The Blog that might have been – 70 years on

Flying through search lights and on to Casino by train

Posted on May 6, 1942 by felicityh54

Envelope : Posted by M Campbell

Railway Refreshment Rooms

Spencer Street (Melbourne)

Salvation Army letterhead

2 – 5 – 42

Dear Mother

As it may be some days before I am able to write you I’m taking advantage of the time at hand to drop you a few lines. We had a marvellous crossing in the plane. Just two hours from Western Junction to Essendon. They served a tea of cold salad, ham and fowl followed by peaches and cream and coffee – though I didn’t have much of it, it was very nice.

A feature of the trip was coming through the search lights. After seeing so many search light displays and the planes picked up in the lights, it was an interesting experience to have them play on you.

We were supposed to move yesterday but at two o’clock we were told we would not be going till today and were given leave until 9.30 this morning so I went out to Ivy’s for the night. The youngster looks much better than when I saw her last week. They’re having a few people out to tea tonight as a little anniversary celebration and wanted me to go out but of course that’s not possible.

Melbourne is certainly full of Yanks. They’re everywhere in all the queerest array of uniforms you can imagine.

I can hear the sergeant major calling for a parade – it may be just another, or it may be the real thing so I’ll have to go. Goodbye for the moment Mother.

All my love

Max.

Flying to Melbourne

I assume the troops were flown from Launceston due to its central location – i.e. those living in the north west and those from the south could travel by train to that airport. It appears that ANA would have operated the flight that took Dad from Western Junction (Launceston) to Essendon (Melbourne) : From Wikipedia – When Australia entered World War II in 1939 the federal government requisitioned ANA’s four DC-3s, leaving it to battle on with its assortment of lesser aircraft. However, ANA was soon operating a network of services around Australia on behalf of the war effort. It operated a large number of Douglas DC-2s, DC-3s and even at least one rare Douglas DC-5 mostly on the behalf of the American forces in Australia.

Image – Dougles DC2 airliner (Wikipedia)

Image – troops leaving Hobart by train.(from C J Dennison Hobart at War 1939 to 1945)

Americans in Melbourne

World War II US Uniforms – from http://www.thephora.net

6th May 1942

Dear Mother & Dad

Just a few lines to let you know we have arrived at our new camp – quite a good spot too in most ways though of course we’re not quite settled in yet and there’s plenty of work to do.

I wrote a few lines from Melbourne but as I had no opportunity of posting it asked the lady in charge of the canteen where we had tea to put it in an envelope and post for me but don’t know whether she did so or not. We had a spot of luck at Sydney – we arrived there about half past one on Sunday afternoon and after being provided with a meal at the Railway restaurant were given leave till midday Monday. So I rang Mrs Toomey and went out there. Sydney caters well for the troops and there are quite a number of places where all meals – and good meals too – are free and it’s no trouble to get a bed either.

I was talking to Andy Morton, Dick’s offsider in the 31st RAP and he told me Dick was in hospital with malaria – pretty sick too I believe. That’s as tough a bit of luck as you’d hear about – to go through Syria and miss it when they were going down like flies and then to cop it here. If he had to cop it, pity he didn’t get it before he left home : it would have been a lot better for him to be in hospital at home than over here.

Ack Hallam, Jim McDonnell and a few of the others are working with the LAD’s at present at a camp in town.

Must say cheerio now. All the best to May, Ann and the boys.

Love

Max

Malaria

According the Mayo clinic, the malaria parasite can lie dormant inside the human body for as long as a year, so it’s likely that Dick was actually bitten in Syria but the disease did not progress until he returned. He would have had his home leave before Dad because he arrived home a month earlier – so by the time of this letter he would have been in camp in New South Wales. His home was in Hobart – hence the comment that it was a pity he didn’t get it before he left home. If he had been in Hobart, at least friends and family would have been able to support his recovery.

Posted in Carrier platoon, leave, organisation | Tagged American troops, DIck Schultz, leave | Leave a comment

The line certainly must be busy: queueing to make a ‘trunk call’

Posted on April 10, 1942 by felicityh54

No address or date – approx April 10

Dear Mother & Dad

Wonderful news – the best I’ve ever had – absolutely marvellous Mother to hear that your goitre has gone and the operation was so successful. When I read your thirtieth of March letter soon after we made camp yesterday I was thrilled to bits. By Jove it’s great – but I guess you feel lost without it.

Things have certainly been happening in the home circle in the last few months and everything seems to have dome out well. Youngster’s latest letter strikes a much more cheerful note. She seems so much better in health since she left the office. With that load of worry off her mind and plenty of fresh air I hope she’ll soon be on the high road to better health.

It’s a long time since I had such a fine mail and so much good news. It pepped me up to some order. I’m at present at the local store trying to get a phone message through. I put a call through about half past nine yesterday morning and it’s nearly one o’clock now and still waiting – the line certainly must be busy.

I’m sorry to hear that things are not going so well with Ken. It’s rather unfortunate that a little limelight and publicity should go to his head but he’s very susceptible to that sort of thing. I thought the Zinc Works were going to find him something to do. He’s not the type who can sit around but he’ll certainly want to pull himself together.

Jim McDonnell lost his stripes just before we left. He got tonsillitis or something and had to go to hospital and it you get sick you automatically revert. It didn’t worry Mc much: so long as he’s got plenty of beer money. He went through at Perth but I believe he’s back with the unit now. We haven’t caught up with them yet. They arrived three or four weeks ahead of us and are at a different camp but I don’t suppose that it’ll be long before we join them.

I had a letter from Jack written before the arrival of the offspring. I guess he’ll be a little disappointed because I rather think he expected a boy. He told me he’d been up to see you during his leave and spent a few enjoyable hours with you.

We’re all hoping to get some home leave soon but of course as things are there’s no knowing in any case the others will probably get it before we do – I mean the rest of the unit – because it’s so much easier to cope with individuals than it is with machines. Still I think they’ll do the right thing if it’s possible. Some of the chaps had leave to Adelaide last night and speak very well of it and I’m hoping to head in myself for a couple of hours tonight.

It was wonderful speaking to you Mother. I thought of hundreds of things I was going to say before I rang but was too excited to say much, but I’ll try and ring again soon. Must her back to the camp now or there’ll be some strife. Remember me (to) everyone.

Your loving son

Max.

Such a fine mail

Your thirtieth of March letter : See below for the text of this letter. It is likely that some of the earlier letters were still travelling around the world – but the comment about Ken Jenkins suggests that the letter of March 17 was also part of the exciting bundle Dad received on arriving in camp.

Goitre

The main cause of goitre is Iodine deficiency. When I was at school in the 60’s, we took iodine tablets to counteract the low levels of this element in Tasmanian soils and therefore grains and vegetables. This is still a matter for concern in Tasmania : there’s current research underway at the Universit of Tasmania regarding a possible connection between delayed language development in children and the iodine deficiency http://www.utas.edu.au/latest-news/utas-homepage-news/iodine-deficiency-study-to-be-funded-by-brain-foundation3

Trying to get a phone call through

Illustration from Soldiering On – the Christmas Book for 1942, published by the AWM

We haven’t caught up with the unit…

The rest of the battalion were in camp at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. It is possible the Carriers were at the Springbank Camp, close to the city, along with members of the 7th Division’s 21st Brigade. The following information comes from the Facebook page – Thanks.Digger : Established in 1941-42, Springbank Military Camp was located on the south side of Daws Road (and west of Goodwood Road). Behind it (to the south) was Centennial Park Cemetery, which had opened in June 1936. Opposite it, on the north side of Daws Road, was the Cudmore Estate (‘Cudmore Farm’) where the Daw Park Repatriation General Hospital stands today.

Home leave

During the rest of April and May, everyone in the Battalion enjoyed home leave on a rotational basis – up to 200 men on leave at a time, and sometimes the same number AWL. This limited the types of exercises that could be undertaken by the remainder. Those in camp – first at Woodside then at Casino in NSW and finally Caboolture in Queensland – were dispirited and frustrated. In The Footsoldiers, Bill Crooks remembers (p 137) – Among those who had returned from active service, a period of dissatisfaction with army life in general, set in. Most of them were temporarily unable to enter into the spirit of happy comradeship that existed prior to our return to Australia….Try as did the new CO, and the company commanders, not a great deal of spirit was shown in the minor exercises and reconnaissance sorties we tried to carry out.

Mother and Dad’s letter of March thirtieth (actually dated 29th)

From Mrs Hickman

Pottery Road Lenah Valley

Hobart Tasmania

March 29 1942

Darling Boy. Once again we write hoping to find you in high spirits as we think you should be and as we are that way ourselves. We received a telegram on Wednesday last telling us of your safe arrival in Australia. We were hourly waiting for that news for nearly a fortnight as we knew Dick Schultz was back and had spoken over the telephone to his wife. She has also had a letter. She’s anxiously waiting him home on leave. There will be something doing at 304 Liverpool Street when he arrives. I went up to the club on Friday. They open the bar for a couple of hours and then close down for a couple of hours. I don’t think there will be a big profit when the books are balanced at the end of the financial year, but what’s the odds? We are anxiously waiting your next letter to see what it feels like to be back in Australia. Mick Mason met old Fitzpatrick on Friday night. He told Mick you were back so Mick came out yesterday to see if it was right. The morning we got the news I had to go to town to get meat for the dogs. I knew Tom Cooper was anxious as he has rung up a couple of times to know so I called and told Mrs Cooper and Tom did the rest at the Zinc Works. I met Joe Lewis on Friday. He was also very pleased and wants me to inform him as soon as you arrive home. He is doing guard work at Goodwood. He is much improved in health since he left the institution. There is no doubt it was getting on the poor beggar’s nerves. I think it would have the same effect on me. In case you have not received previous letters your mother has had her goitre out. It has been done six weeks now. She is still weak but you must expect that considering it was a major operation and she is not a youngster, but taking all things into consideration I think she is progressing well. Laurie Fisher has gone deer shooting this week end. He loves shooting something that can’t shoot back. Alex Worbey has got to go into camp next Wednesday April 1st. There is a lot of wailing and moaning in the Worbey camp. The garden up there is in an awful state. Of all the rackets I’ve ever seen then apple & pear acquisition scheme is the worst of the lot. Old Mark Rowe(?) assesses the crops in Lenah Valley. They simply let the fruit fall off and do nothing as they get their cheque just the same. There’s only about two or three orchards cared for in this district: old Jack’s and Calvert’s. You’ll get a great shock when you come back and this scheme is properly explained. There’s 75 percent of grub in the Valley. Pat is very anxious to know if John is back. She said she would ring me but she has not done so yet. I have not seen anything of them – only over the phone as I have not been able to go and see them yet. We are being rationed all right now – 1oz of tea per person from tomorrow per week. The dogs are fit and well. We will now close Max and we are hoping to see you soon. God bless and keep you with best love from Mum & Dad.

