This is probably one of the four sons of Moses and Sarah Allan McNickle who served in WWI. They were Moses, born 1892, George, born 1894, John, born 1896 and James, born 1897. Moses McNickle enlisted as a Private in the Auckland Infantry Battalion, and embarked with the 8th Reinforcements on 13 November 1915, on the Tofua or the Willochra, bound for Suez. He served on the Somme with the 2nd Battalion of the Auckland Infantry Regiment, and was killed in action on 15 September 1916. He is buried in the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery in Longueval. George McNickle joined the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, and embarked with the 25th Reinforcements, H Company, on 26 April 1917, aboard the Turakina bound for Plymouth. He was severely wounded; it is not clear in which battle, or whether he was able to return to his unit. George married Winifred Hall in 1924, but she died in 1925 aged 24. George himself died in 1977, aged 83, and is buried at Mangere. The third son, John, enlisted as a Private and embarked with the NZEF 21st Reinforcements, E Company, on 19 January 1917, on the Ulimaroa bound for Plymouth. He was slightly wounded late in 1917, but was able to return to duty. After the war, John married Ethel Fanny Exelby in 1928. He died in 1972 at the age of 76. Ethel died in 1991, aged 84. They are buried in the Hamilton Park Cemetery. The youngest brother, James, also enlisted as a Private in the NZEF. He embarked with C Company, 36th Reinforcements, on 23 April 1918, aboard the Willochra bound for Southampton. James returned to New Zealand after the war and died in Tauranga in 1979, aged 81. The young man in the photograph has shoulder insignia which are too indistinct to identify. His collar badges are those worn by soldiers serving with the NZEF, 34th Reinforcements onwards, increasing the likelihood of his being James McNickle.