Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

David was the second son of Victor and Adelaide Munn, born on the 3rd March 1920 at Unley. He had an older brother, Darby Laurence (Lawrence). The family lived in Colonel Light Gardens, an area south of Adelaide that was designed as a garden suburb of Mitcham, with wide, tree-lined streets. David had just turned one when his five-week-old baby sister, Mona Florence died of pneumonia in July ’21. A poignant notice appeared in the Adelaide papers ‘A little ray of sunshine, then a shadow.’ Mona was buried with her maternal grandmother, 64-year-old Elizabeth Wahlheim who had died in January 1916. (Over a decade later, David’s maternal aunt, 31-year-old Christina Gwendoline died in February 1937 and now rests in the same plot.)
The children attended the local Colonel Light Gardens School where their mother, Adelaide was Vice President of the Mother’s Club Committee.
Post school, David worked as a Baker’s Improver, but with the outbreak of WWII, and having just turned 20, he enlisted on the 23rd July 1940. He was allocated the number SX9530 in the 2/48th Battalion. His initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before heading to Woodside for preliminary training. After pre-embarkation leave, the 2/48th contingent embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940. The 2/48th Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before going to Tobruk at the start of April 1941. There the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to these fresh new enlistees. They were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk, in the most highly decorated but decimated Battalion.
By June ’41 David’s frustration resulted in him being charged with insubordinate language to his superior officer and receiving quite a hefty fine. Early the following year in the less than hygienic desert conditions, he was treated for a painful bacterial skin condition with boils infecting the hair follicles (called furunculosis). After a week he was able to return to his battalion. This condition continued to worsen throughout his army service.
By July ’42, David’s brother Darby who had served with the Militia as S11145, enlisted in Port Moresby, becoming SX22483 in the 13th Field Regiment. He eventually rose to be a Lieutenant in the 2/12th Regiment. While David was in the Middle East, Darby married Sadie Somerville in September, ’41.
In November that year, David was wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound in his left thigh but was able to be taken to a field ambulance and thence receive further treatment. October that year saw David 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. David’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, the heavy fire A Company was subjected to was described. “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.’
The November Chronicle carried an extensive list of names belonging to soldiers of the 2/48th Battalion. They came from all over the state with names, numbers and towns under each heading; Killed in Action, Dangerously Wounded and Seriously Wounded, including David’s in the last category.
The November issue of the Advertiser also reported that ‘Mr. and Mrs. V. Munn of Colonel Light Gardens, have been advised that their son. Pte. R. Munn, has been wounded In action in Egypt. He enlisted in the AIF in June, 1940, and sailed for overseas in November of that year. He has seen action in Syria and Tobruk. His brother has served in New Guinea and is now at an officers' training school in NSW.’
David received extensive medical treatment before being able to return to his battalion in mid-December. By this time, the 2/48th were preparing to return to Australia in February ’42 via Melbourne for well-earned leave.
In August ’43 David was again treated for a skin disease (Pyodermia) which was similar to ulcers forming on his skin and probably related to his previous skin condition. He joined the Paratroop Training Battalion in New South Wales, qualifying as a parachutist in December ’43.
The following year he returned to the 2/48th Battalion and had time back in South Australia. Home on leave, he married Dorothy Joyce Chapman in St Augustine’s Church, Unley in an evening service on the 6th May ’44. (However, July 11th is the marriage date recorded on his service record). At the end of May, David faced a charge of non-attendance at parade, attracting a further fine.
By June it was evident that David’s recurring skin condition which had spread to his back, chest and neck and probably his previous injuries, precluded him from serving in hot, humid climates, which would include New Guinea where his battalion had been posted.
His role with the army then saw him transfer to garrison duty in October ‘44 with the 25/33rd Battalion based at Loveday, Barmera in the Riverland. Although David’s skin condition began to improve over the ensuing months, he was also experiencing headaches and toothache.
In January ‘45, David was undertaking clerical duties, but continued to experience difficulties with swelling in the synovial membrane of his injured knee, resulting in swelling and stiffness. By April he spent a week in hospital, but the knee injury continued to flare and cause repeated hospital treatment, culminating in August with David being charged for being AWOL for three days and fined. In less than a week David again went AWOL and inevitably, was fined heavily.
By September it was obvious that the knee injury was severe, being finally diagnosed as a torn medial meniscus and indicative that David was unfit for heavy work at Loveday or in any other army role. He was finally discharged on the 4th of October ’45. His record details that his wounds were still evident with scarring to his left elbow, shoulder and back as well as his right leg.
David died on the 11th February, 2006 with his service remembered in the South Australian Garden of Remembrance, Pasadena.
Written and researched by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.