Hand knitted woollen pullover : Private J Gunn, 16 Battalion, AIF

Turtle neck pullover in shades of brown, khaki and dark blue 12 ply wool. The body of the pullover is knitted in alternate bands of rib and coiled rope cable. The sleeves are ribbed, with a single band of cable running up the outer arm and across the top of the shoulder. The fold over section of the collar is ribbed. A triangular gusset, knitted in stocking stitch, has been let into each arm pit for ease of wear. There are two decorative bands of mixed light and dark brown wool running across the bottom of the basque. The sleeves have a similar band of dark and light brown wool with a narrower band of dark blue and light brown around the bottom of the cuff.

This pullover was made for 496 Private James 'Jim' Gunn by a fellow prisoner of war while he was interned in Germany in 1917-1918. Gunn was a 23 year old driver from South Melbourne when he enlisted for service in First World War on 17 August 1914. He was assigned to 5 Battalion, AIF, and sailed for Egypt in A3 HMAT Orvieto on 21 October 1914. After service on Gallipoli in 1915, Gunn transferred to 16 Battalion, AIF, in early 1916 and subsequently served on the Western Front in France. He was captured by the Germans at Riencourt on 11 April 1917 and was initially held at a camp at Wehn. He was transferred to a camp at Limburg early in 1918. Gunn's pullover was knitted for him by another prisoner, possibly in exchange for some of the contents of Red Cross parcels that he received regularly, using wool unravelled from worn out socks and balaclavas and sticks for knitting needles. He said that the pullover saved his life in the freezing winter conditions in camp in 1917-1918. Jim Gunn appreciated the support he received from the Red Cross and on 10 March 1918 he wrote to them saying, 'I am doing very well with parcels received for which I thank you very much.' Gunn was repatriated to England from Germany on 26 December 1918. He left England to return to Australia on 2 March 1919.