The Blog that might have been – 70 years on

Cakes, chocolates and other delicacies…with disastrous after effects

Posted on April 26, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

26th April 1941

Dear Mother

Since I wrote you last Sunday many amazing things have happened, not least of which has been the delivery of multitudes of parcels. Late on Sunday evening after I had posted or at least handed in my letters to responsible officers for posting I was told to call at the Battalion Post Office and take delivery of a number of parcels addressed to me. Having practically given up all hope of them imagine my surprise at receiving eleven in a bunch including an absolutely marvellous cake from Youngster – the best I ever tasted – awarded highest honours by all the chaps and in the last few days they’ve become conscious of cake. There were several tins of chocolates from you and youngster and a tin from Anne with love to Uncle Max, a hundred tins of Craven A from Bill and quite a healthy supply of safety and wax matches. In one of your parcels Mother there were six packets of PK’s – very welcome indeed. In another parcel there were two pair of socks with greetings from Aunt_____. I couldn’t decipher the name but they’re damn good socks just the same – you might thank whoever sent them for me will you.

Every night this week by the light of a small lantern when we’ve got back from the various manoeuvres and stunts that occupy most of our time we’ve had a feast of the pooled resources of the tent – cakes, puddings, tinned fruit, chocolates and other luxuries. Unfortunately for our training the feasting has had rather disastrous effects on our systems – Our digestive organs having become very unreceptive to delicacies, the shock of so many good things has acted in divers ways.

I have just finished reading the letters that came in today. Two of them just about bowled me – yours of the sixth of April and Youngsters of the seventh of April. To think that you’re still not getting my letters knocks me clean and clever. I don’t think I’ve missed a week since we arrived in Palestine that I haven’t written to both you and youngster – I don’t write as often to May because I haven’t the time and as she is close to home is in a better position than youngster to get any news there may be. The censoring officer was here when I read the letters and I asked him what the position is and he told me that since we got to Palestine he’s not had to cut one word out of my letters so what the hell’s happening to them Gawd only knows because with the exception of a couple of small parcels they were all sent airmail. Most of the chaps have been getting replies to their Durban letters and Palestine mail for weeks.

I’m sorry you didn’t get the letter about Shirley, Mother but as May got one and you the photo you’ll have a fair idea of her. As you’ll see from the photo she’s short and dark, unlike most Scotch people, but very broad in her speech – in fact over the phone you can only catch a word here and there and need a strong imagination to piece the rest together. Her people live in one of the shire’s – I don’t know which one – and her brother is a chemist in London. When we left England she was at Leith Hospital. The address is Leith Hospital, 10 Mill Lane Edinburgh 6. English mail takes longer to get here than Australian mail took to get to England and the last letter I had from her was written in January. I’m glad you’re going to write to her, Mother and that Youngster and Mrs Morley will write too. I’m sure she’ll be delighted to hear from each of you.

So Reg Hickman has qualified as a pilot and gone into the air force – lucky cow. There’s no doubt about it that’s the best game of the lot. Although I certainly can’t complain I’m with a fine crowd of chaps, have seen half the world and had some wonderful experiences.

In the course of manoeuvres early this week we came upon a canteen in the midst of a number of Australian camps and to our joyful surprise found they actually had Australian beer in stock and I think the officers were as surprised as we were or perhaps it was their own thirst that caused them to give us a break in which to partake of some of the cherished products of Aussie – Carlton Special, Resch’s Pilsner and Waverly Ale – so far I haven’t had any Cascade but after other beers any Australian beer is champagne. We were all very tired at the time but a few drinks changed the picture completely and we marched back to camp to the strains of joyful singing and despite the lateness of the hour the mood continued long after we got to our tents and melodies of wide and varied range rent the air. It’s absolutely amazing the effect of a little drop of the doins (?) on the temper of the troops.

And now Mother I’ll say cheerio for the present. Love to you, dad, May and Anne and regards to Laurie and the boys.

Very best love Mother

Max

Damn Good Socks

Photo from the Tasmanian Wool Centre at Ross

War Diary April 18 – 26

..Effects of luxuries in parcels described somewhat more dramatically than in his letter (see 21/22/ April)

– Platoon splits up, moves to trench outposts, start digging

Friday 18

Nothing special – got two boat mail letters from Mother and Jack Chandler – interesting and cheerful – McDonnell, McGoldrick, Tom Brereton go to Alex [Alexandria – AWL apparently, from next entry]

Saturday

War equipment parade all our gear examined by OC – very attentive to detail – pay parade in afternoon – make and mend and write letters (mother, youngster & JC & Mrs Toomey) – AWL’s return 9pm.

Sunday 20th April

attend RC church parade 7am intending to go through and go to Alex with Graham Watts. Made attend company parade at 10 o’clock. Wattsie given fatigue duty – had to cancel idea of trip – dug trench for petrol tins – twelve months today since we left Hobart in Zealandia – several parcels arrive – woollens, cigarettes, chocolates and cakes (mother, youngster, —(?), Mrs Toomey)

Monday

Went out on stunt – recalled during morning – prepare to break camp – diarrhoea – tom tits and vomiting – unable to eat luxuries in parcels – rather ironical after waiting so long for them – sent two boxes chocolates and 100 tins of Craven A in carrier and trying to take cake with me – put in a bad night.

Tuesday

Went on sick parade – weak as a kitten – temp – given some dope – return during day. Carriers leave – only drivers and Barclay go – take packs etc with them (6am) – standing by all day. 5pm leave in bus for station – had a couple of drinks at canteen with Stan Forsythe – slept in open – no blankets but slept well – Ned Turner, Leo Earea & Charlie Henders sleep in latrine pit

Wednesday

Early reveille. Tea and sandwich for breakfast. two up game – Fletcher as usual breaks school. Entrain at 11.20 – on the way 11.30 – about 1pm sighted tremendous convoy of trucks – stopped for water about 5pm – bought some slabs mungaree (Egyptian bread) – battle staged in carriage – banana and orange skins & soft boiled eggs – sing song – arrived Mersa Matruh about 10pm – had some tea and turned in.

Thursday

Settling in during morning. News that this platoon will take over machine gun posts- Platoon split up – maybe temporary, maybe permanent – I go to B company with Ray Ross, Cole, Fletcher, Mick Patton and Woodlock. Tucker light on – open Christmas cake sent by Youngster – beautiful cake – appreciated by all. Move out to outposts – dugouts and underground trenches – plenty of fleas and bugs – strike first turn on Vickers – sleep in pits, plenty of company.

Friday 25th April

Stand to 5.30 – 6.30 – good breakfast – 9 o’clock parade – have some of nuts & chocs sent by Youngster – received three letters – two from mother and one from Youngster – both said they’ve had no letters. Received two parcels from Mother & Youngster – air raid & Ac Ac fire a few miles away on guard at night – another raid during the night.

Saturday 26th

Camouflaged gun pits – dug now – dug out for Bluey Marshall’s section – wrote to Mother and Youngster. R Ross and B Cole get parcels from home – Mick Patton gets a bottle of hair oil and tie pin – Mick has shaved his head – not much chance of lairizing here – hundreds of miles from civilization – got a couple of bottles Youngers Ale from artillery truck – very nice.

In the pits

Machine Gunners

Photo from Active Service (AWM Christmas Book for 1941)

Posted in Africa, gambling and drinking, organisation, parcels, Posts and telegraph, Uncategorized | Tagged Australian beer, cake, chocolate, Craven A, Leith Hospital, PK, Reg Hickman, socks, tobacco | Leave a comment

Wags and wits and desert manoeuvres

Posted on April 19, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad

19th April 1941

Dear Mother

I received your very welcome letter of the 31st March yesterday. I’m glad my Palestine letters are getting home but surprised to know that the letters, cables and souvenirs I posted at Durban haven’t yet made the grade. Of course I suppose there isn’t much mail carried between South Africa and Australia. Very sorry to hear that May has had some more bad luck with a sprained wrist and fluid in the joints. She certainly has more than her share of trouble. Anyway I hope she’s well again now.

You asked me in your letter if Dick Schultz and Ken Jenkins are still with us – we haven’t been in the same unit since early in July last year, but lately I have seen quite a lot of them. They’re firm friends now, both being in the First Aid section of their battalion. Dick is actually in the Australian Army Medical Corps [AAMC] attached to the 31st battalion as Sergeant of the RAP and Ken is corporal of the stretcher-bearers.

