Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The name William Hamilton Fairlie was carried by at least four generations of Fairlies who had originally emigrated from Scotland. The original couple, William and Margaret were interred in the West Terrace cemetery in 1900 and 1918 respectively. William (Bill, or as a child called Willie), the third generation William Hamilton Fairlie, was born in Adelaide on the 21st June 1910 and inevitably named after his father, also a first-born son, William Hamilton. Bill’s mother was Bridget Annie Fairlie. His siblings included twin brothers, Charles Victor and Roy Lawrence and his surviving sister Audrey. (An older sister, Margaret (Maggie) had died, aged 16 in 1906.) Bill was just seven when the family learned that his older brother, Roy who was serving in WWI as a gunner, had died of gunshot wounds to his back, chest, shoulder and abdomen in Belgium on the 2nd September 1917, aged just 20. He was posthumously awarded the Victory Medal, 1914/15 Star and British War Medal.
Bill’s father, William Snr worked at Islington as a carpenter for the South Australian Railways. Three years after the death of Roy, Bill was just ten years old when his 59-year-old father died in September ’20. According to newspaper reports at the time, William Snr was found by a police constable ‘lying unconscious on the road way in King William street. Mr. Fairlie was removed to the Adelaide Hospital, where death occurred as a result of concussion of the brain. He was noticed leaning against a verandah post of the King's Theatre, and suddenly to stagger and fall backwards, striking his head on the roadway.’ Members of the Lodge honoured William, following his hearse to its resting place at West Terrace Cemetery.
The children had attended the Nailsworth Public School, but following his father’s death, for young Bill, life subsequently became a challenge with numerous court appearances and fines. These included such acts as refusing to move on when requested to do so by a police constable (fine of 10/- with 10/ costs), being drunk (12/-), resisting arrest (£1) and illegal betting (£7 with 10/- costs). He was fortunate not to be fined in the Port Adelaide Police Court in December ’25 for alleged illegal betting on the Cheltenham racecourse with several other men who pleaded guilty. The young men had approached a man, who appeared to speak to and hand something to Bill. The man had a writing pad in his left hand, and each time he was approached, he appeared to make an entry on the pad. When police approached the men they saw the pad handed to Bill, who placed it in an inside coat pocket. When challenged with assisting to carry on unlawful betting, the pad was found in Bill's pocket. When searched Bill had £2 18/6 ½ in his possession and the man a substantial £66. Fortunately for Bill the decision was that ‘There were no reasonable grounds for believing that he was there aiding and abetting’ the man simply because he appeared to speak to him.
Bill, a fireman was 18 when he married Marjorie Emma Bruce of Thebarton. Just prior to his 31st birthday, Bill followed his older brother’s example by enlisting in the Second World War. He enlisted on the 26th May 1941 as SX12984 and was initially allocated to the 12 Reinforcements. During this initial training Bill challenged army rules and faced the loss of pay for being absent without leave, a penalty he was to incur several times during his service in the army. Bill embarked for the Middle East in September that year, arriving in October via Dimra. Within a month he again forfeited pay for being absent without leave. Soon after he was allocated to the 2/48th Battalion, which had its numbers greatly reduced through its earlier battles.
Following a further unauthorised absence, Bill was fined two day’s pay in March ’42 and a further day’s pay at the end of that year for a similar offence. Conditions in the Middle East were in stark contrast to home; dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment provided a constant challenge to new enlistees. A glimpse of the conditions faced by Bill is found in Mark Johnston’s impeccably documented book of the diaries ‘Derrick VC in His Own Words’. In June ’42 Bill was serving with Corporal Diver Derrick. Derrick noted that WH Fairlie was transferred to Carrier Platoon. Then on the 5th July ’42 Corporal Derrick indicated in his diary that he had not moved but that his men were remaining at base as reinforcements. Those listed included Nugget Edwards, Bill Fairlie and Bill Whitfield. Derrick indicated that they were ‘moving up in the morning, but do not know the exact spot yet.’ An observation was then made that Bill ‘would return to the fight at El Alamein in October. Quite often in trouble with authorities.’
One of the 2/48th members with whom Bill became friends, was Fred Pierce SX11268 from Spalding. Aged 23, Fred died of wounds sustained in the fierce fighting over the 25th and 26th October 1942. Conditions at that time were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. Montgomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. The subsequent action between October 25th and 26th 1942 meant that the survivors of an horrific explosion and ensuing fighting were not always able to immediately retrieve their fallen men. Fred was killed under these conditions.
John Glenn in ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ describes the carnage caused by the chance hit by an enemy shell on a truck loaded with mines. ‘An ear shattering explosion dwarfed the sound of the guns into insignificance. Seven other trucks, all ladened with mines, had been set off. The whole area became a ghastly raging inferno. As trucks burned and exploded a great wall of fire shot into the sky. The gun flashes seemed dimmed; night was turned into day. The concussion was terrific.‘ He added:
‘The attack continued, however, without pause…it was only after hard fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides, that they were able to consolidate on their objective. The troops had never been more tired.. The 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest; from first light until nine o’clock the enemy turned all their fury on the Trig area, with particularly heavy fire on 29 itself, hiding the position in a cloud of dust and smoke.’ A comment was later made about the heavy casualties.
