Outdoor group portrait of allied Prisoners of War (POW) at the unveiling of a memorial to fellow ...

Outdoor group portrait of allied Prisoners of War (POW) at the unveiling of a memorial to fellow POWs who died during internment at the Parchim POW camp, Germany. The memorial is inscribed with the words "In loving memory of"- followed by two columns of twenty-six names and along the bottom "Comrades in captivity Parchim 20 November 1918". The last name in the left column is "Roy McNeill A.I.F. 13 09 18". 15567 Gunner Roy Burgoyne McNeill, 102nd Howitzer Battery, from Auckland, New Zealand enlisted in the A.I.F. at the age of 19 on 4 November 1915 and embarked for overseas with 1 Field Artillery Brigade on 14 April 1916 aboard HMAT Ceramic. He was captured at Langicourt, France, on 15 April 1917 and held as a POW until he died of inflammation of the lungs on 13 September 1918. The photograph was sent to the Australian Red Cross in London by 1032 Sergeant (Sgt) Roy Wilson, 4th Machine Gun Company, from North Sydney, NSW who is presumably in the photo but not identified. Sgt Wilson enlisted at the age of 24 on 26 October 1914 and embarked for overseas with the 13th Battalion on 22 December 1914 aboard HMAT Ulysses. He was awarded a Military Medal (MM) for operations of 4 February 1917 at Gueudecourt, France and was later captured at Riencourt, France on 11 April 1917. Sgt Wilson was held as POW in various camps in Germany until repatriated to England on 14 January 1919 and he arrived back in Australia on 15 December 1919. Other images of the unveiling of the memorial are P01981.054 and P03236.341. 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 400.