Regiment Members

Details

Category: Regiment Members

Published: 11 July 2019

Hits: 37

Service Number		Surname	Initials	Rank	Unit
WX	37271	Adams	A		Signals
NX	22921	Bradbury	NM	L/Cpl	Signals
NX	19332	Brown	RE		Signals
NX	25068	Burrow	JR		Signals
NX	28038	Campbell	JN	L/Cpl	Signals
VX	15547	Cassidy	SE	L/Bdr	Signals
NX	27896	Christensen	CB	L/Cpl	Signals
VX	19449	Coad	JWF		Signals
NX	30781	Creamer	RFE		Signals
NX	30780	Dann	HE	L/Cpl	Signals
NX	28479	Davis	IU		Signals
VX	50887	Farrant	R		Signals
NX	25170	Finney	AM		Signals
VX	16599	Flaherty	JP		Signals
NX	31274	Gleeson	JP		Signals
NX	58765	Gleeson	TP		Signals
NX	34066	Grass	VG		Signals
QX	21617	Hall	WH		Signals
NX	19007	Harris	JE		Signals
NX	29801	Hennessy	TE		Signals
WX	40159	Howie	MJ		Signals
NX	23434	Jeffreys	JH		Signals
QX	20971	Lane	RG		Signals
NX	20372	Matthews	JAF		Signals
NX	30633	McDonald	RW	Sgt	Signals
NX	24627	McIntyre	AL		Signals
VX	35837	McLeod	HR		Signals
NX	24715	Mercer	HA		Signals
WX	37272	Millen	PN		Signals
VX	21121	Moran	JW		Signals
NX	25067	O'Grady	WJ		Signals
NX	20015	Oldfield	KR	L/Sgt	Signals
VX	19493	Olney	AD	Sgt	Signals
VX	31990	Peters	RG		Signals
NX	22592	Phillips	WGG		Signals
NX	22950	Piddock	HA		Signals
NX	25075	Richards	LW		Signals
NX	19539	Rowe	LT		Signals
NX	20197	Sandow	CFH	L/Cpl	Signals
VX	33302	Scott	KC	Cpl	Signals
VX	19962	Sewell	LA		Signals
NX	20503	Shying	MM		Signals
NX	24384	Sims	FL		Signals
VX	19528	Smith	NC	Cpl	Signals
NX	23007	Susans	RW		Signals
NX	19015	Thornton	AF		Signals
VX	30386	Toohey	DW		Signals
NX	12248	Traynor	NJ		Signals
NX	28261	Tuckfield	SC		Signals
NX	29893	Veness	CM		Signals
NX	38642	Waddell	WR		Signals
VX	19450	Wale	F		Signals
NX	29892	Wallis	FA	Sgt	Signals
NX	20370	Welsh	TD		Signals
NX	28595	Williams	LR	Lieut	Signals
NX	28262	Williams	RF		Signals
Extracted from the Regimental Roll

 

Details

Category: Regiment Members

Published: 10 July 2019

Hits: 159

Details

Category: Regiment Members

Published: 10 July 2019

Hits: 54

Regimental Roll - RHQ

 

