Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

DOUGLAS LESLIE WENHAM was born in Caltowie, in the mid-north of South Australia, in October 1921. His family moved to Adelaide and then to Port Lincoln where Doug undertook all of his formal education, completing grade 7. His first job on leaving school was as a ‘grease monkey’ with George Mayne & Son’s garage in Port Lincoln, then later he was apprenticed to Geddes Timber Merchants, as a Joiner. In 1939 the family moved back to Adelaide and for a short time Doug worked at the plywood manufacturers Furness Ltd., in Edwardstown. He then successfully applied for a position as a “carpenter’s lad” with an Unley builder – M.J. Black. In 1941, at age 19, Doug volunteered, wanting to join the army as a tradesman. In later years, knowing what so many other young Australian’s had endured, Doug was to reflect that his had been a good war. It might not have always seemed so at the time.

On 14^th August 1941, accompanied by his father, Doug kept an appointment with Major Probert at the Keswick Barracks seeking to join the Army Engineers as a voluntary enlistment. The following day - Friday 15^th August 1941 - having been accepted, Doug reported to the Warradale army camp and the Royal Australian Engineers (Mechanical). Within a month he was transferred to the 4 Military Dist. Field Engineers as a sapper and was assigned the code S15062. Within another month he was transferred to the 3^rd Field Company. Warradale was to be home for the next 19 months with the days filled with drilling, marching in circles, shooting with make-believe guns at an imaginary enemy, and building bridges to nowhere. Doug worked as a carpenter and shared a small workshop with Jack Trezona. Much of their time was spent making furniture – a lot of projects as private commissions for several of the officers. Between them they turned out some very good articles.

In March 1942 the 3^rd Field Company was to transfer to the 5^th Field Squadron which was due to move to Puckapunyal to continue engineering training. At this point Doug volunteered to transfer to the 5^th Bomb Disposal Company. This move enabled him to remain at the Warradale camp, thus avoiding the move to Puckapunyal. On 1^st July Doug was transferred to the A.I.F. and his service number was altered to SXM 15062.

In December 1942 Doug and his long-time girlfriend Joan Shapley were married in Adelaide. Early the following year Doug was sent to catch up with the original 5th Field Squadron which was then at Singleton, New South Wales. The next months were spent in both training and useful construction. The training was in heavy-machinery driving interspersed with stints at various army camps erecting accommodation huts and preparing prisoner of war compounds. In June 1943 the 5^th Field Squadron moved to Queensland.

For most of the next 2 years Doug spent his army time with more training and construction. Groups from the 5^th Field Squadron moved to and fro in eastern Australia carrying out their allotted tasks. In July 1944, after completing a training course at the School of Military Engineering, Liverpool NSW, Doug re-joined his unit and was immediately transferred to the 5th Mechanical Equipment Company R.A.E., the unit in which he would see out the war. September 1944 saw him undertake a course at the Signals Training Centre, Bonegilla.

On 22^nd January 1945, from Townsville, Doug embarked on the troopship M V Duntroon. 8 days later they disembarked at Hollandia (now Jayapura) on the northern coast of New Guinea. As the ‘front-line’ moved northwards it was necessary to relocate, and Doug was soon shifted to Morotai.

In early 1945 Morotai was being further developed as a base to support the upcoming Borneo Campaign. By this time the remaining Japanese forces on the island were of little threat to the allies, and air-raids were becoming rare. Most of the engineering work was concerned with constructing hospital buildings, extending existing airstrips, and building roads. These roads could be laid down … from jungle to rolled gravelled surface … at the rate of 1 mile per day. Doug’s main task was that of bulldozer-driver. The proper care and maintenance of machinery was something that he insisted upon for the rest of his life, a lesson that he had learned at this time.

Doug was selected to represent his unit at the Formal Surrender of the Japanese 2^nd Army on Morotai on 9 September 1945. Among other souvenirs that he brought home was a certificate type copy of the Instrument of Surrender.

He was still on Morotai in November. Then suddenly he was sent to a station camp in readiness for departure. He had been given an Occupational Release having obtained a letter from M.J. Black, his old boss, stating that he had a job to return to.

Doug enjoyed a long, comfortable, and active life following his return. With his wife Joan, he ran a successful building business. Doug and Joan had 4 children.

Doug was a conscientious voluntary worker within the local community of Edwardstown where he lived. On Australia Day 2004 he was rewarded for his unstinting giving of his time and expertise with the awarding of OAM.

DOUGLAS LESLIE WENHAM OAM JP   24 OCTOBER 1921 – 21 FEBRUARY 2014

A more detailed biography is available at … SX 20887 Spr. WENHAM D. L. (drive.google.com)