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John, born on the 14th January 1911 at Prospect, was the third child and second son of Robert Aubury and Emily Louisa Buckley. He was one of six children, including Reginald Aubury, Dorothy Evelyn Emily, Murray Angus, Margaret Kathleen (Peg) and William Charles. Sadly, just months after John’s third birthday, Murray died as an infant in July ’14.
Post school, John worked as an insurance clerk with the West Australian Insurance Co. in Adelaide, a far cry from the creative, innovative leader he was to become.

Probably a typical 17-year-old, John and his 20-year-old friend Lyndhurst Jones, were both caught riding at 35 miles an hour on their motor cycles on Prospect Road. Both were fined £1 with £1 costs, a tidy sum for both young workers. Lyndhurst was later to also enlist just months before John on the 21st May ’40 as SX3107 in the 2/27th Battalion, rising to the rank of Sergeant.

John met New Zealand born Ethel Lily Janet June Bennett (‘June’) of Glenelg with the two announcing their engagement in June ’36. Just prior to Christmas the following year, they married on the 24th December in Adelaide and welcomed their first daughter in May ’39.

However, WWII intervened. Just after his 29th birthday, John enlisted as SX7985 and was placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion where he came to be affectionately known as ‘Buck’ to the men with whom he served and led. He was amongst the first group who sailed for the Middle East and would become part of the highly respected Rats of Tobruk. His leadership skills were quickly recognised, and he was soon acknowledged with the rank of Sergeant.
With more reinforcements arriving in September ‘41, John’s skills as a canny patrol leader had become well-honed. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan recounts how ‘Sergeant Buckley took a patrol out, reaching the wire in front of D Company when the men saw a German party approaching. Buckley ordered his men down until the Germans got closer.’ Buckley then ordered the men to open fire. ‘Three Germans fell, the rest scattered and ran.’ Unfortunately, as one retreated, he turned and fired, hitting Ossie Lohmann in the mouth. Buckley ordered his patrol to withdraw, taking the injured Ossie back to their post. With the area occupied continually having fluid boundaries, an obviously lost Germans walked into the 2/48th group and was immediately ordered to put his hands up, unaware that the gun in his back had just been unloaded and was in the process of being cleaned. Fortunately, the Luger in the German’s boot was quicky seized by the men and used to replace the unloaded pistol.

Buckley’s rapport with his battalion and his leadership skills were admired by those in his battalion. Mark Johnston meticulously documented ‘Diver’ Derrick’s diaries contain an entry for the 25th March ’42 “I am fortunate in having a good instructor Sgt Buckley from Don Coy.” (It carries an explanation that Buckley stepped in when one of the warrant officers was ill. An official report stated that Buckley ‘handled a rather difficult squad, composed mostly of HQ Coy personnel, very well.’ That squad also included Derrick.’)

In July ’42 the battalion was digging in, preparing for action. However, with many Allied planes in the air, an enemy raid was not expected, until bombs began to fall. John was one of five in D company who were wounded, with Derrick also recording in his diary on the 6th July that ‘Sgt Buckley of Don Coy also wounded badly’ Back home, the Chronicle listed that SX7985 Sgt. J. A. R. Buckley. Inf., Glandore had been Wounded in Action.

John recovered to again head out on patrol on the 27th September ’42, with instructions to bring in a prisoner, to garner intelligence on proposed enemy action. They had just topped a rise when unexpectedly challenged by a German. Glenn recounts that ‘Sergeant J Buckley, who was the forward scout, and Corporal Arblaster answered with sub-machine-gun and rifle, killing one man and taking another prisoner’. They immediately decided to return, but again were unfortunate when their own patrol ran into another returning German patrol, including a platoon of Germans guarding the minefield. Immediately John’s patrol split up to avoid being captured or injured with John’s small group escaping. He then managed to link up with four other members of the scattered patrol and the men began searching for the remaining four but were forced back under intense fire. Undeterred, the following morning under the protection of a dust storm, Buckley, Sergeant Weston and Lieutenant Kenneally returned to where they had encountered the German patrol the previous night. Unfortunately for the small group, the dust cleared and ‘the foot patrol again came under very heavy fire and was forced back, but not before they were sure they could see no trace of the missing men.’ (It later transpired one of their men was taken prisoner and two had been shot.)

