A Soldier's photos
Frank Cleary, NX21851, a gunner in an Anti Aircraft Regiment, was posted to the Middle East from June 1941 through to January 1942. A detailed account of his Second World War service is included in another post on this blog. During his time in the Middle East he posted over 100 photos home. A much smaller handful of half a dozen photos from his time in Papua New Guinea, also arrived home. All black and white, ranging in size from 6cm x 4cm through to around 8cm x 6cm, they are typical of any tourist photos of new, exotic locations, but with the constant reminder that far from a mere tourist, this photographer is also a soldier. The treasured 'home' for these photos for the past eighty years has been this small wooden box. It's the sort of gift you could buy from a market stall or one of the shops servicing pilgrims and visitors over the many pre-war years. And it is easy to imagine the excitement in the Cleary family when this gift was presented, probably during home l...