Telegrams on arrival in Australia

See post dated April 4 1942 – telegrams from Fremantle and Adelaide

Apple & Pear Acquisition Scheme

The point of this scheme was to try to ensure that, despite losing their traditional English market, growers would continue to maintain the health of their orchards so that after the war, exports could resume. See http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25926118

Calvert’s orchard

This is the only image I have been able to find, of an apple label from a Lenah Valley orchard – and it’s from Calvert’s: one of those of which Henry speaks highly.

Rationing

Photo – Hobart at War 1939 to 1945 – C.J. Dennison

Posted in leave, Letters to/ from others, organisation | Tagged goitre, home leave, Jack Chandler, Ken Jenkins, Laurie Fisher, rationing | Leave a comment

Too slow for the convoy, with the war on our doorstep: travelling home on the SS Pundit

Posted on April 4, 1942 by felicityh54

Photos: Dick Lewis

Rough weather in the Bight

TX 1004

Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

4th April 1942

Dear Mother & Dad

This is the first time I’ve attempted to write for over two months – the longest two months I ever remember – every second dragged like an hour. The first few weeks we filled in our spare time – and it was nearly all spare time – playing bridge or five hundred and reading what few books there were to read but after we’d drawn a pay the biggest wave of gambling – for the number of men – I’ve ever seen swept the ship. Nothing else could take our minds off the monotony of weighted time.

I intended writing from Fremantle but as a liaison officer had arranged to send telegrams and there was considerable doubt as to censorship thought it best to wait till we got ashore and phone through, and as we only had a few hours had to waive the idea.

When we first came to our anchorage, the sight of an Aussie town keyed everyone to the skies but we had the tantalising experience of lying within sight of what to every man on board was the shores of paradise for eight days.

We’re now int he midst of the roughest sea we’ve struck in forty thousand miles of sea travel and this little old tub is having a tough trot as huge seas belt her from all directions and great waves sweep her from bow to stern and anything not securely lashed rides through space. Though of course we don’t know anything definite we’re all hoping that we’ll disembark at the next port and with luck we should be at the city of churches within a couple of days and although it probably won’t be possible I’ll try and phone you from there. If it hadn’t been for the monotony and cramped conditions it wouldn’t have been a bad trip. Except for boat drill and action station stuff we’ve had very few parades and the food has been better than on either of the other troop ships on which we travelled. Although there was a lot of bully beef we’ve had bread once a day and timed fruit twice a week.

Well mother I must say cheerio now. When I started writing we were head on but now we’re getting it in the middle and its a work of art to write at all. Give my love to May and Anne and regards to Laurie and the boys. I hope I’ll soon be home with you.

Your loving son

Max

Official mystery (re the Carriers) continues

As with embarkation arrangements, I can find no official record – apart from Dad’s individual army record – of the fact that the Pundit was part of the convoy that left Port Tewfik on February 8 and 9 1942. The following are fragments that fill in some of the blanks.

Dad’s comments about the Pundit many years later (article written in the early 70’s) were – The Carrier and Transport groups along with other transport and heavy equipment and a considerable quantity of explosives came on a ship called the Pundit – a tramp ship that had been condemned before the war and was in the hands of the ship breakers. When the war started it was put back into service. The Pundit was too slow to travel in convoy so from the time we left Suez, we were on our own in an area where Japanese submarines were reaping a harvest.

(Note that the loss of HMAS Sydney in November 1941 demonstrated that German raiders were also active in this area….see maps of the Kormoran’s movements, mentioned below)

Although the Pundit may have been old, she continued to ply the seas after this voyage. In October 1942 she was involved in a rescue in the mid-Atlantic Ocean— coincidentally alongside the Ettrickbank, the vessel that had brought the 25th Brigade Carriers from Port Said to Suez (Port Tewfik) in February. (ref. World War II Sea War, Vol 7: The Allies Strike Back – Bertke, Smith & Kindell 2014). Then in February 1943 her name appears as part of a convoy sailing from the UK to North America – her destination was New York City, and she apparently joined the convoy in Reykjavik. (ref war sailors.com/convoys/on165 )

The document here lists shipping movements through the Port of Fremantle in March/ April 1942. SS Pundit is shown arriving on March 18 and departing on March 29. http://www.defence.gov.au/sydneyii/Parliamentary%20Submissions/PINQ/SUBS/019/PINQ.SUBS.019.0028.pdf The same document contains several maps of the movements of the German raider Kormoran in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal during 1941 and 42.

Experiences on board

More from the early 70’s article : South of Ceylon the ship’s officers sighted what they believed to be an enemy submarine on the horizon. Discretion was the better part of valour and so we turned around in the opposite direction. I am sure we went back further in four hours than we had travelled the other way in two days. From then on, the ship avoided the regular travel routes. It was nine weeks from when we left Suez until we arrived at Fremantle.* Boat drill was carried out every day and that helped somewhat to break the monotony. From Fremantle we sailed to Adelaide – another seven days’ journey. We disembarked at Port Adelaide and joined up with the Battalion who were camped in the Adelaide Hills and shortly afterwards were granted six days’ home leave.

*Actually, 5 1/2 weeks (compared with the 3 1/2 weeks of the rest of the Battalion). The time from Fremantle to Adelaide was not exaggerated – according to his Army record, Dad arrived in Port Adelaide on April 6 : 8 days after leaving Fremantle. (compared with 4 days for those on the Mount Vernon). Nine weeks was approximately the time from Suez to Adelaide.

Boat drill (Dick Lewis photo)

Dick Lewis’ memories (audio, March 29 2041) :

The Pundit was slow, probably because she was too lightly loaded. For the most part she only travelled at about 4 knots – her bow came out of the water with every wave and then the prop came out, so they were constantly having to de-throttle. One night we were lying on the deck and watching as the Southern Cross appeared for the first time. As we watched, we realised the ship was changing direction. Then we heard the Captain shout – Give it your best speed – your B-E-S-T speed! We turned around and travelled away from the smoke or the light they and seen on the horizon. We were probably doing something like 17 knots then.

Very lucky not to be sent to Singapore

Dick Lewis remarked – We were very lucky, that when we got to Colombo, we were NOT sent to Singapore. Curtin saved us, by standing up to Churchill.

One of ours – phew!

Dick Lewis photo

Curtin’s opposition to Churchill’s wishes/ demands

There is a great deal of information available online, about Australian Prime Minister Curtin’s exchanges with Winston Churchill who expected all the Allies including Australia to commit to defeating Nazi Germany as their top priority. He had secured a secret agreement with US President Roosevelt to this effect, but the same agreement (the result of the Arcadia Conference) also made it acceptable for the US Navy to ‘safeguard vital interests’ in the Pacific and seize ‘vantage points’ from which a future counter-offensive against Japan could be launched. The US established a command base in Brisbane, in late December 1941. Some sources include –

http://john.curtin.edu.au/artofthepossi … ments1.pdf

http://www.pacificwar.org.au/battaust/Britain_betrays_Australia.html

From The Footsoldiers :

The journey (on the Mount Vernon) was pleasant, but the spirits of all on board became more downcast each day. On the 15th we heard of the surrender of Singapore and the loss of our 8th Division. With the much earlier news of the sinking of the battleships Repulse and Prince of Wales*, and now the apparent final days of the Americans becoming hemmed in ….in the Philippines…turned all our thoughts to our homeland. On 18 February we sailed into the packed harbour of Colombo…Though we were not aware of it at the time, our movements had become the cause of telegrams and meetings between the Chiefs of Staff in the UK, the US, the British Command in Sumatra, and our own Chiefs of Staff in Australia, and the Prime Minister Mr Curtin. Burma had been invaded by the Japanese and Slim’s army was retreating. Churchill wanted the 7th Division to land and secure Rangoon. John Curtin wanted us to return to Australia. General Wavell, now heading ABD Command in Sumatra, wanted us to strengthen Sumatra. John Curtin won, and as events proved, luckily, for both Rangoon and Sumatra were lost. All these demands and counter-demands were the cause of our delay in Colombo. At 1800 hours on 24 February, our destination – Australia – resolved, we sailed….On the 25th it was announced that we were to disembark at Adelaide, first calling at Fremantle to take on fuel….the last few days of February kept all anxious lest the next step for the Japanese be to land in Australia before we arrived.

*These two British warships were sunk on December 9 – the day after the attack on Pearl Harbour and the invasion of northern Malaya by Japanese forces.

Receiving the News

On board Devonshire, Sgt W Williams and ship’s wireless officer getting news for the daily bulletin

AWM 025359

On board HM transport Devonshire, Sgt Williams of the Military History and Information Section, checking the news with the ship’s wireless officer before issuing the daily news bulletin to troops.