Service Number		Surname	Initials	Rank	Unit
VX	27047	Alexander	MW	Gnr	RHQ
VX	25419	Ampt	MA	Gnr	RHQ
VX	32807	Anderton	EJ	Gnr	RHQ
VX	26134	Bell	RJ	Gnr	RHQ
VX	25400	Boulton	GC	Sgt	RHQ
NX	13812	Buck	BEL	Gnr	RHQ
VX	23697	Carpenter	JP	Gnr	RHQ
VX	13902	Cavanagh	RJ	Bdr	RHQ
VX	48159	Cole	HC	Bdr	RHQ
VX	43698	Collins	AG	Gnr	RHQ
VX	37676	Corkill	EE	Gnr	RHQ
VX	18997	Daley	SM	Pay	RHQ
VX	50099	Danger	GS	Gnr	RHQ
VX	27395	Davey	KF	Gnr	RHQ
VX	14121	Dyer	K	Capt	RHQ
VX	46867	Elder	KW	WOI	RHQ
WX	31430	Fisher	GG	Capt	RHQ
WX	4841	Fitzhardinge	DMB	Capt	RHQ
NX	10658	Grant	VV	Gnr	RHQ
VX	23303	Gray	J	Gnr	RHQ
VX	34759	Hambling	SF	Bdr	RHQ
VX	28577	Hancock	AE	Gnr	RHQ
VX	42125	Hansen	WH	Gnr	RHQ
VX	24909	Hartley	RG	Gnr	RHQ
VX	28575	Hauser	P	WOII	RHQ
VX	48422	Hayes	PG	Capt	RHQ
VX	131455	Hill	GLB	?	RHQ
VX	32510	Hole	LG	Gnr	RHQ
VX	33828	Hulse	C	Sgt	RHQ
VX	45129	Humm	JG	Gnr	RHQ
VX	14296	Lester	DJ	L/Bdr	RHQ
VX	46591	Malthouse	PC	Gnr	RHQ
VX	33956	McLean	EG	Gnr	RHQ
VX	47597	Michaelis	A	Capt	RHQ
VX	38411	Mills	LB	Gnr	RHQ
VX	48131	Minahan	PF	Gnr	RHQ
NX	66125	Neale	V	A/Sgt	RHQ
VX	29466	Peace	HR	Gnr	RHQ
VX	37270	Penglase	RN	Gnr	RHQ
VX	21168	Polwarth	EW	Gnr	RHQ
VX	12690	Quinlan	JN	Gnr	RHQ
VX	17654	Reed	FW	Lieut	RHQ
VX	24127	Reed	WH	L/Bdr	RHQ
VX	13726	Rhoden	JW	Lt Col	RHQ
VX	42008	Rickerby	HG	Gnr	RHQ
VX	47285	Riddell	WG	Gnr	RHQ
VX	37944	Riley	AG	Gnr	RHQ
VX	26073	Ritchie	HL	Gnr	RHQ
VX	35024	Robertson	KC	Gnr	RHQ
VX	15357	Rosenberg	CS	Lieut	RHQ
VX	28764	Rowan	KS	T/Capt	RHQ
VX	43046	Skipper	HEJ	Sgt	RHQ
VX	16524	Sloan	W	Gnr	RHQ
VX	17623	Smith	WL	L/Bdr	RHQ
VX	38605	Speeding	CR	L/Sgt	RHQ
VX	28549	Spiller	AE	Gnr	RHQ
VX	48587	Spooner	F	Gnr	RHQ
VX	35516	Thomas	JC	WOI	RHQ
VX	26792	Townsend	JME	Gnr	RHQ
VX	36727	Turnham	WH	Bdr	RHQ
NX	26047	Welch	JG	Gnr	RHQ
NX	123748	Wightman	DB	Capt	RHQ
VX	32095	Winter	A	Gnr	RHQ
NX	10915	Wood	RG	Gnr	RHQ
Extracted from the Regimental Roll

 

Details

Category: Regiment Members

Published: 26 April 2019

Hits: 69

C. DONELLY   V.X.46836    2/3 L.A.A.   EX. P.O.W.

 

I enlisted on the 29/7/1940 and was drafted into the 2/3 Light Anti-Aircraft Artillery. I was stationed firstly at Caulfield and from there sent to Werribee. At both places we were stationed at the racecourse where we slept on straw palliasses in the concrete stands. Our training was done at Werribee and in December 1940 we sailed for Palestine on the ‘Mauretania’. Other ships in the convoy were Queen Mary, Aquitania, Dominion Monarch and Awatea. After some time in the desert we were then shipped to the island of Crete in the Mediterranean.

 

The German intention was to invade Crete by sea but the British Fleet sank all the invading boats and barges. The Island was then bombed solidly for two weeks, then Paratroopers were flown in of which hundreds were shot down and killed before the Germans finally made a landing at Maleme.

Here they set up a landing strip and finally overran the Island

The British ships ‘Imperial’, ‘Dido’, ‘Orion’ and ‘Hereward’ sailed in to evacuate the troops who boarded the ships during the night of May 28^th.1941. At 5.30 am. on May 29^th.,under heavy Stuka attack, the ‘Hereward ‘,the ship I was on , received a direct bomb which went straight down the funnel. Quite a number of our soldiers and British naval men were killed when the ship was hit, others went down with the ship but the majority jumped overboard and were picked up some hours later by Italian torpedo boats.

