Virtual
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Australia

Maxwell (Max) was born in Mount Gambier on the 22nd November 1918 to William Hugh and Emily Gertrude Meyers. The family farmed at Kongorong, to the south-west of Mount Gambier, with the children attending the local school. Max was a capable student, being awarded a prize for Arithmetic as a 12-year-old at the Kongorong School Prize Ceremony held in the Soldier’s Memorial Hall. The night was deliberately brief as, for the children ‘Father Christmas was expected later’. Max also won a prize two years previously for his pastel drawing from nature.
As with most young sons of farmers, post school Max assisted his father in the running of the family farm, which also included on-going challenges with an explosion of rabbits, the need for a local, consistent water supply and for sturdy fencing to contain stock. Max also acted as a labourer for other farmers as required.
With the outbreak of WWII, a huge exercise to particularly encourage fit young country men to enlist was underway. Consequently, aged 21, Max enlisted to serve on the 3rd July ’40, becoming SX7659 in the 2/48th Battalion. (His older brother, William (Bill) also enlisted five months later as SX10574 and was similarly placed in the 2/48th Battalion.)
Basic training for Max was at the Wayville Showgrounds and the nearby parklands. After three weeks of field training at Woodside, Max contracted mumps and spent time at home in August, before officially being on pre-embarkation leave. During that time a social evening was held for him and Gunner Lawrence Bird SX5147 in the Kongorong Hall, which was decorated with flowering shrubs, poppies, and ranunculi. Several musical items were given, followed by speeches and the presentation to the two soldiers of a wallet of notes and the best wishes of the community. The traditional singing of "Auld Lang Syne" concluded the evening.
Max then returned to his Battalion at the start of December ’40 and headed overseas for the Middle East. Back home friends and relatives of soldiers who had enlisted from the district were part of a tree planting ceremony, with trees planted for both Max and Bill, Herbert Ashby SX10570 also of the 2/48th, Lawrence Bird, Rex Butler SX2600 (Later Killed in action in August ’43), Robert Chant SX2602 (later a POW), John Kiely SX2583 2/10th John McPhail SX2781 2/43rd Albert Praetz SX5830 and William Sheppard 407731 (later killed in a flying accident in Scotland).
Once in the Middle East, the 2/48th Battalion’s first orders were to hold Tobruk for two months, however this stretched out to defending the fortress for eight months. Compared to the tranquillity of the family farm in the south-east, conditions at Tobruk were in stark contrast. Tobruk was typified by dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment which provided a constant challenge to new enlistees. They were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk.
Max was first reported to be injured in January ’41 when he was the only South Australian soldier, and the first of the Mount Gambier enlistees to be recorded as wounded. The News stated that ‘The latest casualty list of the A.I.F. abroad contains the name of one South Australian seriously ill. Casualties in the following list were from infantry units: SOUTH AUSTRALIA Seriously ill.-Pte. M. S. Meyers, SX7659, of Mount Gambler.’ The Border Watch added that ‘he is in the latest casualty list as seriously ill. Pte. Meyers is the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Meyers, of Kongorong, and was the first of the two boys in the family to enlist. The Minister for the Army (Mr. Spender) said in Melbourne yesterday that Australian casualties in the taking of Tobruk would not be as heavy as at Bardia, those casualties totalling; 550 to the present. It is expected that Tobruk casualties will not exceed the 300 mark. Army Headquarters said that the original estimate of A.I.F. casualties at Bardia were correct, applying specifically to the attack on Bardia. The other had been sustained in isolated operations, such as mopping up.’
By February, more encouraging news was received about Max’s health, that ‘According to the, latest casualty list Pte: M. S. Meyers, with the A.I.F. abroad; formerly of Kongorong, is no longer seriously ill.’
Max was killed during the fierce fighting at the end of October ’42, where conditions were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. The official date of his death was recorded as the 26th of that month. He was just 23 years of age. The 2/48th Battalion had prepared for the second battle of El Alamein which began on October 23rd. That month, Mongomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. This included an all-out attack on the strategically positioned Trig 29. 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.
