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Don was born in Broken Hill before the family then moved to the mid north town of Burra. He was named after his father Donald John Kerin, with his mother being Ellen Gertrude. Don Jnr was the older of two sons born on the 31st October, 1916 (although his enlistment papers have his birth year as 1919). He was the second oldest of four children with two sisters, Muriel Jean and Doreen and a younger brother, Albert William.
The children were still very young and living at Kooringa when their 30-year-old father, who was working on the Lord’s ‘Oakvale’ Station 150 miles out of Burra, drowned in a lagoon on May 9th ‘21. The lagoon was a mile wide and situated quite close to the homestead. The circumstances surrounding the drowning were unusual as Donald Snr had been in good spirits for the mid-day meal, asking where the lagoon rowboat was kept. Following a rest during the heat of the day, he did not reappear for the evening meal. A search in the dark revealed the boat was missing but a concentrated hunt was unable to commence until daylight. The boat paddles were found first before the stern of the boat was seen sticking out of the water on the far side of the lagoon. A challenging operation to drag the lagoon followed in the ensuing days with Donald’s body eventually being found seventy yards from the boat in over six feet of water. The Manager of the property, Mr Billings, organised the entire funeral, including the making of a coffin, the service, conducted on the Station which was attended by all employees, and he later fenced the grave site and laid a slab. The Burra Record summarised the tragic result; ‘Great sympathy is felt for the young widow and four little children, who, we understand, are left totally unprovided for.’
The Rector of Kooringa placed a plea in the local Burra Record the following week. ‘May I appeal to the public of Burra and District, through your valuable columns on behalf of the widow and family of the late Donald J. Kerin who was drowned at Oakvale station last week. The widow is left absolutely unprovided for and there are four young children the eldest is not five years old and the youngest is only one month. Owing to unemployment through the strikes at Broken Hill, even the lodge has had to lapse. Mrs Kerin is a daughter of Mrs Hobby of Kooringa, and the case is most deserving. I hope sir that you will open your columns and accept subscriptions publishing them from week to week. I have interviewed the Mayor of Burra Mr E. W. Crewes, and he has kindly arranged to call a meeting of citizens on Wednesday evening to take further steps.’
In a wonderfully generous gesture, the Mayor of Burra E Crewes wrote to the local Burra Record suggesting ‘getting up a concert in aid of the widow and orphan children’. He generously opened a subscription list in the newspaper with £1 to start the Fund.
Despite the Depression and many families also struggling, the community immediately supported the appeal with individuals and groups collecting or organising public functions and fund raisers. The local Burra Brass Band that was striving to find a conductor and members for a full complement of a band, paid off their own debts and contributed the whole of the remainder of their savings to Ellen and her young family. There was also a well-attended dance, a sixpenny concert given by members of the Redruth Methodist Band of Hope, held in the Kooringa Methodist Lecture Hall and countless personal contributions with the final amount raised over two months being almost £230.
A letter of thanks appeared in the Burra Record at the end of July ’21.
“Sir, — Some months ago an appeal was made through your columns on behalf of this very deserving case, and I write now at the request of the Committee to thank the public of Burra and District for their very generous response. The sum of £227 18s 3d has been subscribed and this amount will be paid to Mrs Kerin at so much per week. The object of the Committee in doing this is that Mrs Kerin will have a small income covering a period of nearly five years. Again we thank all who have helped in any way. On behalf of the Committee, I am, yours, H. H. Hopton.”
The family were well supported and able to lead active and productive lives as youngsters. At the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Burra Public School in April ’28, a sporting day was held at Victoria Park. Young Don managed to win the tyre race, one of a myriad of races held for different age groups throughout the day. He also proved to be a fast runner at other Christmas Sports Meetings held in subsequent years. All four children were regular attendees at the St Mary’s Sunday School, with each frequently being awarded a prize for their attendance. Don was quite a confident performer in public including at the Mayoress’ Christmas Tree festival in December ’32, at the height of the Depression. Following the awarding of icecream, a bag of fruit and a gift, a recitation competition was conducted which was ‘easily won by Don Kerin’. He and his sister, Doreen scored prizes in a fancy Dress Frolic to raise funds for the Army Hall at Burra in ‘33. Don was also an enthusiastic member of the fancy dressed ‘Matilda Crazy Band’ who played and sang 'Here we are again' with Don on bass drum. He was also active in fund raising for the Salvation Army Self Denial Fund the same year. He and friend Frank Pascoe ran the ‘Wazsa Show’ which caused great interest amongst the young folk and raised a good amount as did the stall Don also ran. He also joined the Burra Cycling Club winning the 18 Mile Road Race against nine other riders in August ’34. Their widowed mother, Ellen had remarried Edgar Kemble and they had two young sons of their own, George and Ross.