AWM 028231

Photo (AWM 011934) from another ship (the MS Sophocles) – but presumably typical of the way in which men received news of home and the war while at sea: One of the most eagerly awaited events of the day was the pasting up of the daily news sheet, picked up on the ship’s wireless and published by some of the ex news hounds aboard.

The bombing of Darwin

Not mentioned in Dad’s letter or in the Footsoldiers, news of the first Japanese bombing of Darwin on February 19 must have caused huge anxiety among the men. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/8233704

The surrender of Singapore

There is an enormous amount of information online about the Malaya campaign and the subsequent surrender of Singapore. (I find the clarity of information on the site http://www.ww2australia.gov.au particularly helpful) Until Curtin’s speech of December 27, the Australian public had probably been satisfied by assurances from leaders including Army commander General Blamey – that Singapore is ‘very, very strong. It faces the future with the greatest confidence.’ http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/47172599

For a recent, more in-depth assessment of the campaign in Malaya and the East Indies, see http://www.army.gov.au/Our-future/Publications/Australian-Army-Journal/Past-editions/~/media/Files/Our%20future/LWSC%20Publications/AAJ/2004Winter/19-OutgeneralledOutwittedA.pdf

Home at last

Telegrams sent from Fremantle and Adelaide – March and April 1942

Posted in Australian, Carrier platoon, organisation, The course of the war, world | Tagged Churchill, Curtin, Pundit, SIngapore | Leave a comment

Once again we write, hoping…

Posted on March 23, 1942 by felicityh54

From Mrs H Hickman

Pottery Rd Lenah Valley

Hobart Tasmania

17th March 1942

Darling Boy. We received a letter from you this morning dated 27th December 1941, in which you describe your leave in Palestine. You seem to have had a marvellous time. If you have received our previous letters telling you of your mother’s operation you will be pleased to know that she is till making good progress. Mr & Mrs Elliott came up last Thursday and drove her to town, took her to afternoon tea and brought her home again. What do you think of that service by old Ted in these days? You mention Ken Jenkins in your letter. Well he’s going the pace alright. He went to a show – a dance I believe – in the Derwent valley (Fentonbury). They consumed a considerable amount of bottled liquor and afterwards had seven men besides himself in his baby car. The door came open and one fell out- a man named Walter Browning of National Park. He was so seriously injured that he died shortly after they got him to hospital. Colonel Clark has adjourned the inquest to find out how much drink was consumed. Jenkins told the magistrate he was practically a teetotaller. I think Max, Jenkins and his wife are a good pair – not worth knowing. He had a lot of genuine sympathy when he came back but I think this will quickly disappear. Mrs Schultz rang us on Wednesday evening. She was very(?) jubilant as Dick had rang her from somewhere in Australia. She got a telegram shortly afterwards to say he would be seeing them soon so you can imagine how Maggie Dunn (?) & Co would be. A couple of people rang to know if you were back in Australia. So you can imagine how we are living in expectation at the moment. Mrs Mason rang your mother this morning. She has received a letter from you and is coming out tomorrow. She is quite a good sport I consider. She paid two or three visits to your mother when in hospital. Old Tom Cooper was up here on Saturday night for a little while. He is a genuine sort – none will give you a more sincere welcome than he. Your mother says she has not attempted to walk to town yet. Of course she means to the tram and back but will do so next week if things go along all right. Jack Chandler has a baby girl. He made some very disparaging remarks about her but you can put that down to love. Laurie Fisher is still down at Jones & Co. He goes away every weekend. He has never bothered about seeing your mother since she went to hospital but there is no love lost. The dogs are all fit and well and we are living in hopes of seeing you soon. So will now close Max. With best love from Mum & Dad. God bless and keep you.

Dick Schultz phones from ‘Somewhere in Australia’

As mentioned previously, the bulk of the Battalion, indeed the Brigade, travelled back to Australia on the Mount Vernon, arriving in Fremantle on March 4 and Adelaide 4 days later. Dick was well known for his diplomatic skills, so if anyone was going to be able to phone home from the first port, it would be Dick.

From Mrs H Hickman

Pottery Rd Lenah Valley

Hobart Tasmania

23 March 1942

Darling Boy. Once again we write hoping to find you fit and well as it leaves us at present. As quite a number of the boys from Syria and Palestine are back home in Australia, every time the telephone rang your mother thought it might be word from you. Quite a number that we know of have rung from Adelaide. Schultz has rung Maggie several times. He is trying to get leave and I guess he will succeed. I am expecting to hear of him being home any old time now. They are also expecting him up at the club. By the way the beer output in Australia has had to be reduced by one third so there is no bottled beer including ale being sold at the pubs now. When their allowance of beer runs out they dish out the bottled stuff, seven glasses to the bottle. What they lose on the roundabouts they will make up for on the swings. Your mother is still making wonderful progress so much so she is going to do her washing in the morning. Mrs Elliott and old Ted were up to see her on Friday afternoon. I think old Ted is cracking up fast. Mrs Mason was out here yesterday afternoon. She stopped till nearly six o’clock. They had received a letter from you and a photo of you having your boots cleaned. She has another parcel ready to send and so has your mother but they don’t know what to do about it as there are so many conflicting rumours about to say you are all on then way home and others differ so we have decided to wait till we get something more definite. Anne stayed with us last night while May and Laurie went to the pictures. Everybody is promptly kicked out of the pubs at ten o’clock now, so Laurie finds it hard to put his time in. Mick Mason has not been called up by the military yet although he has passed the medical test A1.

I was talking to Dorrie Hickman yesterday. Old Tom has dug an air raid shelter in his back yard for himself and her. I must go and have a look at it. It will give me some idea of how things are here. You can see trenches being dug everywhere in Hobart – in fact, all over the country. We had a letter from Ivy during the week. She seems to be putting a lot of time in the garden. She must be somewhat improved in health but she did not say so. She says her roses are beautiful and she has a lot of vegetables in the garden. Accommodation must be frightfully hard to obtain in Melbourne at present. Mrs Cockburn our tenant that was in Courtney Street arrived there in the morning. They rang every estate agent in Melbourne and at 8 o’clock at night did not know where they were going to sleep. We have quite a farm yard now. The dogs are all fit and well and mother is just going to get tea ready. We are living quiet lives : everything is in darkness at night. We will now close Max. Keep your chin and tail up. God bless and keep you. With best love from Mum & Dad.

Photo of you having your boots cleaned

There is no caption for this photo, but I assume it is the one mentioned above.

Beer rationing

Beer production was slashed by on third to conserve grain. See http://meandmybigmouth.com.au/1942-beer-rationing/

Trenches being dug everywhere in Hobart

Photos from the book Hobart at War 1939 to 1945 (C J Dennison) – trenches for students of Forest Road School and Hobart High School, and in Franklin Square:

Old Tom has dug an air raid shelter

A few images from the booklet – Air Raid Precautions – published in May 1941

I imagine Old Tom’s shelter would have followed one of these plans.

Everything is in darkness

Notes from a display in the Anglesea Barracks museum: The Duty Officer at the Barracks had the responsibility of advising the Premier if an air attack was imminent, and to direct the state to be blacked out. The test on February 12 1942 blacked out Hobart within 3 minutes and the whole state in 10 minutes.

Posted in Letters to/ from others, The course of the war | Tagged beer rations, DIck Schultz, Ken Jenkins, Tom Hickman | Leave a comment

The weekly bulletin…such as it is

Posted on March 10, 1942 by felicityh54

From H Hickman

Pottery Rd Lenah Valley

Hobart Tasmania

Sunday March 1st 42

Dear Max

I have just come home from the hospital. Your mother is doing remarkably well. She will be coming home in about a fortnight. During the week she had Mrs Menzie from Huonville up to see her and also Mrs Phillips from Blackmans Bay. I met Algy Phillips on Thursday in the dinner hour. I took him into the Victoria Tavern and bought him a couple of beers. There’s no doubt he is a very sick man and I feel awfully sorry for him. I met Ron Butterworth on Friday and he asked if I’d heard from you. I also met old Frank Mulcahy at the club – the first time for about three months. He told me his son the Major had mentioned you in his letters home. Old Frank has had a job book-keeping at a pub in Oatlands. I think there must have been some other business connection with it but anyhow he has left and come home to stay. I had a letter from Ivy during the week. She has been very sick again: according to her letter she has just about finished up at Smyths(?). Trying to look after husband and do that job too in her state of health was to say the least, ridiculous. What I saw of things, Bill could have done a lot more to help considering her condition. There is no doubt Max this fellow likes himself – if ever a man kisses himself goodnight it’s Bill Drysdale.

I have not seen or heard anything of Ken Jenkins for a considerable time. I think the biggest curse in Tasmania is Alec and Alby Worbey. Violet* told me about a month ago she was not going to do any more work to the place but when Alec was called up by the military she went down and pleaded (that) she had no-one to work the orchard. The apples on her place are not worth five pounds – they are rotten with grub and black spot and are frizzled up with neglect. This is a sample of our organisation. There is no doubt, we have some mongrels here. Laurie Fisher is still down at Jones’. This weekend he has gone to Swansea with a click(?) for the opening of the duck shooting. They are great shooters at anything that can’t shoot back. I do not blame them so much for not going overseas but now Australia is attacked there is no excuse for anyone. Things are very quiet here. I hardly ever see any Zinc workers these days. Mrs Elliott and old Ted were in to see your mother on Friday afternoon. Mrs Elliott looks real well but I think the sands are running out with old Ted. May and Anne have gone down to Blackmans Bay today. Anne is wonderfully improved since she had her tonsils out. I am living the life of a hermit, at present very well. My only cobbers are the three dogs who are at present very well. I will now close Max as there’s not much to write about. Keep your chin up old man as we are looking forward to seeing you soon. With best love from Mum & Dad

*Violet Worbey was the stepsister of my grandfather Henry (who wrote this letter). Alec and Alby were her two sons.