Dad’s suggestion about writing a book with such characters as Schultz and McDonnell – well, as wags and wits they’re not in the race with a lot of the chaps in my platoon – a better selection of various types of wit you’d never meet in a months travel especially when one person becomes the object of a concerted barrage such as I encountered after my nose dive into the cactus bush when for the whole hour in which I extracted thorns from my skin I faced the combined witticisms of the other seven occupants of the tent. Their wits are kept sharpened by the endless interstate repartee and no matter how tough things are at all times and on all occasions humour dominates the scene. If one could keep a faithful diary of the humorous incidents of our everyday life, Ripley’s ‘Believe it or not’ would be put in the shade.

We spent the Easter in some of the keenest manoeuvres we’ve had, in very desolate sandy country around Gaza Ridge and other places familiar to dad in the last show. Sometimes in sand storms in which you could hardly see your hands in front of you – but it was a great experience and had many humorous incidents. During a break on Easter Sunday night the padre conducted a short but very impressive service and we [joined a] short sing song of hymns before going back to work.

A couple of parcels came in yesterday addressed to me but the bigger one was for McDonnell from Mrs Toomey – socks and handkerchiefs – very welcome indeed and as they were sent last October it gives reason to hope that some more of the Christmas parcels will come in.

As I write two letters have just come in – they are boat mail written about the middle of February – yours on the 17th Mother and one from Jack on the 15th. Both very cheerful epistles and very enjoyable. The barracks certainly gave you appropriate information when they told you we’re moving about a lot – we’re world tourists in a big way. Just what job was Mick going to do with the military?

I mentioned the fact that you hadn’t any letters for six weeks to another chap in the tent and he said that they told him in his letter that his people hadn’t had a letter for three months so my letters are not the only ones that haven’t been getting home. The mail from England to here is very slow too. The latest letters are January mail but there should be some more in very soon now.

So Anne has started school. I’ll bet she likes it too – she’d be the boss of the gang alright.

Well Mother I’ll say cheerio now. My love to you, dad, May and Anne and best regards to Laurie & the boys.

Max

PS I must make my letters shorter mother because of difficulties with the mail authorities and I might even have to write in pencil. Tell May and youngster that I may not be able to write often but will write as soon as I can.

Wags and Wits

The cartoon below was printed in Active Service – the AWM’s Christmas Book for 1941 – and is indicative of the humour referred to above.

Manoeuvres in the desert

The Carriers were in their element in the desert – unfortunately for those like Dad who were trained for this role, the action they were to see was in territory where these vehicles were of little or no use.

Photo from Active Service (‘Christmas Book’ 1941, Australian War Memorial)

From The Footsoldiers (p28)

On the 14th to 16th April we had our first taste of the Khamsin (desert dust storm). Blowing in from the west, it mingled the red dust of the Western Desert with the sand of Egypt. So thick was it that we were unable to see the tips of our fingers at arms length. Wearing towels over our mouths and noses, and the eye shields from our respirators for protection, we endeavoured to pack our war kit and sort out our belongings so that our kitbags could be returned to kit stores, leaving only the essentials with which we could live and fight in the field.

On 16 April ….the CO assembled the battalion and gave us the news that we would shortly move west into action and would train as a battalion until we did……From 16 to 20 April we practised the classic open desert warfare ‘box’ formation in advance, in attack, and in movement across the hard stony desert. In our serge uniforms it was blistering hot by day and freezing in the bitterly cold nights – even in our greatcoats.

At long last the movement order arrived on 21 April and that night, the advance party entrained for the west. On 23 April the battalion entrained at the rail siding into a 3rd class Egyptian passenger train at 1130hours and moved west…..

Can’t see our way for dust….

Although the letter makes no reference to it, Dad’s diary does reinforce Bill Crooks’ comments above (from The Footsoldiers):

Tuesday 15th

working in Q store for morning some mail at lunch time. Two parcels of woollens – one for me, one for McDonnell from Mrs Toomey – very nice pullover & socks. Pete McCowan goes to hospital with dysentry. Letter from Mother written on 31st March – have received mail from Palestine but not Durban mail.

Wednesday

Camouflages with nets – Brens, Carriers etc – Mess orderly – sand storm – left tent to go on parade at ten to two. Met Lieut Mitchell – said I was going the wrong way – wandered for hours in storm – could hardly see hand in front of you – must have been within a few yds of tents all the time – got back to tent at 4.20 – all in – went to RAP – had dose paraffin and aspro and went to bed straight after tea.

Thursday

Manoever in sand in carriers – a good morning but guns in a hell of a mess – took two hours to clean – lecture in the evening on direction by stars – clean up and go to bed.

And spare a thought for the field hospitals…

Close to where the 2/33 was camped, the 2/9 Australian General Hospital was preparing to receive casualties from Greece and Tobruk. The following extract comes from A Special Kind of Service by Joan Crouch –

The first impressions of Abd El Kader were of desert, dust, heat, fleas and lack of baths or showers….Dysentery, sandfly fever, malaria, enteric fever, influenza and purulent skin diseases kept the medical wards busy…But the dust storms, with their fine penetrating sand, made working conditions almost impossible in the operating theatre, so surgery was limited. On one occasion it blew for three days and visibility was thirty feet. The temperature reached 120F …

Posted in Africa, parcels, Posts and telegraph, training, Uncategorized | Tagged desert manoeuvres, field hospital, sandstorms, wags and wits | Leave a comment

War Diary March 21 – April 14 (Easter Monday) 1941

Posted on April 14, 1941 by felicityh54

Friday 21st

Wrote some letters during morning – afternoon ceremonial parade – marched to Brigade – welcome for Brigadier Baxter-Cox – a good show. Long march back with fixed bayonets at attention – 1 1/2 miles. When we got back were issued with Christmas hampers – mine came from Mrs Russell Grimwade, Orrong Rd Toorak . Went to pictures – “It’s a wonderful world”.

Saturday 22nd

Early parade 8.30 – Rain stops march. Had a shower at Hospital (1st AGH) – met Jim Castley- had been in Palestine 14 months – knew Max & Audrey Phillips. Should have been relieved at 5pm but arrangements between brigade and 31st misunderstood – was on Ac Ac from 3 – 8 then put on main guard rest of night. General confusion – when came off at 5.30 had cup of tea – toast & eggs at nurses cook house.

Sunday 23rd

Came off guard at ten o’clock – pay parade at eleven o’clock – had a bath and wrote some letters.

Monday 24th

Fire orders and stalking on Gaza Ridge – hell of a feed of oranges – Dick Lewis took snaps in orange grove – very pleasant morning. Lecture in afternoon on grenades then a short march and back to camp. Stunt at night – distribution of mail – tons of letters and newspapers

Tuesday 25th

Compass reading in morning – interesting couple of hours. Route march in afternoon. Guard at 5.30 – squires lines (?) when there not wanted – returned to camp – called out for Gaza Ridge then orders cancelled – went to YM to write letters – but lights fused – a general muck up. 11pm Hqrs Company called to Parade. laid on bed – shamed (?) sleep and then went to sleep fully dressed. passed off alright.

Wednesday 26th

30th birthday – compass reading in the morning. 2 o’clock parade detailed for guard (Brigade) – mounted guard 5.30 – received more old letters and two recent ones – first relief. Wrote to Skinny J.

Thursday 27th

2-4am relief. wrote to Rob Cameron. D R Haigh appointed CSM Hqr company – Frank Dredge gets J Reinke’s stripes – good luck to him – another diplomatic appointment. R Cole to be sergeant ……Doc Trenow interviewed by Trump – probably get a pip.

Friday 28th

Pay parade – Doc broke everyone in tent at two up. In the afternoon embussed and taken to Jaffa Range. Put on guard duty. Went through with J Black, Pete McCowan & Pat Lowe – went to Rishon – small Jewish town – several good cafes – beer and supper – back to camp about midnight.

Saturday

Battalion went to range for stunt – guard stayed in camp. Talk with men from Jewish Battalion – one German one Hungarian – knew their Europe well. Had a snack at canteen and went to Tel Aviv with Aggie Lloyd & Mick Patton – all business places closed (Sat Jews Sunday). Tel Aviv quite modern in design but buildings very badly finished. Went from Tel Aviv to Jaffa – Arab centre adjoining – dirty place. Toured all the low dives – came back to camp in taxi. Abyssinian driver – offsider a Turk – drive like mad – put their foot on the accelerator and their faith in Allah.

