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Australia

Whilst the second of seven children and named Harold Maxwell, Max was always called by his second name. He was born in Broken Hill on the 26th July ’19. Max’s parents were John Mortimer and Mona Cates who had also married in the Silver City, an isolated city in the outback, on the New South Wales and South Australian border, an area rich in minerals, especially silver, lead and zinc. There were eventually seven children in the family, Jack, Max, Raymond, Rhonda, Alma, Brian and Betty. Life was not easy for the family with their father, John initially sustaining a badly bruised injury to his foot at the North Mine in October ’21. Shifts at the mine were spasmodic with periods of unemployment but with a wife and initially three children to support. John turned to ‘creative’ means of earning, being first charged with stealing, then on-selling iron.
The young family soon moved to Exeter but finances continued to be scarce. This led to desperate measures including John being charged in ‘25 in the Adelaide Police Court with having obtained £5 through false pretences, pretending he was Norman Farquhar. In his defence, John had met with an accident which precluded him from working but intended to repay the loan when he resumed work. Max was still five years old at the time, with his father disappearing from home in June, leaving Mona with no adequate means of support for herself and four young children. The Port Adelaide Court issued an order for John to make weekly payments of £2. In a later move to Portland, John again attempted to borrow money in ‘35, implying that Mona was in hospital and he needed to pay the fare to see her and buy some articles. Being his second conviction for a similar offence resulted in John having to serve a term of imprisonment.
This all contributed to an unsettled childhood for Max and his siblings. However, post school he found employment as a Press Operator with the Carr Fastener Company of Australia until the outbreak of WWII. His older brother, Jack enlisted in January ’41 becoming SX10915 with the 2nd/27th Battalion. Aged 22 Max enlisted on the 30th August ’41 in Adelaide where he was given the number SX14264 and initially allocated to the 2/43rd Battalion. Within a month Max transferred to the 2/48th Battalion where his older cousin, Charlie Holman SX13570, who also grew up in Broken Hill and had enlisted early in July, was serving. Max’s younger brother, Raymond enlisted in March the following year, becoming Gunner SX18049.
Following training in the bleak conditions of Woodside, Max and fellow enlistees headed overseas in Convoy on the 31st October for the Middle East, arriving on the 20th March ’42. Almost immediately, Max briefly went unofficially sight-seeing, but was simply admonished, rather than being fined.
By September, unwelcome news was received by the family that ‘Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Cates, of Wellington street, Portland, have been notified that their eldest son, Pte. Jack Cates, has been wounded in action. He enlisted in January 1941 and recently returned from overseas. Pte. J. Cates has two brothers serving in the A.I.F. Pte. Max(abroad) and Gnr. Ray Cates.’ In a tribute to the Papuan natives, Jack was one of several injured soldiers who praised the superhuman heroism of them for carrying the soldiers in the Kokoda area. A report in the Advertiser in October reported that ‘They suggested some better recognition of their heroism than a few tins of bully beef or the few shillings that soldiers could give them as they parted at the roadhead. "No white man could have carried us over that country," said Pt. Val Gardiner AIF, of Mildura, who was wounded in the Kokoda area. "I was knocked over by a Japanese grenade and did not take much interest in subsequent proceedings, but I was carried by the natives on a ‘boong' stretcher of branches, and they could not do enough for me. Up in the mountains they carried us over places where it was next to impossible to pass at all and down Uberi way they carried us through mud up to their knees. One gave up his own blanket to wrap round me. "I gave 10/ to Ernest, a mission boy who said that he was going to split it up among the team." Pte. Jack Cates. AIF, of Port Adelaide, said—"'Our stretcher-bearers could never have stood up to it, but the natives did, They really were wonderful."
Later that year, Max was devastated that his cousin Lance Corporal Charlie Holman was killed in action in Egypt on the 26th October 1942 in the fierce fighting undertaken by the Allieds to capture Trig 29. Patrick Hoare, also from Broken Hill (SX8486), was killed in the same offensive. In his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’, John Glenn describes that ‘the 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest’ He described the preceding nights where ‘an occasional burst from a machine gun disturbed the night of 24th October. Nevertheless, it was a busy time for the tired men. Little or no sleep could be had. A hot meal sent forward after dark was quickly swallowed. There was no time for yarning. Defences had to be improved, more digging and wiring done and patrols sent out.’ On that night alone 9 of the Battalion were killed and 20 wounded in action. Of these 16 were from South Australia and the remainder from Western Australia. The conditions where ‘arrangements were made for mines, wire ammunition, food, water, overhead cover, sandbags, tools, anti-tank guns, and all the rest, and holding the present position while preparing to launch another attack. And while all this was being done, the battalion was subjected to murderous fire from artillery and mortars. It says much for the battle-drill of the battalion and supporting arms that everything worked out smoothly, going off without a hitch.’
In November ’42 Max received a gunshot wound reported as being the left rump, causing him to be hospitalised as his battalion were leaving the Middle East and heading for Melbourne. He carried these battle wounds of scarring on his right hip and shin for the remainder of his life. The News carried the article in their November issue ‘Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Cates, of Wellington street, Portland, have been notified that their second son, Private H. M (Max) Cates has been wounded in action in Egypt. He enlisted in July 1941 and left Australia in the following November. Before enlisting he was employed by the Carr fastener Co, of Australia Ltd. An elder brother, Pte. Jack Cates, returned from overseas recently and was wounded in New Guinea. A younger brother, Gunner Ray Cates is also serving with the A.I.F.’
Soon after arriving back on home soil, Max again was caught being Absent Without Leave for 12 days over August and was docked the equivalent number of day’s pay. He was diagnosed with a painful inflammation to his sciatic nerve, often caused by a herniated disc. Resultantly, his marching duties were restricted. At a similar time, he also contracted scabies, again causing him the be hospitalised. He was eventually discharged in December ’43. Max and his brothers all survived the war with Private Raymond being discharged in March ’44 and Private Jack in February ’46.
Max continued to remember his cousin via the Barrier Miner on Thursday 26 October 1944, HOLMAN L/CPL.-A tribute to the memory of my Pal and Cousin (Charles), Killed in Action at El Alamein on October 26, 1942. A thought for today. A memory forever, Inserted by Max Cates, Ex 2/48th Batt., AIF. Ret.
Max and his wife, Ethel lived in Ferryden Park, a suburb of Adelaide. They had five children, with Graham Maxwell the first to arrive in July ’47, followed by Jenny, Damian, Ryan and Darren.
Max continued to be an active member of the West Croydon Kilkenny Sub Branch of the RSL. Aged 67, he died on the 23rd May, 1987. He was cremated and his ashes interred at Centennial Park, marked by a weeping rose in Rose Bed N30, position 23. Ethel died on the 4th Nov 95, and her ashes are placed with those of Max.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.