Now Australia is attacked there is no excuse…

By now the direct threat of war had even reached Hobart: a Japanese reconnaissance flight on March 1st 1942 is described here : http://www.ozatwar.com/japrecce/recce05.htm The plane was carried in sections in a submarine and launched either using a catapult from the deck, or from the sea. On this deployment, the Japanese undertook reconnaissance flights over Melbourne/ Port Phillip, Wellington and Auckland as well as Hobart/ Storm Bay.

Display at Anglesea Barracks Hobart showing how the small plane was carried on board the submarine.

Drawing of a ‘Glen’ float plane of the type used in the reconnaissance mission over Hobart

From Mrs H Hickman

Pottery Rd Lenah Valley

Hobart Tasmania

Sunday March 8 1942

Darling Boy

Once again we write the weekly bulletin such as it is. There is certainly nothing much to write about these days. Your mother came home on Wednesday, a fortnight too soon considering she had a major operation. She is progressing satisfactorily. The people here have got the wind up properly. The empty shacks about the country are being tenanted by people you could not kick out of the town in ordinary times. Trevor Hickman was round here this afternoon. He said old Oakes (?) eldest son was going out to live in their place. He has a wife and kid. You remember the eldest one – he got kicked out of the force years ago. It’s marvellous the amount of cars there is about here. How they keep out I don’t know. I think if the Japs come here there will be a big crowd go bush. I think when your mother gets properly well I will apply for something to do* as things are getting very monotonous. Alec Worbey and Laurie Fisher have gone up to Dysart today in a shooting trip. It’s just as well rabbits are harmless things and can’t hit back or the likes of Alec Worbey and Co would not interfere with them. A new order came out on Friday (National Security Act) forbidding any person to be on licensed premises after ten o’clock – this included clubs. It will make a lot of difference to the AIF Club they reckon. One of the stewards will be fired. But there is plenty of work now, of all kinds They are digging air raid shelters in Franklin Square. Reggie Hickman is a sergeant pilot. He came home on Friday night and has gone back with his little bride. He is determined to have a decent honeymoon while he has the chance. Joe Lewis has obtained leave of absence from St Johns Park and has joined up with home defence. He is now on guard at the munitions factory that is being built at Ascot. His job at St Johns was getting on his nerves. Your mother says it feels wonderful to be able to breathe freely. She can’t imagine how she suffered it for so long. It might put twenty years on to her life. We had a letter from Ivy a few days ago. She seems to be having a very bad spin as far as her health is concerned. Now she has left work it might make a difference. If it does not there can only be one result. I fixed her up with a nice home but I am doubtful about the wisdom of it.

Jack Hickman was a despatch rider in Brighton Camp. He had a collision with someone and is now in Royal Hobart Hospital. Norman Mills the solicitor has gone into camp. Frank …. could not pass – his eyesight stopped him. He told me letters from you are few and far between now but I suppose we will have to put up with it. That is all for the present Max. God bless and keep you. With best love from Mum & Dad.

The AIF Club

This club was separate from the RSSAILA, as evident from this article from the Mercury in February 1941: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25846051 I have been unable to find any details of the AIF Club’s charter, club room location or activities other than picnics such as the one reported here (the first of the annual Dennes Point picnics appears to have been held in 1935). The focus on children suggested a connection with the Remembrance Club (Legacy) but I have also been unable to find any information to confirm such a connection. Henry (Dad’s father) was also a member of the Servicemen’s Parents’ and Wives’ Association whose objects overlapped with those of both the RSSAILA and the Remembrance Club.

Maybe this Association developed out of the AIF Club and Henry just used the term AIF Club as shorthand…The objects of the Parents’ and Wives’ Association are reported on in this article from June 1941: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25865590.

I will apply for something to do.

My grandfather Henry was granted a war service pension on his discharge in August 1916. It sounds from this letter as if he basically depended on the pension for his income, although previous letters suggest he had at least one investment property. They also had a productive garden. It seems from his previous letters that he did most of the house work and gardening, as his wife’s goitre left her in chronic poor health. Henry had turned 60 in December 1941.

National Security regulations

The specific regulations mentioned here may be Federal or State orders. There were a great many regulations, covering a wide range of activities issued under the National Security Act. One of these required registration of all civilians aged 16 years or older – see this advertisement http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/60677062 which begins – COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA IDENTITY CARD AND CIVILIAN REGISTRATION. All British subjects (whether natural-born or naturalised) aged 16 years or over as at 15th March 1942 (except those serving on the paid strength of the Navy, Army or Air Forces) are required to apply for an identity card and civil registration under the National Security (Manpower) regulations, not later than 25th March 1942. ….Aliens must…register separately under Aliens Control and Aliens Service Regulations…..

Identity card from the collection of Museum Victoria (item no 1125134)

Air raid shelters in Franklin Square

Photos from Hobart at War 1939 to 1945 – CJ Dennison

Posted in Australian, Letters to/ from others, The course of the war | Tagged AIF Club, air raid shelters | Leave a comment

The writing rhythm continues, regardless….part 1(3 letters, February)

Posted on February 23, 1942 by felicityh54

These letters and those written in March were waiting for Dad when he arrived back in Australia in April 1942. The envelopes were addressed as usual, with the final line – AIF Abroad.

From Mrs H Hickman

Pottery Rd Lenah Valley

Hobart Tasmania

9th February 42

Darling Boy. Once again we write to you hoping to find you in the best of health and spirits as it leaves us at present. there is not much to write about these days but we will try and make the best of it. As I was going to town on Friday afternoon I met Alec Worbey coming home in his car. He pulled up and told me the military had grabbed him at last. He was vey much upset. I assure you I had heaps of sympathy for him – I don’t think. He’s a great big fat bloated pig – a pampered pet, just like Tim used to be I guess. It will do him good. I inserted a line in the Mercury on Friday night. It appeared in Saturday’s paper. To Let – Modern Home. Ring 1839. Well I got up a little after seven so as to get the work done around the house so as to be able to interview tenants prospective. The phone started to ring about 8 o’clock and did we have a busy time answering it. Safe to say the phone was never so busy before. We both went out in the afternoon. Your mother went over to see Mrs Mason. Rings came as late as half past nine at night and there has been three more today (Sunday). I selected a Scotchman – name’s Buchan. He is manager of an engineering business for a Melbourne firm in Hobart. This I consider a great joke: Mrs Ralph Propsting went to the house about 10 days ago & asked Mrs Cockburn if the place was to let. She told Mrs Cockburn that her husband was a ‘professor’ at the University & a great friend of Max Hickman. He was now on loan to the government in the munitions business for the duration of the war. Mr Lowenstein told me he is (in fact) a foreman of some sort making ‘gun sights’. His wife rang me and did I have to listen to a tirade of pleading and did she stress the great friendship of her husband for you. She simply would not take no for an answer. We had it let to a man in the Mercury offer but he was called up for the military.

Your mother found Mrs Mason remarkably well considering she has had a serious operation. Mick has passed A1 for home defence as a carpenter. They had an elderly woman, quite a good type, looking after the kids while she was in hospital. Anne goes into hospital on Wednesday to have her adenoids out. We hope it will do her a lot of good. We heard from Ivy that you had got Mason’s parcel & Mae Menzie’s. We were very pleased to hear it but hope you got ours & the club & others. Tom Hickman gave me permission to cut a load of wood on Barossa Rd as he is giving up the place. Jack Scott then cut me a beautiful lot, about 30cwt in short foot blocks. I used to go over & watch them practice. I went over last Monday afternoon and found two women with a flash Dodge sedan loaded up. They must have taken two or three loads before I got there. As they had just got the last load on as I got there – saw Henry Jones’ sister in law and her sister. Did I blow them! One started to shed tears & said she was a widow. I have found out since Max Jones is well & living in a house worth 1500. I was a fool. I should have made them pay but on the spur of the moment I let them go. The last letter we had was dated 22 December. The dogs are fit and well. Will now close. God bless and keep you. From Mother & Dad.

Making ends meet

From this letter, it sounds as if my grandfather owned two rental properties – though the comments might possibly have all related to one. He was also in receipt of a war service pension of some kind. From the time it was granted in August 1916, the amount fluctuated every 6 months until the end of the World War I after which I have no details. It’s easy to understand how upset he would have been, at being conned by those two women who could clearly have afforded to buy their own fire wood. Tom Hickman’s wife Minnie had died the previous year, so he was alone on the property – I don’t know where he moved to when he ‘left the place’.

Home defence

Men who were either too old or medically unfit for active service, and were not employed in specified occupations were encouraged to join the Volunteer Defence Corps. These photos of VDC training exercises come from CJ Dennison’s book Hobart at War 1939 to 1945 – Photographs from the archives of The Mercury.

