Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Keith was the second son of Robert John and Jessie May Tilmouth. He was born in Cleve a small agricultural country town on the Eyre Peninsula, on the 16th October 1918. He had an older brother Robert Charles, known as ‘Chook’ and two sisters Peggy and Nancy. Robert and Jessie were heavily invested in their local Cleve community, with Robert being the highly sought-after local builder, constructing private houses as well as public buildings, including the local Hall in ’25 and a new Show Pavilion in ’38. For the former, material was brought to Arno Bay by ketch, then by trolly and wagon to the site. Of necessity, Robert also acted as the local undertaker from 1926 until 1950 and was active in all spheres of town life. These included being on the Cleve School Committee, Local Government, plus being President of the Football, Tennis, Golf and Picnic Race Clubs. He also energetically sowed four pound of couch grass on the football oval in preparation for the ’32 season – a most community minded father.
Keith, known as Bill, was also actively involved in all the sporting clubs as a player and office holder, being secretary of the tennis club whilst also achieving creditably as a student at the local Cleve School. He gained his Qualifying Certificate with high marks and gained a Woodwork Certificate at the end of the 1930 year. As a part of the celebrations, the Mother’s Welfare Club presented each scholar with a bag of sweets and the chairman of the school committee granted the school a half holiday.
Post school, Bill joined his father as a builder’s labourer. 17-year-old, Bill was particularly fortunate to escape serious injury when out rabbit shooting with three friends. A bullet struck a stone and glanced off, lodging in the fleshy part of his jaw. Fortunately, the local doctor was able to remove the bullet. (This good fortune was to follow him during the war years, also.) Bill’s snooker ability was not affected by this escapade, as the following year he won a local Snooker Tournament held in the Billiard Hall and a fund-raising monopoly game held as part of a fund raiser for the tennis club (which also included a Bridge Evening.)
Bill’s older brother, Charles married Ethel Crosby in October ’40, choosing 21-year-old Bill as his best man. However, with the outbreak of WWII, a huge recruitment drive was implemented, aimed at fit, single young men, particularly in country areas. Bill enlisted in February ’41 and was given the number SX11289 then placed in the 2/48th Battalion reinforcements. Training in the mid-north area of Terowie followed. By March Bill and three others, returned to Cleve on precious six days of pre-embarkation leave. They included SX11288 Private Maurice Quinn who as a fourteen-year-old, like Bill, also had a fortunate escape when a .22 rifle which he was loading suddenly went off, and the bullet passed through his right foot. SX10476, Corporal Robert (Max) Spriggs made the third of the 2/48th group, whilst the fourth enlistee was SX11353, Malcolm McIntyre who was with the 2/27th battalion. (While both Bill and Maurice were wounded in October ’42, Maurice’s injuries were fatal and he died on the 1st November that year.)
Bill and his fellow enlistees left in April ’41, arriving in the Middle East in May. From there, they marched to a Staging Camp before joining the rest of their battalion. An infected foot in June ’42 caused Bill to briefly be attended by field ambulance before he rejoined his fellow soldiers. He was wounded in action in the fierce fighting over October and early November ‘42 with a gunshot wound to his left forehead and right forearm, but again fortune was on his side as he survived. At the time, his battalion had seized Trig 29, a key location in the Battle of El Alamein. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan painted an image of those days. ‘The troops had never been more tired. Yet, notwithstanding the fact that they had not slept for three nights, all were grimly determined to put everything they had into the fight to hold what had been won. Their spirits were high. All-round teamwork, cooperation, and an eagerness to be dug in by dawn caused every man, irrespective of rank or his particular task, to throw his whole weight behind the battalion.’ Heavy fighting helped capture this feature, but the challenge was in ‘digging in’ to the rocky ground. Glenn added ‘The 2/48th had stirred up a real hornet’s 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 dust and smoke.’
Back home, the November issue of the Advertiser carried the report that ‘Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Tilmouth of Cleve, have received word that their son, Pte. K. W. Tilmouth, 24. has been wounded in action in Egypt. Pte. Tilmouth has seen service in Tobruk, Palestine and Syria.’
