Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Chenoweth family initially lived on Kangaroo Island, where their first child, Ida Adeline was born in 1909, but they then moved to make their home at Minlaton on the central Yorke Peninsula. This area was known for being the barley capital of the world. Leonard and Jane’s second child, Elsie Jame was born here, and the following year, on the 21st May 1912 was Sydney Leonard. He quickly became known as Syd. His uncle, Charles Chenoweth also lived in Minlaton where he had a billiard saloon and Leonard a butcher’s and was also a land agent. The two brothers for a while enjoyed ‘sharing the cheer’ but just prior to Christmas ’38 were caught unlawfully selling liquor, following a police stake out. Creatively, a tank stand, ostensibly used to store butter, had been used to store the liquor. It was a costly venture with Leonard being fine of £75, with £1 costs. However this did not prevent Syd from later working as a shop assistant.
As a young man, Syd proved to be a talented runner, competing in the Minlaton Hospital Gymkhana in March ’36. In April the following year he announced his engagement to Ada Whenan but this was unsuccessful.
Aged 28 and with the outbreak of WWII, he enlisted in June ’40. He was allocated the number SX7903 and became part of the 2/48th Battalion reinforcements. Whilst training, Syd formed a close friendship with Alf Tait SX9301 who enlisted at a similar time, having been in the navy for several years. Almost immediately Syd contracted flu-like symptoms, resulting in a few days in hospital before he was able to join the other enlistees training at Woodside.
At the end of the month, Syd returned to Minlaton to visit his parents prior to going in to camp. Then, following a brief time of leave, the new soldiers embarked on the 5th February ’41, arriving in the Middle East on the 23rd March. Intensive training followed at Kantara and soon after at the Amiriya Staging Camp.
Fierce fighting faced the battalion, including at Tel el Eisa on the 10th July ’42. Syd’s good friend, Alf was amongst those killed in the encounter. The following year Syd was one of those who placed a memorial notice in memory of Alf. ‘ TAIT. Pte. Alf.—A tribute to the memory of my pal. killed in action July 10. To be with us in the same old way would be my dearest wish today.—inserted by his old pal, Syd Chenoweth.’
That July, Syd experienced on-going health problems. The change in food and conditions quite dissimilar to Minlaton, including heat, flies and a repetitive diet, caused Syd to develop painful boils and he was again hospitalised for over a week. By August ’42 the following year he again contracted a skin infection in his left elbow which required a further stint of treatment.
Finally, the 2/48th Battalion were able to return home, via Melbourne arriving on the 25th February ’43. Brief leave back home in Minlaton was welcomed before training in Queensland followed. This was designed to prepare the men for very different, tropical conditions in New Guinea, against a very different enemy.
Syd gained accreditation as a Butcher, soon embarking from Cairns and arriving in Milne Bay New Guinea on the 6th August ’43 where his Group III status as a butcher was confirmed. By January ’44 Syd had developed an extremely high temperature (Pyrexia of Unknown origin), followed by Dengue fever, which precipitated a return to Brisbane and then back to Minlaton. He had eagerly anticipated attending his cousin’s wedding, but unfortunately, he was instead placed in the Minlaton Hospital with malaria. From there he had a further extended time recovering in the Kapara Convalescent home at Glenelg. Malaria continued to flare, but eventually Syd returned to the Borneo Campaign, disembarking at Morotai in April ’45. By May that year his parents received the unwanted news that he had been wounded in action from an enemy mine which penetrated his left arm.
At the time John Glenn, in Tobruk to Tarakan described how ‘From the intensity of the Japanese fire it was obvious that the enemy were well dug in, and that they occupied positions of considerable strength.’ ‘The enemy above hurling down grenades, those on either flank opening up with machine-guns and rifle fire,’ grenades and fused 75 mm shells were being thrown down at very close range.
The Advertiser carried a list of those from the 2/48th who were wounded at a similar time to Syd. included SX13247 Pte. Henry A. G. Bear, Port Augusta; SX7903 Pte. Sydney L. Chenoweth. Minlaton and SX7702 L-Cpl. Charles S. Deering, Alberton.
Syd was evacuated to the field ambulance and thence to hospital. He eventually was able to leave Morotai and Tarakan in August, arriving in Brisbane early September. Finally, his war was over and Syd was discharge on the 11th October ’45, very fortunate to be alive.
At the end of October ’45 the local Minlaton Sub-Branch of the Returned Soldiers' League conducted a huge welcome home to their 45 young men, some of whom had been prisoners of war. Syd was amongst the group of recently returned, with each of the men speaking.
Syd married Doreen Norma and they had two children, Graham and Kaycee. This also gave him cause to become part of the High School Bus round with a group of other local parents. He was also a generous supporter of the Minlaton Hospital as part of the Hospital’s Benefit Scheme in ’53.
Aged 88 Syd died on the 21st June 2000. He is buried in his hometown of Minlaton where his service during WWII is also recognised.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.