From H Hickman

Pottery Rd Lenah valley

Hobart, Tasmania

16 February 1942

Dear Max

Once again we write hoping to find you fit and well as it leaves us at present. Still the last letter we received from you was dated 22nd December when you were on leave in Palestine. We got two letters one day but they only contained a few snaps.* Things are abnormally quiet around here just now. Laurie is working at Jones’. We hardly ever see him. He works Saturday afternoons and Sundays but as you know it won’t do him any good: bookmakers and publicans will get all his money. I told you last week about the possum in that schrub tree with the geranium clustered over it. Well this morning I made a close inspection and discovered there is a pair in it. Fancy them coming to the back door where the three dogs are. Your mother’s thrilled about it. You know what she is with anything like that. She just adores them. Well Max I think I ought to tell you though your mother gave me strict orders not to do so – she seems to have made up her mind suddenly that she should have her goitre out. Mrs Mason has had hers out and is getting on splendidly for some time. I took no notice of her as she has spoken about having it out so many times (but) one day last week she went to see Dr D….. and he advised her to have it out. She then went to see Dr Muir, the new surgeon superintendent at the Royal Hobart Hospital and he advised her to have it out. She has all the faith in the world in him. Well Max I have not said one word for or against it. She said it was choking her. She ought to know herself how she feels. She has gone into the hospital this afternoon (Sunday 16th Feb) and is to have the operation on Tuesday. Mrs Phillips rang this morning and wished her everything of the best and I’ve just had a ring from the Post Office to say there was a telegram from Ivy wishing the same. Your mother has had a wonderful spell for the last two years. I have scrubbed out every morning, cleaned the yard, got the vegetables ready – in fact I’ve done all the rough work. She has been able to go out when and where she wanted to, but every time she came home she seemed to be all out. She has a marvellous appetite and I think in every other way she is healthy. She has not got up of a morning before 8.30. I have taken her in a cup of hot water and two cups of tea. Every evening we have about seven games of crib. We listen to the news at 10 o’clock and then go to bed. Anne had an operation for tonsils and adenoids during the week at Calvary hospital. Dr Cunningham did the job. She seems to be getting along alright. Ron Butterworth started work at the barracks on Friday. He is attempting (?) to teach crippled returned men new professions. Tom Cooper is having a house built by the agricultural bank in Carlton Street. He’s very pleased with himself. The dogs are fit and well. I will now close Max. Wishing you all the best. With best love from Mother & Dad.

* The letters concerned may well have been censored: there is a gap in Dad’s correspondence in December (nothing between the 8th and 22nd) and again in January (nothing between 5th and 17th)The letters concerned may well have been censored: there is a gap in Dad’s correspondence in December (nothing between the 8th and 22nd) and again in January (nothing between 5th and 17th)

18 February 42

Later:

Dear Max

Your mother had the operation on Monday morning and she is doing marvellous. I wrote the letter on Sunday and decided not to send it till I saw how things were going. The doctor reckons your mother is one of the bravest women he has ever met and I don’t think there’s any ….about him. I will write more fully in my next letter. She looks to be well on the road to recovery. Dad

The language of the letters

Although they are always signed off from Mother & Dad, the script is always the same – so they were all written by his father. It’s interesting that when his mother was in hospital, the letters began ‘Dear Max’, and finished ‘Wishing you all the best’, whereas when she was at home, they began ‘Darling Boy’ and finished ‘God bless and keep you’….very much as if she were the author.

Laurie is working at Jones’

Laurie Fisher was one of dad’s brothers in law – the husband of May, father of Anne who is often mentioned. Jones’ was H Jones & Co – makers of jams and canned preserves of all kinds (vegetables, fish etc) with the IXL brand. The factory buildings still exist in Hunter Street on Hobart’s waterfront, having morphed into an ‘Art Hotel’ with associated cafes and craft shops etc, and the University of Tasmania’s Centre for the Arts.

From H Hickman

Pottery Rd Lenah Valley

Hobart, Tasmania

Feb 23rd 1942

Dear Max

Just a few lines hoping to find you fit and well as it leaves me at present. Well, up to date your mother is making a marvellous recovery. When I saw her on Friday I could hardly believe my own eyes. I am not going in today – Sunday – because I know she is going to have quite a number of visitors. You know this operation might put another twenty years on your mother’s life. In fact I don’t think she could have gone much longer the way she was, so I think she took the right course in having it done while she and the necessary strength. Things are frightfully quiet here just now. The war has reached our shores and the people are waking out of their complacency. I noticed as I walked down Pottery Road yesterday about the fourth house up from the terminus there is a heap of sand for putting out incendiary combs. All the people around are invited to take some in readiness. I was up at the club on Friday afternoon. There was a large gathering of old timers discussing the merits of old and new AIF. Quite a lot of them wanting to have another shot but I don’t think they would stand up to another preparation. Old Jack Hickman is in Calvary hospital. He has had bronchial pneumonia and he had to be X-rayed so they took him there for a few days. He was thinking of the cost when I saw him. Fancy worrying about money these days. There is no doubt about him and old Bob – they will die clinging to it. Anne is just feeling the benefit of her operation. I expect to see a great improvement in her condition from now on. She has all the promise of being a clever kid. I hired a lorry and got three tons of wood in last Tuesday. It is predicted that wood will be very scarce this winter on account of the petrol position. The weather is very dry here. In fact it is a serious drought. Everything in the line of vegetables is very dear. We have nine turkeys and Anne’s sheep would weigh at least 60lbs dressed so if things get very bad we’ve got some stock. I have to mind Anne tomorrow while May teaches so I will take her to the hospital to see nanny. They kick visitors out at 3.15. I will then go up and see Maggie & Auntie Dunn(?). I have not been up for some time. Jim McDonald’s father came to me the other day. He was anxious to know if I had heard anything of Jim. He said he had not had any letters for a long time. Laurie Fisher is still at Jones’. He is getting quite a lot of overtime. He has also been laying the odds down. There’s born gamblers – all the Jokers crowd – that’s all they think of. There is a lot I would like to write Max but I’m afraid it might be sent back to me. The dogs are all in good nick. I hope they will be here when you come back. Has Jim McDonald been transferred and has he still got his stripes? There’s quite a lot wondering how long he would keep them. I will now close Max. Wishing you all the best. With best love from Mother & Dad.

PS I went to see your mother last night. She is progressing wonderfully well. A marvellous job.

The war has reached our shores

See report from the Melbourne Argus, Saturday 21st February, headlined : 17 KILLED IN RAIDS ON DARWIN 6 ENEMY PLANES SHOT DOWN. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/8233872 In the two air raids on Darwin yesterday it is believed that total casualties were 17 killed and 24 wounded. Nine of the civilian fatalities were members of the Darwin post office staff, including the postmaster, his wife and daughter…

Photo – from Wikipedia : The explosion of an oil storage tank and clouds of smoke from other oil tanks, hit during the first Japanese air raid on Australia’s mainland, at Darwin on 19 February 1942. In the foreground is HMAS Deloraine which escaped damage.

A serious drought

….The second half of 1941 was again very dry along the eastern seaboard, with water restrictions imposed in Sydney from September. (http://www.tumuthistory.com/Jan142000Climate.htm)

Posted in Letters to/ from others, The course of the war | Tagged Darwin, fire wood, goitre, H Jones & Co, home defence, Mick Mason, tenants | Leave a comment

Last letter from the Middle East…and the start of Operation Stepsister

Posted on February 8, 1942 by felicityh54

This is a letter to Mr and Mrs Laird whose family were very welcoming to Dad and his mate Graeme Watts on New Year’s Eve and subsequent days in January 1941. I assume Dad asked them to send it to him, after the war, when he was planning to write an account of the Battalion’s experiences.

It doesn’t appear to have been checked by a censor. (There is no signature or stamp – and surely the naming of Port Said would have been forbidden)

TX1004

Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF Abroad

8th February 1942

Dear Mrs Laird & Tom

Just another short hurried epistle hoping to find you happy and well and full of the same good spirits that were so manifest when we were with you. I suppose the days are drawing out now and you’re getting a bit of sunshine – except for the fogs. The Syrian winter had a lot in common with Scotland. When I get back to the unit I will to be able to send you some good snow snaps. the wonderful effects of the snow on the terraced foothills, the olive groves and rugged mountains is beyond description so the snaps will tell the story better than I can.

Our platoon have been away from the battalion for about a fortnight and we’ve seen quite a lot of new sights. We parked a while near Port Said – copped a fair spot of leave and while the fallouse lasted had a really good time. There were some good picture shows which were quite a treat after the very old pictures that came to Syria. Among the programmes we saw were ‘That Hamilton Woman’ – a Vivien Leigh masterpiece, Gary Cooper’s ‘Sergeant York’ and ‘Down Argentina Way’.

We spent one night at a canteen that for makes of beer was the most cosmopolitan I’ve ever seen and in the course of the evening our labels took us from Youngers Brewery to Canada and the States, thence through a multitude of Pacific beers including Shanghai, Hong Kong, numerous Australian and New Zealand beers then on to India, Pakistan and Egypt. At the end of the evening we decided that all beer is good. You probably think me a terrible soak but really I’m not. It was just the unique experience of having all the beers at one time.

About the only civilised food in these parts is eggs and in various ways we are them three meals a day – scrambled, fried and boiled. The eggs are very small and at Mess Parade yesterday a fellow observed that considering it was an all day job for a hen they were mighty small eggs.

We expect to make a move towards rejoining the unit soon and I’m hoping there’ll be a big pile of mail both from home and from Glasgow.

I must say cheerio now. Best regards to the girls and Margaret, Tom & Molly.

Yours sincerely

Max

Syrian snow

Clearing snow in Syria – Mediterranean in the background . From ‘Soldiering On’ the AWM Christmas Book for 1942.

The platoon is away from the battalion…

In terms of the official Battalion record, it’s as if the Carrier Platoon simply didn’t exist. There is no mention in the Battalion Diary for January/ February 1942 (AWM52 8/3/33/6) about the fact that the Carriers moved out of Khasa camp at the end of January, or where they went, or about the fact that they were boarded onto a different ship from the rest of the Battalion. The scant details I have been able to find come from the Brigade diary (AWM52 8/2/25/10) and the diaries of the other Battalions of the 25th Brigade – i.e. the 31st and the 25th Battalion.

The Brigade Admin Instn no.11 issued on 30 January included orders for the Brigade’s carriers (ie those of the 25th, 31st and 33rd Battalions) to proceed to MAJDAL station on 31 Jan with complete equipment incl. LMG and A Tk Rifle (Drs will carry rifles)….Train M originally allotted for this move will now convey 39 carriers from TEK for allotment 10 to each Bn and 9 to 2/6 Aust Fd Regt, to destination under separate instn. (I have been unable to find this ‘separate instruction’, and the records of the 2/6 Regt appear to be awaiting digitisation) This order was Issued in conjunction with GHQ Movement Control Order no Mov 1/634. I have been unable to find a copy of this order. The Rail Movement Table appended to the above Admin Instn shows the Brigade’s Carriers to move on January 31, but only 39 men are listed as accompanying them – i.e. one per vehicle.

