Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

I’m a nephew of William Keith Mackay SX8628 and recently read Kaye Lee's contribution about Bill’s life and career on the Virtual AWM website. I want to firstly thank Kaye for filling in a lot of the “blanks” I had about Bill. Bill’s brother Basil was my father and I can confirm that he was born in 1917 and their sister Mary in 1918.

Back to Bill.

My relationship with my Uncle was in the “lost opportunity” category. I recall as a child being somewhat intimidated by him when we visited he and Auntie and there was always a sadness prevailing in the household as their only son, my cousin Ross, was a victim of muscular dystrophy and confined to a wheelchair and passed away in his late teens. it is not surprising that Bill rarely smiled or engaged with me. My childhood memories are of my parents saying "Uncle Bill was in the War," or something to that effect. I never understood what that meant.

Not long afterwards my family relocated to Sydney so even the occasional visits ceased. That said, as I moved into adulthood the contact with Bill and Joy was re-established albeit remotely given the distance. During this time I came to learn of 'Bill’s War’ and his pre and post war commitment to the 2/48th Battalion and his mates. He even had 248 on his SA number plates! At some stage I also got to read Murray Farquhar’s book Derrick VC where Bill’s service and friendship with ‘Diver’ is well covered. Slowly I came to understand why Bill was like what he was.

Today they call it PTSD and while I have no medical qualifications I would bet my house on the diagnosis. 1n 1982 I married my wife Cheryl in Canberra and Bill and Joy came over from SA to our wedding. During the few days they were in Canberra Bill and I established a rapport that I suspect surprised us both. Part of this included a visit to the Australian War Memorial where Bill stood silently staring at the Tarakan Landing Diorama before turning to me and saying “That’s exactly the way it was... incredible”. When it came time for Bill and Joy to return home there was a mutual resolve for us to stay in much better contact, but sadly it was not to be, as Bill passed away not all that long afterwards.

It remains one of the few regrets of my life. Opportunity lost perhaps, but not forgotten. Now in my retirement I have transitioned from my career in advertising to writing the odd song including “Uncle Bill to Me”. I’ll get it up on Spotify and Youtube Music at some stage, probably around Anzac Day 2024.

'UNCLE BILL TO ME'

I WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY - WHEN HE CAME INTO MY LIFE
I CAN SEE HIM THERE WITH AUNTIE JOY - HIS EVER LOVIN’ WIFE
AND THOUGH BILL NEVER SAID MUCH – AT LEAST THAT I RECALL
EXCEPT WHEN JOY WAS ON HIS CASE AN’ DROVE HIM UP THE WALL
WELL THAT’S KIND OF THE WAY IT WAS – FOR THIS TROUBLED MAN
WITH MUM AND DAD JUST SAYIN “SON, ONE DAY YOU’LL UNDERSTAND”

CHORUS:
I WANTED SO MUCH TO KNOW HIM,
BUT IT NEVER GOT TO BE
A BROKEN AUSSIE SOLDIER
WHO WAS UNCLE BILL TO ME.

FOUND SOME PHOTOS IN A SUITCASE - OF BILL AND A YOUNGER DAD
GLIMPSES OF A SPORTING LIFE - THAT BOTH THE BROTHERS HAD
IT’S CLEAR FROM THOSE OLD PICTURES - NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS IN STORE
BUT WE ALL SOON CAME TO KNOW IT - AS THE SECOND WORLD WAR
TWICE WOUNDED AT TOBRUK – THEN ONTO TARAKAN,
NO WONDER THAT HE CAME BACK HOME - A VERY DIFFERENT MAN

CHORUS:
I WANTED SO MUCH TO KNOW HIM,
BUT IT NEVER GOT TO BE
A BROKEN AUSSIE SOLDIER
WHO WAS UNCLE BILL TO ME.