Murray Farquhar in ‘Derrick V.C.’ includes the detail of that time; the 25th October attack on Trig 29 where a savage dog fight ensued. ‘There were Jerry machine-gun nests cross firing from all angles. They had us in a real fix. We tried to dig in. I burrowed into a shell hole. So did many others. They were shovelling rock and gravel. Someone blundered towards us. We thought he was a German. Several had a bead on him. Suddenly he yelled “Don’t shoot, I’m Bill Fairlie” That was the night many of his men thought Diver should have been awarded the V.C.
With his term of service in the Middle East at an end, Bill returned to Australia via Melbourne in March ’43. He had leave both official and unofficial, the latter resulting in the further loss of three day’s pay. He then travelled to Queensland to train for fighting in New Guinea against a very different enemy in tropical conditions, arriving in Milne Bay in September ’43.
By January ’44 Bill succumbed to malaria, spending some time in hospital then again in February contracted the same disease. His condition worsened to the point he was evacuated to Queensland on the Hospital ship for treatment back in Australia. By February that year, Bill filed for and was granted a divorce from Marjorie on the ground of desertion. It is possible his next fine for not attending Parade may have been related to this event. Soon after, he was diagnosed with extremely high fever (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin). Whilst back in New South Wales, Bill was accidentally injured, sustaining a head injury causing concussion and a lacerated upper lip. That, combined with recurring bouts of malaria, hospitalisation and ‘anxiety state’ contributed to the decision that Bill’s war efforts were concluding. Aged 34, Bill was finally discharged on the 11th December ’44 ‘medically unfit for further military Service.’ Little was then known about the diagnosis or treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Whilst awaiting his discharge, Bill met Joy Woolacott, originally from Burra. Joy had a distinguished service as a nurse initially training at the Adelaide Children's Hospital then as a medical and surgical nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital followed by a midwifery course at the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital. With the outbreak of the war, Joy had also enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on September 16, 1942, and on March 22, 1943 was appointed to the rank of lieutenant. She served with the 2/2 Australian General Hospital Unit in military hospitals in Brisbane ("Greenslopes") and Toowoomba. It was here that she met Bill whist he was being treated for malaria. The two were married on October 4th ‘44 at Christ Church, Church of England in Milton, Brisbane.
Bill’s widowed mother, Annie lived to see Bill return safely home from the war, a joy she had not experienced with Roy in WWI. She died in June ’51.
Bill continued to remember his good friend, Fred Pearce.
Advertiser (Wednesday 18 November 1942, PEARCE. —A tribute to the memory of my pal Fred, died of wounds, Egypt, Oct. 26, aged 22 years. —Remembered by Pte. W. H. Fairlie (A.I.F., abroad). One of the best.
Advertiser Tuesday 26 October 1943 PEARCE. —A tribute of honor to Fred, who gave his young life on October 26, 1942. in Egypt. None mentions his name but in praise. —Remembered by his friends Mr. and Mrs. Fairlie, Goodwood Park. PEARCE. —A proud tribute to my comrade, died of wounds received in the battle at Al Alamein, 1942. It's not today, Fred, but every day in silence I remember. —Always remembered by his pal, W. H. Fairlie. AI.F. (ret.).
Advertiser Thursday 26 October 1944 PEARCE. —In honored memories of my pal Fred, died of wounds, El Alamein, Oct. 26, 1942. And this I know, on that night great deeds were done, a battle fought, and he was there. —Always re-membered by his friends J. and W. Fairlie (A.I.F.). PEARCE. —In loving memories of Fred, died of wounds, El Alamein, Oct. 26, 1942. He gave his young life that we may live. —Always remembered by Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Fairlie, Audrey and Harold Mesecke.
Advertiser Friday 25 October 1946, PEARCE. —In memory of Fred and comrades, of 2/48th Btn., who sacrificed their lives at El Alamein. —Inserted by W. H. Fairlie.
Advertiser Saturday 25 October 1947 PEARCE. —In memory of my pal Fred, also comrades of 2/48th Battalion who sacrificed their lives at El Alamein. "They gave all for their country."—Remembered by W. H. Fairlie.
Bill and Joy had three children, Judith Noel, William Hamilton (jnr) and John Lawrence, returning to live in Adelaide. In November ’45, Bill was extremely fortunate to survive being jammed between two railway trucks at the Mile End goods sheds. His internal injuries were treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He and Joy had three children, Judith Noel, William Hamilton (jnr) and John Lawrence. Bill had followed the four-generation family tradition by naming his first-born son born on the 25th December ‘49 William Hamilton Fairlie (and he also came to be known as Bill).
For a while Bill and Joy lived at Wudinna before moving to Port Lincoln in 1962. Aged 58, Bill died on the 21st July ’68. Fittingly he was buried in the Derrick Gardens at Centennial Park in Path 8 Grave 611A. His wife Joy eventually re-married William Wagner. She died in 1993.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.