 

I had been in the water about six hours and have no recollection of being picked up by the torpedo boat. We were taken up to the beach of a small Island and, according to my mates, I was laid out with the dead bodies. Luckily, I eventually became conscious and, with others, was sent to Rhodes Island for three months, the first three weeks of which were spent in hospital because of exposure in the water.

We were issued with one set of underwear, one pair of socks, one pair of boots –mine were size 9-I take size 6-, one pair of trousers, one shirt, one jacket and two blankets. These were all the possessions we had as all our belongings went down with the ‘Hereward’.

 

We were then shipped to Italy and sent to a camp at Capura and from there to Bolzano in the north of Italy near the Brenner Pass. After some time we were moved to camp 57 at Gruppignano near Udine close to the Yugoslavian border. This infamous camp was under the command of Colonel Calcaterra. Details of this camp can be read in Malcolm Webster’s book, ‘An Italian Experience’ and Alex Barnett’s book, ‘ Hitler’s Digger Slaves’.

We spent about twelve months at this camp and were then sent to work in the rice fields on the Lombardy Plains for the next twelve months. Here our beds were three tiered bunks with thin straw mattresses. Our daily rations were as follows;

Macaroni or rice 66 gms

Bread                200 gms

Cheese                50 gms 

Beans                  30 gms

Coffee - made from acorns - 7 gms

Vegetables           30 gms

 

Meat and bone- which we were allotted every second week – 150 gms.

Macaroni, beans and vegetables- possibly stale cabbage leaves- were made into soup in the camp kitchen and when cooked it was very thin and we were each issued one   

ladle at 11am. each day. In the afternoon we were issued with a bread roll. These rations were 7% above starvation point and this was our daily menu for twelve months.

 

Three hundred and eighty cases of beri beri went out of the camp in one day to the local hospitals.

The camp was crawling with lice and rats and we were allowed one shower a week.

In the winter we were often without water because of the intense cold and would have to melt snow to obtain water.

Hut searches were often carried out for hidden radios, maps and compasses so we were stood outside in the bitter cold of winter or the heat of summer from 8am.till night fall. Sniffer dogs were used and often turned on the men. At one stage I was imprisoned for a month in solitary confinement as some of us protested over the lack of food. I was handcuffed for ten hours a day for this period. My daily food consisted of two slices of dry bread and a drink of water. Bed was the floor with no blankets. It was impossible to walk after a month so I had to crawl back to the huts.

Red Cross parcels eventually came through but with much irregularity. These were supposed to be issued each week but if there was any trouble amongst the men they were withheld and sometimes the Italians stole some of the parcels so this meant the remaining parcels had to be shared. It was reported that an Italian Major was imprisoned for ten years for stealing parcels.

 

The contents of Red Cross parcels were:

Evaporated milk                  400 gms

Lunch biscuits                     250 gms

Cheese                                 250 gms.

Cocoa                                  250 gms

Sardines                               500 gms.

Pork meat                            375 gms

Corned beef                         375 gms

Sweet chocolate                  340 gms

Sugar                                   125 gms

Powdered Orange Cons.      200 gms

Prunes                                 500 gms

Instant coffee                       125 gms

Cigarettes           2                 20’s pkt.

Smoking tobacco   1            60 gr pkt.

 

This camp, 57,at Gruppignano, was known to be the worst camp in Italy.

There were many escape plans and it took 5 or 6 months to dig one tunnel (dug by 

 

Western Australian miners) from which about 40 men escaped but most were recaptured next day. Punishment for trying to escape was severe beatings andimprisonment. The method used to disperse of the soil from the tunnels was to cut sleeves out of old shirts and attach them to the inside of the leg of the trousers and fill with the soil. It would then trickle away whilst walking around the compound.

Fences of barbed wire, about 15feet high, with an inner entanglement of wire, surrounded the camps. At each corner was a sentry box with a searchlight and a guard armed with a machine gun.

