Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John was Adelaide born on the 1st May 1908 to Edward and Ava Wakeman. Inevitably, he became known as Jack. He had three older sisters, Dolly, Mabel and Irene Nita plus one younger, Joyce.
Jack and his sisters attended the new Westbourne Park Public School where special days, including patriotic occasions like Empire Day and Arbor Day, were celebrated. Similarly, useful skills were encouraged with the boys having their own agricultural plots where they grew a wide range of vegetables which they were able to take home. Jack was quite sporty, including as a lacrosse player and other field-based sports.
Post school Jack moved to Robe where he was able to indulge his love of fishing and act as a volunteer football goal umpire in the local league. He worked as a farm-hand on a property called Konetta for John Watson. He was involved in an attempt to capture, breed and protect a small Kangaroo, called toolach (macropus greyii) named after Governor Grey, the early vice-regal representative of South Australia. Several attempts had been made to muster the remaining animals by running them to a stand-still with circling horses and motor cars. Unfortunately, this exhausted the toolach, which then died of fatigue. Some time later, while out on horseback with his dog, Jack startled one from the undergrowth. His dog captured but did not injure the small kangaroo which Jack was then able to take back to the Konetta homestead. The marsupial lived for some years in an enclosure in Robe but never became tamed. Eventually a decision was made to transport the animal to the Adelaide Zoo, but it died before these plans could be implemented. Eventually it was taken to Adelaide to be treated by a taxidermist and now lives in the Adelaide museum.
In a bid to encourage fit, single young men to volunteer as recruits, the army targeted country areas, including Robe, where Captain Harrington in the first week managed to attract 23 young men. At the time, Jack, a competent horseman and member of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment for six years, was head of the local troop, where he held the position of squadron Sergeant Major. Almost half of the troop enlisted for service. As a 32-year-old, Jack was an early enlistee on the 3rd July ’40, being allocated the number SX7689. At the time several of his friends from the area also enlisted with many being placed in the 2/48th Battalion. These included SX8148 Wilf Backler, SX8147 Peter (Herbert) Banks, SX7494 Steve Hayes, SX8370 Ted Martin, SX7690 Fredrick Serle, SX8163 Menpes Tonkin and SX7688 William Westland. Not all returned home. (William Westland was killed in action on the 1st May, ’41 soon after they arrived in the Middle East.)
The men’s initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. The new enlistees then headed to Woodside for their preliminary training. Early in July ‘40, a social was arranged by the local Patriotic Council with games and competitions. At that time a war savings group had been formed with children encouraged to subscribe to war saving certificates. Following pre-embarkation leave, the 2/48th contingent embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 17th December 1940. The battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before going to Tobruk at the start of April 1941. There 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, in the most highly decorated but decimated Battalion.
Frustratingly, in July the following year, Jack was accidentally injured in his right knee and spent a few weeks recovering. Less than a year later, he was involved in a further accident in May ’42, for which he was fortunate to survive. His injuries included cuts to his upper arm and shin, a traumatic injury to his right chest plus extensive abrasions and shock (concussion probably also occurred but this was difficult to diagnose, then). He was again hospitalised whilst a Court of Enquiry was held at Tripoli. This found that Jack’s injuries were sustained when his army vehicle and another collided on the Tripoli to Lattakia Road. Both were executing their duty and negligence or misconduct were not factors.
Just three months later, Jack was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to the back of his chest – and again survived. In October that year, Jack was involved in one of the fiercest battles with the 2/48th. Montgomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. This included an all-out attack on the strategically positioned Trig 29. Conditions were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. Jack’s 2/48th Battalion prepared for the second battle of El Alamein which began on October 23rd. The evening was described by John Glenn in ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ as ‘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.
In Adelaide to Alamein, by Derrick Paech, Jack described the heavy fire his A Company was subjected to. “The noise was earth shattering. As much as you felt like going to ground, you just kept plugging on. I kept thinking the next shell could have my number on it. You could smell them going past.” Glenn also explained 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.’
