Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Robert Surkitt (Bob) was born on 25/08/1920 at Warrnambool, Victoria, the ninth of eleven children to Albert and Minnie Giles Surkitt. His family lived at Winslow before moving to Caramut in the Western District of Victoria. His father worked as a farm labourer and shearer.

During the years 1926 – 1934, aged between 6 and 14, Robert attended Caramut School where he gained his merit certificate (year 8). He had a typical childhood of this depression era and enjoyed the company of his seven brothers.

 After Robert left school he worked as a farm labourer and shed hand around Caramut and spent time rabbiting and riding horses with his friends and brothers. In 1935, aged 15 he began shearing as part of a team and did this until he enlisted on 4th June 1941.

The Surkitt boys were active and hardworking and loved playing sport in various Caramut teams – football, cricket and tennis. In particular they loved playing football and played for many years in various Caramut teams. Between 1935 and 1939 Robert played a lot of sport and loved playing football. Caramut won 5 flags in a row, the last being 1939 when war broke out. There was no football during the war years and football in Caramut did not start again until 1946. Robert, like his brothers, was a hardworking, lively lad who loved playing football, riding horses and having a beer.

 The War Years

On 04/06/1941 Robert, aged 20 years, 10 months and his brother Henry (Harry) aged 17 years 11 months rode horses from Caramut to Hamilton, a distance of 30 mile (47 kilometres) where they enlisted and trained for 6 months as members of the 4th Light Horse Regiment. Robert was an excellent horseman and had been riding since early childhood. After their training at Hamilton they were posted to Colac where Robert was called up to Full Time Duty on 15/12/1941. He initially joined up as Militia - a Citizen Military Forces soldier (meaning he could not be posted overseas) V101393. The Regiment rode from Hamilton to Colac, a distance of 95 miles (153 kilometres). ‘I clearly remember the day the Regiment passed through Caramut en route to Colac, the whole town turned out to a tumultuous welcome as the two hundred or so troopers, on their magnificent horses passed down the main street. I felt extremely proud as my two brothers rode by’. Robert’s brother Desmond recalled

Robert and Harry spent 4 months training in the Colac area where they spent time placing barbed wire entanglements on the top of stone wall fences in the Stony Rises for about 100 miles. While at Colac the Army decided that the Light Horse Regiment was not a viable option for the warfare of the time so Robert and Harry were transferred to the Armoured Regiment. From 13/02/1942 to 20/04/1942 Robert spent time at Geelong, possibly at the Fort of Queenscliff, in a communication role.

On 21/04/1942 Robert and Harry were transferred to the 2nd Mobile Division at the Motorcycle Training Centre No.1 Evelyn at Lysterfield where they remained for 2 months before being transferred to Rowville. They were at Rowville for 4 months where Robert was a dispatch rider delivering messages from headquarters to the units in the field. For a short period of time he was the driver for a Colonel.

On 23/07/1942 Robert transferred to the Australian Imperial Forces VX81559 and was transferred to the 26th Australian Mobile Regiment – 5th military division.

During 1942 and early 1943 there was the threat of Japanese landing in Australia so soldiers were posted at major ports around the country to defend in case of this anticipated attack. On 20/10/1942 Robert travelled by train to Western Australia, a six day journey, arriving in Perth on 26/10/1942 and was detached to the 30th Australian Anti-Tank Battery – which was an artillery unit. On 06/04/1944 he was transferred to the Landing Craft Repair Shop for the 24th Division. He remained in Western Australia for 22 months until 04/08/1944 and while there received proficiency pay which was extra pay given to soldiers for specialised technical training. During this time he returned to Victoria for 2 months from 11/04/1944 – 18/06/1944 as part of the Landing Craft Repair Shop.