Sunday

Went to the Range for stunt – Demonstration shot first then manoever – Platoons in attack. Later had a throw of 2” grenade – Guard again at night.

Monday 31st

On guard till midday then out to range to see the mortars. Back to camp at 4 o’clock – tea then back to Kilo 89 in buses – through some fine agric country – orange groves and grape fruit – pictures with CS & KJ

Tuesday 1st

Ceremonial parade – clean & oil guns. Broken off at 2 o’clock – took washing to laundry (2 hours mucking about) – wrote letters – Mother.

Wednesday 2nd

Mortar & Tommy gun instruction in morning. Maintenance on guns & carriers in the afternoon. Wrote to Skinny J & Mrs Worby

Thursday

Field stunt – went in carriers – Doc’s section to Gaza. Battalion in attack – carriers to assist – left flank attack – crawling through sand – Lecture by CO & Capt Graham Sutton

Friday

Cleaned guns – Bren & Anti Tank – Bludged in afternoon. Friday night went to 31st RAP had drink with K Jenkins & Dudley Raynor – Ken had been to Jerusalem on leave. Bought some nice souvenirs – said he had a great trip.

Saturday

Pay parade – Medical inspection dressed in Great Coats and boots only – car load of nurses passed and waved – didn’t know what was on. Did the roll at two up and went to canteen to have drink with Leo Earea & Bing Henderson – met Roy Jelley – wanted to see Ac – went down and got Ac – He & Jelley like two long lost brothers

Sunday

Cricket match with mortars. Good morning’s outing – went to bed in afternoon.

Monday

Stunt across the sand – hell of a march through narrow lanes of Arab village. Hot as hell – stink and dust – got back to camp about 4.30 everybody feeling ——. Had a wonderful shower. After tea had a couple of pots and went out on another stunt – home about half past ten.

Tuesday

Up early to go on leave to Jerusalem – just getting dressed when Barclay came into tent and said leave was cancelled – orders to pack ready to move out. Bad luck but if its a show then leave doesn’t matter. Guns cleaned oiled and packed blankets rolled – standing by all day – bamboo beds stripped – sleep on ground – one blanket – cold.

Wednesday 9th

Standing by all day – packing in Q store etc

Thursday

In working party on truck carting gear back from Kilo 89 to Barbera (?) camp – ordnance. Received letter from Lil Murray Mainsbridge Hotel Liverpool NSW. Camps breaking up and standing by all along the road.

Friday 11th

Good Friday – clean up camp – struck tent & rolled ready to move – kit bags collected – went to Hospital to post some letters and small parcels – tried to get a drink – missed out. 9.15am parade with pack and equipment and marched to Gaza station – entrained at 2am – reached Kantara 9am. Breakfast, swim in Suez Canal – saw a couple of ships go through – gypoes trying to sell all manner of rubbish – one told me – Aussie blood relation Wooloomooloo. Entrained again at 2.15. Train journey in afternoon very pleasant – glorious sunshine – through Nile irrigation area – miles of rich plain land – crops mostly barley and lucerne – banana palms – ruins of ancient cities – women look better type than arabs in Palestine. Mohammedans at prayer – passed through El Zaezic. detrained at 2.30am on Sunday morning – marched to camp”Ikingi Mahru”about four miles – slept where we halted – reveille at 7.00am – wash – shave – breakfast (mess orderly) – camp a desolate wasteland – wind and sand all day. Food light on – “Laugh and grow fat” – short interesting church service (Easter Sunday) in evening. Cold night.

Easter Monday 14th April

Reveille 6.30. talk by new OC – tightening up – digging trenches all day and pitching tents – Food still very light on – “old soldiers just fade away”. Pete McCowan, Bob Cole (Tom Tits) Viv Abel and Jim Hocking sent to another Battalion for instruction. Route march at night – enjoyable cup of tea when we got back.

Christmas hampers

I’ve been wondering how the Comforts Fund parcels were organised, and have come across an article via Trove and another from Museum Victoria:Firstly, from Trove, a description of the process of financing, packing and sending parcels in 1942 which appeared in the Cairns Post onSeptember 12 of that year http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42359915 and second the extract below from the Museum Victoria site http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/themes/10608/australian-comforts-fund-world-war-ii-1939-1946

The aim of the ACF was to provide free ‘comfort’ items that were not supplied by the services to all Australian servicemen. These items included singlets, socks, pyjamas, cigarettes and tobacco, razor blades, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and reading material (newspapers and magazines). Additionally, the ACF also provided recreational facilities, rest rooms, sporting equipment, gramophones and records to the troops, as well as regularly providing writing materials such as pencils, paper and postcards so the soldiers’ could write home.

The ACF relied on fundraising and donations to supply these items to the Australian soldiers. The ACF raised thousands of pounds though various activities, such as door knock appeals, fetes and button days, to cover the cost of materials and shipping of items to the troops. The number of goods supplied, funded and distributed by the ACF volunteers is quite remarkable.

The ACF also regularly dispatched Christmas hampers to troops abroad. The Christmas hampers generally comprised of a plum pudding, cake, small tin of fruit, tinned cream, razor blades and tobacco and were donated or sponsored by members of the public. These hampers were generally supplied to each army unit and then distributed by a number of ACF commissioners. By the close of operations in 1946, more than 1.5 million hampers had been dispatched to troops by the ACF.

The ACF provided a source of comfort, support and encouragement for the troops abroad and offered a means for women at home to contribute to the war effort and identify with the men in the trenches. The ACF acted as a vital link between home and the battlefields. The Australian Comforts Fund officially closed on the 27th June 1946.

Bad luck but if it’s a show then leave doesn’t matter…

From The Footsoldiers (pp27-28)

With the threat of General Rommel’s Africa Corps in the Western Desert and the withdrawal of our forces from Tobruk, our 25th Brigade was ordered to prepare to move on 11 April. During the waiting period, steel helmets were painted buff and soaked in sand while the paint was wet. Vehicles were treated in much the same way, and the windscreens removed…..

On 12 April the transport of the battalion left by road and at dawn next day the battalion entrained at Gaza, crossed the canal in the same old train at Ismalia and arrived at Ikingi Maryut in Egypt at midnight. From the rail siding the battalion had a four mile march to our camp out in the desert.

In full marching order, carrying LMG’s , magazine boxes and the section one-gallon hot boxes, this night march out into the bitterly cold desert was our first taste of real hard going. As dawn was breaking on 13 April we looked around the ‘camp’ which consisted of a great heap of EPIP (English Patent Indian Pattern) tents that had to be erected. With breakfast of bacon rashers and baked beans mixed with dust and sand, we looked around at this flat desolate land, not impressed with what we saw……[this] was to us the end of the earth, made exciting only by the prospect of action….

Kilo 89, Gaza

The camp known as Kilo89

Photo of a watercolour by Harold Herbert, published in The Footsoldiers

Camouflage

Camouflaged truck at Rishon-le-Zion: painting by Harold Herbert, published in the ‘Christmas book’, Active Service

Posted in Africa, guard/ picket/ orderly room duty, training, Uncategorized, unit and personal diaries, weapons, armaments, equipment | Tagged Tel Aviv | Leave a comment

AWL from guard duty – but what they don’t know…

Posted on April 1, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Private Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad

1st April 1941

Dear Mother

We came back to camp last night after a very interesting weekend. The Battalion went out on a stunt last Friday. We were taken in buses to the centre of manoeuvres and Friday night found us camped in a stretch of desert. I struck guard duty the first night and when the battalion went out on Saturday morning the guard stayed at the camp.

There was a section of a Jewish regiment camped nearby. It is the most cosmopolitan unit I’ve ever encountered, made up of Jews from Palestine and nearly all the European countries ar present occupied by Germany – two chaps who spoke fluent English were from Hungary and Bavaria. The Hungarian’s father lost his leg fighting for Germany against the Italians in the last show. They had an extensive knowledge of Europe and told us some interesting stories of the war position in Jugoslavia. They said that unless the Belgrade government allowed the Germans to move troops through the country Germany could never conquer them because the rugged country could never be crossed by tanks and as it is entirely agricultural there are no large towns so that the bombers would do little damage, added to which the Jugoslavs are a ruthless barbaric people who fight for the love of fighting rather than for patriotic reasons. They are big men and use barbed bayonets – very interesting.