Post school, Don followed in his late father’s footsteps, becoming a station hand near Mannahill. However, with the outbreak of WWII, a very strong recruiting campaign was conducted for the A.I.F. with enlistment stations at nearby Burra and Clare as part of a huge drive aimed at encouraging fit young country men to join the army. A group of friends, including Don all enlisted together on the 3rd July ’40. They joined just two days after Robert Ranford SX7410, also a station hand, and Clyde Sellars SX7369 of Burra who enlisted from Clare. 23-year-old Don became SX7642 followed by Irvine Ogilvie, SX7643, and Ron Bowen SX7651, also from Burra. (Robert and Irvine were to share the same fate, being killed in action and today remain together in New Guinea.) All these fit young men were allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds before the new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training.
Donald’s younger brother, 20-year-old Albert enlisted the day after Don and became SX7822 in the 2/3 Machine Gun Battalion.
The crowded Burra Institute Hall farewelled Gunner Dick Crang, Privates 'Zac' Humphris, Don Kerrin and Ron Bowen (SX7651) with gifts in October. The crowd called for speeches from each of the young men. The Mayor eulogised that the young men ”should do their utmost for the troops, and so wished them every success in the campaign they were entering, and expressed the wish that they would bring honour to themselves and glory to the Empire.“ Singing of patriotic songs followed. In concluding, the Mayor asked God to “Bless these boys and hoped that they would have a safe and speedy return, when the people of Australia would give them the best and greatest welcome home ever seen.”
The Burra F.F.C.F. presented each of the new soldiers with a parcel and in so doing shared the belief that they would do their duty honorably and nobly. The Burra Soldiers Committee, then presented the usual gifts to the men.
The Burra Record noted that ‘Of the boys on the platform two had been born in Burra, one had grown up in the town and the other had been connected with the Burra Branch of Messrs Elder, Smith & Co. Pte. Kerrin's mother and grandmother were in the audience, and the latter was one of the oldest people in Burra. He hoped that she'd still be on deck to see her grandson return.’ The proceedings concluded with short speeches of thanks from Ptes. 'Zac' Humphris, Bowen and Kerrin.
Returning to the 2/48th Battalion the contingent then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940 where their Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica.
In April ‘41, Don wrote home to thank the people of Burra for the Comforts parcel he received. Two local women Mrs. W. H. Sandland and Mrs. F. T. Marston had sent what should have been a Christmas Hamper but as Don explained “owing to fast moving from one place to another in the campaign up through North Africa, it was not until after the withdrawal back to the town which we are now holding that the parcel caught up to me. It could not have arrived at a more needed time. It was Easter Saturday night when I opened it and believe me it was a great treat that two of my friends and I had, after being on 'bullie beef' and army biscuits for some time. We had just taken over our outpost and it was quiet at the time and my mates thought it was great having such luxuries in the front line.” He then briefly explained that “I have seen plenty of air activity about this perimeter which we now hold. There are planes overhead most of the day, but our Air Force is holding the bat the last two weeks. There are six Burra boys in my Unit and they are all doing well. Irvine Ogilvie called over to my Section yesterday and we walk ed to the beach for a swim. The walk was eight miles, four miles each way, but it was great to have a swim as water is not too plentiful in the Libian desert, most of it has to be carted from distant wells. Irvine has two Hun tanks to his credit, he stopped them with an anti-tank rifle. Met Bill Johnson, also and had a yarn about the present situation and home. It is quite hot over here with flies very annoying. After sundown even if the day has been very hot the evenings are quite cold. Each evening my mates and I go over and visit the Tommies and sit round and yarn, have a sing song with mouth organ for music. Once again thanking the folk for the parcels of comforts, they are very much appreciated. Kind regards — Don J. Kerin.”
