Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Kenneth Campbell McCallum was born 31 January 1920 at Booleroo Centre, second child and eldest son of nine children born to Leslie Duncan and Eliza Draevar (nee Linklater) McCallum. Les and Eliza farmed sections 52, 54 and 150, known as ‘Overdale’, Hundred of Willowie.

Ken enlisted 3 March 1941 at Melrose, listing his occupation as Farmer Grazier, joining the Army and allocated serial number S37304. On the 30 September he was posted to 7 Supply Personnel Company. This Company provided storemen to man the various supply depots around the state. He was first moved 2 February 1942 to the Reserve Supply Depot located at Barmera, and then on to No. 6 Services Flying Training School at Mallala later that month.

On 17 November 1942 he was transferred to No. 6 Initial Training School, located at Victor Harbour, where he was stationed for five months. In April of 1943 he was moved to the Detail Issue Depot located at Largs Bay, which serviced the coast gunners.

Prior to the 7 May 1943, 7 Supply Personel Company had these detachments scattered across South Australia manning the supply depots. Subsequent to this date there were changes. HQ 7 Supply Personel Company became HQ 14 Supply Depot Company (Sup Dep Coy) and the detachments were formed into Supply Depot Platoons numbered 82 to 89.

On 28 April 1943, Ken transferred to the AIF, and assigned Army number SX29558. This meant he could be deployed outside Australia, thus in early May he transferred to 89 Australian Supply Depot Platoon (Sup Dep Pl) and entrained to Queensland. On the 18 August 1943, at Brisbane, Ken boarded Troopship “X61” to New Guinea where he disembarked at Buna, a village on the coastal plain of Northern Papua. This area had been the scene of bloody fighting between November 1942 and January 1943 in the final stages of the Papua campaign.

On their arrival at Buna the platoon came under HQ 31 Sup Dep Coy and worked at Buna until February 1944 before moving to nearby Dobodura. The Buna operating base was closed in late 1944 and on the 9 October Ken was shipped back to Australia. He had spent a total of 15 months in New Guinea, some of this in hospital with malaria.

89 Sup Dep Pl then joined 18 Sup Dep Coy, and worked at Wallgrove, New South Wales until cessation of hostilities. On May 5, 1945, he married Jean Diment Rowe, of Colomba.

He was formally discharged from the army 2 October 1945. Returning to civilian life he resumed farming, establishing a Suffolk sheep stud and expanding his landholdings over the years. He served as a councillor for the Willowie Ward and was President of the Mount Remarkable Agricultural Society. He was also an active member of the local Methodist church at Booleroo Whim, and for a period of several years served as Church Steward and Trustee. Ken and Jean had two sons and two daughters.

Kenneth died suddenly at his home 28 October 1971, aged 51 years, and is buried at the Melrose Cemetery, South Australia. Plot 10.

Excerpt taken from "Diggers From the Dust" (2018) Di Barrie and Andrew Barrie