Item issued to Eric MacCALLUM No VX41169, enlisted on 26.6.40, 2/32nd Batt 9th Div AIF, age 31 years 9 months, promoted Cpl 6.8.1940, embarked 15.9.1940 for the Middle East, hospital 25.11.1940 with Haemorhoids, rejoinn unit 17.12.1940, attends Mortar and Grenade schools, hospital 16.8.1941 with PUO, taken POW 17.2.1942 at El Alamein. He served in the Seige of Tobruk, Middle East Campaigns. As a POW it appears he was interred from 1942/43 in Italy then 1943/45 in XV111Austria. He describes his conditions in the camps as fair and that he worked on road works. This is a brief description as to his treatment in his records. Embarked from England 4.7.1945 and disembarked in Sydney on 8.8.1945. Discharged from the 2nd AIF on 12.9.1945.Canvas Kit bag with stenciled name and details on side and base.In handwritten lettering - "B2 - RZABL- Q" Stencilled - "VX41169 E. MacCallum"containers, military equipment

Items from Italian Prisoners of War held in Camp 13, MurchisonSteel spoon with steel fork attached with a rivetitalian pow's, camp 13 murchison, domestic utensils, camp cutlery

A story written by Ivy Williams, nee Gorman, now Botheras, in 1994. It tells of 6 prisoners of war, who were sent to help her and her husband Fred, harvest their crop of peaches in 1941. Three of them were Ezio Neri, Hans Holsbauer and Osker Fleischer.HistoricOne piece of A4 paper with a typed story and poem. Has been laminatedivy williams, fred williams, ezio neri, hans holsbauer, osker fleischer, fruit pickers, italian pow's

Camp 13, Murchison, property owned by Jim Finnegan. German, Italian, Japanese prisoners held 1941-1946. Main entrance to Camp 13 Murchison.Camp 13 entrance gate, original stone pillars constructed using local stone, sentry box right mid -distance. Camp 13 Camp Road, Murchison. camp 13, pow, internment camps, murchison victoria, finnegan, japanese pows, german pows, italian pows

Camp 13, Murchison. Property owned by Jim Finnegan. German, Italian, Japanese prisoners of war held between 1941 - 1946. Shows the remains of what is left of the goal used by Camp 13 Murchison during WW2.Camp 13, Camp Road, Murchison. Camp 13 goal. Solid brick building showing individual cells, roofless, tree right mid-distrance. murchison victoria, goal, prison cells, pow, camp internees, jim finnegan

Camp 13 was occupied by German and Italian Internees.Coloured photograph of ornamental pond remains at entrance to German internees compound at Camp 13 german internees, italian internees, pow's, camp remains, camp 13, ornamental ponds

Found in Camp 2 in 1991 made by Italian Dunera interneesrectangular piece of tin with series of holes in centre.dunera boys, ventilators, internment camp 2

German POW funeral, Murchison Cemetery.Black and white photograph of burial of German comrade in Murchison cemetery. 2 placing laurel wreath on grave. An officer in centre of photo, 3 soldiers. Faint photo of officers peak cap on right.On the Italian tombstones EG + Ferrari Francesco.camp 13, german pow funerals, murchison cemetery

Original black and white photograph of 2/24 Infantry Battalion which includes image of Frank Percival SAVILLE VX34912 Born 4/4/1919 Enlisted 27/6/1940 and served with the 2/24th Battalion. He was a POW interned in Italy and Germany camps between 1941-45 during WW2.Black plastic frame with green mount housing original black and white photograph of soldiers in four rows.Plaque -Presented by H A Saville on behalf of his brother Frank P Saville VX34912 2/24 Battalion2/24 battalion, frank saville vx 34912, pow, ww2

Image depicts a group of 3 soldiers who served with the 2/24 Battalion VX32810 William John McKILLOP DOB 23/11/1914 POW May 1941 Italy- 2/24 Battalion VX31847 George Cecil OLLEY DOB 14/7/1917 - 2/24 Battalion. The 2/24th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II .A unit of all-volunteers, it was formed in July 1940 from primarily Victorian volunteers and was known as "Wangaratta's Own" because of the time the battalion spent in the town during its formative period prior to deployment overseas. It served in North Africa in 1941–1942 as part of the 26th Brigade, which was assigned to the 7th Division, before being reassigned to the 9th Division. In early 1943, the battalion returned to Australia and later took part in campaigns against the Japanese in New Guinea in 1943–1944 and Borneo in 1945, before being disbanded in 1946. The 2/24th suffered the highest number of casualties of any 2nd AIF infantry battalion. The Unit was granted the Freedom of the City by the Rural City of Wangaratta in 1990 and one of the first, if not the first, to receive this type of honour.Original black and white photograph of 3 soldiers standing Handwritten on rear - Geo Olly centre, McKillop R & L, Frankston, 2/24 Btn2/24th battalion, wangaratta, george cecil olley, william john mckillop

