POW cricket diaries uncovered at the Australian War Memorial

As Australia and England clash in The Ashes cricket series, Australian War Memorial historians have scored some runs of their own, uncovering diaries that recount a cricket series played behind barbed wire in German prisoner of war (POW) camps. 
 
The diary, written and illustrated with humorous scenes by Private Maurice Joseph Kelk during the Second World War, was brought to light by Australian War Memorial Historian Dr David Sutton. 

“It is always fascinating when you get to uncover a new story and share it with the public. Sport and war have a long history together; cricket was a way to keep up morale and stay unified,” Dr Sutton said.

The books are held in the AWM’s National Collection and tell the story of Kelk’s experiences of playing cricket as a prisoner of war in Stalag 334. 

“Kelk recorded everything, from the players’ names and signatures to the scores from the games. He drew cartoons to go alongside the games which brought out his creativity and humour,” Dr Sutton said. 

“The cricket series not only distracted the servicemen who played, but also those who were spectating and engaging with the competition. It was a welcome distraction to the hardships of life in a POW camp.” 
 
Director of the Australian War Memorial, Matt Anderson, said: “These items of the National Collection are important first hand accounts of what was experienced by these men as prisoners of war. We don’t collect items at the Memorial, we collect stories.”   

Another cricket record was brought home to Australia by Lieutenant Bill Foxwell following the Second World War, detailing the colloquially dubbed “Ersatz Ashes”.  

AWM Historian Mr Michael Kelly said: “Ersatz is a German word which translates to substitute or replacement. It is a play on words to signify the amateurish nature of these series.” 

“These items help tell the story of the Australian experience of war and give a firsthand look into the daily life inside these POW camps, where, even in wartime captivity, the game went on,” Mr Kelly said. 

The “Ersatz Ashes” took place in 1943 between Australian, English and New Zealand troops in the POW camp Stalag 383. 

“With the current Ashes being played in Australia, it gives us an opportunity to share some of these stories from our National Collection and reflect on the long, but often friendly, rivalry between Australia and England on the cricket field.” 

The Ersatz Ashes, also in the AWM’s collection, was compiled by Jim Welch and Jim Davies. Welch was a New Zealander and captured the event in a series of lively cartoons featuring a lion, kangaroo and kiwi bird. 

“Each item in the Collection reminds us that every man who served had his own story, his own joys, fears and hopes.  We remember these men as individuals and honour them all for their service to Australia,” Mr Anderson said.

HANDOUT IMAGES

AWM archive images: https://filetransfer.awm.gov.au/message/2SgcoGGdNht06483dxxaQR 

VNR: https://f.io/G1lzH9za

Background information on archive photos of the camp (Stalag 383): 

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C290906 (cricket team at Stalag 383) 

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1120943 (not cricket, but a sporting event)  

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1279413 (rugby team at Stalag 344) 

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C56079?image=1  

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C56080  

For Background: 

POW camps:

Stalag 334 (also known as Stalag VIII B/344) was a major German POW camp in Lamsdorf, Silesia (now Lambinowice, Poland). 

Stalag 383 was a German World War II Prisoner of War camp in Hohenfels, Bavaria. 

POWs: 

Private Maurice Joseph Kelk 

Private Maurice Joseph Kelk was born in Parkes, New South Wales, where he was a keen local cricketer. He served in a supply and administration unit and was taken as a prisoner of war to the Germans in Crete in 1941. 

Lieutenant William Stephen Foxwell

Lieutenant William Stephen Foxwell was born near Inman Valley, South Australia and enlisted soon after the outbreak of the Second World War. In January 1941 at Bardia in North Africa he cut his way through barbed wire under heavy fire, then led a bayonet charge against the enemy and captured nearly 100 of them. For this he was awarded a Military Medial. He was taken as a prisoner of war at Derna soon afterwards. 

Davies, Jim; Welch, Jim (POW Stalag 383, Germany) 

James ‘Jim’ Welch served in the New Zealand Army and was captured in Greece in 1941 and became a prisoner of war to the Germans. He spent time in several camps, including Stalag 383, where he compiled the ‘Ersatz Ashes’ booklet.