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Riverland Connection

Arnold Raymond (Ray) Dolan was born on the 11th May 1912, the son of Henry Dolan, a WWI veteran and Edith Florence. When the First World War erupted, Henry, a fruit grower at Renmark, was 29 and already had a family of five. Besides Ray, the other children were Kathleen Mary, Edith Veronica, Lawrence Alwyn and John Maxwell. Times would have been quite challenging for Edith, looking after these very young children until Henry returned in 1917 having suffered a gunshot wound to his right thumb and also a case of trench-foot.  

As did all the family, Ray attended the Renmark School. At an Eight Hours’ Day school picnic over 100 adults and the children travelled to Disher’s Creek in a convoy of trollies and motor lorries. Many sporting competitions were offered with the 13-year-old Ray winning the high jump in what was described as a ‘very creditable performance’. His brother, ‘Digger’ Dolan also excelled in running competitions.

From an early age, Ray showed exceptional talent in cricket. He was outstanding both with the bat and at bowling being one of the best in the Upper Murray. On his 19th birthday he was presented with a silver cup as the best Junior bowler while playing for Renmark West. The ‘Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record’ regularly and enthusiastically reported on his skills with comments such as in 1929: “Ray Dolan has been the mainstay of the side”, “Ray Dolan had all the batsmen in trouble” and “Bowling honours went to Dermott (4 for 34) and Ray Dolan (3 for 29).” “Bob Dolan and Ray Dolan took a hand and batsman after batsman was dismissed.” That year, Ray also represented the Riverland for the S.A.C.A. Country Cricket Carnival. In the following year praise continued to be attributed to him: “Batting on his home ground Ray Dolan gave a brilliant exhibition of batting for Renmark West in their match, against Lyrup on Saturday. Most of the visitors' weak attack was treated with scant respect by this dazzling young bat, and in a -total of 4- for 280 he raised 200 not out (two 6's and thirty 4's) in the exceptional time of about two hours, while his team mates made 83.”

These reports became a regular fixture in the paper. In 1936 ’36 Ray was selected in the Riverland team for the SA Country Carnival. The account read: “Ray Dolan and W. Symonds still hold their positions at the head of this batting and bowling respectively”. Being Captain of the Upper Murray Representative team playing in Broken Hill over Easter that year, Ray was the outstanding performer for the visitors in each instance, claiming 13 wickets for 116 in the first match and knocking up a fine 67 in the other. That same year Ray played in a match against Don Bradman and his S.A.C.A. interstate players in the Upper Murray, with the local team described as one of the best that had ever represented the association. The ‘Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record’ printed a summary that: “As was to be expected, even batting 14 men, the home teams were no match for Bradman's team, but some pleasing individual performances were recorded. Most important, however, to those who thronged the grounds, Bradman duly obliged in each instance with a scintillating innings that revealed to the full his unlimited powers of stroke production, his score moving along rapidly either by deft placements or flashing boundary hits.” Understandably, thousands of locals flocked to see the match, with the gate takings enabling Berri to lay down a turf wicket, and to help Renmark erect a grand stand. Unusually, Ray was dismissed for a duck but fared better when bowling to Bradman and Walker, breaking a valuable partnership when Walker snicked an easy catch to slips, having previously sent Ray’s ball to leg for four.

Ray was a prolific scorer, recording several centuries, his third being 172 not out against Bookmark in February of 1938. Dolan hit ten fours in reaching 120 not out. By the end of that year the ‘medium slow trundler’ challenged his team, which had made no catches from his bowling, that the first to capture a wicket from his bowling would be rewarded with a drink. Almost immediately two of his fielders responded with catches! An expensive challenge.

Ray was also popular in the Riverland community, celebrating his 21st with a party at the Church of England Grammar School Hall which was attractively decorated and set out for dancing and cards. He was presented with the traditional emblematical key, cake and good wishes as well as fine gifts.

