Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ronald was born in Adelaide on the 13th May 1926, to Leslie Albert James and Emma Virgin. As a youngster, he attended the Murray Bridge School where he proved to be a competent student and gained his Qualifying Certificate. As a thirteen-year-old, he was also involved in the local Tailem Bend Regatta and Fete, swimming in the school Handicapped Race where he finished second. The day was part of the official opening of the Tailem Bend Rowing Club and well supported by the local hospital auxiliary.
Post school, Ron worked in the Railways as a labourer, until having just turned 18, he enlisted on the 30th August ’44 and was allocated the number SX33794. He was initially sent to train in New South Wales. By the end of the year Ron was briefly admitted to hospital with a painful right knee before he travelled to Queensland to train for warfare in the tropical conditions of New Guinea against a very different enemy. By August ’45 Ron was taken on strength to the 2/48th Battalion which had lost many of its ranks in the Middle East and needed reinforcements for the next phase of the war. He arrived in Tarakan later that month where he served for four months, then was sent to Morotai for a further three months and by the end of that year was again serving in Tarakan. His next posting was to Rabaul. By April ‘46 Ron was promoted to Corporal until his eventual discharge from the Disposal unit in December that year when he was discharged and returned to civilian life as a storeman.
Civilian life had its challenges for 20-year-old Ron, when he and a fellow soldier from Broken Hill, Robert Robinson S115278, were apprehended for driving a motor cycle while so much under the Influence or intoxicating liquor as to be incapable of exercising effective control whilst driving at the corner of West terrace and Franklin street, about 8.30 p.m. Fortunately, the charges were dismissed.
Ron’s parents lived to see him return from the war. His 57-year-old father, Leslie died on the 5th December ’57 and Emma lived to be 87. She died on the 7th June ’86. Both are buried in the North Road Cemetery. At the end of that year, Ron, then living at Mt Pleasant, applied to receive his war medals. The two, the Pacific Star and War Medal were duly sent to him at Mount Pleasant in April the following year.
78-year-old Ron died on the 29th May 2004 and was buried in the Enfield Memorial Park at Clearview.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.