The camp was very quiet in the afternoon so a couple of other chaps and myself went for a walk without any definite destination – however by the aid of buses and the last stage by taxi we got to Tel Aviv, the most modern city of Palestine and in peacetime the scene of a lot of Jewish and Arabian squabbles. The streets are reasonably wide and the buildings though of steel and concrete are built as one would expect in a Jewish community with an eye to cost rather than workmanship. The finish leaves much to be desired – all the buildings whether business blocks, residential flats ro houses are severely modern – everything being on the straight line basis. Hipped or gabled roofs are as rare as horses in the rural areas.

The shops, cafes and hotels were all closed because Saturday is the Jewish Sunday. There are three Sundays in the week here – Friday is the Arab Sunday, saturday the Jews and Sunday the Christians which I imagine somewhat complicates international trading. Bordering on Tel-Aviv is the ancient Arabian town of Jaffa and here business of all types was being negotiated. It is a vey dirty place in striking contrast to the modern Jewish centre and reeks of the most unsavoury odours.

The Jewish people are dark haired and sallow skinned with the unmistakeable features of their race – some of the women are quite good lookers but they are all very stout and classified according to the number of axe handles across. Very few of them speak or understand English or at least they don’t choose to understand it.

It was getting late buy the time we had walked around both places and as we did not relish the consequences of getting back to camp later than the battalion, began to look for a means of getting home and had ultimately to engage a taxi which cost all the mils of our three belts aggregated. The taxi was driven by an Abyssinian who was accompanied by a Turk. The taxi drivers drive like hell: they put their foot on the accelerator and trust to Allah. Although the Battalion were home before us we were not missed.

After tea one of the chaps who had won a few bob at two up asked me to go with him to Reshon – a small Jewish town and we were presently on our way. Reshon though only a small place houses a very important industry – The Palestine Brewers – makers of Eagle and Golden Star Beer. There are quite a number of good cafes where in addition to eating they serve all and every type of liquor including Youngers Scotch Ale. The middle of the floor is given up to dancing and going from one cafe to another we had a most enjoyable evening.

Sunday and most of Monday we spent in stunts in the sand which though solid were very interesting and enjoyable. About three o’clock yesterday afternoon we went back to the camp and after a delightful shower, a dixie of stew and a couple of dog biscuits we embussed again for the home journey. As it was still daylight we were able to see the country through which we passed. Palestine is a very fertile country. There are miles and miles of orange, grapefruit and lemon groves. It looks as though the war must have disorganised the markets because the ground is literally a carpet of oranges and grapefruit. I’ve eaten more citrus fruit in the last three weeks than in ay previous twelve months – I’d like to have forty or fifty acres of them in a position handy to Melbourne or Sydney. One of the chaps took some snaps of us in an orange grove. He’s away at a school now but when he comes back I’ll try and get some and send them to you.

John Smith came down to the tent to see me last Thursday night – I’d made several inquiries as to his whereabouts from the several hospital and medical units but was unable to locate him so you can imagine my surprise when he poked his head into the tent and told me he was at the CRS within the same camp area. He looked well, but like most of the chaps who have been here for a long time, has seen enough of the Holy Land. I’m going up when I finish this letter to try and see him.

And now Mother I’ll say goodbye for the present. Best regards to the boys and love to you and dad.

Max

PS I had a letter from Shirley last week. She said they have two feet of snow there but the weather here is perfect.

Jugoslavia

The confidence of the Jewish soldiers was clearly misplaced: the Germans and their allies invaded from all sides on April 11 and after a short campaign, had brought the country under the administration of a puppet government.

Tel Aviv – ‘severely modern’ – photo from The Footsoldiers

Reshon

This was presumably Rishon-le-Zion, a colony founded by Ukrainian Jews in 1882. The settlers were supported financially by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. They were very industrious, planting over a million vines as well as orchards of almonds, figs, pomegranate, apples and citrus, and 20,000 mulberry trees for silkworm culture. There was (According to the Jewish Encyclopaedia) an enormous cellar with modern machinery producing wine and brandy. Rishon-le-Zion is now Israel’s fourth largest city.

Stunts in the Sand

Dear Dad…Have a look at my will

Posted on March 25, 1941 by felicityh54

Dear Dad 250341

Dad 250341 p2

Dad 250341 p3

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad 25th.3.1941

Dear Dad

I was very agreeably surprised to get your letter yesterday, written while you were in Melbourne. It’s easy to understand now why I didn’t get many letters in England – nearly all the letters since August have been sent here. Since we came here a fortnight ago I’ve had forty four letters, a lot of cables and newspapers and one parcel (two pair of socks sent by May inAugust). Some of my letters date right back to June so they must have intended sending us here [then].

Ivy sent me some snaps in a letter that arrived the same time as yours. There’s one of the house – it looks a good sort of place and Camberwell is a good suburb. I suppose land values there would be pretty high – the only thing I don’t like about it is the tiled roof. It’ll be a great thing for them to have a home of their own. The other snaps taken at the Brewery and in the Park are also very interesting.

As you say in your letter I am lucky to have been in England for seven months. It was a wonderful experience and my ideas of the English people have changed a lot. The way the civilian population have stood up to the drubbing is wonderful with people being killed all around them the nation as a whole remains very calm and determined. I suppose you thought I was hitting the high spots when I got the bank to transfer some money but the position was that I was the only man in the platoon drawing only two shillings a day.

Shortly after we went over to the seventy-second – now the 33rd – there was a job going for a draughtsman. It carried a corporal’s pay and I would have taken it but the CO of the Company said he’d rather I didn’t because the OC of the platoon had a field promotion for me – A corporal in the carrier platoon is a wonderful job so I let the draughtsman job slide – then a few weeks before the promotions were made the CO was transferred to another company and the Lieutenant in charge of the platoon became Adjutant…As you know I’m not very diplomatic and cut no ice with the new platoon commander and when the appointments were made I was not mentioned so with things at high prices – tobacco 1/11 an oz, matches 3d a box and so on, it was impossible to go out at all and as I thought I might never get another opportunity of seeing England wrote to the bank and they arranged the transfer.

As I have told you in other letters I had two trips to Scotland. I would have liked to call on Mrs Morley’s sister but didn’t get the address till I came here. I saw a lot of Scotland and met some fine people. I still write to several of them.

On the way to England we called at Cape Town and coming East we called at Durban. From seeing these two cities and speaking with the people and reading their papers I’m quite convinced that South Africa will be the best country in the world for a white man after the war.

I’m sorry to hear of Old Jim going – he was a jolly fine fellow. Was he still at the Zinc Works or had he retired? I haven’t had a chance to go to any of the other camps but I believe there are a lot of other Zinc Workers in them – a fellow named McQuiltan was up here to see Nuggett Geeves and McDonnell the other day. He asked how you were getting on. He’s in an ammunition supply unit and is as fat as a seal.

I had a letter from Mick Mason the other day. He said he’s been out to see you and made a very heavy recovery next day. Both your letter and his say that building is booming in Hobart and that the paper works are very busy. I think I’ll be looking for something other than building when I get back – by the way when I told Schultz and Co that you’re not making any wine this year they were very disappointed as they were all looking forward to a cellar reunion when they get back.

If you’re in town Dad call at the Barracks and get them to show you the will I made. If there is anything I have not covered let me know as soon as you can will you because I don’t know how long we’ll be here – they’re driving us pretty hard now and it might mean we’re going into a show and that’s one thing I do want to be in order.

Take good care of yourself dad and look after Mother. Best regards to the boys.