Vega Trophy (Mounted Wooden Life Ring) Donor: Graham Noel During World War II when the Germans occupied the Channel Islands the local people went through very severe food rationing and were on the verge of starvation. Near the end of the war, the Swedish ship Vega was allowed by the Germans to deliver several shipments of food to the civilian population, easing the critical shortages of food on the islands. Further background detail can be found below. Graham Noel was born on the Islands and lived there during this harsh period. The trophy is awarded to the winner of the Combined Division AMS Aggregate Series. First Winner: Under Capricorn, P. Bedlington 2005/06 Vega – Further historical background Early in the Second World War Jersey was declared “unarmed” and the German military took over, taking quite a few lives in the process, through strafing the main harbour and a few other places which they needlessly considered threatening. A considerable number of locals evacuated to England before the Germans arrived, but more than 60% of the population remained and endured 5 years of very strict and difficult conditions. Not only was the population unable to contact relatives in the UK or elsewhere, but very quickly they found themselves subject to harsh curfews, strictly rationed foodstuffs, no fuel for vehicles, radios confiscated, and homes and hotels commandeered by the military. The military demanded first pick of all foodstuffs and kept meticulous records of all livestock forcing farmers even to show newborn calves and piglets to them, then claiming the new arrivals for their dinner tables. However there are many stories of farmers outwitting their masters when twin calves or suchlike arrived! Lawbreakers were quickly dealt with, mostly with lengthy prison terms in Jersey, but the more serious crimes were punished by being sent to some horrible French prisons, or even some of the notorious German concentration camps. All local Jews were dispatched to concentration camps, and even English born families were similarly shipped through France and on to Germany. Sadly, a considerable number of those deported did not make it back safely to Jersey. In June 1944 the locals were delighted to hear that the Allies had invaded Normandy and very soon they could hear the battles as the Allies worked their way along the French coast. Little did they know they would still have to wait another 11 months for freedom, having to put up with a very demanding German occupation force which was still determined to obey Hitler’s order to “Defend the Channel Islands to the death”. Now that France was in Allied Hands the local military commanders were unable to supplement their food supplies from France and even harsher demands were made on the local population to ensure that all branches of their still very substantial military force were reasonably well fed. As well as the military, Jersey farmers had to provide food for the Allied POWs and the many “forced labourers”, mainly of Russian, Polish and Italian backgrounds who had been directed to the island to build all the concrete bunkers. This included an underground hospital, all this complying with Hitler’s orders to ensure that the Channel Islands would never again be part of Britain. Many requests by the Jersey authorities for Red Cross assistance were rejected, but finally in December 1944 they agreed and on 30th December the Red Cross vessel “Vega” (Swedish Registry) arrived and delivered parcels to the civilian population. These parcels contained a variety of foodstuffs supplied mainly by Canadian authorities, desperately needed medical supplies, flour, oils and soaps, as well as tobacco from New Zealand. Vega made a further 3 or 4 trips and most certainly eased the desperate situation being faced by the locals. In fact, it resulted in the locals having slightly better food supplies than the military and many local farmers tell stories of having to protect their stock from marauding soldiers. Understandably Churchill was reluctant to send in an invading force to retake the Channel Islands, but by May 1945 it was clear that the Third Reich was finished and on May 9th the German Military surrendered, without a fight, to a large British landing force. On a slightly lighter note … in January 1945 Jersey stonemasons were seen in the main town square repairing flagstones … the Germans had never noticed that the name “Vega” had been formed in those flagstones! As a side note Vega is the name of the brightest star in the universe. Furthermore, throughout the occupation, despite German law that demanded confiscation of all radio sets, punishable by long prison terms or deportation to Germany, there were still many sets being listened to. The locals had a well refined news system for the dissemination of news of what was happening in the outside world. vega, graham noel, ams, combined division, aggregate

Cased items 10 German, 4 RAAF and 5 Prisoner of War. plus a cigarette case made from Italian Dixie by a Russian prisoner. Tom Fiedler collectionMemories of traumatic period as a POW 7th Jan. 1944 to 28th May 1945. by a RAAF Air Gunner. Tom Fiedler Collection