MORRIS, Alfred Walter
Service Number: | SX7798 |
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Enlisted: | 4 July 1940 |
Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
Last Unit: | 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion |
Born: | Ki Ki, South Australia, 31 July 1916 |
Home Town: | Norwood (SA), South Australia |
Schooling: | Rose Park School, South Australia |
Occupation: | S.A. railways as a fireman |
Died: | Lung cancer, South Australia, 16 December 1968, aged 52 years |
Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia Derrick Gardens Of Remembrance, Shrub Bed 7, Position 010 |
Memorials: | City of Kensington & Norwood Honour Roll World War II Book and Case |
World War 2 Service
4 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Private, SX7798, Adelaide, South Australia | |
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4 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, SX7798, 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion | |
5 Jul 1940: | Involvement Private, SX7798 | |
11 Sep 1945: | Discharged Lance Corporal, SX7798, 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion | |
11 Sep 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, SX7798, 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion |
Twice Wounded Rat of Tobruk
Alfred (‘Fred’) was born on the 31st July 1916 to Allan Clayton and Carolyn Charlotte Morris.at Ki Ki. This small settlement is on the Duke’s Highway between Adelaide and Melbourne, a thriving Railways hub in a predominantly rural area. Fred was from a large family, including older siblings Carolyn Gladys Myrtle, Charles Clayton Claude and Fernie Elva, plus younger Eric Allen, Hazel Vera, Clifford and Geoffrey Fidge.
Alfred came from a family of proud Australians who served their country in the ‘War to End All Wars’. Just prior to his birth, his 28-year-old uncle, Alfred Harold Morris enlisted in January ’15 as 1993 in the 10th Battalion. He served for over three years in France but died of multiple wounds after being bombed by an aeroplane at Harbonniers in August ’18, aged 31. Alfred’s mother’s family was also affected by war losses. 35-year-old Thomas Walter Fidge 1931 of the 35th Battalion was killed in action in Belgium on the 12th October ’17 after several stints in hospital. His brother, Lance Corporal Allan Horatio Fidge, 6749 of the 10th battalion contracted trench fever, recuperating in England for a month before re-joining his battalion and being wounded on the 18th September ’18 with a gunshot wound to his arm. He eventually returned to Australia in October ’19. Fred was proud to carry the names of two of these uncles.
The Morris family moved to Norwood where Fred attended the Rose Park School, gaining his Qualifying Certificate and being involved in several sports. He had just turned 11 when his young brother, Geoffery died aged just 7 in September ’35 in the Children’s Hospital. He was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery, but continued to be remembered in the ensuing years, including by his Fred and brothers ‘MORRIS.—In loving memory of our dear son, Geoffrey Fidge Morris, who passed away on the 10th September, 1935. We mourn for you, but not with grief. For death to you brought sweet relief. When we think of the pain you patiently bore. Till God called you home, to suffer no more. —Inserted by his parents and brothers, Norwood.’ His married sisters also placed their own tributes.
Post school Fred joined the S.A. railways as a fireman. However, with the outbreak of WWII, he enlisted as a 26-year-old in Renmark on the 14th June ‘40, He was allocated the number SX7798 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Inevitably, he was following the service example of his much admired and missed uncles on both sides of the family. His early army days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before heading to Woodside for preliminary training. Following pre-embarkation leave the 2/48th Battalion then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940 and arriving on the 17th December. The new soldiers then completed a few months training in Cyrenaica facing dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment when in Tobruk.
The 2/48th had barely arrived in the Middle East when in May ‘41 Fred sustained a gunshot wound to his right shoulder during the fierce fighting for Hill 209 which claimed the lives of seven in his battalion.
John Glenn in his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ described conditions that day at Dimra: “At 3:50am on 1st May the men of the 2/48th stood-to to await the outcome of the battle which had raged all through the night. In thick mist, darkness, and bitter cold they snatched a quick breakfast of bully beef and hard biscuits.” In an attempt to take Hill 209 in the heavy dust storm marked by overhead enemy aircraft targeting their carrying vehicles, ‘D Company moved out steadily with two platoons forward- 18 Platoon under Lieutenant Larkins on the right and 17 Platoon with Sergeant Tonkin in command on the left.’ ‘The company then moved well forward under control, and came under small arms fire, but continued until they came under very heavy machine-gun fire from the direction of the Water Point and Post S4.’ The remainder of that day was chaotic, information scant, the men weary and under heavy fire and a raging sandstorm.’
The 22nd May ’41 edition of the Chronicle listed those from the 2/48th Battalion who were wounded with Fred. They included Died of Wounds.— Pte. Robert T. Christie, SX8273, Angaston (previously reported wounded in action). Wounded in Action.— Pte. Lancelot W. Braidwood. SX7652, Adelaide; Pte. Douglas D. Cameron, SX8847, Curramulka; A/Cpl. Wallace M. Clegg, SX6947, Joslin; Pte. John W. P. Digan, SX9092, Adelaide; Pte. Harold E. Harris, SX7454, North Croydon; Pte. Blake H. Mclnnes, SX7877, Lancaster; Pte. Alfred W. Morris, SX7798 Norwood; and Pte. Milford R. Uzzell, SX7478, Stepney.