Working for the Department of Commerce as a dried fruits inspector in various packing houses in the irrigation areas of the River Murray, Ray also owned a fruit property in Renmark. He was interested in new technology to make farming more efficient. One example was his interest in a car-tractor adaptation that his cousin Ron Dolan had been experimenting with in the Murray Bridge district. As traditional car tyres did not grip in dry sandy soils, it necessitated building the car up, removing the real wheels and replacing these with a pair of harvester wheels. Ray believed that a converted car could do the work of six horses on the farm.

WWII intervened. With his brother Laurie being in the RAAF prior to the war and John ‘Digger’ in the Milita, Ray enlisted in July of 1940 to become SX8402 and a driver in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. By November of the same year, he was overseas fighting in Tobruk, a deployment that lasted for eight and a half months. In a letter published in the local paper ‘Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record’ of January ‘42 Gnr R.E. Keast commented on the camaraderie of the Riverland men, including Ray who caught up in Palestine and made an effort to visit each other. That paper continued to keep the close-knit community informed of where ‘their boys’ were and how they were faring.  

In September 42 the paper published a letter from Ray telling of “a surprise discovery of some Renmark dried fruit in the Middle East. An enemy provision waggon was captured, and on inspecting the interior the River men were amazed to find some of the Renmark Fruit Growers' famous ‘Ark’ Brand dried pears. They were of a three-crown variety. Both soldiers are shareholders in, the R.P.G.C., and both have worked in the packing house. The fruit had apparently been captured previously by the enemy from the supplies of our troops, but the boys could not miss such an opportunity to have a ‘dig’ at the home folk, and they jocularly stated that they were hostile to think the folk at home had nothing better to do than to pack fruit for the Axis.”

While serving Ray continued to wield the bat on the dusty Western Desert during the conflict. The local paper shared many stories with their readers: “I was glad to receive a note from Drvr. Ray Dolan (A.I.F Overseas) recently. He reported well, having had time to recuperate after seven and-a-half months in Tobruk. Ray, who is best remembered in the Upper Murray districts for his all-round cricket ability (he had a nasty habit of spoiling bowlers' averages to the tune of about 8O a Saturday) says that 'The Pioneer’ is very popular with the troops abroad.” He writes: "I receive 'The Pioneer' regularly, and it's one of the most popular papers over here amongst the boys, as just about everyone in the unit has either lived on the River or in the farming districts or worked up that way at some time, or knows someone up there." The Renmark man says he has had little time for cricket since leaving Australia but in an inter-unit match he knocked up 86 out of a total of 201.”

Just two months later, in November 1942 a brief report indicated that Ray had been wounded in the Middle East. He and another local, Pte. Lou Schulz, also in the A.I.F. were then both home on discharge leave. By March of ‘43 many of those who had served in the Middle East had returned to SA and trained back to the Riverland to be met by huge crowds. Ray was included in the celebrations, dances and speeches which praised the “peace-loving lads in a peaceful country, but by virtue of their earnest training and their high ideals they were today fighting soldiers second to none in the world.” The Renmark Soldiers Social Committee presented those who had served in the Middle East with a gift. The list read like the sporting heroes of the towns. In April of that year, after spending 2 ½ years in the Middle East Ray was interviewed by the ‘Murray Pioneer’. He gave a surprisingly detailed recount of his job in transporting ammunition to the front lines for the forward troops and how he sustained his injury. He also included accounts of the exploits of the 9th Division where he was involved.

Ray described how, of necessity, deliveries were at night time as daylight attracted constant shelling by very accurate German troops. Goods were taken to company headquarters, then carried by foot soldiers to the various posts. On May 1st a massive attack was made by the Germans, driving the Allieds back and occupying a salient in their forward lines. This necessitated the drivers taking refuge in dugouts while their trucks were riddled with shrapnel. Eventually Polish troops relieved the Australians who were taken by the Navy to Alexandria and thence to Palestine where Transport was stationed at Lebanon.

