Pickrang, Francis, d 1998: Photograph album of World War II scenes

Comprises photograph album belonging to Sapper Francis Pickrang (service no. 32297) relating to his service with the New Zealand Engineers, Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) in North Africa, the Middle East and Italy during World War Two. Taken between circa 1941 and 1945 by unidentified photographer(s) and K G Killoh.

-Studio portraits of Pickrang and other unidentified servicemen include a sailor in naval uniform and a woman. Also includes a studio portrait of Pickrang at a desk writing letters home. He appears to be looking towards an inset image of a woman and child.

-Scenes taken in Western Desert locations include informal snaps of Francis Pickrang, an unidentified sailor in naval uniform, and other army soldiers in camp life, sight-seeing at local landmarks, working at military construction projects and on the coast. Images of interest include: troops at the 'El Djem' theatre, Maadi Camp, Egypt, an army jeep with a silver fern logo and a picture of a Maori man with moko on the bumper, men washing clothes and drinking beer, men posing beside 'Monteith's Beer' graffiti, various bulldozers, tanks, army trucks and Caterpillar diesel vehicles at work, possibly a dredge offshore, the 'Auckland-Greymouth Clipper' army truck, a soldier posing beside a camp sign '10 Downing Street', soldiers posing with Egyptian locals and Sikh men, and soliders on motorcycles.

-Scenes possibly taken in Libya include: bombed out buildings, Christian churches and Arabic style grand buildings, the 'Atlantic Hotel', a pyramid, soldiers swimming (sometimes nude) and beside trucks at a coastal location, earthworking machinery (road building?), RAF Hawker Hurricane and Bristol Beaufighter aeroplanes and a German Fieseler Fi 56 aeroplane on the ground, an aeroplane wreck, city streets with business signs in European languages, a coach, war graves, and signs for 'Nufilia' (Nofilia) and 'Feldlazarett' (German field hospital).

-Scenes of interest taken in Egypt include an aeroplane named 'Asproliner', soldiers socialising, ambulances, a YMCA sign on a grand building, the YMCA Lowry Hut building at Maadi Camp, mosques, Qaitbay Citadel and the harbour of Alexandria, unidentified city streets, and cave homes.

-Scenes relating to military medical services include: interior of a hospital in a grand house, doctors performing an operation in a tent, New Zealand and Red Cross flags, various New Zealand ambulances, a stretcher being loaded on an aeroplane, and an American Field Service ambulance. Includes duplicate image from the Department of Internal Affairs War History Branch collection of the 5th New Zealand Advanced Dressing Station ambulances at San Elia.

-Scenes taken in Italy include images of the countryside and villages, bombed buildings, historic churches, fountains and buildings, city streets and piazzas, stone bridges, army trucks on the road, soldiers in camp, and piles of spent shells. Includes images of Italian peasants and children, haymaking and washing laundry. Also includes St Peter's Basilica and the Colosseum, Rome, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Roman archway in Alife, the fountain at the Royal Palace of Caserta, and Roman ruins. Also includes an Italian man with a chained bear.

-Includes postcards showing Benito Mussolini at a rally and Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

Source of title - title supplied Library

Inscriptions: Recto - centre - inside front cover inscribed '2 NZEF presented to 32297 Sapper F. Pickrang by the Government of New Zealand in recognition of his work with the New Zealand Engineers Middle East in the Second World War 1939-1945'

Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s).

Physical Description: Black album with silver decorative edging and silver lettering 'Photograph album' on cover, spiral bound, 33.5 x 29 cm

Provenance: Purchase, March, 2014