By May 1942 worrying reports were received by Ellen, now Mrs Kemble, that 22-year-old Albert was reported missing in Java but no other details were made public. Two months later she received news that Don was wounded in Egypt. Don quickly cabled to reassure her that he ‘was doing well’. Two months later, the news again arrived that Don had been wounded for the second time. He wrote from hospital soon after, explaining he had ‘recovered from his wounds and was re-joining his Battalion.’ This was not quite accurate as a further cable was received late in November ‘stating that her eldest son, Pte. Don Kerin who was recently reported wounded, has been placed on the seriously ill list. Brighter news of Don is hoped for.’
Don recovered, but the news about Albert was worrying. Having been reported missing, by June ’43 his wife received the news that Albert was reported as a prisoner of war and interned in a Java Camp. (Another Burra soldier, Dennis Harris was similarly interned in the same Camp.)
Don arrived home on leave for a month in March ’44 with a number of others and was welcomed with a Social and dance to show the boys that Burra people appreciate their efforts in making Australia safe. Soon after, distressing news came from the International Red Cross and confirmed by Tokio that Albert, who was known to be missing, then a Prisoner of War in Java was ‘now reported missing believed deceased on or after 20th June. 1944.’ He was 24 years old.


That horrific news about Albert was followed by a further update that Don had, for the third time, been wounded in action in Tarakan with the 9th Division. In his book Tobruk to Tarakan, John Glenn described that vicious attack on Knoll 2 which was being blasted with napalm, fire bombs and high explosives by our planes. “Under cover of this fire 16 Platoon of D Company traversed some extremely rugged country where a razor-back ridge made it impossible to deploy more than two men forward in the approach to Track Junction Knoll. Both this platoon and 17 Platoon, who had edged themselves forward, came under fire from the objective, and a section leader was killed.’ Highly decorated, Sgt Diver Derrick was killed just two days later. This news was published in the Advertiser, June ’45. ‘Died Of Wounds SX7964 Lt. T. C. Derrick. VC. DCM 2/48th Berri. 5X17803 Pte. W. Jack Giddings. 2/48th Naracoorte. Dangerously Wounded. (in the 2/48th Battalion) SX30687 Pte Steven R. Buck, 2/48th Seaton Park; SX15368 L-Cpl. John K. Walsh, 2/48th Spalding. Wounded In Action.— SX7670 Pte. Colin R. Aplin, 2/48th Mornington; Pte. Geoffrey F. Chapman, 2/48th Unley Park; SX7642 Pte. Donald J. Kerin, 2/48th Burra; SX29223 SX15505 L-Cpl. William B. Tremain, 2/48th Payneham and SX7691 Cpl. Keith Turnbull, 2/48th Bowden.
Don finally returned home, being discharged on the 22nd November ’45. Burra welcomed him and others home at a huge celebration held in the Town Hall. The returnees were wished happiness and prosperity in their future with the hope they would all celebrate a very happy Christmas in this, the first peace time Christmas for six years. A representative of the Soldiers’ Welfare Committee astutely commented that “some of the boys would find it a little difficulty to settle down to the humdrum everyday lire after being used to the turmoil of war. but he felt sure that, if given a little help and consideration they would soon accustom themselves to civilian life.“ In responding, Don and the others also expressed their thanks to the members of the Comforts Fund and Red Cross for the parcels which had been sent to them during their terms of service.
One of Don’s first duties was to act as best man in January ’46 for Arthur Cox SX1411 who had served with the 2/8th Field Ambulance.
Don continued to support the RSL and his pre-war role as an entertainer, winning the prize for his interpretation of a film star (Charlie Chapman) in an extremely successful Ball held in ‘54.
Aged 53, Don Died on the 23rd November, ’69. A plaque as a tribute to his service is at Centennial Park in the Derrick Gardens, Path 14 Grave 808A. His wife, Pearl Margaret lived to be 85 and now rests in the Port Pirie Cemetery with both her and Don remembered by their daughters, Barbara and Dawn.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.