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Sydney Melville Buckingham Proudly Australian

Syd was one of James and Agnes Buckingham’s seven children; four boys Cecil, Jim and Clive, and three daughters, Ivy, Violet and Gladys. He was the third son, born in Adelaide in 1904 (8th December). Syd grew up at Alberton, close to the Port Adelaide Football Club, inevitably becoming a staunch ‘one-eyed’ supporter. In later years in the army he was honoured to serve with Bobby Quinn, a Magarey Medallist who played for the Magpies. As a child, few families owned a car in those days so it was quite common to walk everywhere. Eventually, Syd’s father purchased a ‘tin Lizzie’ (Ford) that needed to be hand-cranked to get going. While Syd did not hold a licence, he did drive in the back blocks of the Peninsula.

Syd attending the local Alberton Primary School to learn his ‘reading writing and ‘rithmetic, but later moved to Swan Terrace at Semaphore. He left school aged 14 to work as an office boy for a Port Adelaide carrier firm. Dances were the regular entertainment well-patronised by Syd. Some were annual as with the Semaphore Girl Guides Ball, others fancy dressed. In contrast, Syd’s quick footwork was also a feature of his boxing abilities in competitions held at the Wondergraph Open-air Theatre, at the Esplanade, Semaphore as a fundraiser for the Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Fund. These events were hugely popular and well-attended with bouts between professionals, bantamweights and amateurs. In 1928 Syd boxed against Adelaide based Brokenshire, with the local paper reporting that he ‘commenced with whirlwind blows and sent his opponent all around the ring,’ adopting ‘quick changes of attitude, and appeared, to have Brokenshire puzzled’. Unfortunately, after this flurry of attack, both competitors tired, resulting in ‘affectionate body holds’ on several occasions.’

Syd was protective of his younger, high-spirited brother, Clive who was a talented athlete but also prone to tangle with the law when having consumed in excess or chafing to drive and practice his car-driving skills before being licenced. Syd told his children that if he and Clive had a ‘spat’ they would go into the back yard and have a few rounds of boxing before shaking hands. There was never a winner but they were then best of mates as usual.

Young Clive secretly enlisted with the army, upsetting his mother terribly. This led to Syd, then a middle-aged clerk, to also enlist in July 1940, aged 35, having already served in the 43rd Battalion for seven years. He wanted to keep an eye on Clive by being near to him in any conflict. Despite being deaf, Syd went to Major Forbes, the Commanding Officer to counter the objection that he might miss the password, with the comment that he could lip-read commands, thus convincing enlistment officers to accept him to serve. He became Private SX7623, travelling to the Middle East where he arrived on the 14th May 1941 initially in the 2/24th Battalion before being transferred to the newly formed 2/48th. He immediately won friends who worked creative practices, like quietly whispering in Syd’s ear the commands given in the field. Colonel Windeyer also earned the respect of Syd and the troops for his leadership and respect shown to all, regardless of rank. Interestingly, Syd also held great respect for German leader, Rommel for his professional leadership and tactics – and that he was not a Nazi. In September 1941, following a bombing air attack, Syd was treated for shock and abrasions but remained on duty. Later, he transferred to Signals Depot before returning to Australia on leave, but immediately spending time in hospital with tonsilitis. His hearing became an issue resulting in him being classified as medically unfit for Military Service so he joined Disposals

While serving, Syd experienced highs and lows. His boxing skills earned him a trophy in the combined armed forces competition between the Navy, Army and Airforce. This is still treasured by his family today. Syd’s younger brother, Clive was in a different group overseas, the 2/10th. However, despite the dangerous conditions, the two managed to get messages to each other and at times to meet up. Having not seen Clive for a few days, Syd requested to go over the hill at Tobruk to catch up on April 21st 1941. The request was refused. The following day Syd was informed that Clive had been killed early that morning – a cruel blow. Syd was devastated as the only remains of his brother were his gold teeth. When their mother, Agnes died in 1949 these minimal reminders were interred with her.

Syd survived the war and was discharged on the 5th June 1944. Having enlisted with thick black hair, he returned to Australia snowy white - a legacy of being bombed. He also suffered ‘shell shock’ at extremely loud noises (now recognised as PTSD). He was a man who was passionate that those with whom he served were never forgotten and at times, he also must have wondered why he survived, but was grateful that he returned to the country he loved. He regularly caught up with Teddy Boxer (an Aboriginal soldier) and ‘Doc Sawbones’ who came together to visit Syd at his home. Each year Syd marched in the Anzac Day Parades and attended the Dawn Service, initially at the Rosewater RSL, then at Semaphore RSL. Sadly, as with many branches, this local one closed and amalgamated with Seaton RSL. He also visited the Naval House to meet fellow service personnel and their wives for reunions and to enjoy the mateship that was engendered while overseas.  Another of Syd’s pleasures was to walk across to the Cheltenham Racecourse to catch up with friends and to watch his favourite racehorse, ‘Near Boy’ train.

