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Lawrence was the second of seven children born to Ernest Daniel and Hedwig (Hettie) Mickan in Port Lincoln on the 27th July 1913. Usually called by his middle name, Harold or Harry he was also affectionately nicknamed ‘Nugget’. Harold’s siblings included Arnold, Edwin, Clem, Rita, Viola and Lorna. For several years, Harry’s widowed grandmother, Selma Bertha Mickan lived with the family at Cummins before deciding to return to live in Stockwell.
The family was strongly Lutheran with the local St. Paul's Church being a focal point for the community with its celebrations at Christmas, Sunday School Anniversaries and Easter. Harry became confirmed on Palm Sunday in April ’29. At the end of year picnic that year, Harold excelled in the 75 yard sprint, ‘hitting the tin’ and apple eating races. His siblings and cousins also proved to be athletic as well.
Harold had just turned 21 when his 44-year-old father died in October ’34 in the Tumby Bay Hospital after a brief illness. It then fell to Harry and his brothers to keep the farm productive, with Harry also taking on a range of work as a labourer. The brothers also sold various farm items, including their almost new Ford V8 Ute and a chaff cutter to add to their income.
With the outbreak of WWII, a huge recruitment drive was conducted in country regions, aimed at fit, single young men. Although Harry was married to Dorothy Joy at the time, he and many other young men heeded the call to support their country. Depots had opened at Cowell, Minnipa, Wudinna, Streaky Bay and Port Lincoln. Just prior to his 26th birthday Lawrence enlisted on the 26th June 1940 at Port Lincoln. (His first name, Lawrence was mis-spelt on his initial enlistment form as ‘Lawerence’ but thereafter spelt correctly.) Cousins Arthur Clement and Erwin Clements Mickan enlisted at a similar time. Arthur became SX9121 in the 2/7th, Clarence SX18386 in 2/2nd, Daniel S85900 and Victor SX27251. Erwin SX9157 was taken prisoner and died as a POW in Burma in March ’43 aged 29. As the war continued, Dorothy moved away from Cummins to live at Glenelg by ‘42.
From the countryside of Cummins, Harry spent his early days in the close confines and cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. Then he and other new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training. He was initially allocated to the 2/24th Battalion.
Harry was able to return home to Cummins on pre-embarkation leave in December. Soon after, he and his fellow enlistees were being transported to the Middle East, on the 5th February 1941 and disembarked on the 23rd March. Training at a local Staging Camp followed. In September ’41 Harry sustained an injury to his left hand, causing him to be hospitalised. When he was discharged, he had brief time with the Australian Infantry battalion, eventually joining the depleted ranks of the 2/48th battalion in November ’41. His next stop was Tobruk at the start of November 1941 where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to these fresh new enlistees. Harry was to become one of the famed Rats of Tobruk.
Conditions in the Middle East were totally different to life on Eyre Peninsula. The battalion was soon involved in intense conflicts where the reputation for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. The 2/48th was subjected to heavy, constant German shelling, forcing the men to shelter in the pits they had dug. Almost immediately Harry was wounded in action at the start of November ‘42 with gunshot wounds to his right arm and thigh and was evacuated to hospital.
Conditions for those in the 2/48th were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. Fighting for Trig 29 began on the night of the 23rd October. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan describes how ‘The darkness was rent by flashes from the mouths of over eight hundred guns. The night exploded as no night before had ever done. The desert burst into flame and shattering sound that shook the earth with its fury. Then came the dreadful whispering of thousands of shells rushing by overhead, the shock of explosions as they smashed into the enemy’s guns, men, tanks and communications. The bombers joined in, raining their bombs on the German gunlines. The tranquil stars seemed to quake in their heaven and to recede in horror at such destruction as had never before been witnessed in this land as old as time itself, or perhaps in any land. The smell of cordite drifted chokingly through the air, then dust billowed up and blotted out the flashing guns.’ He later reports that ‘D Company ran up against strong opposition soon after they started’ and that casualties were experienced. Definitive news slowly drifted back about that horrific battle where the 2/48th lost 199 men killed or wounded of their 292 involved in that night’s conflict – over 68 percent of their men.
Back home, lists continued to be published of those, killed, wounded or taken prisoner. The November issue of the Chronicle had 64 others listed as wounded with Harry, so many of them from his battalion.
By January ’43 Harry was able to return to his battalion before embarking for Australia, via Melbourne at the start of February. Finally, the remnants of the 2/48th returned to Adelaide in March. The local News proudly announced ‘With 2½ years of history-making fighting behind it, the 9th Division A.I.F. received a warm welcome on its return to Australia. One of its South Australian battalions has won three Victoria Crosses and 60 other decorations and awards-more than any other A.I.F. unit.’ In March ’43 Harold, Charlie Hewett SX7629, the three Reed brothers, Privates William SX11152 Robert SX11154 and Jack (John Raymond) SX11153, plus Don Aird SX20045 all arrived home on leave. Mention was also made of Harry spending leave with his mother at that time. Having had two years of active service in the Middle East, local family, the Reeds hosted a welcome back party at their home, with dancing, items and speeches. Charlie, Don and the Mickan ‘boys’ from the 2/48th were all in attendance.
