Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John William Patrick DIGAN and Doris Myrtle GRANT met while serving in the Australian Army during WWI in Atherton, Queensland. Doris was one of five women from the Jondaryan area who joined the women's services of the Army. She served in the Catering Corps at Atherton as a waitress and proudly told the family she was honoured with serving General Blamey and his wife when he visited the troops.
She met Jack (after he had returned injured fighting as a 'Rat of Tobruk') in the Dining Room. Jack served with the 2nd 48th Battalion of the 26 Brigade. During his service, his battalion was involved in a battle with the Italians where they captured 1375 of 1700 prisoners of war at that location, for a loss of 15 men and 20 wounded.
During the Siege of Tobruk, his battalion was camped near Forbes Mound, not far from Ras el Medauuar. (This was the campsite which is closest to the enemy line of all the battalions.)
After their marriage in Atherton, Doris and Jack settled in Jondaryan and had three children: Kaye Anne DIGAN, Denise Susan DIGAN (my mother) and Lorelle Mary DIGAN. Jack worked at the Butter Factory and for the Queensland Railways as a Fettler.
Doris was a housewife after her children were born. However, at one time she was the appointed babysitter for the Ladies’ Golf days at the Oakey Golf Club! They enjoyed family life, card nights and particularly dances at the local halls on Friday nights. The children remember attending many dances in Fancy Dress in Oakey and Jondaryan.
Jack and Doris moved to Toowoomba with youngest daughter Lorelle in 1967.
Jack died in 1968 and is buried in the Drayton Cemetery at Toowoomba. Following his death, Doris lived in Toowoomba independently until the 1980s when she moved to a low care nursing home in Brisbane. She died 19/6/2007 in her nursing home in Brisbane and was buried at Drayton Cemetery in Toowoomba.
Jenny Ingram, Jack’s grand-daughter.

Adelaide born John William Patrick arrived on the 27th November 1908 the only son of John and Susan Digan. Almost inevitably, he was nicknamed Jack, a name that followed him into the army.
As a young man, Jack was a regular attendee at dances and annual Balls organised by the Rinnce Club. Often these were held as fundraisers, including for the Christian Brothers College and were held in the St Francis Xavier’s Hall in Wakefield Street over the late ‘20’s and early ‘30’s. (The name Rinnce comes from an Irish word meaning dance). Jack was also named amongst those who attended the Palais Royal of a weekend.
Besides enjoying dancing, Jack was a member of the St Francis Xavier’s Tennis Club which opened in ‘27 During these years, Jack’s father flirted with the constabulary for being involved in illegal betting on horses at venues including the Stag and Exeter Hotels. Today, the amounts seem very small (2/- or 20 cents) with expert witnesses called to define exactly what a bet was.
Aged 31, Jack enlisted on the 17th July 1940 to become SX9092 in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. He gave his occupation as a Boots-Barman, a role that involved the many varied skills required in a busy pub, from tapping kegs, serving behind the bar, returning empty glasses to be washed, emptying full ash trays and even acting as an early morning wake up caller for guests – in effect he was a ‘jack of all trades’.
Jack’s early army days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before heading to Woodside for preliminary training. Following leave, Jack’s battalion then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940. The young men then completed a few months training in Cyrenaica facing dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment when in Tobruk.
Their battalion had barely arrived in the Middle East when in May ’41 Jack was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to his left thigh and right heel. Over the following weeks he was treated in both Australian and New Zealand Hospitals before finally being able to re-join the 2/48th in November. Unfortunately, while being treated, Jack over-stepped the mark with a superior officer, ‘using threatening insubordinate language’ and was fined a hefty £5.
Jack’s injury occurred in the fierce fighting for Hill 209 which also claimed the lives of seven others. John Glenn in his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ described conditions that day at Dimra: “At 3:50am on 1st May the men of the 2/48th stood-to to await the outcome of the battle which had raged all through the night. In thick mist, darkness, and bitter cold they snatched a quick breakfast of bully beef and hard biscuits.” Attempting to take Hill 209 in the heavy dust storm marked by overhead enemy aircraft targeting their carrying vehicles, ‘D Company moved out steadily with two platoons forward- 18 Platoon under Lieutenant Larkins on the right and 17 Platoon with Sergeant Tonkin in command on the left.’ ‘The company then moved well forward under control, and came under small arms fire, but continued until they came under very heavy machine-gun fire from the direction of the Water Point and Post S4.’ The remainder of that day was chaotic, information scant, the men weary and under heavy fire and a raging sandstorm.’