This whole incident later appeared in an early October edition of the Advertiser, sharing the bravery and the cohesive spirit of the 2/48th Battalion.
‘S.A. Men Run Into Trouble From W. J. MUNDAY WESTERN DESERT, October 1. Four Australians—three of them hoping to rescue friends and the fourth out to avenge a friend— made their way for 2,000 yards across no-man's-land in broad daylight yesterday until they were within a few hundred yards of the enemy's front line. Then, with the enemy's big guns crashing shells at them and machinegun and rifle bullets kicking up the earth around them, they withdrew. "I'm afraid we ran a bit then," one of them said later, "but by then our job was done." The Australians were selected from volunteers who had offered to go out under cover of a dust storm to search for traces of three members of a South Australian battalion. These men had been left behind when their patrol fought out a fierce tommy-gun battle with the Germans in the darkness of no-man's-land on the previous night. There were plenty of volunteers, but finally Sgt. J. A. R Buckley, of Glandore, Adelaide, who had been with the patrol, Lt R. Kennelly, of Mt. Lawley (WA), and Sgt. Jack Weston, of Lockleys, Adelaide, were chosen. Cpl. Ron Ingram, of Yorke Peninsula (SA), who was anxious to avenge a mate killed in the recent Tel El Isa fighting, went too.
‘Duststorm Clears Just as they left the forward post the dust storm cleared, leaving them in plain view as they advanced over the bare flat desert towards the enemy lines. But they kept going and gathered evidence to confirm the belief that their friends had been taken prisoner, before they turned to make the equally hazardous journey back. Bullets were coming very close when the search ended 300 yards from the enemy lines, and the Australians sheltered behind a small sand dune. While they sheltered, Sgt. Weston, who got the DCM for his patrol work at Tobruk and the Military Medal for gallantry in the Tel El Isa fighting, took his boot off to empty the sand from It Then the shells began to lob nearby and the Australians decided to run for it. Weston ran with his boot under one arm and his tommy-gun under the other. "I didn't stop to put the boot on; I just held it out in front and my foot went into it as I ran." he said.
‘Met German Patrol Two of the Australians who were taken prisoner on the previous night sacrificed their liberty to help a third. The patrol was returning from a raid with a German prisoner. They had covered only 300 yards of the enemy wire when they walked into the midst of a German patrol, also on the way back to their own lines. Though greatly outnumbered. the Australians fought their way through with their captive. The two patrols mingled and were blazing away at each other with tommy-guns at a range of from 20 to 30 feet In the darkness, when one Australian shouted. "I'm hit." Immediately the patrol commander ran to the wounded man, shouting to Sgt. Buckley. "Get the patrol back." However, another Australian, shooting as he ran, reached the wounded man at the same time as the officer. Both were tending to him when Buckley and the others, with the prisoner 'in their midst, shot their way through.
This was an amazing recount and clear example of the camaraderie of the battalion, but also the leadership of Sergeant Buckley. Two days later, a summary of the incident accompanied a photograph of John. ‘Desert Patrol Exploit
Sgt. J. A. R. Buckley, of Glandore. took part, with three others, in a daring patrol in the Western Desert last week. Searching for companions who were missing on an earlier patrol, they covered 2,000 yards and approached to within 300 yards
of the enemy positions. Escaping heavy shell and rifle fire, they then made their way back to their own positions.’
Following a brief respite back in Australia, John trained in Queensland to face a very different enemy in the tropical conditions of New Guinea where his patrol skills wound again be pivotal for the success of the 2/48th Battalion. One such incident occurred in October ’43.
Knowing that the Katika track was being heavily used, John was chosen to take his platoon through heavy jungle in mountainous country, cut the track, and set up an ambush. He successfully selected a site between two enemy positions with the result that his men accounted for five killed and two wounded. Strategically, John organised a quick withdrawal with his men melting into the jungle. By this time, John’s skills as an outstanding patrol leader resulted in him being chosen for some of the battalion’s most difficult patrols behind the enemy lines. Glenn observed that ‘It says much for his careful planning and quick thinking that he succeeded in withdrawing every one of his patrols without sustaining a single casualty, despite the fact that in the last week of October alone his parties accounted for nineteen of the enemy. It came as little surprise when he was awarded the Military Cross.’
Derrick also referenced in his diaries the splendid patrol work carried out by the Australian patrols, especially those conducted by John. One such entry was on the 30th October ’43 “Lieut Buckley and patrol got 14 Japs without loss – A patrol scores now 42 for 2 wounded.” Derrick, ever willing to attack, wrote again on December 1st ’43 ‘coy comd was loth to dig in there that night. We had no further amn. Buckley and I however did not like giving up the ground – whole coy is now in position on fringe of kunai in Jap holes.’