Instead of coming home, the battle of El Alamein enveloped Ray and his group as they struggled to keep fresh supplies of ammunition up to the front lines. Ray drove a jeep while the signallers were in American trucks. He vividly described the night of 25th October: “It was midnight and we in silence moved out for the front line. There were about 50 trucks. I led the line of transport in my Jeep. Then over came a shell. It hit a truck with four tons of high explosives on board. The blast from the shell burst was terrible". At once eight trucks burst into flame. Men in the other truck were knocked down. They were from 50 to 100 yards from that great blast. Twelve men were burned to death that night. I was about 50 yards from the explosion. I just hopped out of the Jeep and can't remember much more of what happened. Men were taken to hospital and on coming to wondered where they were. They could not make things out. They were badly shaken. All the trucks left after the shell burst went on their way to the forward troops. These trucks and my own were under very heavy gun fire. The burning trucks were a good mark for the German artillery."

The events of the 31st October, the night he sustained his injury were vivid for Ray. As usual he was driving a Jeep, with Russell Lucas, from Glenelg alongside. Ray recalled that they were behind the infantry line, but in the dark the infantry over-ran a German machine gun post. Immediately they were fired on “and bullets struck the Jeep; the fire was heavy and they got me on the left leg. Another bullet went through my trousers below the knee at about the same height as the bullet which hit me. The other chap was missed by those bullets. How he escaped I don't know. It was a miracle, I think.'' Ray was taken to a first aid post to be treated, then spent the next five weeks in the Australian hospital before being sent to a convalescent camp and eventually re-joining his unit again in Palestine.

In a comment that reflects the tight bond of those born in the Riverland, Ray commented that “the Renmark boys serving at Tobruk were not known as the Tobruk Rats but were called the Renmark Rats. They were all great cobbers. He said that when Capt. Colin Williams died Australia lost a fine soldier liked by all. Sgt. A. Meyer and Sgt, L. Johnson were recalled as brave good soldiers, both of whom had made the supreme sacrifice doing their duty.”

After he was discharged, Ray returned to the sport he loved, playing for High School in December 1943. The local ‘Murray Pioneer’ reported that: “although he made only eight runs, he immediately struck a length with his slow bowling, taking two wickets. The well grassed Renmark showground offered a contrast to the ground on which ‘Driver Dolan’ last played in the Western Desert.” The following year, Ray also played in a cricket match at Woolenook for the RSL team scoring a brilliant 138 not out. With other discharged soldiers, "drifting" back after being honourably discharged Ray was amongst the group attending the RSL Military Ball at Renmark. 

Fellow soldiers continued to be remembered: Advertiser Tuesday 26 October 1943, El Alamein Duffield In memory of the boys who fell at El Alamein. October. 1942.—Ever remembered by Ray Dolan and Clem Billing.

Post war Ray was also an entertaining speaker at Toc H gatherings, recounting his experiences while convalescing In Alexandria. He also presided over a meeting where the decision was made form a cricket association in Renmark; he was elected to serve on the committee. Ray also represented Renmark fruit growers in a deputation in 1949 to gain unrestricted permission for the road transport of stone fruits from Upper Murray districts to Adelaide canneries. Previously this was only possible 3 days per week when special fruit trains are not run.

Ray met Sister Margaret Lillian Slattery of Snowtown who was nursing at the Renmark District Hospital, with the two announcing their engagement in May 1947 and marrying in November at the St. Peter's Church, Glenelg. The two returned to make their home at Renmark, enjoying the Barossa Vintage Festival ’49. Despite being pregnant, Margaret and Ray were renowned for their generosity in billeting Adelaide footballers but the added bonus was that from 1948 they added a special twist. That year they billeted Norwood player, Merv Roberts who won the trophy as the team's best player. In 1949 they billeted Glenelg player Ray Hunt, who also won the trophy, too. In the trifecta, for 1950, they billeted Torrens rover Jimmy Bradford and sure enough, he won the trophy. Margaret and Ray’s son was born in October the same year. They welcomed a family of four children, Bill, Jenny, Helen and Robert.

Ray died in August of 1972, aged 60 but Margaret lived to be 85 with her death recorded in September of 2002.

Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th Battalion.