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Alvine Charles was born on the 24th August, 1913, one of seven children and the second son of Jessie Beatrice and William Spottiswoode Montgomerie. His siblings were Eric, Lois, Raymond, Alvine, Reuben and Merle all of whom attended school at Streaky Bay, a farming and fishing town on the coast of Eyre Peninsula, S.A.
With the outbreak of WWII, active recruiting occurred in country areas, targeting the fit, active young men across the state. Cowell, Minnipa, Wudinna Streaky Bay and Cummins on the Eyre Peninsula were all targeted with Alvine being one of 25 with four other enlistees coming from Cummins, who departed for Adelaide at the end of June ’40. His younger brother, 20-year-old Eric Leonard enlisted a month later on the 22nd July before older brother, Raymond Kenneth enlisted the following year on the 14th April 1941. He became gunner SX12203.
At Wayville both Alvine and Eric were assigned to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion, with Alvine being allocated the number SX7967 and Eric SX9488. Initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. From Wayville, the new enlistees moved to Woodside for their preliminary training.
For pre-embarkation leave, Private Alvine Montgomerie was farewelled at the Wirrulla Memorial Hall in October where the West Coast Sentinel reported a large crowd in attendance for Alvine and Aircraftsman Bob Reid. It was special for Alvine’s brother Private Eric Montgomerie, to be awarded special leave to also be at the farewell. The ‘boys’ were welcomed back to the district, and their fine bearing and evident good health commented on. The three young men were escorted up the hall by members of the Wirrulla branch of the R.S.A., amid enthusiastic cheers from those present. The singing of the National Anthem and dancing followed, before speeches addressing the impending departure for overseas services and expressions of the district's pride and admiration in their enlistment step, were made. The newspaper added that ‘Mr. T. L. Lovegrove, on behalf of the R.S.A., also wished the boys well, and expressed the hope that the day would not be far distant when they would be welcomed back home and enrolled as members of the old R.S.A.’ Further speeches followed from the sporting clubs and commenting ‘highly of the quality of the two departing soldiers. They were fine types of young manhood, and two worthy ambassadors for Wirrulla who were going away to do their share in standing between the common enemy and the freedom loving countries of the world, most of all, their beloved homeland’. Their parents were also praised for ‘the great sacrifice made by the parents of those boys who had answered their country's call’. Presentations of a parcel of comforts from the C.W.A. and a cigarette case and pencil was also made by the Wirrulla Concert Party.’ A standing ovation followed with the final expression that ‘that they would soon be back again to live in a more peaceful world.’ The traditional singing of Auld Lang Syne and the National Anthem, concluded a most impressive farewell.
The young men returned to their 2/48th contingent which embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 17th December 1940. Their Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before moving 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. They were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk, a title designed to be derogatory but one worn with pride.
By the 30th July ’42 Alvine was part of the 2/48th fierce fighting for Tel el Eisa, the railway line near the ridges and Points 23, 26 and 33, all considered strategically essential to the Allied’s advancement. This was preceded by German tanks charging and running over the slit trenches in which the Australians were sheltering. The fighting was ferocious but also resulted in remarkable acts of courage by individual soldiers against the might of the tanks. In his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ John Glenn described how the intense action continued “for the next fortnight, bitter and bloody fighting was to rage around this feature until it was finally occupied by A Company… The capture of this coastal ridge turned the whole tide of battle; Rommel’s advance petered out on the slopes of the Tel el Eisa. He had sent counter-attack after counter attack to remove this spearhead that had been thrust deep in his side. The 2/48th Battalion’s casualties for the first day were six men killed in action, eighteen wounded, thirteen missing.” Ron Irwin SX7858, Syd Kinsman SX8953, Corporal Alvine Montgomerie SX7967 and Lieutenant Colonel Max Richardson SX7532 were some of those reported missing.
Back home, definite, accurate news was difficult to ascertain. The Advertiser of August ‘42 listed SX10598 Pte. Raymond Bannister. Inf. North Adelaide, SX8953 Pte. Syd G. Kinsman, Inf. West Thebarton SX66O6 Pte. Louis T. Kostera. Inf. Balaklava. SX6604 Pte. Max G. Reid, Inf. Balaklava. SX7532, Corporal A.C. Mongomerie SX7967 and L-Cpl. Max Richardson, Inf., Elliston were missing, believed prisoner of war. Eventually, that fate was officially confirmed in February ‘43. All had become Prisoners of War. The Advertiser carried the summary ‘Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Montgomerte, of Edwardstown, have been notified that their son. Cpl. A. C. Montgomerie, has been reported missing, believed prisoner of war. He enlisted at Yeelanna in July 1940, sailed for overseas the following November, and served for several months in Tobruk. His younger brother. Pte. E. L. Montgomerie, who enlisted at the same time and went abroad in February, 1941, has been wounded in action in Egypt. Another brother. Gnr. R. K. Montgomerie, is also on active service in the Middle East.’