On the 04/08/1944 Robert took the train from Western Australia to NSW where as a member of the 26th Australian Motor Regiment he worked in Lines of Communication both locally and for the US. This role entailed communication between headquarters and units in the field in jobs like transport drivers and signalmen – they would deliver supplies to the units in the field. Robert remained in NSW until 21/11/1944 and while there transferred to the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) in the Engine Room and then to the 11th Australian Workshop and Park Company where he trained as a Sapper (a private in the RAE) whose role it was to clear barriers set up by the enemy to enable soldiers a clear passage to the fighting. On 25/11/1944 he was transferred to Queensland for training in the RAE Training Centre. During 1944 there was no longer a threat of Japanese landing in Australia so soldiers were posted overseas.

On the 10/05/1945 Robert was transferred overseas from Brisbane abroad the US Army troop transport ship the ‘Sea Barb’. After 16 days at sea, the ship landed on 26/05/1945 at Morotai (Netherlands East Indies – Indonesia) which was a military and landing base for Allied personnel. Here he remained before being posted to Balikpapan, a port city on the island of Borneo, Indonesia, arriving on 11/07/1945 on board the Medium Landing Ship 151. Being a Sapper it was his role to clear the beach of mines, barb wire and any other barriers – gunners were told to ‘follow the sappers’ as they cleared the way for safe entry to the battle. On 15/12/1945 Robert got proficiency pay for doing some extra technical training and was regraded to an Engine Hand grade 3. 

The Battle of Balikpapan took place from 1 – 21 July 1945 involving the Australian 7th Division. The operation was called Operation Oboe and involved soldiers from Australia, United States, Netherlands and United Kingdom – the Japanese were outnumbered and outgunned. The battle was the final campaign of WW2 and concluded when Allied forces took control of Borneo Island. Japan surrendered while the Australians were combing the jungle for enemy soldiers. Following the surrender Australian soldiers were committed to occupation of the island until February 1946.

Robert left Balikpapan aboard ship on 17/01/1946 arriving in Brisbane on 25/01/1946 and was transferred back to Victoria on 06/03/1946 serving at Port Phillip Coast artillery, then demobbed back to the 11th Australian Workshop and Park Company on 14/06/1946 from where he was discharged on 20/06/1946.

Robert spent a total of 1,649 days as a soldier – 1,268 days service in Australia and 261 days service overseas. He was in the Citizen Military Forces (V101394) from 15/12/1941 – 22/07/1942 and in the Australian Imperial Forces (VX81559) from 23/07/1942 – 20/06/1946. He was 25 years 2 months old when discharged, having enlisted at 20 years 10 months

During the war Robert and five of his brothers (Albert, Arthur, Frederick, Harry and Desmond) served in various capacities both in Australia an overseas. Quite amazingly all six Surkitt brothers returned from the war with some minor injuries and illnesses but without loss of limbs or major psychological problems.

When Robert was discharged on 20/06/1946, aged 25 years 2 months he returned to Caramut and his pre-war occupations of shearing and farm labouring. Robert bought a ute and a two man shearing plant and established himself as a shearing contractor. He met and married Edna Mary Wensley from Minhamite and began a family. The young family lived in Caramut were Robert worked and played football.

Robert applied for a Soldiers Settlement farm and on 18/03/1955 was allocated Block 31 on the Shelford Estate, 50 kms west of Geelong, Victoria. From 1956 to 1981 Robert farmed, wheat and sheep, while raising a family of 8 children. In 1981 at the age of 60 he sold the farm and moved to Grovedale, Geelong and purchased a hobby farm close by. During these years Robert and Edna lived a quiet, happy life with an ever growing family of grand and great grandchildren.

At age 94 Robert (and Edna) moved to Balmoral Grove Aged Care, Grovedale, Geelong. They were settled there and spent 3 years together in a double room until Robert died on 28/11/2017 aged 97 of renal failure. Not long after Robert died, Edna became sick and died 12/05/2018, 5 days before her 92 birthday of renal and heart failure. They are buried together at Eastern Cemetery, Geelong. Robert and Edna had 8 children, 19 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and 2 great, great grandchildren at the time of their deaths.