Your loving son

Max

PS Sergeant Schultz & Corporals Jenkins and Geeves send their best regards

The paper works are very busy

This comment would have referred to the production of newsprint, as the ANM factory at Boyer had opened in February 1941 – like the Zinc Works, attracted by cheap power, plentiful water and easy access for shipping (barges):

Australian Newsprint Mills, Boyer (Tasmaniana Library, SLT)

The Australian Newsprint Mills evolved from the need for an Australian paper industry. In 1920 the Melbourne-based Mussen Group funded research at Kermandie to make newspaper from Tasmanian hardwoods. A breakaway newspaper syndicate led by Keith Murdoch (Herald & Weekly Times) and Warwick Fairfax (Age) formed the Derwent Valley Paper & Pulp Company (1932) and negotiated extensive forest concessions in the Florentine Valley with the government. The two groups came together as Australian Newsprint Mills and began building the Boyer Mill in 1939. A residential suburb for workers’ families was constructed at New Norfolk. The mill opened in 1941, and ten Australian daily newspapers used Boyer newsprint, averting serious war-time newspaper rationing. http://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/A/Australian%20Newsprint%20Mills.htm

Posted in organisation, pay and conditions, Tasmania, Uncategorized | Tagged army pay, diplomacy, Jim McDonnell, mail, Mick Mason, South Africa | Leave a comment

Route Marches, diplomacy and meeting with Zincie Jokers

Posted on March 20, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad

20th March 1941

Dear Mother

Once again I have struck guard duty and so have an opportunity to catch up with my mail. We’ve been kept pretty busy since we came into camp. They’re toughening us up again after our long sea trip – space on a troopship does not allow much room for training purposes and of course we all got very soft but at the pace they’ve set we’ll soon be back to our old fitness so time and facilities for writing do not allow too much time.

We have had a number of route marches and various manoeuvres and have been able to gather a fair idea of the country and life and conditions in there parts. We see very few of the genuine Arabs although there is a Bedouin camp a few miles away most of the wogs we see are mongrel Arabs – a dirty thieving crowd who believe that only dirty people wash and so they never wash and they stink to high heaven- BO is the only scent they know. They gather at the roadsides as we go by and from the youngest to the oldest the universal greeting is Sieda George Buckshees – Sieda being good-day and George is apparently the only English name they know. Buckshees of course is something for nothing.

On different stunts we have passed through a good sized township and an Arab village. The former was inhabited by both Arabs and Jews and a number of Australians are garrisoned there. There was a whole street of shops – without any shop fronts. The architecture ranges from mud huts to the western concrete buildings that house the police forces and other Government servants. The Arab village is built on the lines on which the medieval peoples of Europe clustered their houses and surrounded then with a high wall, their lands spreading out in all directions from the administrative centre. The huts are all of mud with dome shaped rooves and without any windows.

There are a lot of Australian camps about but so far we have had no opportunity of contacting them. Nugget Scanlon came along the other night and told me that there are hundreds of Tasmanians about. He’s with a signal unit. I was a bit surprised to see him – never thought he’d join up – he said ‘Tell Laurie to join up and come over’. There was a chap from the zinc works came along to see Nugget Geeves and McDonnell – McQuiltan I think they said his name was. McDonnell called him the Pom. He mentioned a couple of other Zincie jokers too that are in camps here. Ron McKercher was along to see his cousin the other day. He’s with an artillery battery – mostly from Tasmania – quite a lot of the old 106th are in it and I believe Ac Hallam’s brother is about here somewhere too so I guess if we’re here long there’ll be a few reunions.

Ac Hallam and I went along to the 31st Battalion camp the other night as the guests of Sergeant Schultz and Ken Jenkins. Dick has just been made a sergeant at the RAP and turned on a celebration. Dick is possessed of an abundance of the greatest asset a man can have in the army – it’s one of the two things essential to advancement – diplomacy – and of course in addition to his natural gifts in that direction had the advantage of a long raining under a master diplomat We have a lot in our show but I don’t think any of them could teach Dick anything. We had quite a good night. They bought two dozen bottles of the local beer – Golden Star – and put on a good supper too – they’re both master scroungers – and we had a good night reminiscing on Aussie and England. They’re still planning a reunion in the cellar but of course that’s looking a long time ahead.

Whilest I was down there I ran into Trevor Rafferty – he’s a Lieut and just as smug and self assured as ever – the most regimental man in his battalion I believe but that didn’t mean anything to me.

The parcel of socks sent by May last July came to hand yesterday so I’m still hoping that one of my other parcels may turn up. The socks came at a very opportune time because I’d got to the stage when I’d have had to find time to do some darning but of course can carry on again now.

I got a Christmas card the other day from Max, Audrey and Barbara Phillips. It was addressed to the antitank regiment so I suppose Max didn’t get any of my letters. Anyhow I’ll write him a long one today.

We were out on a stunt the other night – on night stunts we’re not allowed to smoke or make any noise – we were moving along over some pretty rough country when Ac Hallam struck his shin on a short stump and cursed very strongly under his breath. I was watching him and having a quiet laugh when I tripped over a spare and speared about ten feet into a cactus bush – An electric shock has nothing on a cactus bush and when we got back to camp I spent over an hour picking out the thorns to the amusement of the other chaps in the tent. Jokes at each others expense is one of our chief sources of entertainment.

I’ll close now Mother as I have to go on duty in five minutes. My love to you and the pater and best regards to the boys.

Max.

“A good sized township and an Arab village’

From the diary entries below, it seems the township was Gaza, but the village is not named.

From The Footsoldiers :

Sergeant ‘Doc’ Trenow outside the Gaza police station

Village houses were presumably similar to those in the Frank Hurley photo : www.ww2australia.gov.au/damascus/images/hurley/011444_500.jpg

‘The old 106th’

Prior to enlisting, Dad had been a member of the ‘Militia’ – specifically, the 106th Field Battery

Diary March 11 – 20

Tuesday 11th

Ac Ac duty – wonderful bludge – what a time the Ac Ac platoon must have had in England – wrote letters to youngster & May. Went to bed early.

Wednesday 12th

Bayonet drill. Learning to salute again after more than twelve months in the army. Lost a plug of tobacco at bayonet training. Route march in the afternoon. After tea Nuggett Scanlon came along from 9th Divvy sigs camped a bit further along road. Didn’t know him at first – mentioned a hell of a lot of Tassies in camps near here – Went to pictures – “Man to Remember” – good show – gazette on Tobruk and return of Sydney – to Sydney – Naval organisation a thousand times better than Army. Walking back met Tiny Schultz and Ken Jenkins done up to the nines – Tiny grown a moustache – looks ten years younger – has just been made a sergeant of RAP at 31st Battalion – master Diplomat.

Thursday 13th

Muster parade – collected washing and took to laundry – dearer than in England – marching and rifle drill practice in order for NCO’s.

2.30 pay parade collected 1500mils – almost a millionaire – won bet off Len Earea. Laid ten to one I’d strike guard duty today. won 5mils (1 penny). Early tea – mount guard at 5.30

Friday 14th

Guard duty all day – wrote letters – sent cables

Saturday

Route march to beach through Gaza – a good day out. Gaza a native centre – very dirty – queer architecture – a good beach – cold wind. Bully beef for dinner. Saturday night – celebration at 70th (31st) RAP. Dick Schultz gets 3 stripes – 2 dozen bottles of beer – reminiscences – bloody good night

Sunday

Church Parade – Rained all day – camp nearly under water – stayed in tent played two-up and did the roll – then wrote letters – went to bed early.

Monday

PT Rifle drill. Bayonet training – receive some anti tank mail written last May – one from May one from Youngster and Christmas card from Max Phillips. Jack Reinke paraded to OC Hqr Coy and handed in stripes – wouldn’t be mucked about by mugs. Everybody admired his action. Stunt in evening – finding a spot by compass – exercise mainly for officers – rough going across heavy country – no lights and no noise. Ac Hallam hit shin on stump – laughing at him I tripped over stump and speared into cactus bush – like an electric shock. back to camp about 10.30. Quite an enjoyable evening. supper then to bed.

Tuesday

PT & Rifle drill. went to pictures in evening – Wuthering Heights – had already seen it twice but it was worth seeing again.

Wednesday

PT and stunt in morning – marched past arab village – all mud huts with dome shaped rooves surrounded by mud wall. Received parcel of socks sent by May last July – looks hopeful for other parcels. Mounted three day guard duty at Hospital – Ac Ac wonderful bludge – 2 hrs on and ten off – there must be a catch in it somewhere. Went to pictures in the evening – Strange Cargo.

Thursday

3-5 shift in morning – pinched some wood from contractors yards and lit a fire in pit – wrote letters – Ceremonial parade in afternoon. Jim Hocking & I struck lucky – were on duty. Pictures in evening – “Men without souls”

* * * * * * *

Mail

Again, correspondents and parcels that had been given up on, turn up…the socks after 10 months! It would be hard to keep writing to people (like the Phillips family) when you had received nothing from them for so long, because they had the wrong unit name….must have been such a relief to finally receive a letter.