THEN THERE WERE MATES WHO LEFT HIM - LEFT HIM AS THEY DIED
LEAVING BILL THE ‘FOREVER WAR’ - RAGING ON INSIDE
TODAY SOME EXPERTS CALL IT - DELAYED (CLASSIC?) P-T-S-D
NO MATTER WHAT THEY NAME IT NOW- IT STOLE UNCLE BILL FROM ME
AND OTHER POST WAR BATTLES - LEFT THEIR SCARRING TOO
BUT THE SADDEST ONE WAS STILL TO COME - AFTER ALL THAT HE’D BEEN THROUGH

CHORUS:
I WANTED SO MUCH TO KNOW HIM,
BUT IT NEVER GOT TO BE
A BROKEN AUSSIE SOLDIER
WHO WAS UNCLE BILL TO ME.


WELL HE GOT THE CRUELLEST LESSON - IN HOW UNFAIR LIFE CAN BE
THE LOSING OF HIS ONLY SON - TO MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY
SO HOW CAN WE JUDGE HIM - IF WE’VE NEVER BEEN TO WAR
OR UNDERSTAND THE MISSING SMILE - WHEN HE MET YOU AT THE DOOR
TOO LATE TO SAY ‘O’H BILL I GET IT NOW’ - ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON
BUT AT LEAST YOU'RE YOUR FINALLY WITH YOUR MATES – JUST WHERE YOU BELONG