Their family’s anxious wait was to be tempered with tragedy as they received word that 23-year-old Eric, by then a Corporal, had been killed in action in Egypt on the 31st October 1942. Having received formal verification, Catherine and William shared the tragic news of Eric’s death in the Advertiser Friday 20 November 1942, MONTGOMERIE. —Killed in action, Egypt. Oct. 31. Eric, dearly loved youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Montgomerie, Edwardstown. loving brother of Lois, Ray (A.I.F.), Mervyn, Alvin (A.I.F. and P.O.W.), Reuben and Merle. The paper also carried a brief tribute to those killed at a similar time ‘Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Montgomerie, of Edwardstown, have been informed that their youngest son, Pte. Eric Montgomerie, was killed in action in Egypt on October 31. Pte. Montgomerie served at Tobruk and in Egypt, where he was slightly wounded on July 14. His oldest brother, Gnr. R. K. Montgomerie, is on active service in Egypt and another brother, Cpl. A. C. Montgomerie, is a prisoner of war.
According to SX8953 Sydney Kinsman’s statement post his escape as a POW, he was taken prisoner having been captured at the Tel el Eisa railway station when the Germans counter attacked with tanks and artillery. As dark approached, the remainder of his company withdrew without telling the two forward sections, which included Syd. They continued to fight until they were attacked from the rear while also facing tanks and infantry fire from in front, making it impossible to hold out and therefore having no other option that to surrender. Syd was captured with his section leader, Corporal Alvine Montgomerie SX7967, Lieutenant Colonel Max Richardson SX7532 and Private Ronald Irwin SX7858. In terms of his later escape, it is made more remarkable to read in his report that his clothing was ‘only what wearing when captured’ – in the desert.
The long wait for news of Alvine finally arrived in January, ’45. The Advertiser reported that ‘Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Montgomerie, of Edwardstown, have received advice that their son Cpl. A.C. Montgomerie, who had been a POW in Italy since July, 1942, reached the Allied lines on January 4.’
Details began to emerge of how Alvine’s time had been spent. The West Coast Sentinel in April ’45 carried the story:
‘ROAMED ITALIAN HILLS FOR FOURTEEN MONTHS An escaped South Australian war prisoner who lived for more than fourteen months in the Italian hills and finally reached a Yugoslav port returned, to Adelaide last Thursday. With him was another repatriated South Australian prisoner. Both had been nearly five years overseas. The escapee was Corporal Alvine Montgomerie, 31, third son of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Montgomerie, of Edwardstown, late of Wirrulla, West Coast. He left Australia in November, 1940, and the repatriated man Gunner Lindsay Lawrence, 27, left Australia in May, 1940.
Cpl. Montgomerie, one of the original Tobruk " Rats," was captured by the Germans at El Alamein in July, 1942. Sent to a prisoner of war camp in Italy with three other Australians, he decided to escape when the Italians capitulated in September, 1943. " We tried to get through to Switzerland, and were only four miles from the border when we were overtaken," he said. " One boy later made a break for it, and reached the Swiss border, where he was interned. But three of us were captured and were put on a train for Germany.
DRESSED AS PEASANTS "We jumped off the train along the route and made for the Italian hills. There we made friends with the peasants, and lived off the land for more than 14 months." We joined up with other escapees often there were 20 to 50 camping in the same place. Dressed in peasant clothes and speaking Italian fairly fluently, we were easily able to bluff the Germans into thinking we were Italians. The Fascists were the only ones we couldn't fool. But the majority of Italians were strongly pro-British, and with their help and warnings we were able to avoid the Fascist groups.
"There were thousands of escaped prisoners wandering round the north of Italy and in Yugoslavia. Some joined the partisan forces, and others made their way to the Yugoslav ports, where they were picked up by British destroyers. About 70 of us finally got away on one of these destroyers, in January this year. It seemed no time before we were returned home."
The Chronicle of November ’44 joyously announced that ex-Prisoners of war were homeward bound. The group highlighted that “Two points were stressed by the party, namely, the considerate treatment by the Swiss, who eventually provided empty hotels 'in mountain resorts and assisted the men to learn trades such as watchmaking, and the fact that without Red Cross parcels the men would not have survived on the meagre Italian diet.” The other surprising comment was that “most agree that the Italian women, particularly in the northern districts, were not daunted by the threats of Nazi reprisals which cowed their menfolk, and consistently gave help.” The Advertiser in January ’45 announced that ‘Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Montgomerie, of Edwardstown, have received advice that their son Cpl. A.C. Montgomerie, who had been a POW in Italy since July, 1942, reached the Allied lines on January 4.’ More detail was added by the West Coast Sentinel
Being home, a free man and looking to the future, within ten days, Alvine had proposed to Elva Margaret Anne Hartvigsen of North Adelaide on the Saturday 14th April ’45 and married on the 26th April at Pirie Street Methodist Church 6.30 p.m. Their first child, Terry Alvin was born in March the following year at Memorial Hospital. Despite, or because of his experiences, Alvine lived to be 90. He died at Christmas time, 2003, aged 90 and is buried at Centennial Park.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.