Back home the November ’42 issue of the Chronicle carried an extensive list of the cost to the soldiers involved in Jack’s battalion. SX11130 Pte. Ernest W S. Moore from Nth. Kensington and SX13756 Pte. Edward G. Davis, from Salisbury were killed in action. SX8096 A-Cpl. Henry D. Laughton, from King's Park was listed as Dangerously Wounded. Many others were listed as wounded in action including SX10316 Mjr. Geoffrey S. Edmunds, Toorak; SX9064 Lt. Hugh F. Treloar, Adelaide; SX8402 Pte. Arnold R. Dolan, Renmark; SX6910 Pte. Hoard Major, Woodville; SX6832 Pte. Walter J. Fennell, Berri; SX13701 Pte. Frank M. Lowe, Whyalla; SX7609 Pte. Colin H. Rickard, Penola; SX7411 Pte. Walter H. J. Hay, Murray Bridge; SX7122 Pte. Percival G. Bartholomew, Narrung; SX11828 Pte. Roy H. Winter, Thebarton; SX7242 Pte. P. A. Pfeiffer, Berri; SX7130 Pte. Eric A. Goold, Salisbury; SX6829 L-Cpl. Clement R. P. Billing, Pinnaroo; SX10501 Pte. Hedley K. Bonython, Burnside; SX7591 Cpl. Jack S. Bowers, Unley; SX7666 Pte. Eric J. Chuck, Kalangadoo; SX8810 Pte. Havard (Howard) R. Crabb, Whyalla; SX13683 Pte. Sydney L. Farrell Broken Hill: SX7657 Pte. Myers A. Geraghy, Pt . Macdonnell; SX7266 Sgt. Neil Gilchrist, Balaklava; SX9376 Pte. Harold H. Gogel, Moorook; SX11131 Pte. H. N. Headon, Adelaide; SX7642 Pte Donald J. Kerin, Burra; SX8837 Pte. Edgar V. W. Lynch, Adelaide; SX9445 Pte. Lawerence H. Mickan, Cummins; SX7025 A-L/Cpl. Paul B. Morrissey King's Park; SX9530 Pte. David R. Munn, Colonel Light Gardens: SX5030 Pte. Eric R. Olds, Adelaide; SX8239 Pte. Colin R. Parsons, Minlaton; SX8904 Pte. Keith Player, Warooka; SX6915 Cpl. Glyn H. Pope, Cheltenham; SX13012 Pte. Jack Ralla, Brompton; SX7410 Cpl. Robert F. G. Ranford, Davington; SX14283 Pte. John D Seebohm, Tantanoola; SX11302 Pte. Walter Sharp, Magill; SX7206 Pte. Ronald. C. Smith, Helmsdale; SX6894 Pte. Thomas V. Trish, Mile End; SX7221 Pte. William H. Vivian, Albert Park; SX7689 Pte. John E. Wakeman, Robe; SX11160 Pte. Samuel E. Welsh, Adelaide and SX7808 Sgt, Jack K. Weston, Appila.
By the time Jack had recovered and re-joined the 2/48th, the battalion was preparing to leave the Middle East, returning home via Melbourne in February, ’43. Jack had precious leave and, despite queries about his health, only the condition of his knees with osteoarthritis were cause for concern, although the effects of the gunshot wound to his right shoulder was noted. At the time, Jack changed his next of kin details to his sister, Mabel as his father’s health was deteriorating. His 76-year-old father died in September ’43, without knowing that Jack would survive the war. He was eventually discharged on the 7th September ’45 having served his last days with the 12th Division Salvage.
Jack’s mother, Ada died a year after his father and was buried in Centennial Park with her husband.
Robe had been devastated to learn of the death of SX18775 Private Eric James Dawson. As a 38-year-old trapper, he had enlisted in August ’42 and became a Group III Butcher. By ’44 he was allocated to duties at the Loveday Interment Camp in the Riverland. In September the following year, he was one of four of the Loveday military forces on duty and travelling in a Dodge Semi-trailer. This overturned on the Tanunda to Gawler road via Sandy creek. Eric sustained a fractured skull, cerebral concussion and a fractured right clavicle, amongst other injuries, dying in the Daws Road Military Hospital two days later. His fellow traveller, Lance Corporal Adbrook was reported to be in a serious condition but survived, as did the other two men. A court of enquiry was held finding that the army driver was only authorised to drive in the Loveday area, however he was required to be with his vehicle and was responsible for it. It appeared that his driving was not the cause of the accident, as locals reported the corner was the site of many previous accidents. Eric was buried in Centennial Park Cemetery. Besides his widow, he left three children, Ron, Marguerite (Daisy) and Erica.
Jack married Eric’s widow, Adelia (Delia) Mary in October ’48 with the community giving a pantry evening on the eve of the wedding. subsequently having two sons, John and Michael to add to their blended family. From the start, John featured in a fundraising event for the RSL Appeal, raising £215 6/2 as the winner of a Baby Competition in ‘51. Daisy Dawson and Adelia were also part of the fundraising that year for the RSL Jubilee Ball with a theme of ‘Robe, Back to 1900’. Daisy was the ‘lady in waiting’ and Adelia was a mock debutant. Jack took on a more practical role of being the doorkeeper.
By November ’46 Robe celebrated its Hundredth Anniversary, proudly rejoicing in being the flourishing centre of the crayfish and shark fishing industry. A regatta was held as part of the celebrations with Jack and G. Bogie in ‘Cecelia’ winning the flag race. Jack’s ‘Cecelia’ was one of the sixteen sailing boats with an auxiliary engine and which operated in the deep waters beyond the sheltered bay. The fishermen were delighted with the government’s announcement of spending £6,500 on improvements to the dilapidated jetty for the benefit of the fishing industry. In later years, Jack was in charge of a party of harbors board men who began repairs to the Beachport Jetty which had been badly damaged as a result of a fire during summer.
Jack was also a leading figure at the local RSL, helping raise funds to build a clubroom by being one of the leading participants, representing Fishing in the ‘ugly man’ competition. Others represented commerce, Trapping and Pastoral. He was also a generous volunteer being a Stewart at the Robe Show in ’48. Book-keeping, however, was not always Jack’s forte and he was unfortunate to be fined £2 with 10/ costs for failure to furnish income tax returns for the year ended June 30, 1948.
79-year-old Adelia died on the 30th December ’86. Jack lived a further two years and died aged 80 on the 8th February 1989. Both are now buried together in the Robe Cemetery. In Honour of Jack’s service, a seat to honour his memory is now in Robe center, a place where visitors and locals can quietly sit and reflect on the service given by Jack.
Written and researched by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.