on 20 December 1915 aboard HMAT Aeneas. Identified sitting in the front row, second from the left is 3112 Pte Stephen Soper, 53rd Battalion, from Sydney, NSW, who enlisted on 8 July 1915 at the age of 21 and embarked for overseas on 8 October 1915 aboard HMAT Warilda. All of the five Australians were captured at Fleurbaix, France, on 20 July 1916 and held as POWs in Germany until repatriated to England on 29 November 1918. They all arrived back in Australia the following year. The postcard was sent to the Australian Red Cross in London by 4512 Pte Percy Arthur Haslam, 54th Battalion, from Newcastle, NSW, who enlisted on 28 July 1915 at the age of 24 and embarked for overseas with the 13th Battalion on 16 February 1916 aboard HMAT Ballarat. He was captured at Laventie, France, on 20 July 1916 and held as a POW in Germany. On 14 October 1917, he wrote from the POW camp at Dulmen "The advice of the despatch of the Boxing Gloves was hailed with delight by the boys. Would you send a couple of packets of playing cards and a few parlour games to help pass the time during the winter nights. The football which has provided such good sport for us will soon have to be put aside for milder weather conditions as the winter is very severe." Pte Haslam was repatriated to England on 5 December 1918 and arrived back in Australia on 29 February 1920. 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 348.