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Tasman Arthur (Tas) was the only son born to Everard Dudley and Janet Gertrude Scutt in Launceston, Tasmania on the 27th May 1916. He had three sisters, Avis, Elfie and Veenie. The family lived in the Suburb of Trevallyn where his father was a departmental manager at the warehouse of D. and W. Murray Ltd. A community minded man, he was an instigator in the establishment of the Trevallyn recreation ground, a keen cricketer, captaining the newly formed Trevallyn Club and interested in all sporting fields. He was also a willing volunteer at the Trevallyn state school where his children attended and was treasurer of the family’s local St Oswald’s church. Everard had also been a poultryman of some note, especially in the specific breed, Black Orpingtons.
Tas was a talented musician who performed creditably in his practical examination of the Associated Board of R.A.M., and the R.C.M., London in October ’29. Within three months and just prior to Tas’ 14th birthday his 40-year-old father became unwell and died on the 4th February 1930. Gertrude moved her family back to South Australia to live in Hackney, on the edge of the Adelaide city parklands. Tas, through his love of music, met the Hales Family, their son Max and his childhood friend, Prime Willmott through his employment at Goode, Durrant and Murray Ltd. He also met Edna Clarke from the nearby suburb of St Peter’s with the two becoming engaged at Christmastime, 1938.
Aged 23, Tas enlisted on the on the 5th July 1940, becoming firm friends with Doug Whyte who enlisted a few weeks earlier. They were allocated the numbers SX8011 and SX7987 respectively. Close friends and fellow enlistees younger Max Hales SX8166 and Prime Willmott SX8183 also enlisted at a similar time. Their lives and service to Australia were to become inseparably linked. They were all placed the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before the new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training.
While on pre-embarkation leave Edna and Tas married in the St. Peter’s College Chapel on the evening of Saturday 19th October 1940. Within a fortnight he was part of the large contingent of 2/48th enlistees embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940. Close friendships were forged, most to last a lifetime.
Their 2/48th Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before going to Tobruk at the start of April 1941 where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to these fresh new enlistees. Within weeks of arriving, and still only 20 years old, Max Hales died of wounds on the 22nd of April 1941, devastating his friends and family. He had been part of the frenetic fight for Carrier Hill, where two men were killed, Max and Private Alfred Albert Tanner SX7368, and seven wounded. John Glenn in ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ records how ‘our carriers next moved out to attend to the wounded and to pick up the discarded equipment.’ Of the wounded, one was Teddy Boxer, SX7528 who lost his leg in the fighting but by his quick thinking and a huge dose of good luck, survived.
The following year, aged 29, Douglas Whyte was killed in action in Egypt. Within days, on the 31st October 1942 Tas was also killed. He was 26 years old. Definitive news slowly drifted back about that horrific battle where the 2/48th lost 199 men killed or wounded of their 292 involved in that night’s conflict – over 68 percent of their men. John Glenn in his book, Tobruk to Tarakan describes the conditions: ‘Battalion headquarters, continuing to move forward, passed through the gap between B and C Companies, only to find themselves four hundred yards in advance of the leading companies and meeting heavy enemy resistance close to the final objective. Casualties were mounting among the headquarter personnel. Corporal Bill Cashen and Private Murray Nicholson of the orderly room staff, Sergeant Lindsay Goode and Corporal Tas Scutt of the signals, and Private Vin McGahan had all been killed.’ He continued:
‘Battalion headquarters was out of communication with D Company, the reason which was not then known, being that all members of D Company headquarters had been either killed or wounded. In fact, 16 of their men had been killed on the objective, leaving a company of six to carry on. Just as the company was nearing its objective, the men had approached two mounds with a saddle in between. Fifty yards from these they were met by a murderous fire from the mounds. D Company immediately went to ground, but the Germans swept the area where they lay in the open. Captain P Robbins, a very gallant soldier, was among the first to be hit by a Spandau bullet, which killed him instantly. “Chuck” Fowler who never left Robbins’ side, was next to fall. The remnants of the Company were being cut to pieces. Private Doug Whyte of the “I” Section, Arthur Wilson, Private E.S. Schubert, Sergeant P.M. Ide and Eric Montgomerie were all killed in this exposed position.”
The Official-War Correspondent, Kenneth Slessor in lengthy newspaper articles published in March ’43 described the conditions at the time, including how Private Percy Gratwick and Sergeant Bill Kibby won individual Victoria Crosses for their exceptional bravery.
