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Australia

Harrold (known as ‘Mick’) was the third son and fifth of eight children to parents James and Bessie Miller Foggo Allen. He was born in Ardrossan on the 21st of July 1918, spending much of his life in the area. The family lived in a small farming town, Dowlingville, on the east coast of Yorke Peninsula, near the Gulf of St Vincent. Mick’s siblings included Jim (James Hartley), Mavis, Bill (William Thomas), Laurel, Nell (Gweneth Agnes Nellie), Raymond (Ray) and Keith. Of these, the three oldest sons all enlisted to serve in WWII. In their early years, the children attended the Moonta School.
Mick had been working as a farm labourer when WWII broke out. As a 22-year-old he was the first of his family to enlist at Wallaroo on the 22nd January ’41 with his close friend, 21 year old Stanley Crowell (later to become his brother in law.). The two were given almost consecutive numbers, Mick as SX11067 and Stan SX11069. An older local farmer 30-year-old Ernest Harmer had the intervening number SX11068. All three men were allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion.
Mick’s enlistment was closely followed by his 32-year-old brother, James on the 8th March, then William on the 11th June. James was allocated to the 2/7th Battalion as SX11699, serving in the Middle East and 26-year-old Bill to the 13th Field regiment as SX13202, spending time in Port Moresby.
While on pre-embarkation leave and back home, in April a social was organised to honour Mick and Stan. Both young men were presented with a wallet from the district and a parcel of useful gifts from the Welfare Club. Private Ern Harmer and two other local enlistees were also presented with gifts with speeches from the local RSL following. The new enlistees then embarked for the Middle East, arriving in May. Further intensive training followed at the Amiriya Staging Camp.
Mick’s battalion was involved in the horrific fighting, a massive assault to ambitiously take the strategic position of Trig 29. Conditions at the time were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. Montgomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. Conditions at the time were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. Two highly admired fellow soldiers of Mick and Stan later died of their wounds. They were 24-year-old Frank Munday, SX6672 and 23-year-old Joseph (Mick) Cleave SX6662, both from Mangalo, near Cowell.
By September that year, the horrors of the constant, intensive battles in which he had been involved, resulted in Mick being diagnosed with ‘shell shock’ (now more accurately identified and treated as PTSD). His medical classification led to him serving in the Depot Battalion until finally the 2/48th were able to head home, via Melbourne, in March ’43. That year Mick and Stan posted a poignant tribute to their pals in the October issue of the Advertiser “CLEAVE —MUNDAY.—In memory of our pals P. J (Mick) Cleave and Frank (Doc) Munday, and officers and men who lost their lives at El Alamein.—Inserted by Pte. H. R. Allen (Mick) and S. J Crowell.” The following year both men again placed a memorial to those with whom they served. Advertiser Thursday 26 October 1944, “2/48 BTN.—A tribute of honor to the memory of our pals of 2/48th Battalion who paid the supreme sacrifice at El Alamein, July-October, 1942.—Always remembered by Mick Allen and Stan Crowell (ex A Coy.)
Mick was able to return to South Australia. Also home on leave, his good friend Stan announced his engagement to Mick’s sister, Nell, with the two marrying in February ’44. Part of Mick’s leave enabled him to return home for seasonal leave, an allowance for those whose pre-war work was based on farming. His military expertise was then briefly transferred to several months service in the Northern Territory, before more on-going seasonal leave was awarded (but without pay). Mick was eventually discharged on the 19th March ’44. His two brothers were discharged Jim in January ‘46 and William in March that year.
On Mick’s return to his home community, he successfully returned to the football field with Yorketown Club. At the conclusion of the ’46 season he was rated in 3rd position as the fairest and most brilliant player also wining the trophy for the best attendance at training. (perhaps also helped by his prior years in the army where punctuality was an extremely high expectation.) That year Mick also took on the role of Central Umpire for both local school competitions and for the B Grade Grand Final, a curtain raiser to the A Grade encounter. That year Mick also supported the Southern Yorke Peninsula Digger’s Spring ball held at Yorketown. Whilst features of novelty decorations and an elegant display of ballroom dancing were highly regarded, the feature was a burlesque manikin parade. Amongst the offerings were satin frocks ‘of doubtful vintage’, floral pyjamas and dressing gown, with boudoir cap, a pink net evening frock and the highlight of the evening described in the Yorketown Pioneer as ‘Mick Allen in two piece bathers — woo, woo !’ Many requests were made for a repeat performance, following the huge financial and fun success of the evening.
Mick’s involvement in the local community sport enabled him to meet a young Basketball (now netball) player, Dulcie Beryl Slade. She was also the convenor of the S.P.F. Typical of country communities, following the announcement of their engagement, the locals organised a ‘Pre-Wedding Dance’ in the Yorketown Town Hall to celebrate Dulcie and Mick’s wedding. The request was for ‘Ladies please bring basket. Everybody welcome.’ Their marriage was formally announced in the February edition of the Advertiser ‘SLADE —ALLEN. —The marriage of Dulcie, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. T. Slade, Yorketown, to Harrold (Mick), third son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Allen, Dowlingville, will be solemnised at St. George's Church of England, Yorketown, on Thursday, Feb. 10th, at 7 p.m.’ Mick and Dulcie later added to their family with two sons, Trevor and Ian.
Football season the following year saw Mick being one of just four senior players returning, with many of Yorketown’s colts stepping up in conditions described as being played in ‘the heat, the dust and the very hard ground, they acquitted themselves well.’ In the second half of one encounter, Mick and another senior player pulled out to enable two more young colts to take the field and gain more experience. Mick also led by example, being appointed as Vice-Captain.
Mick’s father, James had lived to see all three sons return safely home from the war. Aged 77, he died in 1958. Bessie lived for a further decade and died in August ’68. Both parents were buried in the Ardrossan Cemetery.
Aged 82, Mick died on the 1st September 2000. Aged 88, Dulcie later died in June 2015. Both now rest in the peaceful Pink Lake Cemetery, Yorketown.
Tribute researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133 2/48th Battalion.