The Chronicle at a similar time painted a raw image of the extensive effects on the 2/48th Battalion. Killed in action were SX8468 Pte. Patrick H. Hoare, North Broken Hill (NSW); SX13570 Pte. Charles Holman, Broken Hill; SX7771 Pte. Henry O. Lohmann, Murray Bridge; SX6848 Cpt. Alfred F. Meyer. Renmark: SX3149 Col. Arthur H. Peters, Macclesfield; . SX11768 Pte. John R. Smith, Wardang Island; SX13535 Pte. Allan L. Thessinger, Jamestown. Died Of Wounds SX7917 Pte. Leslie A. King, Adelaide. Wounded In Action.— SX7830 Cpl. Kingsley G. Albrecht, Kingston-on-Murray: SX10571 Pte. William G. F. Barnett, Reedy Creek : SX8128 Pte.- Ivan G. Braidwood, Adelaide; SX8749 Pte. K. W. Dack, Med., Clare; SX7559 Pte, Maxwell. C. Fuss, Kimba; SX13602 Pte. George H. G. Gallagher. Paulco Station; SX12854 Pte. Sydney V. Goodes. Curramulka; SX8483 Pte. William T. Harris, Caltowie; SX10527 A-Cpl. Harold E. Hobbs, St. Peter; SX8497 Pte. Charles H. Lawrie, Naracoorte; SX7959 Pte. Edward Lehmann, Lameroo; SX7028 Pte. Murray V. McFarlane, Cobdogla; SX7721 A-Cpl. Hedley H. Pratt, Korunye; SX7244 Pte. Richard Ramsdale, Meadows; SX11154 Pte. R. F. Reed, Cummins; SX11152 Pte William Reed, Cummins; SX8366 S-Sgt. William W. Statton, Alberton; SX7933 Cpl. Walter H. Stewien, Verdun; SX8576 Pte Arnold R. Thomas, Campbelltown; SX11289 Pte. Keith W. Tilmouth, Cleve; SX7278 pte. Robert Tipper, Berri; SX13755 Pte. Eric M. Waye, Victor Harbor; SX7212 Pte. T. L. Woodall Exeter; SX10514 Pte. Allan. W. Wylie Sefton Park.
Bill was able to rejoin the 2/48th for Christmas ’42. Within a month he was on his way home to Australia via Melbourne. Training in Queensland followed as the now seasoned 2/48th Battalion prepared for battle against a very different enemy in the tropical conditions of New Guinea. Bill arrived in Milne Bay in August ’43 and by the end of the year had been promoted to Corporal. However, the tropical conditions in New Guinea contributed to him developing a high fever (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin) which was followed by Dengue Fever. He returned to Australia via Brisbane in ’44, then during precious leave in March ’44, he returned to Cleve to have time with his parents and local friends. Frustratingly, by July Bill sustained a fracture to his finger. A fungal infection followed but by May ’45 he arrived at Morotai for service at Tarakan where he remained until November and the end of the war. He was finally discharged on the 12th December ’45.
A young woman, Eda Dorothy Dolling from Cockabidnie, a nearby farming community on the Eyre Peninsula, had boarded in the city whilst attending Adelaide High School for her senior years. However, during the war, she joined the 6th Australian Base Ordnance Deport, tasked with the overall administration of supplies, particularly clothing and general stores, including those no longer suitable for use.
Bill married Eda in ’46 with several newspapers carrying the event that ‘DOLLING —TILMOUTH. —The marriage of Eda Dorothy, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P G. Dolling of Cleve to Keith William (ex-A.I.F.), younger son of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Tilmouth of Cleve will be solemnised at St Paul’s C. of E. Pultney street on Saturday February 9. at 6:30.’ The Eyre’s Peninsula Tribune added extra detail of the event, reporting that ‘A very charming wedding was celebrated at St Paul's Church of England, Pulteney Street, Adelaide, on Saturday February the 9th, when Eda Dorothy second daughter of Mr and Mrs P G Dolling of Cockabidnie, was married to Keith William younger son of Mr and Mrs R J Tilmouth of Cleve. The Rev Kain officiated. The bride (at the time of the wedding, Cpl with the A.W.A.S. now discharged after more than four years’ service) wearing a beautiful white lace gown with a silk embossed tulle veil and carrying a sheath of white gladioli and carnations, made a charming picture, when entering the Church on the arm of her uncle, Mr John Porter. The Church choir singing 'The voice that breathed o’er Eden’ proceeded them down the aisle. Miss Joyce Veall, the only bridesmaid, wore a turquoise blue gown with a matching veil fixed in place with pink flowers and carried a sheath of pink and blue gladioli and carnations. The groom, ex Cpl A.I.F. 2/48 Battalion with five years’ service, was attended by his brother Mr Charles Tilmouth of Whyalla. The reception was held at the home of Mr and Mrs S Porter of Parkside.‘
Eda and Bill welcomed their son, Robert John, born at the Blackwood Hospital, in July the following year. Their daughter, Lesley was a later welcome addition in June ‘50. As had their parents, Bill and Eda became actively involved in their local Cleve Community. She helped raise funds for the RSL Clubrooms, was on the local Hospital Auxiliary, the School Welfare Committee, arranged afternoon teas for local football final matches and was also the Cleve Librarian. Both Bill and Eda enjoyed their success at the fortnightly bridge evenings as well as following Robert’s success in playing cricket for Cleve as a third-generation player.
By ’69 Keith and Eda were delighted when their daughter, then nurse Lesley, announced her engagement to Bob Lawes of Wanilla. They married at Cleve in April ’71. Their family of Melissa, Jenni and Jeffrey, gave Bill and Eda grandchildren to enjoy and spend time with.
Aged 81 Bill died on the 1st June 2000 in the Cleve Hospital. A plaque to his memory is in Centennial Park Cemetery, in the RSL Wall 135, Niche F007. Eda lived to be 83. She died in June 2004. Her war service is also celebrated in Centennial Park Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.