My grandmother's cousins, whose father had emigrated to Australia, enlisted almost as soon as war broke out. Alfred Lionel Pinkerton was in the British Special Reserve Artillery as a second lieutenant; he later joined the Royal Flying Corps/ Royal Air Force, and was shot down over Germany. He escaped from prison, got back to England and went back into conflict. He was shot down again, and stayed in a prison camp until the end of the war. On his way back to Australia, he took part in a horse race in Shanghai, was thrown from his horse and was paralysed down one side. He returned to Australia, but died in 1923. His brother Archy Norman Pinkerton joined the Australian Army Service Corps on 20 August 1914, and served in France, and was apparently at Gallipoli. He survived the war, and died in Australia in 1949. It's possible that they visited their father's family near Ballymoney, co. Antrim; certainly the two brothers somehow got a Christmas card printed with the badges of the two units in which they were serving, and sent it to my grandmother's family for Christmas 1916. It has the words France 1916 Germany 1916, possibly indicating Alfred's escape from Germany in October that same year || Photograph of Alfred Lionel Pinkerton in RAF uniform Christmas card and envelope specially printed for the two brothers Alfred and Archy Pinkerton Xerox of genealogical information Offprint of a newspaper with information about Alfred Lionel Pinkerton's fate in Germany || || Gallipoli Front || Aerial Warfare || || Specially printed Christmas cards with badges in gold ink of two units, Australian Service Corps and RAF. || Christmas card || Postcard || Christmas || || Postcard || Address of recipient of Christmas card || Address side of envelope || Front || || Other || Aerial Warfare || Gallipoli Front || Information from official records about army career of Archy Pinkerton || information from official website || || Genealogical information || Other || information from family history and records || Dublin

A British sentimental postcard || The main scene on the front of this postcard shows a woman, newspaper folded open on her lap, looking fondly at her son, who is dressed in a British officer’s uniform and has placed a hand on her shoulder. Inset to the left is a head-and-shoulders vignette of a British soldier, who is gazing into space. Headed ‘To Daddy’, the verse below reads: ‘From your laddie comes a greeting, / Far across the sea, / I hope that you are free from harm, / And soon come back to me.’. ‘Printed in England.’ and ‘Series No. 91’ are printed on the reverse. || || A British sentimental postcard || Postcard