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William’s father, Wilfred Sylvester, was a Reverend in the Methodist Church from 1912. When Alice Myra and Wilfred were serving in country parishes, William was born at Tumby Bay on the 21st January 1918. His brother, Harry Hewett was born in February two years later and a third brother, Jock Sylvester in 1922. Bill was just 12 years old when eight-year-old Jock died in the Booleroo Centre Hospital in September ‘30, despite the best of care from the local doctor and nursing staff. He is remembered in the Brighton St Jude’s Cemetery.
The boys began their schooling at Booleroo, but with each appointment, the family moved to different parishes, including Clarendon and Nairne. To celebrate St James’ Day at Blakiston, both boys were involved in presenting a play, ‘A Bad-Tempered Husband.’ in the nearby Littlehampton Hall. Bill had the role of a coachman and Harry a pageboy.
Post school, Bill worked as a clerk in the Government Tourist Bureau, Adelaide.
Initially both Bill and Harry served in the Militia with Bill having the number S25725 with the 43/48th Battalion from December ’38. There he attained the rank of Sergeant until aged 22 he enlisted to serve in WWII on the 4th July ’40. Harry, a clerk, enlisted two months earlier on the 15th May as SX2852. He was allocated to the 2/7th Australian field regiment, 9th Division. Bill was assigned the number SX8366 in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. During the early days at Wayville, he was promoted to Acting Corporal. The brothers’ early days were spent in the Motor Pavilion of what is now the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds where their ‘beds’ were straw filled hessian on wooden pallets. The battalions then trained in the Adelaide Hills before they had brief pre-embarkation leave. Both brothers finally boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, in November, arriving on the 17th December, then marched to a Staging Camp. During those early days, besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the locals.
Almost immediately on arrival in the Middle East, Bill was again promoted to Sergeant. Within months, his 2/48th Battalion was involved in intense conflicts where their reputation for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. He was to become one of the respected and famed Rats of Tobruk. Whilst in Gaza, he was involved in the Salvage Unit and by November ’41 received a further promotion to Senior Sergeant.
Reverend Statton continued to move to different parishes around the state, including Alberton, then Maitland, updating his details as next of kin for his sons as he and Alice continued to wait for news. Bill was injured on the 6th November ’42 sustaining a gunshot wound to his right knee, with his patella being fractured and his right thigh also being injured. At the time, his battalion had seized Trig 29, a key location in the Battle of El Alamein. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan painted an image of those days. ‘The troops had never been more tired. Yet, notwithstanding the fact that they had not slept for three nights, all were grimly determined to put everything they had into the fight to hold what had been won. Their spirits were high. All-round teamwork, cooperation, and an eagerness to be dug in by dawn caused every man, irrespective of rank or his particular task, to throw his whole weight behind the battalion.’ Heavy fighting helped capture this feature, but the challenge was in ‘digging in’ to the rocky ground. Glenn added ‘The 2/48th had stirred up a real hornet’s nest; from first light until nine o’clock, the enemy turned all their fury on the Trig area, with particularly heavy fire on 29 itself, hiding the position in dust and smoke.’
Glenn added of the survivors ‘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 men who have endured too much. When all else was forgotten, they would remember Alamein and their mates who died there…. They had lived a life time in one night.’
Harry’s battalion was also fighting with the 2/48th. Glenn wrote of the ‘gallant part the other units of the 9th Division played, but our story could well be their own.” Alamein’s success was due to the combined effort of the 2/7th, 2/8th, 2/12th, 2/3rd Anti-tank and 2/2nd Machine-Gun Battalion.
Back home, the November issue of the Advertiser carried the report that "The Rev. W. S. and Mrs. Station, of Methodist Manse, Maitland. have been advised that their eldest son. S/Sgt. W. W. Statton. has been wounded in action in Egypt. At the time of enlisting S/Sgt. Statton was on the staff of the Government Tourist Bureau. Adelaide. A younger brother also is on active service in the Middle East.”
