Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Michael, a stockman and his older brother, Arthur a station hand, both enlisted to serve in WWII. 36-year-old Arthur was the first, on the 23rd May ‘1940- and 27-year-old Michael followed at the start of July. Arthur was given the number SX3341and allocated to the 2/27th Battalion and Michael SX8054 in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion.
Michael, known as ‘Mick’ spent his early days at Wayville, now the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, where the men ‘camped’ in the exhibition sheds. Despite an early and expensive charge of being absent without leave, Mick was soon aboard the Stratheden in November, arriving in the Middle East on the 17th December. By June he had sustained a fracture to his right foot causing him to spend several weeks in hospital. This caused a rethink about his next of kin. He had initially given his married sister Eileen Brady as his next of kin, but with Arthur also in the Middle East, Mick added him as a supplementary next of kin.
Soon after being discharged from hospital, Mick developed an extremely high temperature (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin) and spent ten further days recovering. By the end of October ‘42, the 2/48th were facing ever-changing conditions and the fighting was continuous. The battalion had prepared for the second battle of El Alamein which began on October 23rd. That month, Mongomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. This included an all-out attack on the strategically positioned Trig 29. The boundary between the two fighting forces was very fluid, with one particular incident recorded in John G. Glenn’s ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ highlighting this.
“It was just after dusk when we heard the purr of one of our jeeps. This caused some speculation. It could be Jerry or one of our chaps who’d got lost. We were ordered to hold our fire until we were sure it was not one of our own. The jeep came in, followed our wire, ducked into the gap, and drove right up to our section and pulled up. All three men in the jeep were clearly silhouetted against the skyline. In the section nearby were Lieutenant McLellan, Scotty Paton, Mick Salter, Geoff Gardner, Johnny Ralla, Wally Fennell and Erin Starkey, all of whom, with the exception of one man, were to become casualties during the next three days fighting.” It transpired the jeep was German, containing officers who had previously been at Trig 29 and believed it was still in their hands!
On the evening of the battle Glenn described how ‘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.’ He later added that ‘the 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest.’ 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. Glenn explains they were ‘running into particularly stiff opposition to the west of the Trig point. It was only after hard fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides, that they were able to consolidate on their objective. Gradually the platoon, small in number to start with, was being whittled away and those remaining were being forced to go to ground.’ He added ‘At last light on the same front some three hundred enemy troops attacked, and D Company area was swept by small arms fire.’
Then ‘at zero hour 1 a.m. 31st October, the artillery opened up with a receding barrage – one that creeps back on itself. The attack was towards the guns themselves, the enemy being between troops and the guns…one gun was landing shells right amongst the men… As soon as the main road was reached the two leading companies came under murderous fire, and, from then until they reached the objective, 2,250 yards from the start line, the whole advance was fought in fierce hand to hand fighting.’ ‘Death would have reaped a rich harvest of gallant man. And of the 2/48th Battalion only forty-one weary troops would remain in the field.’ Michael survived but sustained gunshot wounds to his right forearm.
Jack Ralla, who had also been wounded in the leg and unable to stand, kept a detailed diary of that time. His ambulance was bombed on the way to hospital. He added ‘Back in hospital I ran into a lot of my mates; Tommy Loveday, Mick Salter, Scotty Patton, Jack Digan, Keith Freeman, Bert Skinner, Frank Lowe and Bob Cattermole.’ Michael continued to receive treatment for his arm before he was able to return to his battalion in early-November.
Back home, the December issue of the Chronicle listed those from the 2/48th Battalion who had been killed or wounded. It was an extensive list. Killed in Action included 24-year-old SX9128 Pte Jack D Clark, 2/24th, Seven Hills; 34-year-old SX7246 Pte. Gordon Franklin, 2/24th Kimba; 27-year-old SX12363 Pte. Ron Jackson SX6963 2/48th Melrose: 26-year-old SX7506 Pte. Ernest N. Parkyn, 2/48th Murray Bridge; 22-year-old SX2139 Pte. Harry Pearce, 2/48th Watervale; and his brother 30-year-old SX7239 Pte. Phillip Pearce. 2/48th Watervale: 21-year-old SX12157 Pte. Eric K. Stagbouer, 2/48th Maitland: 29-year-old SX7987 Pte. Douglas Whyte. 2/48th Joslin. Wounded In Action. SX9574 Pte. Walter H. Baohm, Beetaloo Valley; SX6729 Pte. T. D. Colling. Broken Hill: SX7964 Cpl. T. C Derrick Berri; SX11938 Pte. Allan J. Dow, Glencoe East; SX7501 Pte. Ronald H. Gerlach, Angaston; SX7291 Pte. Arthur T. Grocke. Koongawa; SX7923 Sgl. Rowland F. Hayward, Nor wood; SX5138 Pte. Desmond G. Loxton, Ponde; SX10383 Pte. Milton J. Miles, Foreston; SX773G Pte. Sidney J. Mountford, Willowie: SX8054 Pte. M. W. J. Salter, Unley Park; SX11348 Pte. Walter J. Treagus. Kyancutta. These were the cream of Australia’s young men.
The November 23rd issue of the Advertiser added the information that ‘Mrs. Eileen Brady, of Rundle street, Adelaide, has been notified that her brother. Pte. M. W. J. (Bill) Salter has been wounded in action in Egypt. Pte. Salter served in Tobruk for eight months. An elder brother, Pte. Arthur Salter, returned early this year after having been wounded in Syria.’
Soon after, Mick was briefly promoted to Acting Corporal but reverted to being a Private in mid-January ‘43. The battalion finally left the Middle East days later, at the start of February ’43, returning to Australia via Melbourne. Training in Queensland soon followed to prepare the men for service in the tropical conditions of New Guinea and against a very different enemy. Health issues, pneumonia and dengue fever began affecting Mick’s health, however he still sailed for New Guinea, arriving at Milne Bay early in August ’43. Within days increasingly severe health issues were diagnosed, including chronic bronchitis, asthma and the possibility of pulmonary Tuberculosis.
This inevitably caused Mick to be discharged on the 28th January ’44. His brother, Arthur had been discharged on the 1st May ’42. The service given by both brothers is remembered on the Honor Roll World War II Book and case of the City of Kensington and Norwood.
Mick died on the 27th April ’89 and now rests in the Stawell Pleasant Creek Public Cemetery where he is remembered as one of the highly regarded Rats of Tobruk.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.