In January ’44 the News proudly announced that ‘Three South Australians are included in the list of 33 awards to members of the A.I.F. for gallant and distinguished service in New Guinea during last September and October. The awards were announced last night by the Governor-General (Lord Gowrie). The South Australians are: Military Cross.--Captain Eric Charles Grant. of Woodville Park, and Lieutenant John Alfred Robert Buckley, of Glandore West. Lieut. Buckley enlisted in July, 1940. Before joining the A.I.F. he was a clerk with the West Australian Insurance Co. in Adelaide. He left Australia in November 1940, and served in the Middle East, including Tobruk and and Syria, where he gained his commission. He is married, with one daughter.’ The Advertiser added that ‘Lt. Buckley displayed outstanding leadership and personal bravery when withdrawing patrols from jungle country without sustaining a single casualty.’ In June that year, Major General Wootten presented several awards including the Military Cross to Lieutenant J.A.R. Buckley and Major H.C. Morphett at a ceremonial parade at Divisional headquarters.

John Buckley continued to be at the forefront as a strategic and highly respected leader. Towards the end of April ’45 the 2/48th prepared for a massive attack near the landing beach, which fortunately was dry a huge barrage ensued. Eleven platoon under his command made a rapid advance, capturing and holding the bridge over the Sibengkok River and ensuring it was in good condition, thus enabling a swift and safe passage for the tanks and that the 2/48th could move ahead.
At the time, war correspondents risked their safety for good news to send back home. One such reporter was Frank Legg who was ‘in the right place at the right time’. He had persuaded two of the battalion’s most remarkable commanders John Buckley M.C. and Tom Derrick V.C. who had been on the flanks to make recordings of the landing for posterity. He described the two leaders as ‘Temperamentally they were quite different’ comparing ‘the cultured, measured tones of Buckley contrasted sharply with the staccato aggression of his even more celebrated mate. Diver emphasised the importance of carrying Oil Tank Ridge early. Running parallel to the beach, identified enemy pillboxes could rake and enfilade the assault troops. He concluded on a high note, “The whole show has been excellently planned. Every man knows his job and is very confident – what’s more, they’re Australian.”
Derrick’s diaries continued to provide glimpses of the constant force and intensity of John’s patrols. On the 2nd May ’45 he wrote ‘another patrol of Lt Buckley’s was ambushed & received 4 wounded’ followed three weeks later on the 26th May ‘took a patrol out along a track towards Sykes. Buckley moved in for a closer look when they came under fire and were forced to retreat.’ It was quite remarkable that John survived the war, but sadly, Derrick was killed.
John was finally discharged from the 2/48th Battalion on the 8th September ’45. Four years later in October ’49, he was amongst the 54 recipients who received decorations from the Governor, Sir Willoughby Norrie at Government House. Captain Laybourne-Smith of the 2/3rd Field regiment and Captain Pollok were fellow recipients of the well-earned Military Medal. Tellingly, in comparison, John’s rank was as a Lieutenant.

John’s mother, 72-year-old Emily died in 15th May 1954. Sadly, John pre-deceased his father and died aged 62- on the 30th June ’73. Fittingly, he now rests in the Derrick Gardens, Centennial Park in Path 26 plot 259B. His father Robert was 91 when he died about five weeks after John on the 5th August. Wife Ethel lived to be 62 and died in August 1977.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.