Joseph Thomas (Joe) FARRELL

FARRELL, Joseph Thomas

Service Number: SX11088
Enlisted: 27 January 1941, Adelaide, SA
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion
Born: Wallaroo, South Australia, 18 March 1905
Home Town: Devon Park , South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Blacksmith
Died: Vehicle accident , Syria, 29 May 1942, aged 37 years
Cemetery: Tripoli (Victoria) Naval Cemetery, Tripoli, Lebanon
Plot 1 Row B Grave 11.
Memorials: Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 2 Service

27 Jan 1941: Involvement Private, SX11088
27 Jan 1941: Enlisted Adelaide, SA
27 Jan 1941: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, SX11088, 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion
Date unknown: Involvement

‘Greater Love Hath No Man Than This’

Named in honour of his father, Joseph was born at Wallaroo on the 18th March 1905 to Joseph Thomas Snr and Lucy Catharine Farrell. He was the second son and one of five children with siblings Edward, Lillian, Fred and Lila.
Joseph became a blacksmith and married Clarice, with the two welcoming a son at the ‘Warneton’ Nursing Home in West Croydon on the 17th September ’32. Soon after, Joseph began working for the Engineering and Water Supply Department.
With WWII advancing, Joseph began serving with the militia as S 14663 Class A reserve for a year. However, as the demand for more serving soldiers increased, he was discharged in January ‘41 enabling him to enlist on the 27th just prior to his 36th birthday. He was immediately allocated to the 2/48th Battalion reinforcements as SX11088, then proceeded to Terowie Camp in the mid-north for early training.
Following brief pre-embarkation leave he was soon aboard the ‘Ile de France’, heading for the Middle East and arriving at Dimra in May. Training at the Amiriya Camp followed. Within a year of arriving, Joseph was killed in an horrific accident in Syria.
Joseph’s battalion was often on the move. By May ’42 they were in Tourbol, described in John Glenn’s book, Tobruk to Tarakan as ‘not the pleasantest place for a camp. It was treeless, and hot winds swept across the bare ground, but it wasn’t because of this that the men most remembered Tourbol. Here we had an unfortunate series of fatal accidents that robbed the battalion of some fine men who had given such sterling service through Tobruk.’ He continued ‘During exercises near the camp on 28th May one of the carriers hit a sharp dip so roughly that Corporal Noel Wall was killed, the driver being injured. The following day J.T. Farrell and R.M. Steele were killed and three others were wounded when two unit trucks collided. The members of the battalion killed in this series of accidents were buried with full military honours in the historic Victoria Memorial Cemetery at El Mina, where lie buried sailors of H.M.S. Victoria, who were drowned when their ship collided with H.M.S. Camperdown in 1895.’
In his recently published book, Derrick VC in His Own Words, Mark Johnston included Derrick’s diary entry for the 29th May 1942 (Friday) written in Tourbol, Lebanon. “Leaving the AOKs today after dinner, must have another swim before going. One of our trucks smashed up carrying Don Coy home, 2 killed and 7 injured. Tank battle still on in Libya.’ Johnston makes note of the entry that ‘this was the third fatal road accident in the battalion since 25th May. The two men killed on this day were SX11088, Pte Joseph Thomas Farrell and SX7776 Pte Ross Michael Steele.’ Joseph sustained fatal injuries when he was thrown from his truck onto the road.
A subsequent court of inquiry was held at Tripoli over several days, finding that the soldiers were executing their duty when their injuries were sustained and importantly that ‘there was no contributory negligence or misconduct on the part’ of any of those involved.
Back home, the Chronicle carried the news of the two soldiers who had died of their wounds; Pte. J. T. Farrell, SX11088, Devon Park; Pte. R. M. Steel, SX7776, Mount Gambier. The Advertiser added extra information. ‘Mrs. C. Farrell, of Berwick avenue, Devon Park, has been informed that her husband, Pte. J. T. Farrell, died on May 29 from injuries accidentally received in the Middle East. Before enlisting, Pte. Farrell was employed by the Engineering and Water Supply Department for nine years.
His family placed a memorial notice in the Advertiser on Saturday 20 June 1942, ‘FARREL, Pte. J. T.—On May 29 abroad, second son of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Farrell, late of Wallaroo, and beloved brother of Ted, Lill, Fred, Lila. Some day we'll understand.’
40-year-old Joseph now rests in Plot 1 Row B Grave 11. The inscription on his headstone reads ‘Greater love hath no man.’ Alongside are others from his 2/48th battalion, 28-year-old Private Ross M. Steele SX7776, 36 year old Private Thomas J. Skehill VX38662, 37 year old Noel Wall SX7783 and others from the 2/3rd, 2/12th 9th Australian Signals Division and Royal Engineers who were killed at a similar time. His family chose the inscription ‘Greater Love Hath No Man Than This’ for his headstone.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th Battalion.

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