Indications from other units

2/31 Bn Diary : Jan 31 – Promptly at 0700hrs, the Bn Carriers moved from the camp area towards their destination. (I note that the destination is not specified, in contrast to the entry on Feb 5 regarding the rest of the Bn which specified the destination and the route they would take to Port Tewfik)

2/25 Bn Diary : Jan 31 – Carrier Pl moved out en route to Port Said.

Assuming that the procedure for large scale movements of troops of other sections would have been similar to those of the 25th Brigade, the Carrier Platoon’s experience might have paralleled that of 2/2 Bn Carriers which left the Middle East a month after the 2/33rd. The unit diary of the 2/2nd Battalion (In stark contrast to that of the 2/33rd) gives considerable detail about the preparations for that unit’s departure – including the following specifically relating to the Carrier Platoon (AWM52 8/3/2/28):

Late in the evening of 18 Feb orders were received for Capt Swinton and 42 of the Carrier Pl would proceed to TEL-EL-KABIR to collect the Bn establishment of Carriers. Before leaving, all ranks of the party had to be completely equipped with all personal issues, this was done with a few exceptions of outsize personnel. The party moved to TEL-El-KABIR by road arriving there ar 1900hrs. 19 Feb. Capt Swinton was issued with 21 Carriers for which the tools were very short, but during the next few days this shortage was considerably reduced. The original orders received…were to move from T-E-K to SUEZ with carriers on 24 Feb but on the 22 Feb this was cancelled and the date of the move left open. The period of waiting was spent in maintenance and short runs for the Carriers to loosen up tracks etc, painting of unit signs and serial numbers and bringing every man up to full WE in personal equipment. When the Pl. finally left T-E-K it had never been better equipped even down to an issue of driving goggles to every man in the Pl. On the 26th Feb 14 men were granted one day’s leave to ISMALIA and on the 27 Feb CAIRO leave was also granted. The only restriction on leave to the Pl. was that they soon ran out of money. The Pl. played quite a bit of hockey at T-E-K and beat all comers except the British Ord Team. Ten Carriers left for SUEZ on MT floats on the 10 Mar, the remaining 11Carriers moving to PORT TEWFIK on the 13 Mar. These two groups of Carriers were shipped …….

We expect to make a move towards rejoining the unit soon

Dad’s army record shows that he departed Suez (Port Tewfik) on February 8 – so I wonder if this letter to the Lairds was deliberately mis-dated? The Battalion Diary (ie 2/33 Bn) for February includes the following information about the rest of the Battalion : 7 – Arrived El Kantara approx 0800. Entrained for Tewfik 0930 8 – Sunday – Arrived Tewfik 9 – 0830 Bn march out of camp Tewfik to point of embarkation thence by lighter to USS Mount Vernon. Sailed approx 1630hrs.

Photo from The Footsoldiers – “1000 men” embarking for the Pacific at Port Tewfik, Suez, February 1942.

AWM 023648 : 7th Australian Division Engineers packed into a lighter en route to their troopship.

AWM 303655 : The Mount Vernon.

The War Diary of the 2/25 Bn indicates that on Feb 5, Bn Tpt and Carriers on MV Ettrickbank departed Port Said. I assume all the Brigade’s Carriers travelled in the same way. In this photo, the Carriers of the 19th Brigade arrive at Port Tewfik by rail (AWM 023644)

Loading a truck at Suez – from Soldiering On (AWM Christmas Book for 1942) : drawing possibly by Mr Frank Norton, pictured in the photo below (AWM 023666)

Operation Stepsister

The movement of the 25th Brigade was part of a movement of the entire 6th and 7th Divisions, known as Operation Stepsister. (ref AWM RCDIG 1070450) More than 60,000 troops and their equipment were shipped from the Middle East – some eventually landing in Sumatra and Java (then part of the Netherlands East Indies – NEI), others remaining for several months in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) but most destined to return to Australia before moving on to New Guinea.

Posted in Carrier platoon, Food and Drink, gambling and drinking, leave, Letters to/ from others, Middle East | Tagged Mrs Laird, Port Said | Leave a comment

What are we doing still here?

Posted on January 26, 1942 by felicityh54

TX1004

Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF Abroad

26th Jan 42

Dear Mother & Dad

Just a few lines hoping to find you fit and well as I am at present. I didn’t write you last week because of a sore arm and a dopey feeling like flu consequent on a couple of injections in the right arm. I suppose dad remembers the annual line up. Anyway it’s good to have it over and not to be looking forward to it.

Mail has been very light on lately, been quite a postman’s holiday. Ted told me nearly all the mail this last week or so has been English and South African so a we’re all in the same boat- I can’t complain. Tomorrow is normally air mail day and we’re all hoping it comes good.

Since we came into this camp nothing of much importance has happened here except that quite a few of the old hands who had been away sick and on stunts have come back. Ack Hallam and Nuggett Geeves are with us again, and old Claude Hill is back too – looking at least ten years older than when he went away. He’s had a pretty bad trot. I heard some months back that he’d been boarded and was going home, so got quite a surprise to see him on the parade ground this morning.

I’ve been over and seen Tiny a couple of times lately – he’s one of the most popular blokes in his unit and enjoys a greater measure of individual freedom and responsibility as well as confidence than anyone I know in the same rank. Hospitality is on the same scale as it was at 304 Liverpool St. You’re never there long before he gets one of the blokes to boil the billy and can always manage to produce some cake or biscuits. Of course knowing Tiny one doesn’t ask questions as to where these things come from – you’d hardly need two guesses. When I was over there yesterday afternoon he produced a couple of bottles of Carlton special and the Padre supplied a cake. (It’s a toss up which of those two is the biggest b…. artist) then we had a couple of hamburgers and went to the pictures.

When we didn’t get any mail last week all the fellows thought they’d been wiped and conversation centred round the subject for days. In the mess one day I remarked to a fellow that he didn’t look too pleased with himself. He said no – I think the milkman’s got in on me. Another chap said how do you know it’s not the butcher ? Well he said I wouldn’t mind if it was the butcher but I can’t wear the milkman. As we couldn’t see what difference it made, he said – well, blood’s thicker than water. It wasn’t a bad one was it?

We saw our first evidence of real American participation in the shape of a big bomber with the American markings. We’ve seen plenty of their planes but this was the first without British markings.

The war in the Far East has assumed rather ugly proportions. The Salvation Army hut is crowded every night when the news comes on and the sales of the local rag have trebled. The somewhat detached sentiment and feelings with which we’ve regarded the war have been succeeded by intense patriotism and an urge to get into it and the question on everybody’s lips is what are we doing here still? I suppose no matter where we fight it’s for the same results but it’s damned disconcerting just the same.

I must say cheerio now Mother & Dad. Keep your chins up. Best regards to all my friends, including the boys.

Your loving son

Max

am enclosing three snaps.

Air mail restrictions

Routine orders of Jan 5 – use letter cards as far as possible, or letters with a maximum of 2 pages of airmail paper.

Tiny Schultz …304 Liverpool St

Tiny was Dick (actually, Cecil) Schultz. There are many references in previous letters to Dick’s tact and diplomacy, which Dad identified as being responsible for him having privileges that other sergeants would not. Dick’s home address was 304 Liverpool St Hobart. I’m intrigued that his wife and children are never mentioned by name or referred to other than e.g. – Have you been up to 304 Liverpool St? This particular letter suggests that Dick was responsible for the hospitality visitors experienced there.

American planes

photo B-24D Liberator

From Wikipedia: The US Air Force began planning for a buildup of American air power in the Middle East in January 1942 in response to a request from the British Chief of the Air Staff. The initial unit to arrive consisted of twenty-three B-24D Liberator heavy bombers with hand-picked crews. It had initially been assigned to the China/ Burma/ India theatre to attack Japan from airfields in China but after the fall of Rangoon the Burma Road was cut so the detachment could not be logistically supported in China.

What area we doing still here? : The war in the Far East has assumed rather ugly proportions

In a Salvation Army hut in Palestine AWM 002234 – The broadcasts would have been censored, so most likely the sentiments expressed in the article below were not heard directly – the troops would have had to wait for (old) newspapers to be delivered, to learn of such views.

From The Melbourne Argus – Wednesday Jan 14 1942 – front page :

HEAVY ENEMY PRESSURE IN MALAYA : Singapore, Tuesday. British forces that retired to Seremban, 30 miles south of Kuala Lumpur, yesterday are engaged in severe fighting with the Japanese, who are exerting heavy pressure. Domei, the Japanese agency, says that Australian troops bore the brunt of the Japanese attack in the Kuala Lumpur region, but they were compelled to retreat. Tarakan Island, off the east coast of Borneo, on which Japanese landed on Sunday, has capitulated, it is officially stated in Batavia, and the garrison has been evacuated to the mainland. Dutch planes are bombing Japanese warships near the island. Reuter’s special correspondent states that as he drove through Kuala Lumpur on Sunday he heard sounds of heavy explosions behind him as bridges were blown up. Clouds of smoke arose as he left the city and he believed the railway station had been set on fire. Japanese planes are attempting heavier raids on Singapore. So far they have met with little success….Three formations of enemy planes came over, numbering 125 in all. Each time they were engaged by Allied fighter planes. Fierce artillery battles are going on along the whole front in the Philippines, Washington communique states. Ground activity is increasing as fresh enemy troops move into frontline positions. Enemy air attacks have been renewed….UAF planes from Burma made heavy attacks on Japanese concentrations in Thailand…Heavy fighting is still in process in Minahassa province, Celebes, where Japanese troops also landed at three places on Sunday…..Daily Express says in a leader that the threat to Singapore, which is the key to the whole western and southern Pacific, becomes hourly graver, and British people who had been assured that all Malaya could be defended, have been humiliated but the tremendous sacrifices that our outnumbered forces are making in their delaying action while planes are rushed out to them…It daily becomes clearer that the Far East has produced a crop of incompetent wind-bags and that those who wanted to speak out about mis-management have been gagged, censored, and obstructed….If Sir Archibald Wavell sees fit to take drastic measures against slothful officialdom he will have the thanks of the whole alliance.