The 22nd May ’41 edition of the Chronicle listed those from the 2/48th Battalion who were wounded with Jack. They included Died of Wounds.— Pte. Robert T. Christie, SX8273, Angaston (previously reported wounded in action). Wounded in Action.— Pte. Lancelot W. Braidwood. SX7652, Adelaide; Pte. Douglas D. Cameron, SX8847, Curramulka; A/Cpl. Wallace M. Clegg, SX6947, Joslin; Pte. John W. P. Digan, SX9092, Adelaide; Pte. Harold E. Harris, SX7454, North Croydon; Pte. Blake H. Mclnnes, SX7877, Lancaster; Pte. Alfred W. Morris, SX7798 Norwood; and Pte. Milford R. Uzzell, SX7478, Stepney.
Similarly, the May issue of the Mail listed fifteen South Australians who had died, were missing or wounded. Jack was in the latter group. In the recently published diaries ‘Derrick VC In His Own Words’ by Mark Johnson, by the end of May ’41 Derrick listed the men left in his platoon. Of those 34, eight had been wounded, including Jack, and a further ten would not return home.

Jack was again wounded in action on the 2nd November ’42 with injuries to his right forearm and neck, again causing him to be hospitalised for a month.
John Glenn described that ‘the 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest’. During the preceding nights where ‘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.’ 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. The conditions where ‘arrangements were made for mines, wire ammunition, food, water, overhead cover, sandbags, tools, anti-tank guns, and all the rest, and holding the present position while preparing to launch another attack. And while all this was being done, the battalion was subjected to murderous fire from artillery and mortars. It says much for the battle-drill of the battalion and supporting arms that everything worked out smoothly, going off without a hitch.
Jack had been part of the offensive at El Alamein to destroy a nest of machine guns. At that time, fierce fighting was underway in the massive assault to take Trig 29. John Glenn described the early hours of the 31st October as the ‘artillery opened up with a receding barrage – one that creeps back on itself.’ Even as the men formed up, they were under fire with several being injured, and the men grew tense as they waited. That day was described as the ‘bloodiest fighting in the history of the 2/48th Battalion’ with ‘only forty-one weary troops remaining in the field’. That night was pronounced as the climax of the Alamein Battle. Glenn’s final summing up was ‘Truly it can be said of these men, “They fought themselves and their enemy to a standstill until flesh and blood could stand no more, then they went on fighting.” ‘When next the sun drove away those shadows from the desert, death would have reaped a rich harvest of gallant men.’ This was all that remained of these proud Rats of Tobruk. In total 48 men from the 2/48th lost their lives in this battle. In added high praise about those who tended the wounded and collected those killed in action “It says much for them that not one man was missing in their search over the four thousand yards from Trig 29 to the Blockhouse, or in the attack of 3,600 yards to Ring Contour 25.” An horrific battle for the proud and very brave 2/48th Battalion.
The November ’42 issue of the Chronicle carried the names of those injured with Jack. The 2/48th Battalion was particularly affected. Jack headed his list. ‘Dangerously Wounded. — SX8280 Pte. J. H. Abraham, Inf.. Moonta Mines; SX7824 Pte. Cyril A. Braund. Pt. Victoria, Seriously Wounded.— SX12499 Lt. George J Butler, Henley Beach;(Later died of wounds in N.G.) Wounded In Action.— SX9092 Pte. John. W. P Digan. Adelaide; SX13636 Fte, Kenneth F. Goldner, Colonel Light Gardens; SX7502 Pte. Norman J. Leaney, Maylands; SX10090 A-Sgt. John G. Glenn, Victor Harbor; SX6865 Pte. Robert T. McLaren, Barmera; SX11802 Pte. Alan H Harradine. Adelaide; SX8628 Pte. Leonard Kader, Adelaide; SX7512 L-Sgt. A. R. Cross, Wallaroo Mines; SX14264 Pte. Harold M. Cates, Portland; SX11090 Pte. Howard K. Eastick, Brighton; SX12801 Fte. George C. Bradford, Col. Light Gdns.; SX7436 Pte. John D. Cox, Woodville; SX8595 Pte. Francis W. Botten, York; SX10848 Pte. Alfred C. Capper, Ovingham; SX6931 Pte. Oscar J. Aesche, Monarto; SX8910 Pte. Jack R. Cufley, Allenby Gardens; SX7866 Pte. Raymond A. W. Bloffwitch, Bowden.