Leslie James Innes (known as Tom) and Ruby Bennett Mackay had three children, Mary, Bill and Basil Innes. With the outbreak of WWII both the sons indicated they were born in 1916. Bill was consistent in giving his date of birth as 23rd July 1916 in Angaston, when he was initially involved with the Militia. (At that time a minor heart murmur was flagged, but this did not affect his later enlistment to serve in the war.) Basil indicated he was born two months later on the 18th September 1916.
Regardless, both enlisted to serve. A huge recruitment drive was underway in country areas to encourage fit, single young men to enlist. Bill, a farm hand, was already with the 9th/23rd Light Horse Regiment, and aged 23 when he heeded the call and enlisted at the Clare depot, Snowtown on the 26th June. He was officially accepted on the 6th July 1940 as SX8268. Basil enlisted the following year on the 23rd June. He was given the number 416505 and became a flying officer with the Airforce. (Prior to enlisting, Basil was noted as a league footballer and district cricketer with East Torrens.) Bill also was a talented footballer for Snowtown in the Broughton Association, playing in the forward lines where he was a reliable scorer and regular nominee in the best players. He was also a talented cricketer.
Bill, described by Farquhar as a ‘canny, dour Scot’ was allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. His early days were spent in the Motor Pavilion of what is now the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. His ‘bed’ was straw filled hessian on wooden pallets. Training then moved to the Adelaide Hills before he had brief pre-embarkation leave. The battalion 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.
Within months, the 2/48th Battalion was involved in intense conflicts where their reputation for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. Bill was to become one of the respected and famed Rats of Tobruk. By August ’41, Bill’s early training with the Lighthorse Regiment contributed to his promotion to Corporal.
Just a month later, Bill was wounded in action on the 17th September with a gunshot wound to his left forearm and he was evacuated to hospital. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan described the heavy shelling the Battalion had faced that month before then counteracted with the mortars moving forward ‘and conducting a very successful shoot. Three direct hits were observed on enemy mortar positions.’ However, shelling continued to harass the men, and during the next five days, SX7215 John Woodall, Bill, SX10570 Herb Ashby, SX10909 Bill Southern and SX8268 William McKay were all wounded. Bill and the men were evacuated to hospital.
It took until the following year before Bill was able to re-join his battalion. By August ’42 he received a further promotion to Acting Sergeant. Unfortunately, in the desert conditions, he contracted dysentery and again received treatment.
Back with the 2/48th in October, Bill was particularly fortunate to survive his second wounding on the 26th October ’42 at El Alamein with a gunshot wound to his neck and also his back, legs and arms had all received injuries. In Tobruk to Tarakan John Glenn writes that ‘The troops had never been more tired. Yet, not withstanding 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 they had won -Trig29. Their spirits were high. ‘It was this spirit that enabled the tired men to repel the twenty-five counter-attacks that were to be launched against them during the next two days.’
‘The 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ 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 a cloud of dust and smoke.’ Again, back home, the Chronicle reported on those injured, with so many coming from the 2/48th Battalion.
Finally, Bill’s Battalion left the Middle East, returning to Australia via Melbourne for a well-earned leave, but Bill’s was mixed with treatment for a chest condition, arthritis and sinusitis. The desert fighting had certainly taken its toll on his health.
Training in Queensland followed in preparation for the tropical conditions of New Guinea and against a totally different enemy. Bill landed at Port Moresby early in October ’43. Within a month he was being treated for bronchitis and soon after, for exhaustion. Inevitably in those conditions, a bout of malaria followed in February ’42.
‘Diver’ Derrick’s well-preserved diaries record on the 3rd November ’43 that ‘Cpl Mackay returned this arvo, and very pleasing our strength now.’ The two, Derrick and Bill had formed a close friendship, based on mutual respect.
Bill had a brief return to Townsville in March ’44 which was followed by well-deserved promotions to Lance Sergeant then Lieutenant with his good friend, Derrick’s platoon. Later, as a Sergeant Bill observed how the mercurial ‘Diver’ transformed into the role of a dedicated leader. This was also mentioned in a very early book by Murray Farquhar Derrick VC, was that Bill had been severely wounded at El Alamein, but had eventually re-joined 9th Platoon which Farquhar commanded with ‘Diver’ Derrick as sergeant. Despite his outstanding efforts as a soldier and pre-war training, Bill’s leadership had not advanced past acting Sergeant in September ’42. With Diver’s support, Bill was finally granted full Sergeant status. Bill is credited with discussing with Derrick the potential of each and every man, “how best he could be motivated and prepared for battle… At the same time Diver was a hawk and a mother hen”. Bill’s belief supported that men fought better if they knew exactly what was expected of them and praised that Diver’s orders to his men were crisp and clear. “Every man knew his duty. None would falter, not once. Every man is an equally valuable cog.”
With a similar unwavering belief in their battalion, John Colby VX146017 and Mark Corrigan VX82950 of the 2/48th used the tune of the popular song, Lilli Marlene, to write their own lyrics, called ‘We’ll Capture Tarakan’. (Mark was later to tragically drown on Morotai Island in April ’45.) The words were printed and published aboard HMAS Manoora, by the ship’s official newspaper, ‘Buzz Review’. Bill retained his copy, an amended ‘sanitised’ version being:
‘Let them know at home in Australia
What the Ninth are fighting for;
It's a tale of triumph over failure
To tell the lads of Singapore.
Here we come, the Aussies,
To capture Tarakan.
This is just a kick-off—
We're heading for Japan.
If you could see these grim-faced men,
Their mates the RAAF and RAN,
You'd know they've got it sewn up,
They'll capture Tarakan.
Mud and blood and slaughter,
All the slime of war,
They're of no account,
We know what we're fighting for.
Be in it boys and give 'em hell
With mortar bomb and shot and ' shell.
They've got it coming to them.
The song runs to half a dozen verses and ends on a note of prophecy :
Tarakan is over,
Aim for target two;
Throw back on your gear,
We're in another blue.
Then stand by mates to do or drown
And history can write us down
The first in the finish.’

Bill, a sergeant, was in Morotai, for service at Tarakan. By 6th May ’45 there was fierce fighting to take Sykes, with many casualties. In his diary for that day, Derrick noted that ‘Sjt Mackay has been taken from me to command 8 Pl, their sjt having been wounded.’ Experiencing exhaustion the following month and having been treated by field ambulance, Bill then had time in hospital before his war was over. Early in August he returned to Queensland and much needed medical treatment.
Their father lived to see both sons return from war. Bill was discharged on the 6th October ’45 and his younger brother, Basil was discharged on the 24th January ’46. Tom died just prior to Christmas in 1950.
In later years, Bill was to recount his recollections of the war, and speak of his friendship and professional teamwork with ‘Diver’ Derrick.
Aged 65 Bill died on the 10th January ’83. His service is remembered in the Centennial Park Cemetery RSL Wall 115, Niche HO.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.