Diplomacy

Dad always envied people who had the ‘gift of the gab’/ability to ‘gild the lily’, as his own tendency was towards plainly speaking his mind.

I’m intrigued at the comment about Jack Reinke – Jack Reinke paraded to OC Hqr Coy and handed in stripes – wouldn’t be mucked about by mugs. Everybody admired his action. Dick Lewis said he doesn’t remember this story – and Dad doesn’t mention it in any surviving letters, but I’m sure it must have featured somewhere!

The Zinc Works

(‘Zincie jokers’ would have been men who worked there)

As children we were told that our grandfather had been involved in building the Zinc Works, and had worked there. As he took no part in World War I after being ‘invalided home’ from Gallipoli, this could well be true. The Electrolytic Zinc company was one of a number that were attracted to Tasmania due to its cheap hydro electric power and deep water ports. See Alison Alexander’s article –

http://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/E/Electrolytic%20zinc%20works.htm

The photo from the article is from the later 1960’s (the Tasman Bridge in the background was opened in 1965) – according to the author, the Risdon plant was by then the second largest manufacturer of Zinc in the world.

Posted in Camps and Barracks, escapades, relaxation, fun and games, guard/ picket/ orderly room duty, Middle East, parcels, training, Uncategorized | Tagged Ac Hallam, DIck Schultz, Gaza, Ken Jenkins, mail, manoeuvres, Zinc works | Leave a comment

Christmas, censors, cards, concerts, camels, canteens

Posted on March 11, 1941 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad

11th March 1941

(I believe the sharks got all our Christmas parcels – of course there are sharks and sharks)

Dear May

At long last we have arrived somewhere in Palestine – of the trip here and the camp I will tell you more later. At present I want to say how glad I was to receive your letters and cable which along with a big bundle of others from Mother, Youngster, Mrs Toomey, Mae Menzie and Mick Mason I received the day after our arrival here – that is or was yesterday.

After nearly five months without news from home the mail was like manna from the gods – letters dating right back to September were in the bundle and the news was refreshing and interesting. Your particularly interesting and newsy epistle of the 31st December was like a tonic describing so thoroughly Christmas and the accompanying festivities. I can well imagine Anne’s joy at her fourth birthday party – there’s no doubt about the kid she’s a born actress. I’m glad the Scotty rig arrived in time and that she liked it and the card.

I’m sorry to hear that you yourself have not been too well – that rheumatism’s hell I know though I’ve never had it in the hand and I hope you’ve got over it now. The mater told me that the pater had also been sick from dizzy spells – the effect of that knock I suppose – well I certainly hope he’s alright again. Youngster told me he’s helped her to buy a home and that they have settled in – she said Mum and Dad are going over soon for a holiday – that should do them both a lot of good. You should try and go over for a while too – not at the same time but when the college is on holiday. Youngster would be glad to have you and it would do you and Anne a power of good. You certainly need a holiday May – you can’t make the pace all the time you know.

Youngster’s letters also cover a wide range of happenings. Two of the letters had been posted in England via USA and some lousy cow pinched the five shilling stamp off them. Anyway I got the letters which was most important. The Youngster seems to have been on the up and up – First Bill’s commission in the Navy – then the shorter working week at the office and to top it up buying a home. I hope the trot lasts.

From her letters Mother seems somewhat depressed that she hasn’t heard from me but I’ve written regularly and as Mrs Schultz has had all Dick’s letters and Ac Hallam’s wife all his, mine must have incurred the displeasure of the censoring officers though no-one ever mentioned that they had been knocked back and for the life of me I can’t see why they should be.

Mrs Toomey whom I though had written me off her lists as I hadn’t heard from her since early August wrote two very nice letters and Mae Menzie’s letters were also very interesting – I was a bit disappointed not getting one from Jack Chandler.

And now May just as my interests are in the happenings at home I suppose yours are in our doings here. Well our trip from England was in most respects delightful – glorious sunshine, not too hot and calm seas – too calm – all the way. My platoon did the Anti-Aircraft work on the boat and only struck guard duty when in port – incidentally I posted a letter some cards and a serviette ring with a coat of arms on for Anne. I hope they arrived alright. Anyway to get back to the story. The gun I was attached to was at the stern of the ship near the Isolation Hospital. There was a decent deck which was out of bounds to all except the patients, the hospital orderlies from an English AMC unit and ourselves, and when not on duty at the guns we played cards – crib and five hundred and bridge – sun baked, read or argued according to the mood of the moment.

There were four orderlies at the hospital – a Scotch man named Jack Roach, a young Tommy – they were our opposition at Bridge. The third chap was a permanent force man who had been in the army twenty years – we didn’t see much of him – he stood somewhat aloof. The fourth chap, a fellow named Rathbone was an absolute ratbag with the most crude outlook on like of anybody I ever met. He had spent some time in China and was a confirmed Buddhist. He explained at length the rituals of that crude religion and expressed the intention to become a priest after the war. In the evenings when not on duty there were picture shows, concerts both organised and impromptu – some of which were very good.

One night – a pay night – the transport platoon whose sleeping quarters were near ours got stuck into the hops (the beer was just beer but it was drinkable – you strained the hops out through your teeth but it had a kick like a mule) – and put on a concert on the landing immediately above where we slept. There was a lot of half drunken baloney but there were some good items too. Arthur Midson – you might remember him, the family had a very rough trot some years back – sang some good songs.

Eventually after what seemed an eternity we cast anchor – we landed from the ship by lighters drawn by a steam launch – we left the ship shortly after ten o’clock on Saturday night. As the ropes were drawn in the chaps – about a hundred and fifty of us – sang Gundagai and the Maori Farewell. Almost on the stroke of twelve we were landed at a wharf and after a dixie of tea (anyway they said it was tea) and a bun left over from when the pater came through in ’15 we entrained and were soon on our way.

At seven o’clock in the morning we stopped for refreshments – a dixie of tea and some very nice biscuits – shortbreads and orange creams eaten to a chorus of Backshees, Backshees from the Gypos. We didn’t stay long there and presently were on our way across sandy wastes extending as far as the eye could see. Wherever there was the slightest growth, goat herds were to be seen. Later we came into more fertile country and orange groves, barley and rice crops abounded and cattle, horses and sheep replaced the goats and camels of the sandy stretches.

This camp is not unlike Brighton in some respects and one may hear again that time honoured Brighton expression – “come out on the sand”. A rise at the back of the camp commands a wonderful panorama of the locality – a couple of towns can be seen in the distance and other camps can also be seen and around and amongst it all the Arabs tilling in the soil with their crude single furrow wooden ploughs drawn by camels, the trains of pack camels and the Arabs with their mules. In the middle distance a Bedouin camp breaks the contour – these are a wild nomadic tribe of primitive Arabs of whom Laurence had a lot to say in his books. How the hell any white man could live among those wogs beats me.

Within the camp itself there is a wet canteen which sells Australian bottled beer – “Carlton special” – I’ll be trying it out on payday. There is also a dry canteen with good stocks of soaps, shaving gear and a varied selection of Australian tobaccos. There is a picture theatre about four hundred yards away run by the Jews and prices of admission range from thirty to eighty Mils – a Mil is about the same value as a farthing – a thousand to the English pound, 800 to ours – and most importantly of all there is a regular air mail service to Australia.

And now May I’ll say cheerio – my love to you and Anne and best regards to Laurie.

Max

PS remember me to young Trevor

PPS If it is possible I’d like a photo of Anne in kilt (just a snap) to send to the girl who bought the costume for me.

For Anne xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Locating the events..

Source : Active Service published by the AWM 1941

Camps and leave centres, Palestine Source : The Footsoldiers

(W. Crooks 1971)

A garrison cinema

Not at Kilo 89, but another camp in Palestine …

Painting by Harold B Herbert

Source: Active Service– published by the AWM 1941

Links

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/004215/

1940-11-25. ALONG NILE NEAR CAIRO – NATIVES LIVING BESIDE THE RIVER ARE MOSTLY SMALL FARMERS AND EVERY SEASON SEEMS TO BRING ITS OWN PARTICULAR ROUTINE OF WORK THAT WILL ALLOW THE LAND TO GIVE ITS UTMOST LIMIT OF PRODUCTION, A VERY VITAL MATTER TO THEM. NATIVES AT DAWN ATTENDING TO THEIR LAND. (NEGATIVE BY F. HURLEY).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqxD8tkwN0U

A clip from a 1941 ‘educational’ film about the flight of the Israelites from Egypt. Shows footage of the Nile, the Sinai desert and a Bedouin tribe.