‘Then came the night of October 30/31, "Our job was to cut west across Thompson's Post take the railway, straddle the coast road and then work back cleaning up enemy pockets and strong posts," said Martin. "We straddled the road all right and then started to work back east. D Company cleaning up between the road and the sea. It was easy at first, but then we ran into real opposition. We saw a couple of lights shoot up from a ridge—actually there were two humps, one on the left and one on the right, with a saddle be-tween. We got within 50 yards and then they opened fire-and how!
"Three Spandau's started shooting from the hump on the left and two more and a couple of three inch mortars from the right. At first it came waist-high, but when we went down like wet sacks they, sent the stuff skimming just over the top of the ground. We got most of our casualties there. Captain Robbins hadn't made a mistake to that stage, refusing to be bluffed. A burst from a Spandau killed him and another got his batman, "Chuck" Fowler, of Port Pirie. Another got Doug Whyte, from St. Peters. Arthur Wilson, of Glanville was killed, and Sergeant Rod Ide, of Lameroo, and Eric Montgomerie, from the West Coast. Ray Bloffwitch, of Bowden, was wounded and a piece of mortar bomb broke Norman Learney's leg. We were all over the show and badly cut up. Unless we could be got together to wipe those Jerries off the ridge they were certain to wipe us out. That's when Kibby got going, yelling orders and re-organising, and, in no time we were ready for a crack at that ridge. We split into two sections. There were a few from Company Headquarters with us and they were in section with myself and Len Steike, detailed to clean up the Jerries on the left. Kibby was with the others. Well, we cleaned up the Jerries on the left, but that didn't help. Kibby's section had been driven to earth scarcely 20 yards in front of a Spandau which was ripping them to pieces. We seemed to be in a worse position than before, being nearer and more exposed. Kibby saved the bunch of us. We saw him run forward with a grenade in his hand and throw it. Then he disappeared, but after that grenade exploded there wasn't any more firing from that quarter. We stayed quiet for a while, and then looked at the shambles around us There were dead and wounded everywhere. On the way east we had captured a German Regimental Aid Post and we set about getting our wounded back there. We collected a couple of Jerry prisoners, found an iron bedstead, put Norman, Learney aboard and told them to carry him. We were dogtired by daylight when we retired a couple of hundred, yards and dug in. It wasn't until two days, later that we had an opportunity to go out and look for our dead. When we got to the place they had disappeared. We guessed that Jerry had dropped them in a shallow trench and covered them over, so we started searching below every freshly turned patch of sand. We spent ten days searching before we found them. They were all lying together in one grave. We took them out and did the job properly, burying them in a row —Bill Kibby, Peter Robbins, Rod Ide, Doug Whyte, Chuck Fowler, with Eric Montgomerie just behind. We couldn't say much, but I guess we all knew, every man of us, that if it hadn't been for Bill Kibby we might have been lying there with them."
Back home the devastating news was given to Edna and publicised in the Mail on Saturday 2 January 1943, ‘Mrs. E. M. Scutt, of Main North road, Prospect, has been notified that her husband, Corporal Tas. Scutt, was killed in action in Egypt on October 31. Cpl. Scutt served in Palestine, Tobruk, and Syria. He was the only son of Mrs. J. G. Scutt, of Norwood, and the late Mr. Scutt of Launceston, Tasmania, and before enlisting was employed by Goode, Durrant and Murray Ltd.’

Corporal Scutt was reburied in the El Alamein War Cemetery in March ’45 in Plot A2 D 21. His parents chose the inscription ‘His Duty Nobly Done’ for his headstone. Others from the 2/48th Battalion rest with him. They include Privates D. H. Greening SX7149, M.T. Nicholson SX10522, Ptes R.T. Elliott SX7254 R.H Merritt SX13495 and A.G. Randall WX10146 and two unknown soldiers from the AIF all of whom were killed in the ferocious fighting on October 31st 1942.
At home on the Hales family plot at Nailsworth Church of England Cemetery an elegant cross of remembrance honours Max with the inscription ‘To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be. His Duty Nobly Done.’ In a magnificently compassionate gesture, Florence and Edgar Hales also erected a memorial stone to not only their son Max, but also to those friends with whom he served and who paid the ultimate price; Max’s ‘twin’ Prime Willmott, Sgt Tass Scutt and Private Doug Whyte. The latter two were both killed in action in Egypt on 31 October 1942, with the inscription ‘Their Duty Nobly Done’.
