This is the John Hines story - according to Wikipedia. If nothing else, its a cracking yarn about a fascinating character.
John "Barney" Hines (1873–1958) was a British-born Australian soldier of
World War I, known for his prowess at collecting 'souvenirs' from German soldiers. Hines was the subject of a famous photo taken by
Frank Hurley which depicted him surrounded by the loot he had captured during the
Battle of Polygon Wood in September 1917. This image is among the best-known Australian photographs of the war.
Born in
Liverpool, England in 1873, Hines served in the
Royal Navy and
King's Liverpool Regiment, as well as working in several different occupations. He arrived in Australia shortly before World War I began and volunteered for the
Australian Imperial Force in August 1915. Although discharged due to poor health in early 1916, he rejoined in August that year and served on the
Western Front from March 1917 to mid-1918 when he was discharged again for health reasons.
During his period in France he proved to be an aggressive soldier, and gained fame for the collection of souvenirs that he amassed. Following World War I, Hines lived in poverty on the outskirts of
Sydney until his death in 1958.
After completing training in England, Hines joined the 45th Battalion on the Western Front in March 1917.
[3][4] In June that year he captured a force of 60 Germans during the
Battle of Messines by throwing
hand grenades into their pillbox, and was later wounded.
[3] During the six-week period he spent recovering from his wound he stole a horse and traded it for a bottle of whiskey.
[12] He returned to his battalion in time for the
Battle of Polygon Wood in September, where Frank Hurley photographed him on 27 September surrounded by the loot he had captured.
[13][14] Hines was an aggressive soldier and it has been claimed that he killed more Germans than any other member of the AIF.
[2] While he was brave in battle and admired by his fellow soldiers, his behaviour was erratic at times.
12]
Hines' enthusiasm for collecting German military equipment and German soldiers' personal possessions became well known within and possibly outside of his battalion, and earned him the nickname of "Souvenir King".
[15] While he collected some items from battlefields at
Ypres and the
Somme region, most were stolen from German
prisoners of war. He kept the items he collected for himself, and there are no records of any being handed over to the
Australian War Records Section, the AIF unit responsible for collecting items for later display in Australia.
[6] Hines sold some of the items he collected to other soldiers, including for alcohol.
[6][16] The photograph of Hines at the Battle of Polygon Wood was published in late 1917 under the title
Wild Eye, the souvenir king and became one of the best-known Australian photographs of the war. Many soldiers identified with Hines and were amused by his collection of souvenirs. The photograph was used as
propaganda, and a false story developed that the German Kaiser
Wilhelm II had become enraged after seeing it.
[1][8]