Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Jack was born on New Year’s day 1918 to Anne Mary Ralla. He had an older brother, Andrew Norman (Andy) who later lived in Whyalla and post war was renowned for his sidecar racing.
Jack was twenty and a storekeeper at Morgan when two youths from Rosewater stole five bottles of cool drink from his motor vehicle at a Semaphore carpark. Pleading guilty, both boys were fined 10/- with 7/6 costs, an expensive pilfering act. Jack also gained employment as a greengrocer and lorry driver in the Riverland area, plus served in the Militia. With the outbreak of war, he initially, gained an exemption from service on the grounds of hardship until his 23rd birthday.
On reaching this age, Jack and his close friend, 27-year-old Heinrich Krause, a grocer from Loxton enlisted on the same day, the 28th May ‘41 being allocated consecutive numbers; Jack as SX13021 and Heinrich as SX13011. Both were eventually allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. Jack was granted several addition days of leave before moving to Woodside where he unfortunately contracted acute fibrosis, delaying his embarkation. However, Jack was honoured to be asked to be Heinrich’ best man when he married Eveline Weckert from Pata at the Loxton Lutheran Church at the start of June ’41, prior to Heinrich heading overseas.
The following month Privates Fred Collins and Corporal Jack Ralla were back home in Morgan on leave, with a public social held in their honour at the local Institute. Representatives of the Soldiers’ Committee, District Council and RSL Sub-branch conducted the formal farewell, whilst locals made eulogistic references about the two soldiers before the young men were each presented with an initialled fountain pen. The singing old war songs, dancing and a country supper followed. Both Jack and Colin responded, thanking the people who had given them so much support. Jack was then soon on his way overseas, finally arrived in the Middle East in October. (Jack’s older brother Andrew 140452, enlisted in May ’43, becoming a Leading Aircraftman. He survived the war to be discharged in April ’46.)
Jack’s initial days were ‘colourful’ with him deliberately damaging public property, with the consequence that his pay was withheld to recompense for the damage caused in November ’41. A bout of tonsillitis followed but Christmas Eve ’41 brought Jack as a reinforcement to the 2/48th Battalion. He had spent the previous two months training at Mughazi to the south. He had tented with Bill Kibby SX7809 (later a VC recipient) and been impressed by the stories he had heard of the 2/48th. Overnight a cyclone and drenching rain heralded Christmas Day with Jack claiming that he “had to swim from his tent on to company parade”. Jack did briefly challenged authority with a ‘conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline’ charge by being absent for several hours but fortunately avoided another pay loss.
Jack felt at ease in his battalion, coming under the leadership of Diver Derrick whom he described as being like a highly respected father figure and whom fellow soldiers trusted implicitly. He described the tenacity of Derrick as being a “rugged strong person capable of going long distances…nothing daunted him.” Unfortunately, in July ’42 Jack was wounded in action. Mark Johnson in his well-documented Derrick VC In His Own Words diaries, described how the men had captured their objective but ‘the coy casualties being one Jack Ralla received a bullet wound in the leg, but hobbled back to the WWCP (Walking Wounded Collection Post) under his own steam.’
Back home, the August edition of the Advertiser carried the news that Jack had been wounded in action. In the same list was SX7750 Private Thomas Brown of the 2/48th who was taken prisoner of war. Two members of the sister battalion, the 2/43rd, SX5911 A-Sgt Wilfred. B. Curren from Winkie and SX5515 Pte. Ron A. Miller from Croydon, were both killed in that same fighting.
Having recovered, by August Jack occasionally accompanied Derrick in reconnoitre ventures. Murray Fraquhar in Derrick VC retells of the two finding a huge German Naval gun that had been towed from Tobruk. From 100 metres away, the two fired a few shots down the barrel, but one of Jack’s shots hit the rim and ricocheted hitting Derrick just below his eye. Realizing Derrick was unhurt, Jack’s laconic response was “Gee, that was close.” Jack described Derrick as ‘like a cat at night…instinctive’ knowing where and how to go, but also thoroughly prepared. He was a ‘born leader.’
The following month Jack contracted hepatitis, a highly contagious infection of the liver, causing him to be evacuated sick early in September ’42. October that year then saw Jack involved in one of the fiercest battles with the 2/48th. Montgomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. This included an all-out attack on the strategically positioned Trig 29. Conditions were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. Jack’s 2/48th Battalion prepared for the second battle of El Alamein which began on October 23rd. The evening was described by John Glenn in ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ as ‘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.’ He later added that ‘the 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest.’ 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.
In Adelaide to Alamein, by Derrick Paech, Jack described the heavy fire his A Company was subjected to. “The noise was earth shattering. As much as you felt like going to ground, you just kept plugging on. I kept thinking the next shell could have my number on it. You could smell them going past.”
Glenn also explained they were ‘running into particularly stiff opposition to the west of the Trig point. It was only after hard fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides, that they were able to consolidate on their objective. Gradually the platoon, small in number to start with, was being whittled away and those remaining were being forced to go to ground.’