The events of that month created a turning point in Egypt. John Glenn attempted to capture the conditions. ‘They were the unsmiling eyes of men who have killed or tried to kill and have faced death in its most vicious forms. Theirs was the pride and sorrow of me who had endured too much. When all else was forgotten, they would remember Alamein and their mates who died there…. They had lived a lifetime in one night.’ The men survived being strafed by their own planes, witnessed their own trucks exploding and buried their own men. They also received the congratulations of Mongomery that ‘the part you have played is beyond all praise.’
Fellow 2/48th soldier Johnny Ralla, who was also injured, described how, once he was in an ambulance, they were still bombed, but “back in Hospital I ran into a lot of my mates: Tommy Loveday, Mick Salter, Scotty Paton, Jack Digan, Keith Freeman, Bert Skinner, Frank Lowe and Bob Cattermole.”
The November issue of the Advertiser carried a brief summary of the soldiers killed or wounded. This included that ‘Mr. and Mrs. J. Digan, of Tucker street, Adelaide, have been notified that their son, Pte. J. W. P. Digan, has been wounded in action for the second time in the Middle East. He served in Tobruk, Palestine, and Egypt. Pte. Digan enlisted in July, 1940, and went overseas in November of the same year. ‘
Jack returned to the 2/48th Battalion as they prepared to head back to Australia via Melbourne in February ’43. He was later classified as medically fit for duties that only required ‘restricted medical fitness’ and by August was transferred to Atherton in Queensland. His medical history was reassessed, but a combination of gunshots to his left thigh, right heel and right forearm prevented him from further close enemy engagement. Soon after, he was promoted to Acting Corporal, however his thigh wound prevented Jack from going with the 2/48th Battalion to New Guinea. Instead, he was allocated to the Australian Army Canteen Service (AACS) Officers Club and was further promoted to the rank of Corporal.
Whist at Atherton Jack was best man for Charles Gale from Murchison in Victoria at the start of August ‘44. Charles married Hilda Nelson, who was serving in the Australian Women’s Armed Services. Coincidentally, Jack met his future wife, Corporal Doris Myrtle Grant who was similarly serving in the A.W.A.S. as QF269426. (Doris’ brother, Stanley Edward also served as QX10128 in the 2/10th Field Regiment and was taken as a POW by the Japanese in New Guinea. He survived the war and was discharged on the 5th December ’45.)
Back in Queensland on leave the following year, Jack married Queensland born Doris Myrtle Grant on the 3rd July ’45 in the St Joseph’s Church at Atherton. A highlight of Doris’ wedding attire was her veil, made by the close-knit AWAS group. Jack’s best man was Corporal Grainger. Typical of war conditions, the reception was also a time for sharing of facilities with the reception being held in the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia rooms. Following the ceremony the two honeymooned in Brisbane then headed to Adelaide.
With the war finally at an end, Doris was discharged on the 25th September ’45 and Jack the following day. Inevitably the young couple chose to live in Doris’ home state and chose Toowoomba.
Just five years after their marriage, Jack’s 66 year old father, John died in hospital on August 20th 1950. His mother, Susan, lived to be 86 with bothe being buried in Centennial Park Cemetery.
Aged 59, Jack died on November 19th 1968 and was buried in the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery, Queensland in Plot RCLAW2-004-0011. His service is also recognised in the Queensland Garden of Remembrance, Brisbane. Doris lived to be 89 and died on the 19th June 2007 in Toowoomba.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th Battalion.