The Chronicle at a similar time painted a raw image of the extensive effects on the 2/48th Battalion. Killed in action were SX8468 Pte. Patrick H. Hoare, North Broken Hill (NSW); SX13570 Pte. Charles Holman, Broken Hill; SX7771 Pte. Henry O. Lohmann, Murray Bridge; SX6848 Cpt. Alfred F. Meyer. Renmark: SX3149 Col. Arthur H. Peters, Macclesfield; . SX11768 Pte. John R. Smith, Wardang Island; SX13535 Pte. Allan L. Thessinger, Jamestown. Died Of Wounds SX7917 Pte. Leslie A. King, Adelaide. Wounded In Action.— SX7830 Cpl. Kingsley G. Albrecht, Kingston-on-Murray: SX10571 Pte. William G. F. Barnett, Reedy Creek : SX8128 Pte.- Ivan G. Braidwood, Adelaide; SX8749 Pte. K. W. Dack, Med., Clare; SX7559 Pte, Maxwell. C. Fuss, Kimba; SX13602 Pte. George H. G. Gallagher. Paulco Station; SX12854 Pte. Sydney V. Goodes. Curramulka; SX8483 Pte. William T. Harris, Caltowie; SX10527 A-Cpl. Harold E. Hobbs, St. Peter; SX8497 Pte. Charles H. Lawrie, Naracoorte; SX7959 Pte. Edward Lehmann, Lameroo; SX7028 Pte. Murray V. McFarlane, Cobdogla; SX7721 A-Cpl. Hedley H. Pratt, Korunye; SX7244 Pte. Richard Ramsdale, Meadows; SX11154 Pte. R. F. Reed, Cummins; SX11152 Pte William Reed, Cummins; SX8366 S-Sgt. William W. Statton, Alberton; SX7933 Cpl. Walter H. Stewien, Verdun; SX8576 Pte Arnold R. Thomas, Campbelltown; SX11289 Pte. Keith W. Tilmouth, Cleve; SX7278 pte. Robert Tipper, Berri; SX13755 Pte. Eric M. Waye, Victor Harbor; SX7212 Pte. T. L. Woodall Exeter; SX10514 Pte. Allan. W. Wylie Sefton Park.
Bill was evacuated to hospital but the type of injury he had sustained meant he was classified as ‘temporarily unfit for service for a period greater that six months’. This also coincided with his battalion returning from the Middle East to Australia on the 1st Netherlands Hospital Ship. The site of his injury required significant physiotherapy, but he was still not fit for the marching required of a soldier, resulting in extended leave throughout ’43. His role then changed to duty based at Wayville.
In March ’43, Harry announced his engagement to Barbara Nicolle of Clarendon who was serving in the Australian Women’s Army Service. The two married the following year in the Pirie Street Methodist Church on the 20th April ’44.
Marjorie Jean Edington’s family was one that also moved according to her policeman father’s placements. Wherever they moved, Marjorie proved to be an outstanding student, at Bordertown topping her grade VII class, and having her Sunday School teacher giving high praise of “how sorry they were to part with Marjorie, who had been such a good scholar. "I do not remember ever having to call her to order for talking during lessons," said the teacher. At this remark the other children kept quiet as mice, as though it were too good to be true.” She also topped her Leaving Class at Burra in ’37 where she studied English, Arithmetic, Maths 1 and 2, Latin and Physics before then going to Teacher’s College where she continued to excel in her studies. Added to this she was a talented sportswoman, particularly in tennis. Romance blossomed between her and Bill.
The two announced their engagement in January ’44. The Border Chronicle reported that ‘The engagement was announced this week of Miss Marjorie Edington, elder daughter of Police-Sgt J. S. and Mrs Edington, of Murray Bridge and formerly of Bordertown, to S-Sgt William Statton (AIF, returned), eldest son of Rev. and Mrs. W. S. Statton, of Maitland. ‘ A year later, the young couple then married on the 16th January ’45 in the same church as Harry and Barbara, with the Advertiser announcing ‘EDINGTON—STATTON. The marriage of Marjorie J., elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Edington, of Murray Bridge, to S/Sgt. William W. (A.I.F.) eldest son of Rev. and Mrs. W. S. Statton. of Maitland, will be solemnised at Pirie St. Methodist Church on Tuesday, January 16, at 7 p.m.’ with Marjorie then moving to live at Marion. Bill served for a time in stores until his eventual discharge on the 23rd October ’45. By the time he was discharged aged 27, he was still carrying the gunshot wounds on his right knee.
Two months later Marj and Bill welcomed their first child, a son, Kenneth John on the 28th December, 45. In a cruel blow, this precious baby died at just two weeks of age. He was buried with his young uncle Jock, who died aged eight, in the Brighton St Jude’s Cemetery. Almost four decades later young Kenneth’s grandparents and Bill’s parents were interred with them. 91-year-old Wilfred who died in December ’80 and 94-year-old Alice who died in March ’87 meant three generations were together.
Bill and Marjorie welcomed Peter William on April 29th 1947 at South Glen Private Hospital and in February ’50 a daughter, Linda Mary. The previous year, Reverend Statton retired from his Berri parish after three years of service. He and Alice moved to Campbelltown to be united with their family and enjoy their grandchildren. They were also proud of Harry, who was awarded the Australian Efficiency Medal in Feb ’48 for his service during the war.
Bill continued to serve in public life, being one of twenty-one South Australians attending a four-day Australian Citizenship Convention in Canberra at the end of January ’54 where he was the representative of the State Migration Branch.
Aged 89, Bill died on the 7th January 2008. A plaque in his honour is in the Garden of Remembrance at Passadena in Wall 25 Row J. Marjorie died in 2013 and is now also remembered with Bill in the Garden of Remembrance.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.