Posted in at sea, Censorship, escapades, relaxation, fun and games, gambling and drinking, Letters to/ from others, Middle East, pay and conditions, Posts and telegraph, Uncategorized | Tagged Anne Fisher, Kilo 89, Mae Menzie, Mick Mason, Mrs Toomey, Palestine, Youngster | Leave a comment

War Diary Feb 28 – March 10 1941

Posted on March 10, 1941 by felicityh54

Friday 28th Feb

Early shift 6 – 8. Clean guns shave head and massage with olive oil – good days sunshine – not nearly as severe as expected in Red Sea. Boys got stuck into the hops in the evening. Gary as full as a boot. Drunken singsong on stairs. Played 1d blind with JR, JF, FD and Len Earea – did the roll. Stubbed toe on steel plate – broke toenail halfway down.

Saturday 1st March

Glorious sunrise – beautiful sunny day – sunbaked all day – engines broke down – convoy moved ahead – we caught them up again about dusk. Finals of boxing in the afternoon – played Five Hundred in the evening.

Sunday

Early shift (6 – 8) arguments etc on Theology, War, Colonies etc – a grey almost bleak day with the best sea we’ve seen since we turned the cape – not at all what was expected of the cauldron of Hell – the Red Sea. Most of the chaps wore shirts and tunics – coming down to tea stopped to listen to the Sunday afternoon hymn singing. It was very good – some of the nurses have lovely voices. It seems unreal that they should have any part in this business. In the evening we played cards.

Monday 3rd March

Another cold day. – played crib for beer – GW & self beat VA & JJD – won two beers each but haven’t collected – land on both sides – sand and rock – The promised land doesn’t look too promising – hundreds of ships in gulf of Suez – came to anchor in the evening. Port Suez lying away to starboard – ships galore – more than there were in Clyde or at Freetown – cards in the evening – got a caning – 1st issue iron rations – thousands of seagulls.

undated – ships list –

Left Clyde 12th Jan 41

Ships in convoy from Glasgow to Suez

Empress of Australia – Mombassa

“ “ Japan “

Nea Hellas

Athlone Castle (Flagship)

Durban “

Windsor “

Cape Town “

Winchester “

Arundel “

Brittanic

Pennland

Monarch of Bermuda

Samaria

Franconia

Duchess of Bedford

“ “ York

Ormonde (Mombassa)

Highland Chieftain (left convoy)

Highland Princess (Durban)

Orbita & Nieu Holland joined convoy at Durban

Tuesday 4th March

1st anniversary of day we went into Brighton Camp. 1st shift on gun interesting couple of hours watching various types of craft in the water. Played two up on isolation deck – spun nine heads spinning for 3d a time – got 2/-. R Ross at big school spun 8 heads and won a fiver – news through English officer that canal is mined – Fish heads undecided whether to risk sending us to Haifa by sea or land – mine sweepers at work in canal – watched Tommies being unloaded from other ships into flat bottomed lighters – cards in the evening.

Wednesday 5th March

Bright sunny day – sun playing on cliffs and sand made pretty sight – every type of craft imaginable on the water – steam – motor outboard and numerous sailing craft (estimated 150 liners at anchor) more delicacies brought aboard for officers (crossed out) told the bananas was like Hobart in an off season – reply —————— Played Bridge in the evening with Tom Mead and Jock Roach (Tommy orderlies in isolation ward) and Dick Lewis.

Thursday 6th

Early shift – made tea, cleaned guns, played crib, lazed in sun and watched arabs bartering . Lecture in the evening by Mr Logan on Palestine – showed good form as an after dinner speaker but if his information is right the place is up to ———. Played Bridge again. Information about mail is good – got an officer to get some whisky (doubles 6d) – its a paradise for officers.

Friday 7th

Glorious day – sunbaked, read and played cards on deck. Listened to oration from Tommy orderly named Rathbow on Buddhism – confirmed Buddhist – crude ideas – going to be B priest after war.

A lot of activity among ships several small freighters go up Canal – some light cruisers and big aircraft carrier also go – another convoy of troops arrive – Bomber with tremendous magnetised steel ring encircling the undercarriage and wings for exploding mines in canal flies over. Boatload of green vegetables and tomatoes brought aboard for officers. They live like Princes whilst the men live like pigs. Asked Burnett to get 2/6 whisky – said there wasn’t any in mess – like Hell. Played Bridge again – just going to bed when roused out to gun pits – air raid expected – officers like women in panic – alarm subsided – night relief took over – slept in isolation ward – got a cold. Ship got stuck on mud nearly rammed by another ship.

Saturday 8th

early shift – series of parades for rifles etc – uncertainty as to time of disembarkation. At eleven o’clock announced that disem was off for today then at 2 o’clock called immediate parade – our guns dismantled – railway unit took over Ac Ac with Lewis guns. Waiting on deck with full equipment till 10 o’clock. (insert – Community singing. B Burnett sang Murray Moon) – unloaded into lighters to accompaniment of sheep baas and sheep dog barking – sang Gundagai and Maori farewell as we left ship. Nurses and English Medical Officers waved us off – unloaded onto wharf at 12MN – dixie of tea and bun – hard as hobs (?) of hell.

Sunday 9th

left wharf by train at 1am – packed like sardines – very cramped but managed to sleep for couple of hours sitting up – 5.30 passed through Ismalia – train runs alongside canal – 6.30 at El Qantara West. 7.00 detrained crossed Suez Canal on punt. tea & biscuits – entrained again at 8.30 (Jewish money changers on station – Egyptians run round asking for Bakshees – miles and miles of sand – crossed the frontier from Egypt to Palestine about midday – getting into cultivated country. Arrived Gaza about 3.30 – about 1/2 mile march to camp – “Kilo 89” – worst 1/2 mile ever I marched in my life – pack & kit & equipment about 140lbs and awkward as hell. Camp brought memories of Brighton. Distribution of mail – one letter and one cable for me – had a drink of Carlton ale – lovely.

Monday 10th

1st parade 7.00 – muster parade 9am. 10 o’clock more mail – got twenty letters and 6 cables (red letter day) many parcels mentioned but none arrived – story that they were all sunk sounds fantastic. Arabs very primitive people – plough with camels & single furrow wooden ploughs – mules & camels only means of transport – muster parade – talk by Major Cummings. Wrote airmail letter to mother. Slept on cage like arrangement made of bamboo – like sleeping on post and rail fence with a lot too many posts – very cold during night.

Comments

28 Feb – 1d blind is presumably ‘penny blind poker’

5 March – Reference to Hobart in an off season is to the fact the Hobart’s harbour (the Derwent estuary) can certainly accommodate a great fleet of ships. Presumably there were many jibes on various topics, from Queenslanders to Tasmanians, and Dad would have enjoyed the opportunity have a dig at them – ‘the bananas’ refers to men from Queensland (‘banana benders’)

7 March – for photos and descriptions of these mine-clearing bombers, see https://medium.com/war-is-boring/how-britain-beat-germanys-wwii-magnetic-sea-mines-bfec5558704c

7 March – food for the officers – Dick Lewis confirmed that it was indeed the case that they were fed like princes, compared to the men – who, according to The Footsoldiers always spoke scathingly in later years of their rations on board – ‘endless meals of salted kippers and potatoes’ (p21)

8th – 10th – Mostly covered in letters. I found a photo of the ‘bamboo beds’ in the book A Special Kind of Service – The Story of the 2/9 Australian General Hospital 1940 – 46 by Joan Crouch (1986)

Posted in guard/ picket/ orderly room duty, pay and conditions, Uncategorized, unit and personal diaries | Tagged bamboo beds, Ismalia, Kilo 89, Palestine, Suez | Leave a comment

After nearly five months, a bundle of letters

Posted on March 10, 1941 by felicityh54

10 March 41 p2

10 March 41 p3

10 March 41 p4

TX 1004

Pte Max Hickman

2/33rd Battalion

AIF

Abroad

10th March 1941

Dear Mother

At long last we have arrived some place somewhere from which you’ll gather that though much nearer home we’re still very much abroad. It’s just a little more than twelve months since we went into Brighton camp and in some respects this camp is not unlike Brighton and one can expect to hear again the expression so synonymous with Brighton – come out on the sand. According to some of the chaps who have received late February airmail letters it has already been broadcast in Australia that we had left England and also of our destination so of course Mother you know almost as much as we do.

