Digital Transgender Archive

Fred Penley dressed as a clown holding a wreath, performing for "The Timbertown Follies" at a prisoner of war camp in Groningen. Photographic postcard, 191-.

The Timbertown Follies, interned in Holland, Mr Fred Penley.

Part of James Gardiner Collection: photographs of military, naval, and prisoner-of-war camp drag.

Mr Fred Penley dressed as a clown holding a wreath. He was one of the star performers at Groningen POW camp known as TimbertownA scene from one of the many revues staged by some of the 1,500 or so members of the First Royal Naval Brigade, interned as prisoners of war in the camp outside Groningen, northern Netherlands, from 1914 to 1918, which they nicknamed HMS Timbertown. As they were not involved in any conflict and were housed in reasonable comfort with time on their hands, they were able to stage some very elaborate and professional theatrical revues which became famous back in the UK. This included pastiches of many of the revues and musical comedies produced in England at this time