 

When Italy capitulated I was loose for sixteen days before being captured by German S.S. (Secret Service) troops. During this time I lived on what food I could find, mainly maize in the field and a few grapes if I was lucky. Some days I didn’t have any food at all. Once captured, I spent the night in the Turin gaol before being sent to Germany in cattle trucks. These trucks were so crowded it was impossible to lie down so we all had to take lying down in turns. This trip took three days and three nights. We were put into camp 344 then sent to a working camp, Lager 741,which was situated in Zwittaw near the Czechoslovakian and Old Sudatenland border. At this camp we were deloused, showered and issued with a new set of clothes. There were no lice in this camp in Germany. Here we were issued with extra food:

 

Bread                                 500 gms

Meat (old horse)                100 gms (not every day)

Coffee                                150 gms (once a month)

Margarine                            25 gms (believed to be an extract of coal)

Sugar                                   25 gms

Jam                                      25 gms (occasionally)

Cheese                                 10 gms

Oats                                     10 gms

Potatoes                            500 gms (in soup)

 

Occasionally we had sauerkraut with caraway seeds. At one stage we were snowed in so no food came into the camp. We lived on swedes and mouldy black bread.

 

The coldest temperature during this period was 28* below and the warmest was 21* below. We wore all our clothes to bed and had two blankets but nothing would warm us, it was so cold. At this camp we worked for twelve months on building construction work and had to go to a quarry for stone for the foundations. This was during the severe winter so had to remove the snow and ice before we reached the stone, which was quarried with picks.  

 

We were treated well by our guards who were older men and had been in W.W.1 and been POWs themselves. They were A1 compared to the stand over tactics of the Italian guards. I spent 2 ½ years in Italy and 1½ years in Germany. When the war ended we tried to reach the Americans at Pilsen about 500 miles away. We walked for days and everywhere we looked there were people going home. The roads were packed and 3 million came into Prague. The Germans bombed Prague for four days so there were dead lying everywhere. We met the Russians on 9/5/1945 at a town called Jablene (pronounced Gablene) on the Czechoslavakian border, then wewere caught up in a fight with three SS armies who would not surrender to the Russians. The SS were trying to get to the Americans in Pilsen. We eventually got to Prague where we spent five days. Whilst there, we saw the Russian victory march in that city. Upon arrival in Pilsen the Americans took us to Regensburg. On May 14^thwe left by plane for Reims and then on to England. We arrived home in Australia in July 1945 on the ‘Stirling Castle’ after being away 1669 days.

The two most important things to come out of these events were the appreciation of our freedom, our country and the companionship and comradeship of the men.

 

One chap in our camp worked from the age of twelve on a station property at Tharlawindi in New South Wales. When war broke out he rode his horse 600 miles to Sydney to join up. He could neither read nor write. He celebrated his sixteenth birthday in the prison camp.

 

  The Hereward          by  W.Dellar         C.Troop 7^th. Battery 2/3^rdL.A.A.

 

It was early in the morning of the 29^thof May

When she received the warning of Stukas on the way

‘Hereward, that grand old ship, a destroyer of the fleet

Was sorely overloaded with evacuees from Crete

 

Guarding her two mother ships, unable to manoeuvre

A fighter to the last, as records well will prove her,

Her four point sevens flinging death into the skies    

Mingled with the chatter of her multiple point fives.

 

A near miss shook her plates and like noisy thunder,

One landed down below split boilers and pipes asunder.

With motive power silenced and guns destroyed on deck,

She lay upon the ocean a helpless floating wreck.

 

To leave the burning ship, was the order of the day,

Without panic or confusion but a little less delay.

Throwing floats and wreckage overboard and discarding all our gear,

We quickly followed after into Father Neptune’s care.

 

A south east swell was rolling, the water icy most,

As we bravely struggled onwards towards the distant coast.

Above, the Stukas glided to the object of their quest,

Till battled scarred and burning she slid to her last rest.

 

For five long hours we labored at the mercy of the seas

Till rescued, wet and weary, by the Ities M.T.B’s.

Some killed on board by shrapnel, some perished in the sea,

And we picked up at long last, live in captivity.

 

But when the war is over, and we are back at home,

We’ll think of them in future years who lie beneath the foam.

Those comrades of our hardships, and pals of high degree,

We’ll remember at reunions and drink to their eternity.

 

Written 5/10/41 at Prato Isarco (POW camp).