Fred was evacuated to several different hospitals and convalescent depots before returning via the Staging Camp at Amiriya. He was finally able to re-join the 2/48th in August that year but continued to have minor issues, including tinea as did so many of the troops in the desert condition. He became part of the historic battle at El Alamein where he was again wounded on the Hill of Jesus with a gunshot wound, this time to the opposite arm, and his right leg. The Advertiser of August 14th carried Alf’s photo and also a brief report stating that ‘Mr. and Mrs A. C. Morris, of Norwood, have been notified that their son. Pte. A. W. Morris, has been wounded in Egypt. Pte. Morris enlisted at Renmark in July. 1941 and went overseas in November, 1941.’
The Chronicle the following day carried a list of those from his battalion who were killed and wounded with Fred. They included Killed In Action— SX10317 Cpl. Colin F. Williams, Renmark; Wounded In Action—SX10308 Lt. Richard W. LeMessurier. Prospect; SX9637 Pte. Forrest H. (Lal)Banks, Robe; SX8147 Cpl. H. Peter. Banks, Robe; SX7798 Pte. Alfred. W. Morris, Inf., Norwood; Wounded And On Seriously ill List.— SX6866 A-Col. R. T. Loveday. Inf., Renmark.
The men were bombed by day and night from every point of the perimeter and were called the Tobruk Rats, for living underground. Mean as a derogatory term and to lessen morale, the term was quickly adopted as a measure of pride. The battalion was continually bombed and then the Germans launched a huge attack on Good Friday with seventy-two German tanks.
In his recent book, Derrick VC In His Own Words, Mark Johnston quotes from Diver Derrick’s diary of Tom’s service. “15th July ’42 “The section remained on the alert and nearing daybreak we found ourselves once more surrounded by Jerries, who did not know of our positions or our presence. A convoy of 11 vehicles approached 7 PL and were nicely delt (sic) with by Sgt Loveday and Platoon.“
In the lead up to El Alamein in October John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan wrote “This was indeed it! To the men who listened, the significance of the recent hard training exercise and the adoption of new methods must have been firmly drive home.
“All were original members of the battalion, and all had been tried in the Siege of Tobruk; they had earned in battle the respect and confidence of those who served under them. He later added “We thought of ourselves as few enough then. But surely even the bravest among us would have shuddered if they could have known to what a weary handful we would be reduced by morning..”
In the chilling re-telling of the time Glenn continued, explaining that the casualties continued to mount with a significant number of deaths. In a poignant comment which typified the legend that was to accompany the 2/48th Battalion, Glenn summarised the day. ‘The men had fought with determination in hard and bitter hand-to-hand fighting, always endeavouring to go forward, and all the time taking a heavy toll of the enemy, only to reach the final objective with a strength so reduced as to make further progress impossible. A small band of forty-one men, some of whom were wounded, was all that remained. Truly it can be said of these men, “They fought themselves and their enemy to a standstill until flesh and blood could stand no more, then they went on fighting.”
‘All day long the already tired men were forced to crouch in their shallow trenches listening to the whine and crunch of shells, and to calls for stretcher bearers. No call went unanswered, not even when it meant bearers having to race across the open ground into a terrible fire to bring aid to the wounded and dying.” This was a measure of the 2/48th Battalion.
More hospitalisation followed for Fred. Recovery was challenged by a further self-inflicted infection but this did not prevent him being briefly promoted to Acting Corporal in December, to soon revert to Lance Corporal in mid January. He was able to re-join the 2/48th, heading home to Australia, via Melbourne, for well-earned leave in February ‘43
Training in Queensland followed for his battalion as the troops prepared to face a very different enemy in the humidity and jungle conditions of New Guinea. However, Fred he developed a series of frustrating skin and hair conditions, impetigo and folliculitis which saw him return to being based at Woodside for re-allocation in a non-operational area. By June Fred had developed an upper respiratory tract infection, more hospitalisation and a transfer to Garrison duty. His frustration was evident in a charge of ‘conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline’ and a demotion to the rank of Private for this battle-hardened member of the highly regarded 2/48th soldier.
Fred was posted to the Loveday Internment Camp near Barmera, which held internees with Germanic, Italian and Japanese descent as well as Prisoners of War. It was there that morphine (from Opium poppies) and insect repelling treatments from pyrethrum daisies, plus a variety to food crops were grown for the troops. Fred’s skin conditions did not improve, with him developing dermatitis on his face. This plus his previous gunshot wounds eventually led to Fred’s discharge in September 1945.
With peace declared, Fred married Edna Grace and enjoyed time with his parents until his 65-year-old mother’s death on June 1st 1950. His father, Allan lived to be 74, dying on the 11th November ’54. Both parents now rest in Centennial Park Cemetery. Their mother, Carolyn continued to be remembered in the ensuing years by her children with Fred placing a memorial to her in the ’51 edition of the Advertiser; ‘MORRIS. — In loving memory of mother, who passed away June 1. 1950. Ever remembered by Fred and Edna.’
Aged 52, Fred died on the 16th December ’68 and now rests in the Derrick Gardens of Remembrance in Shrub Bed 7 in position 10. Edna lived to be 69 and died in November ’84. She was also buried in Centennial Park, in a Rose bed, W70 Position 37.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.
Submitted 21 July 2024 by Kaye Lee