The survivors from the 2/48th, devastated by the deaths, continued to remember their compatriots and Tas, as did family and friends.
Advertiser December 1942, SCUTT Tas-Killed In action In Egypt Oct. 31. —Ever remembered by his loving wife. Edna SCUTT. Cpl T. A.—Dearly loved only son of Mrs. J. G. Scutt, and loved brother of Avis, EIfie and Veenie. killed in action In Egypt Oct. 31. SCUTT. —ln loving memory of Tas killed in action on Oct 31 —Inserted by Mr and Mrs Strongman, Glenda and Ron. SCUTT. Cpl Tas (2nd A.I.F.).—On October 31.—Lovingly remembered by Grandpa Scutt and Aunty Louis.
Advertiser 1943, In loving memory of my pals who paid the supreme sacrifice. El Alamein. Oct. 1942. Les King. Bill Jarmyn, Lindsay Goode, Tas Scutt, Jack Curtis, Arthur Noack, Lionel Schubert, Harold Pearce. —Remembered by Cyril. A tribute to the memory of the boys, who fought and died at El Alamein. October 23-31.—0. Phillips. A token of remembrance To my pals - and comrades of the 2/48th Battn. who fell at El Alamein In October, 1942. — Inserted by Bill Fletcher. In memory of our pals, who paid the supreme sacrifice at El Alamein, Oct, 1942. Lindsay Goode. Tas Scutt. Jack Curtis, Les King, Bill Jarmyn. Arthur Noack, Lionel Schubert. Harold Pearce. — Ever remembered by pals, signal Platoon. A token of remembrance to my pals and comrades of the 2/48tn Btn. who fell at El Alamein in Oct,1942. Lest we forget. —inserted by Jack Todd and Fred Wooldridge. SCUTT. — In fond memory of Cpl. Tas. Scutt, Second 48th. killed in action at El Alamein. October 31. 1942.— Inserted by his loving mother-in-law, Mrs. H. Clarke, Redcliffe. Queensland. Everlasting memories of our pals. Sgt. L. R. Goode M.M. Cpl. T. A. Scutt and Pte. Doug. Whyte who made the supreme sacrifice El Alamein. Oct. 31. 1942. "They died that others may live In a world of freedom. —inserted by their 9th Div. pals. A tribute of remembrance to all my comrades who gave their lives at El Alamein. "My thoughts are always with you all!"—Ever remembered by Dick Dawson. AIF., ret.
Advertiser Tuesday 31 October 1944, SCUTT. —In memory of our pal, Tas, killed in action at El Alamein, October 31, 1942. —Ever remembered by Glenda and Ron A.I.F SCUTT. —In memory of Tas Scutt, killed in action at El Alamein. on the night of October 30-31. 1942.—Always remembered by his pal, Jack Champion. SCUTT. Whyte. —Loving tribute to Tas and Doug, killed in action at El Alamein October 31. 1942. esteemed friends or late private Max Bales, 48th Battalion. Memories are greater than words. —Remembered by the Hales family GOODE and SCUTT. —In memory of my two pals. Cpt. Tas Scutt and Sgt. Lindsay Goode, killed in action at El Alamein. Oct. 31. 1942.—Inserted by Pte. P M- Anderson, ex 2/48th Btn.
Advertiser Wednesday 31 October 1945, SCUTT—WHYTE In fond memory of Tas and Doug, who made the supreme sacrifice October 31. 1942. esteemed friends of the late Max Hales. Their memory hallowed in the land they loved. —Mr. and Mrs. R. Hales and family. SCUTT. —In memory of our pal Tas. killed in action at El Alamein. October 31, 1942. —Ever remembered by Glenda and Ron (A.1.F.).
Advertiser Thursday 31 October 1946, SCUTT. —In memory of our pal Tas, killed in action at El Alamein. October 31. 1942. —Ever remembered by Glenda and Ron. SCUTT—WHITE. —In memory of Tass and Doug, killed in action October 31. 1942, pals of the late Max Hales. Memories live on. —Mr. and Mrs. R. Hales.
Advertiser Wednesday 10 November 1948, SCUTT-WHYTE. —In fond memory of Tas and Doug, killed at El ' Alamein. October 31. 1942. Pals of the late Max Hales. —Always remembered by Hales family.
Written and researched by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.