With the Allieds holding Trig 29, Jack was part of a group that witnessed three men in a jeep drive up in the darkness, believing that it was still in German hands on the 26th October. The two that surrendered were taken by jeep with Jack driving, back to Battalion headquarters for questioning. Of those seven 2/48th A Company present, six became casualties in the ensuing days, Jack one of them.
Many years later, in November 2019, in an interview with Harry Lock, the ‘Murray Pioneer’ reported that ‘On the night of October 25 – 26, 7 Platoon was ordered to eliminate a German strong post and suffered heavy casualties, leaving only seven men in the platoon.‘
Kenneth Slessor, the Official War Correspondent also wrote an article which was reproduced in several newspapers. This detailed the battle of El Alamein at the end of October. Referring to the outstanding work of the 2/48th Battalion on that occasion, Slessor wrote: ‘Within one week, in the last great battle of El Alamein, two men of the 2/48th Battalion won the Victoria Cross. Sgt. Bill Kibby, VC, and Pte. Percy Gratwick, VC, lie under the sand in soldiers’ graves today. Australia is far away over the rim of the world, and no one comes near the wooden crosses painted with their names except the wandering Bedouin and the little lizards of the desert.
‘But their battalion is rich in its pride and in its memories. They will never be forgotten. From the stories of their mates, those reluctant-tongued soldiers who fixed bayonets with them in the great offensive which drove Rommel from Egypt, come portraits of these two men in action which no other source could furnish.’
Glenn also included an extract from the diary of Jack Ralla which described SX8096 Hal Laughton’s wounding but also the camaraderie of the Battalion in caring for their fellow soldiers.
“I went to the assistance of Hal Laughton a little higher up the ridge. He had been badly wounded. From that time on we of A Company began to lose men at a fast rate.” Jack was then himself wounded. “As I reached the top of the ridge, I felt an awful burning pain in my left leg, and a hot searing pain shot up into my stomach. I felt my left leg going numb. I was standing on one leg trying to keep my balance and went to grab my rifle for support, but found the woodwork had been shot away. As I sank to the ground, I tried to unclip my webbing but the clips had been destroyed. My left leg was at right angles to my body and blood was gushing from a wound in the groin. Wally Fennell came back holding the side of his head. Sergeant Derrick had been hit, and as he moved away he said he would send the bearers. For hours I waited, watching the night and listening. Then a voice, “Where are you Ralla?” It was Laurie Sharpe (SX8244). Laurie carried me back on his shoulders until he could carry me no further, then left me to search for a stretcher bearer. At day-break I saw two men nearby. I waved and they came over to me. They were Lieutenant Med Wright and Bert Skinner. They took turns carrying me until we reached the Blockhouse. It was full of wounded, while outside they seemed to be lying everywhere. Later I was put on an ambulance, which moved off in convoy.” Distressingly bombers blew up the ambulance following Jack’s and shrapnel hit the soldier in the bunk above Jack as they raced to get medical help. Jack’s injury was major – a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula and gunshot wounds to both his thigh and abdomen. He was extremely fortunate to have survived this second round of wounds.
Jack recorded his last memory of the epic battle as he watched. “Derrick, Fennell and perhaps eight others daring to masquerade as a company, pressing onwards and then disappearing into the mist of war. By dawn they were desperately few – the battalion now numbered less than fifty men; their objective no more than a stone’s throw away but their strength greatly weakened.”
When Jack arrived at the Blockhouse, it was a “Jerry Doctor” who gave him an injection and “slapped a couple of splints on my leg.” As Ralla entered the Blockhouse, he noticed wounded lying everywhere outside as well as inside the building. For his gallantry in action, Jack was awarded a Commendation Card.
Jack’s war was over. Extensive hospitalisation saw him return to Australia via Melbourne and eventually to Adelaide where inevitably he was described as medically unfit for duty.
Farquhar described how ‘Unhappily, many of the wounded, now so sorely needed, would never return to battle. Jack Ralla was one: “That was the end for me. Nine months in Daws Road (the repatriation hospital in Adelaide), then crutches and back again to a hospital bed.” Indeed he was there when ‘Diver’ won his Victoria Cross and experienced a wonderful feeling of exhilaration.’
With his mother aging, she moved from her residence into the Fullarton Lutheran Nursing Home in February ‘43, assuring Jack of her continued care. Jack and his brother Andy briefly returned to Renmark in April ’43. Five months later, Jack was finally discharged on the 13th September.
In June the following year, Jack married Lillian May Saunderson from Georgetown in the magnificent St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide. Then in October ‘45 they welcomed their first child, a son Trevor John at the Northern Hospital. Three years later and premature, Leon Francis arrived.
Aged 85 years, Jack died on the 30th December 2003. He is remembered in the South Australian Garden of Remembrance at Pasadena.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.