Glenn explains 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.’ Many years later, in November 2019, in an interview with Harry Lock, the ‘Murray Pioneer’ reported that ‘On the night of October 25 – 26, 7 Platoon was ordered to eliminate a German strong post and suffered heavy casualties, leaving only seven men in the platoon. ‘
Kenneth Slessor the Official War Correspondent also wrote an article which was reproduced in several newspapers. This detailed the battle of El Alamein at the end of last October. Referring to the outstanding work of the 2/48th Battalion on that occasion, Slessor wrote: ‘Within one week, in the last great battle of El Alamein, two men of the 2/48th Battalion won the Victoria Cross. Sgt. Bill Kibby, VC, and Pte. Percy Gratwick, VC, lie under the sand in soldiers’ graves today. Australia is far away over the rim of the world, and no one comes near the wooden crosses painted with their names except the wandering Bedouin and the little lizards of the desert.
‘But their battalion is rich in its pride and in its memories. They will never be forgotten. From the stories of their mates, those reluctant-tongued soldiers who fixed bayonets with them in the great offensive which drove Rommel from Egypt, come portraits of these two men in action which no other source could furnish.’ A fitting tribute, also to Max and those who died with him.
Accurate information took a little time to reach the Meyers family, with the first information being that Max was severely injured. By the end of November ’42 the Narracoorte Herald and Border Watch were reporting that ‘Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Meyers, of Kongorong, have received news that their youngest son, Private Maxwell Stanley Meyers, A.I.F., was killed in action in Egypt on October 25 or 26. He is the first Kongorong soldier to pay the supreme sacrifice. Pte. Meyers would have been 24 years of age on November 22. He enlisted in the middle of 1940, and left Australia towards the end of the same year. Before he joined the army he worked on his father's farm at Kongorong, and on other properties in the district. In January 1941, Pte. Meyers was the first Mount Gambier casualty, when he was placed on the seriously ill, list.’
Later newspapers also listed those Wounded In Action. — SX13641 L-Cpl. Robert J. Wundenburg, 2/48th Wall Flat was wounded at the same time and Killed In Action were SX640 L-Cpl. Ian Mills, Eng., Callington; SX1226O Pte. Francis C. Dyer, 2/27th Gilberton; SX7659 Pte. M. S. Meyers, 2/48th Kongorong.
Two close friends who had also enlisted, immediately placed a tribute to Max in the Border Watch. ‘MEYERS. - In memory of our pal, Max, who gave his life in the cause of freedom, If the world were ruled by men like he, Cursed war would never be, Ever remembered by his pals, Jack (A.I.F.) and Henry McPhail (R.A.A.F.).’ Both McPhail brothers survived the war. John serving in the 2/43rd Battalion had enlisted in May, two months prior to Max. A further heartfelt homage also was published. ‘Tribute to the memory of a Kongorong soldier, the late Pte. Maxwell Stanley Meyers, who was killed in action in Egypt on October 26, is paid by a resident of the same district, in a letter to "The Border Watch." "Max was honoured by all," he writes, "and to those who knew him best, was loved alike for his kindly nature and droll mannerisms. His death is a grief to all and the sympathy of all the district goes out to his parents and brothers."
Initially his fellow soldiers buried Max in the field, then In March ’45 his remains were reburied in the El Alamein War Cemetery in Plot AII Row H Grave 17. His parents chose the inscription, ‘His Duty Nobly Done’ for his headstone. Max now rests with 22-year-old SX13756 Private Edward G. Davis, also from the 2/48th Battalion and others from the 2/13th 2/17th 2/24th and the 3rd Australian Anti-tank Regiment. Most were in their early 20’s and killed at a similar time to Max.
Max’s parents lived to see William return safely from the war with him being discharged in August ’45 with chronic stomach pains and malaria. Max was further honoured and remembered in September ’49 with a living memorial of Norfolk Island Pine trees being planted on the foreshore of Port MacDonnell in memory of the ten servicemen who died on active service in World War II. School children assembled for the planting ceremony and were charged with the future honouring and care of the trees, which continue to stand in silent tribute over 50 years later. The ceremony closed with Lawrence Binyon's words ‘They shall grow not old as we who are left grow old; Age shall not weary them or the years condemn, At the going down of the sun And in the morning, we will remember them.’
William Snr died on the 20th November ’56 and was buried at the Lake Terrace Cemetery in Mt Gambier with Emily joining him two years later on 15 October ’58 aged 77.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.