Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

World War 2 Record

Don Mackie was eager to join the war but had to wait until he reached 18, enlisting with the Australian Defence Force on 7th Feb 1945 ten days after his birthday. In the October he was sent to Townsville to take part in Malaria research and while there in March the following year he received his first citation for disobeying a lawful command given by his superior officer. These days in the ADF that could have meant a jail term.

In October 1946 he left Sydney on HMAS Kanimbla and disembarked in the Japanese port of Kure a month later, just in time for the post war mop up. As soon as he set foot in Japan, Don was in the kind of trouble that showed a disrespect for authority and was awarded charges for insubordinate conduct the very day the ship berthed. But I guess the Army was a bit like knocking up against his dear old Dad who, since 1942, was already away at the war in the Pacific. 

The discipline system is necessary for ADF operational capability by dealing with offences that affect military discipline, such as offences that occur in a military environment. Offences by ADF members are prosecuted within the military justice system when the offence substantially affects the maintenance and ability to enforce service discipline. Administrative action includes counselling, formal warnings, censures, and removal from duty.

From 1945 when he enlisted until Don was discharged from the Army in August 1949 he was placed on multiple charges for offences ranging from neglecting to obey orders and constantly Absent Without Leave (AWL), to conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. At a rough estimate going through his service record he was Confined to Baracks (CB) for weeks at a time, was fined what I counted up to at least 40 pounds and had funds equal to 73 days of pay forfeited from his Army Paybook; he was demoted from corporal to private twice, and finally, as time went on and they increased the punishments, he was sentenced to 28 days detention several times. Don met his first proper girlfriend in Japan and it seems that he often went AWL to see her. In 1949 Don was discharged from the military, returned to Melbourne and started work as a used car salesman.