The men then returned to prepare for a very different war in New Guinea, in tropical conditions and against a very different enemy. A photo of Harry, taken in the Atherton tableland, Ravenshoe in Queensland shows him as part of the Number 14 Platoon. Whilst still in Australia, Harry’s physical health deteriorated with sub-acute rheumatism, myositis (muscle inflammation) He was then again wounded in action with a gunshot wound to the left axilla armpit which was efficiently treated by the field ambulance. Once again, the Chronicle of November ’43 carried a list of men who died or were wounded. Corporal Jack Duffield SX13589, also from the 2/48th was listed with Harry.
Harry then contracted an extremely high fever, Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (PUO) causing him to be hospitalised for the last week of July ’44. Just prior to Christmas that year he was charged with not attending a parade, an act that was repeated three months later and which then attracted a fine. He finally left Queensland, disembarking at Morotai. Harold’s previous service was recognised with a promotion to L/Corporal in May prior to heading to Tarakan.
By August ’45 Harry had contracted a severe gastric infection, dyspepsia which could well have been exacerbated by the stress of warfare. This was followed by a lymph gland infection often the result of an upper respiratory infection (cervical adenitis). Two months later, Harry was able to leave hospital and return to the 2/48th Battalion. He was soon heading home to Australia in February via Brisbane, then to Cummins in March with several of his fellow 2/48th Battalion. These included the three Reed brothers, Privates William SX11152, Robert SX11154 and Jack (John Raymond), plus Charles Hewitt SX7629 who were all in his Battalion. Others from the area were Jack SX579 2/10th and Bill Turner, plus Christopher O’Farrell SX2174. The following month Harry was formally discharged on the 27th November. His war was over.
Harry’s first marriage to Dorothy Joy ended with Harry being granted a divorce in September ’47. Following his return to civilian life after five years of active service in the Middle East and New Guinea, Harry returned to the land and farming. He built a house on the western part of section 21 in the Hundred of Cummins which was part of the original Mickan family farm. He had married Ethel Moreen Gordon and with their first child, a son Barry Robert born in December ’48, moved onto the farm. Harry and Ethel added to their family, to have five children, Barry, Kevin, Beverley, Kayleen and Dennis.
Having seen many farming methods, from the very primitive practices in the Middle East, and worked the family farm from his early years, Harry’s post-war years then became focussed on using good farming practices. He was widely regarded as an honest and hard-working man. His determination and dedication eventuated in him being an owner of a viable, successful farming business. Harry also enjoyed attending the local agricultural shows where the children occasionally exhibited. He was also justifiably proud of their academic performances at the local Cummins school where Kayleen and Dennis, in particular, excelled. Inevitably, Harry was a Cummins Rambler supporter, attending the football matches in support of Kevin and Dennis, particularly relishing their Premiership in ’69. Beverley also played for the same club in netball (then called basketball) taking out the Premiership in ‘62.
Harry was a talented musician who enjoyed playing the piano whilst family and friends would all join in for a sing-along. In what is now almost a lost art, he would also pick up his “Honer” button accordion and play a range of old songs. That exact accordion has been restored by the family and is still brought out and played occasionally.
The harmonica was also part of his repertoire. Harry would hold it in one hand and a glass put on the end so when he played it the sound was amazing. Out came the spoons and he even used the paper from a cigarette box to cover a hair comb, blowing through this to knock out a tune.
Unfortunately, on return from fighting on the battlegrounds overseas in various places and having been injured twice took its toll on Nuggets lifestyle, mental and physical health. He had seen too much, lost many ‘mates’, and suffered ongoing health issues. The consequences of all this led to his early death on the 18th September 1972 at the age of 59 years from Congestive Cardiac Failure.
Ethel stayed on the farm hiring Managers and workmen to assist in the overall running of the farm. She was later interviewed by the Port Lincoln Times in March 2002 which reported that “Cummins farmer Ethel Mickan, who operates the farm with her son Kevin, said it has been the driest spell, in terms of rainfall, since 1954 but the small amount recorded early in the week was insignificant because seeding has not commenced, and the harvest is completed. Seeding will begin in about May or June, depending on the opening rain, and. Mrs Mickan said with the current weather patterns it is hard to predict when that, rain will be.’ In the later years, Ethel leased the farming duties out to local nearby share farmers. Ethel lived to be 81. She died in June 2007 and the farm was eventually sold.
Barry passed away in 2022, and he is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery in Cummins with his parents. Harry’s remaining children, Kevin, Beverly, Kayleen and Dennis still reside on Eyre Peninsula.
Recollections by Harry’s granddaughter, Lahn Mickan, researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.