The most pleasant feature of our arrival at this camp was the mail – with the exception of one unfortunate chap everybody got a bundle of letters and in a couple of isolated cases parcels too. After nearly five months without any letters from home you can well imagine the joy the sight o many letters gave us and within a few minutes of the distribution everybody was devouring their respective letters with the enthusiasm of starving men eating their first meal. In my lot there were three from you, three from May, six or seven from youngster, two from Mrs Toomey whom I had long since given up as lost, two from Mae Menzie and one from Mick Mason (the first I’ve had from him)

From a port on the way here I posted several letters and views and some small parcels which I hope arrived alright. A girl I met whilst buying a couple of souvenirs said she would write you too. In most respects the trip here was good – calm seas and glorious sunshine all the way – and as our platoon did the Ac Ac work on the ship we struck few guards except when in port and we certainly got our share then. But on board ship we spent the whole day in the gun pits or when off duty playing cards – crib and five hundred and in the latter stages Bridge – with the orderlies in the Isolation Hospital where our guns were mounted. One day a week there was a boxing tournament which we were able to see and some good fights were staged and in the evening when not on duty there were picture shows, impromptu concerts and of course card games of all descriptions and around payday we had a few pots at the canteen. The water in the ship was not too good and though the beer was just beer it was drinkable.

I’ve just been talking to a chap whose been here a couple of months and according to him I’m allowed to tell you that we’re in Palestine and presumably I can tell you of our trip without mentioning towns or places. We were landed from the ship by lighters We left the ship shortly after ten o’clock on Saturday night to the accompaniment of Gundagai and the Maori Farewell and at midnight reached a wharf and after a cup of tea and a bun left over from when the pater came over we entrained. At seven o’clock on Sunday morning we stopped for refreshments – a dixie of tea and two small packets of very nice shortbread biscuits – eaten to a chorus of Backshees, Backshees from the gypos then on again through sandy wastes extending as far as the eye could see. Wherever there was stye slightest growth, goat herds varying in size according to the feed could be seen. Later we emerged into more cultivated areas where agriculture was extensively practised – orange groves, barley and rice – and horses and cattle and small flocks of sheep replaced the goat herds of the earlier part of the journey.

As I have only been in camp twenty four hours there isn’t much I can tell you about it beyond the facts that there’s a regular picture show run by Jews – admission is ninepence – that the wet canteen sells a percentage of Australian beer – Carlton special – which certainly sounds interesting – the dry canteen carries a very varied range of shaving and tooth pastes and Australian tobacco and cigarettes and most importantly of all there’s a regular airmail service to Australia.

And now mother to get back to some of the news contained in that wonderful delivery of mail so full of real news though some of it is not too good. I’m sorry to hear that the pater has been having dizzy turns and that May has been sick with measles and sciatica, though for all she must have been suffering at the time she wrote me a most interesting letter – there’s no doubt she’s a brick. I sincerely hope they’re both fit and well now and the youngster too seems to be having a bad run but luck in other directions has been with her. It’s good to know that Dad has started them off towards owning a home and that Bill has such a satisfactory position. He probably wouldn’t like going ashore but as Lieut at Depot he’ll be handy to home. The youngster sounded quite thrilled with their house and East Camberwell isn’t so far from the city and quite a nice spot. May told me that Anne’s tartan arrived alright. It’s good to know that some parcels do find their way home. Youngster said her Christmas present arrived also. I hope yours came to hand too Mother and May’s and Anne’s too – I couldn’t send one to the pater because there was absolutely nothing I could think of to send. Mae Menzie and Mrs Toomey wrote some nice letters and both mentioned Christmas parcels but unfortunately no parcels arrived for me. The only parcels I’ve had were the Gundagai chocolates and cake that Youngster sent early – a parcel of excellent socks and the tin of candy that I got in November and how my mouth waters for those cakes and things that we are led to believe were lost through enemy action.

You told me in one letter that Mahoney looked like being beaten in the election last September but I’ve never heard whether he was or not. I didn’t get a letter from Jack – how did the wedding go off? Everything in order I hope and though I didn’t really expect it I thought there might be a letter from Max Phillips but I guess I’m off his visiting lists – I wrote him several times but haven’t had any from him.

Just a few minutes back I got a cable – I got six this morning (Christmas cables) – but this one from you was addressed here for Christmas – did you think I’d come with the Twelfth Battalion crowd Mother? Well as I understand the airmail closes today I’ll close this letter now and race over to the orderly room. My best regards to the boys. Lots of love to you and the pater.

Max

A bun left over from when the pater came over …

Dad’s father was in Egypt in 1915. He was invalided home from Gallipoli. Sounds like the buns were a little bit dry!

Gundagai

A popular song among Australian troops –

There’s a track winding back to an old-fashioned shack, along the road to Gundagai…Where the blue gums are swaying, the Murrumbidgee’s playing, beneath the sunny sky…Where my daddy and mother are waiting for me, and the pals of my childhood once more I will see…Never more shall I roam now I’m heading back for home along the road to Gundagai.

Backshees

The cry of beggars, hoping for some small change.

Politics

As per blog of 23 November 2014, Gerald Mahoney did indeed lose the seat of Denison in the federal election of 1940.

Disembarking in Egypt – a photo and a video clip

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/008782/

1941-06. SYRIA. A SCENE FAMILIAR TO ALL MEN OF BOTH OLD AND NEW A.I.F. AN EGYPTIAN LABOUR CORPS GETTING IN THE WAY DURING THE UNLOADING OF MILITARY STORES AND EQUIPMENT FROM LIGHTERS ALONG THE CANAL NEAR ISMALIA. (NEGATIVE BY F. HURLEY).

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/troops-in-egypt-1940-aka-australians-in-egypt-1940/query/troopships

No lighters involved in the disembarkation, but this video clip shows how the troops carried all their gear.

Photos on board ship and en route to Palestine

http://www.austcorppetrolpark.thejohnnos.id.au/ACPP_Files/PetrolPark.pdf

Although this account and the accompanying photos are not of the 2/33rd, they depict events similar to those Dad describes, at much the same time – a convoy of ships, men sleeping on deck, cramped conditions below deck, a boxing match on board, the Suez canal, the Sinai Desert and camp in Palestine.

Posted in Australian, Camps and Barracks, Middle East, Posts and telegraph, Uncategorized | Tagged airmail, baksheesh, Brighton, canteen, disembarking, Palestine, Suez | Leave a comment

Verses by the Durban signaller

Posted on March 2, 1941 by felicityh54

This is the ‘pamphlet’ mentioned in a couple of Dad’s letters. A link to more information about the woman who was known as the Durban signaller was included in my last post. The copy shared here was sent home to Dad’s sister Ivy – on the front page there’s a note from him saying ‘if possible youngster, keep this till I get home’. He posted it to her from Port Suez in march 1941.

The back page is covered with autographs of members of the Carrier Platoon:

QX 4472 AL Earea Highgate Hill Brisbane Q

TX 1003 A Hallam Hobart Tasmania

QX 6550 FE Dredge Thursday Island Queensland

QX 1418 JL Steiger Texas Queensland

QX 5045 GA Watts Gympie Qld

QX 6555 C Mene Thursday Island North Queensland

QX 398 JJ Doran Brisbane Queensland

QX 3570 A Henderson Cairns Nth Queensland

[QX 1338] Pte L Woodlock Goondiwindi Queensland

TX 797 VJ Abel Deloraine Tasmania

TX 599 RE Lewis Wynyard Tasmania

TX 286 RJ Cole Launceston Tasmania

QX 275 J Black West St Rockhampton Qld

SX 763 JH Woods Renmark SA

[QX 2853] P McCowan ??? Qld

QX 4808 Pte CD Henders Woombye N.O.L. Queensland

TX 1158 C St L Lewis Wynyard Tasmania

QX 4048 A Trenow Cairns N. Qld

TX 351 EG Fleming Deloraine Tasmania

QX 1585 JR Reinke Longreach Queensland

QX 1800 J Hocking Roma Queensland

TX 280 JM Fletcher Launceston Tasmania

TX 1004 Max Hickman Hobart Tas

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Durban signaller, pamphlet, platoon members' autographs | Leave a comment

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