Posted in The course of the war | Tagged American bomber, DIck Schultz, Far East | Leave a comment

News from home : sunburn while picking cherries, scant sympathy or understanding for returned amputee

Posted on January 19, 1942 by felicityh54

from M & H Hickman (or possibly Mrs H Hickman)

Pottery Rd Lenah Valley

Hobart Tasmania

January 12th, 1942

Darling Boy. Once again we write the weekly bulletin hoping it finds you in the pink as it leaves us at present. We have had a very good New Year so far. Worbeys were very short of cherry pickers so we went up for a few days. Your mother made the arrangements. She went for four days. The crop was very poor. I went up to help her the second day. In fact I put in three days – one of them was the hottest of the season and as I was the only man present I fell in for most of the topping. To cut a long story short, I got frightfully sunburnt – my lips are something frightful. You can imagine how I was. I gave Eric Carrick two (?) bob to shave me. We earned £ 2/7/6. I took the odd silver. It cost me more than that to quench my thirst.

At the Club on Friday I was with Doug Murrel. He is quite a decent sort now – shouts in his turn like a good sport. Jack Chandler and Max Phillips and his wife and daughter were here yesterday afternoon. Personally I fell in love with the kid. I think she’s a little beauty. She made great friends with both Peter and I. It’s a long time since I met a baby I took such a fancy to. Max Phillips is very thin, but Jack is just about the same as when you saw him last. He does not seem to go [like?] our wine too well so when Max Phillips had gone I produced a couple of bottles of Melbourne Bitter. That was more to Jack’s liking. Jack leaves for home tomorrow – Tuesday January 13th. His mother in law has been staying with his wife in his absence.

Old Beddome died a couple of days ago. They have a write up about him in today’s ‘Mercury’. Audrey & Max are just the same as when you knew them. The baby seems to take after them. Nothing seems to worry it. Audrey is a giant (?). They have been staying with Mrs Phillips through the holidays but have stayed with some people along Augusta Road for the last few days who Audrey said spoilt them and the baby. Ann has been very sick. She had tonsillitis with a very high temperature and had to have the doctor. May was frightfully worried. She is now very much improved.

We just received a short letter from you and also a group photo written while you were on leave in Tel Aviv. Pleased to know you are having such a good time. We hope you receive your parcels just the same as they should be quite numerous. Mrs Mason has had her operation last Thursday morning. Mal (?) came out on Saturday. She has had a very bad time but is improving now. It might make a new woman of her. The weather here is very dry and frightful windy. The Camerons are home again and are coming up on Wednesday. I have not heard anything of the Wilsons since they went away. Tom Cooper is coming up this weekend. We have not seen him since before I went to Melbourne. I have heard nothing of Ken Jenkins lately but Tom will know all about his doings. The dogs are all well. Will now close Max. God Bless and keep you. With best love from Mother & Dad.

PS I have not seen anything of Maggie (?) & Auntie(?) lately. I think I will go up this weekend.

She made great friends with Peter and I

Peter was one of the three family dogs.

Fruit picking

The Worbeys were related to Dad’s family – Alec’s mother was the step-sister of Dad’s father.

Photo – land army women picking berries – from Hobart at War 1939 to 1945 – C. J. Dennison 2008

Jack Chandler

A great friend of Dad’s, Jack was on the staff at the Ashley Boys Home (basically a remand centre) in Deloraine. He was not permitted to enlist.

This letter from Jack mentions the visit to Dad’s parents referred to above:

Ashley Home

Deloraine

Feb 2nd 1942

Dear Hickey

The interesting epistle of your exploits while on leave duly arrived on Friday last & it gave me much food for thought.

Incidentally son – speaking of leave reminds me of my holidays. As I no doubt told you in previous letters, the wife & I spent the Christmas – New Year week in Deloraine & cooked our own first Christmas dinner. Very appetising too & the eating of it was beyond all expectations. One word of advice son – be sure to marry a cook when your time comes – it’s very important. The wife’s mater came across for a fortnight & during the first week I took the opportunity to go to Hobart & have my eyes tested, procure new specs & buy a school suit of clothes.

Naturally I called up to Pottery Rd but on the first occasion the homestead was deserted, even by Tim, Bill & Peter who had joined the family fruit picking further up the hill. I left a parcel for your folk & retired just a little disappointed after peeping through cracks in the shed to catch a ‘unclely’ look at Jimmy Austin. Of course that evening your mater rang up & arranged a day for the Sunday, which turned out very warm. I walked up from Swanston St & met May & Anne on the way. Had a yarn to them. They both appeared well & had received your presents.

Arriving at the Hickman domicile who should be there but Max, little Audrey & the offspring – a perfect specimen if I may say so. Max of course had enlisted & been accepted – lucky dog – & has now entered camp (Jan 16th I believe). They – the Phillips – left at 5 & the pater, your mater & I settled down to tea & a discourse which you can imagine. All your trophies were brought out again, including the photo of you with your Scotch lass. You certainly haven’t lost the eye for beauty I’ll say that much. She caused my old married heart to miss a jump or two. The evening passed all too quickly & I had to leave – long after the last tram of course. My parting was terrific in fact you have heard nothing to equal it from even those famous 75s (?) Your mater as usual insisted on my leaving by the aristocratic way – the front door. A gale was blowing & when she opened the door the middle passage door crashed ….What a crash too. The result you can guess… & Arctic glass is unprocurable. Old Henry didn’t go into action right then. I think he received some shock from the concussion but I’ll bet he performed later. Your mater looked worried but by this I expect Henry has recovered from the mess.

Building still seems to be booming in Hobart lad. The mushroom effect to me, being most pronounced.

Many thanks for the cushion covers lad, but seriously you were too kind to us – a card would have been ample. However they’re here & they form a treasured possession of the Chandler household. Naturally we are living from day to day now. Lil’s time is up on the 10th. So far everything has gone like clockwork, just like little Audrey in fact. Your permission re the infants name if it’s a boy, arrived in plenty of time so everything’s fine.

Things nearer home look anything but pleasant now, but time & time alone will bring the answer. By the way I saw Ron Butterworth but not Ken Jenkins. The Club was almost deserted on my arrival there. Schools here are not reopening until Feb 3rd but I took up the cudgel – & used it – at Ashley on Jan 27th.

Give my regards to all the lads. Especially Housego whom I haven’t forgotten. Tell him to be patient & that I will write despite Hell & procrastination.

All the best from the wife & I to yourself. Keep the flag flying. Mick Mason told me about the ale, cheese & biscuits & I’m glad to hear you received them.

Cheerio son

As ever

Skinny J

From M & H Hickman (or possibly Mrs H Hickman)

Pottery Rd Hobart

Tasmania

January 19th 1942

Darling Boy. Once again we write the Pottery Road News such as it is these days, hoping to find you fit and well as it leaves us at present. I put in my usual couple of hours at the AIF Club on Friday afternoon. I think I had a little more than my usual. I met old Jim Butterworth who I had not seen for about a month. He spent the Xmas and New Year with some of his people up the Midlands. He told me that Ron – the chap that went away with you – was discharged last week. According to Jim he was not too pleased to enter civil life again. He was in the education department before he went away but is now trying to get a job as Council Clerk. Bert Boyes showed me a card from you and Schultz to the members of the Club. He seemed very pleased about it. Old Tom Cooper was here with his wife and two girls on Thursday night for a pleasant six handed game of cards. He told me all the news from the Zinc Works. You might mention to Schultz if you see him that they are back on arsenic solution. You won’t need to tell him any more. I think Ken Jenkins has been discharged as he plays cards in the Racecourse Hotel. Eric Absolom Ritchie (?) said he saw him play six games and bet a dollar each time and lost the lot. He won’t last long on that scale even if he is on a special pension. Old Tom tipped months ago that he would get into the pubs and sit and gamble. Quite a lot of people are very disappointed in him. I must confess I am not at all anxious to see him myself. To put it mildly, he has told some tall yarns. He told old Malby (?) and a few others that he was at Tobruk for a while. Those….jokers follow events too closely to be told deliberate lies – that gets a man nowhere. I met Max Hay in town on Friday. He has three stripes. He’s hygiene Sergeant in Brighton camp. He looks a perfect picture of glowing health and weighs about fifteen stone. Your mother received a parcel from you on Friday. She says it is a lovely thing but no hope of fitting her – she is much stouter now than when you went away. She is having a pretty easy time and she is a natural weight carrier. She’s not here at the moment. She has gone out for a walk but will be home soon. Laurie Fisher is working at Jones & Co but he has been in bed half the week with the flu. It seems to be going about. I met Jim McDonald’s old man and he wanted to know if Jim still has stripes. I told him I did not know. He evidently does not hear much from him. You want to keep your chin up Max. You have stuck it well so far. It will be a great thing for those who are in at the finish and I think this year should just about take it. Hilda & Rob were here on Wednesday night. Rob was wondering if you had met his brothers who are both in Palestine. Dogs are fit and well. Now close. God Bless and keep you. With best love from Mum & Dad.

