How WWII diggers kept the Ashes alive in POW camps
The current Ashes series has encouraged historians to delve deep into POW archives to uncover meticulous records of cricket games that boosted diggers’ morale in German stalags.
Scorebooks, diaries and cartoons at the Australian War Memorial, World War II. It proves the importance of sports for those captured in the early years of World War II.
Self-confessed “cricket tragic” historian David Sutton said the current Ashes series had inspired him to delve deeper into the role of cricket in the German prisoner of war camps where Australians were held after capture.
Among those recently found in the archives were the meticulous notebooks and diaries, illustrated with caricatures, of then-private Maurice Joseph Kelk, a keen cricketer from Parkes, NSW, who was captured on Crete in 1941.
Mr Kelk was held at Stalag 344, now part of Poland, and recorded a series of matches between teams representing Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa in 1944.
Dr Sutton said around 2,500 prisoners and guards watched the games, so they were serious events.
His aim was to boost morale and fitness, create friendly competition within the camp and provide an escape from the tough, boring and sometimes frightening challenges of camp life, he told AAP.
“This wasn’t just a bunch of guys getting together and batting,” Dr Sutton said.
“It was extremely organised, they had selection committees, they kept meticulous records as a way to enjoy the day but perhaps also to reminisce in the weeks to come.
“It was a rare beautiful day in an otherwise pretty terrible time.”
Dr Sutton said Mr Kelk was clearly proud of keeping this record and wanted to make sure it was preserved for future generations.
“We’re really lucky they finally found their way to the war memorial.”
Stalag 344 games were played on woven mats laid on hard ground in a long, narrow courtyard, so the rules were adjusted to ensure that the sideline allowed only two rounds rather than four.
The Red Cross and YMCA provided bats and balls, as well as equipment for other sports such as rugby, football and volleyball, at the request of the POWs.
Another prison camp cricket record brought back to Australia was “Ersatz Ashes”, which detailed a cricket series between Australian, British and New Zealand troops at prisoner of war camp Stalag 383 in 1943.
Ersatz is a German word meaning replacement or replacement.
Also in the war memorial collection, Ersatz Ashes is another meticulous record of a prison camp cricket series illustrated by New Zealand soldier Jim Welch with caricatures of kangaroos, lions and kiwis.
Memorial historian Michael Kelly said the cricket records provided a first-hand look at daily life in prisoner of war camps, where the game continued even during wartime captivity.
“Playing the current Ashes in Australia gives us the 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,” he said.
Australian War Memorial director Matt Anderson said it was important to preserve first-hand accounts from POWs.
“We remember these men as individuals and honor them all for their service to Australia,” he said.