Ken Jenkins

Ken was a stretcher bearer in the 2/31 Battalion RAP. He was injured during the Syria campaign (June 1941), and his left leg was amputated as a result. After leaving the Army hospital in Heidelberg Victoria he was attached to Brighton Camp in Tasmania and had several periods of leave before being discharged as ‘medically unfit’ in June 1942. Dick Schultz was also in the 2/31st RAP and prior to the war had worked at the Zinc Works.

‘bet a dollar each time’

Dad also referred to ‘dollars’ on occasion, and I still wonder why….If it were later in the war, when the Americans were everywhere (in Australia, and conflict areas), I could understand it….but it seems to have been a part of everyday language already. Maybe the influence of the movies?? Ten shillings?

Posted in Letters to/ from others | Tagged Ashley Home, fruit picking, Jack Chandler, Ken Jenkins, Max Phillips, Zinc works | Leave a comment

A good thing for the war effort, that there’s a Labor government in Canberra.

Posted on January 17, 1942 by felicityh54

TX1004

Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF Abroad

17th Jan 1942

Dear Mother & Dad

In spite of the Japs and everything else the postal authorities continue to do a hell of a good job. There was quite a packet of air mail for the platoon today – some a bit late, but most of it in good time. There were six for me including two each from you and youngster, one from May and one from a Sydney girl – a friend of Mrs Toomey who is quite a good correspondent. I had awaited your letter anxiously as I was interested to know how the election went although I quite expected a big win for Labor especially as they were on top in the Federal House. So Harry Hope made it eh? How did that other chap get on – the shipping bloke – I forget his name – Tom McKinley? He should have got in with that team.

I’m not surprised to hear that prices are soaring. Wages never go up unless costs do too. The way they’re pouring out the coin now, they’ll either have to bring in a new currency after the war or sterling will be on a dollar basis. I think good stocks or real estate are the best bets for security.

Australia’s first Christmas under war conditions was a marked change to the usual spirit. It’s a good thing for the war effort that there is a Labor government in Canberra: the workers accept conditions under them that would have to be enforced by a Nationalist Government. It’s not before its time that holidays were cut down. It’s quite interesting to contrast the present conditions and ideas with the almost comical attitude adopted in the first few months when recruiting was conducted among the unemployed and country districts and anyone else was considered mad. I remember a certain officer telling me not to be a fool, that we were only sending one division to show the flag – a matter of Imperial Politics. It’s certainly Imperial Politics now, but surely to Gawd they’ll sort things out better after this show than they did after the other.

May wrote a very interesting and amusing letter about Anne. She’s certainly been having some big times lately. May said she was quite thrilled with your Christmas presents. I don’t suppose she met David when they came out – she’d like him and Suzanne too I guess. I was quite surprised to hear May & Ben had been out – they’re certainly a great team. I think I owe them a letter – one of these days I hope to catch up with my letters but of course you know the way they have in the army.

We’re doing a winter training stunt at present so of course have left the barracks and although that aspect of things suits us well, our surroundings are nowhere near as pleasant as the snow covered mountains of Syria. We’re back on the sand so you know all about that. This place is famous for thieves so guards and picquet’s will be plentiful – as a matter of fact I’m writing from the guard room now, and although there’s a bit of a lull just now there was a small scale sandstorm all night and quite a few tents came down. I tried to write letters but the sand was settling too thick on the paper and clogging the pen and the wind was putting the lantern out so I had to give up.

Youngster told me quite a good story about the Melbourne wharfies who smelt out a cask of spirits – spiked it and got gloriously sozzled and then found there’d been a monkey preserved in it for the university. It’s a good thing there wasn’t anything but hops preserved in the officers’ beer we did up coming down from Glasgow.

That transfer of Mc’s seems to have fallen through. It was approved both ends and the ASC were going to send for him – that was about eight or ten weeks ago – but nothing’s eventuated since so it looks as though it’s been shelved. He’s been away in hospital since New Year’s Day – I don’t know what’s wrong with him but the popular version is alcohol poisoning. He was going for it pretty heavily for a while. The transfer I mentioned was to the Twelfth but mine was wiped this end.

Must say cheerio now. Remember me to Joe Lewis and the mob, and tell Joe there’ll be plenty of elections after the war’s over. All the best to Mr & Mrs Phillips too.

Your loving son

Max

Postal service

Extract from Battalion Diary (AWM52 8/3/33) – Routine Orders of December 17 – Postal Communication with Australia

The outbreak of hostilities in the Far East may ultimately effect the regularity of postal communications with Australia…Air Mail will probably not show its present regularity…some limitation of posting to light weight matter may be necessary…At this stage however it is not proposed to apply any limitation, and fps may make their air mail postings as hitherto. Surface Mail will probably take longer…Cable service – continuing to function and EFM cables may be lodged as hitherto……In General – all or any of these services may be interrupted or curtailed through…the military situation….all ranks will be kept informed ….be assured that everything possible will be done to maintain postal services with the home country.

Tasmanian state election results

Several comments here respond to the 21 December letter from home, shared in the post dated 29 December 1941. (including the one about many more elections after the war…)

Tom McKinley was indeed elected. He performed substantially better than Harry Hope who secured a seat on preferences – some of which must have flowed as Dad suggests from the Nationalists. For a full list of candidates and results see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_Tasmanian_state_election,_1941

First Christmas under war conditions

Prime Minister John Curtin’s message to the Australian people entitled ‘The Task Ahead’ was published int he Melbourne Herald on December 27 1941. It included the following : Australians must realise that to place the nation on a war footing every citizen must place himself, his private and business affairs, his entire mode of living, on a war footing. The civilian way of life cannot be any less rigorous, can contribute no less than that which the fighting men have to follow. I demand that Australians everywhere realise that Australia is now inside the firing lines.

Curtin’s message to those serving overseas

The Battalion CO’s Routine Orders for January 1 1942 (AWM52 8/3/33/6) included this message from the PM:

In the name of the Australian Government and the Australian people I send you warmest greetings from your homeland. As you stand guard at the outpost manning the battle station, be assured that our thoughts are ever with you and more particularly do we feel for you, as we know you do for your home folk, at Xmas time. It is very true that Xmas is amongst the vitalities for which we are fighting – not Xmas as a holiday period but Xmas as a symbol of the Christian way of life – a way that our three enemies of the axis would destroy along with our free institutions should they emerge victorious from this struggle. Today in Australia there is not the Xmas holiday period as you knew it. We are on a complete war footing, with all that it involves brought vividly to the minds of the people. To you, our fighting men of the three services and to our women of the nursing services, I send the greetings of Xmas with all the warmth of the great hearts of your kith and kin. And for 1942 let us be stouthearted, stand unitedly together and we can have complete confidence in the outcome.

Showing the Flag

The officer’s comment – Don’t be a fool: we’re only sending one Division to show the flag – reflects what was indeed a widely held view in Australia, in late 1939/ early 1940.

A winter training stunt…a move is on!

From The Footsoldiers: On the night of 12 January the Division was ordered to return to Palestine. The situation in the desert was not good. Rommel’s counter-attack was again driving the Desert Army back. On 14 January we em-bussed and with the tearful farewell of the crowds of citizens of Tripoli ringing in our ears set off down the coast road for Palestine. Debussing at Haifa, we boarded a train six hours later. We arrived at the hot, flat area of the Khassa tented camp in Palestine at 1700 hours on the 15th….At Khassa intensive six-day training exercised commenced with three nights out, becoming the routine. Range training in musketry and with grenades, unarmed combat and bayonet fighting, in the bull ring system, soon brought the battalion to the eve-of-battle tense-ness that we had had prior to Syria….All leave was now stopped, and although most had visions of action in the Western Desert, some were now talking of the events taking place in the Pacific. The Japanese had invaded Malaya and our 8th Division there was in action. The Americans in the Philippines became news as places such as Corrigidor and Bataan began appearing in the local Palestine Post and AIF News. We were reading that our whole Militia Army had been called up for full time service and the Americans had begun to land in Australian camps. Rumours now began to circulate that we in fact would be posted to the Far East and not the Desert… (p132)

Photo – from The Footsoldiers

Monkey in a barrel

The report below contains an account from the Sydney wharves which basically the same story – I guess it’s possible that a similar thing might have happened in Melbourne: http://www.housing.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/B4A06A4B-5976-4824-90E3-F67322B7B923/0/MillersPointOralHistoryProjectSummaryReport.pdf

Don McWorthy recalled : There was a couple of wine barrels (in the ship’s hold) made out of oak and a few of the old wharfs were alcoholics, so they got a little nail and went in between one of the boards in this oak barrel and they got a cup and tasted it and they said ‘Oh that’s all right, that’ll do us’. SO no-one went to lunch and they wouldn’t send it up onto the wharf in the crane. And then a couple of days letter this guy comes down and puts is head over the hatch and said ‘Is there a couple of oak barrels down there?’ They said – ‘Yeah, it’s beautiful – what is it?’…And he said ‘Well I’m from the Sydney University and there’s a preserved monkey inside there’…So they finally put it out on the wharf but there was a lot of sick people after that.

Nothing but hops in the officers’ beer

See post dated February 10, 1941 – War Diary, Glasgow to Durban – about an incident that took place on January 21 1941, on board Nea Hellas.

Posted in Australian, Tasmanian, training, world | Tagged inflation, Menzie family, sandstorm, transfer applicaton, working conditions | Leave a comment

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The Blog that might have been – 70 years on

Flying through search lights and on to Casino by train

The line certainly must be busy: queueing to make a ‘trunk call’

Too slow for the convoy, with the war on our doorstep: travelling home on the SS Pundit

Once again we write, hoping…

The weekly bulletin…such as it is

The writing rhythm continues, regardless….part 1(3 letters, February)

Last letter from the Middle East…and the start of Operation Stepsister

What are we doing still here?

News from home : sunburn while picking cherries, scant sympathy or understanding for returned amputee

A good thing for the war effort, that there’s a Labor government in Canberra.

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