Syd married Mavis Fry and raised the two girls, Wendy and Pam who absolutely adored him. Mavis herself was a talented sportswoman who, just prior to her 16th birthday in 1936 won the prestigious Port Adelaide Associated Swimming Club Cup in the swim-through at Port Adelaide in a time of 31 minutes and 16 seconds. Mavis was also an All Australian Umpire, continuing to umpire until she was 80. The close-knit family lived in McNicol Terrace at Rosewater until 1945 when they moved to Rosewater Gardens which was later named Pennington where Syd lived for the next 41 years. Syd was a strong family man and his love of sport meant that he supported the girls in their competitive swimming years at a range of different pools. In the winter months he followed their basketball (now netball) competitions. This then led to the formation of a local netball team, predominantly of family members, fittingly called SX7623 in which Syd’s daughters Pam, Wendy and now granddaughter Kloe played. Syd was a tactical, encouraging and respected coach. Wendy recalls that as a youngster, Syd showed both girls the intricacies of boxing. He was accomplished in this sport, never having his nose damaged as was the case with many others. He shared his secret; instructing the girls to keep their elbows tucked into their sides, raise their fists to protect their face and nose and when punching to hit straight out, not swinging the arms in a circle, which would inevitably expose the body to be hit.

Syd was almost 70, lying in a hospital bed when he wrote his first poem about trees on the banks of the River Murray. Numerous poems reflecting this pride in Australia; covering topics such as the outback, our rivers, The Anzacs and also the honour in marching on Anzac Day from Alberton / Queenstown RSL. Another poem, ‘Our Star of Africa’ was put to music and his grand-daughters would frequently perform it at many different RSL halls to entertain the ‘old Diggers’.

All who met Syd held him in high regard as he generously sharing his poems. For a while he lived in Pennington where he became friends with his rent-collector, Allan Edmondson-Stott who regarded Syd as a wonderful chap, commenting that “There are some people that pass through your life and disappear, and there are some that live with you forever. Syd was one of the keepers.” He also was highly thought of by an ex-mayor of Port Adelaide, Roy Marten who also held copies of Syd’s poems. Pick-a Box champion, Barry Jones, was so taken with the poems that he contributed his personal copies to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Some of the over 70 titles include:

·         Birth of the 2/48th Battalion (2 A4 pages long)

·         Gallipoli, Their name liveth Forever

·         Memories of The Siege of Tobruk

·         The Siege of Tobruk

·         Tobruk Their Name Liveth forever

·         The Beginning of the Siege, Bengazhi Handicap

·         The Desert Tobruk

·         Our Sunny S.A.

In answer to his grandchildren’s requests, Syd would talk about his army days, the good and bad, mateship, his pride in the 2/48th Rats and in being able to serve his country. His grandsons and great grandsons have subsequently chosen to have a tattoo of the Rats of Tobruk in memory of Syd and his legacy.

By 1978 Syd had lost his 1939 – 45 medal and attempted to get a replacement. Later, in 1995 his youngest sister, Gladys tried to receive her younger brother, Clive’s medals as he was killed at Tobruk in 1941. The originals had been sent to their mother.

In his last years, Syd’s daughter Pam and her husband Norm cared for her father and later, also his youngest sister, Gladys. Syd commented to Pam and Norm that he didn’t “ever want to leave here, love. OK?” Syd died of prostate cancer on the 16th July 1990, aged 84 in Pam’s arms and surrounded by his four grandchildren and Norman. The family have his and Mavis’ ashes at the home he didn’t want to leave. He is commemorated at the Enfield War Memorial wall. In his memory, the family have bought the newly released 2020 ‘No Surrender’ rose named in honour of the motto of the Rats of Tobruk.

The Beginning of the Siege by Syd Buckingham

‘The orders came in the darkness

For the boys to get on the trucks

The German tanks were nearly on us

And the Desert Fox had struck.

We travelled through the desert

Making for a place called Tobruk

With our drivers driving in darkness

Those boys had the guts it took.

With break of dawn approaching

The bombers were out in force

Waiting with their deadly bombs

So we had no time to pause.

Our throats were parched and thirsty

And the grit was in our eyes

Then those bombers began to bomb us

And the dust blotted out the sky.

Now we had the time to stop them

To get our cans refilled

Although the water was brackish

To us it was like distilled.

Then the stukas started diving and bombing

For they thought they had us beat

But Erwin Rommel found there and then

It was a well-planned retreat.

And finally we arrived at our destination

At the place called Tobruk

To take up new defences

Which was the Siege of Tobruk.

The orders came from Major-Gen Morshead

That there will be no defeat

“There’ll be no Dunkirk here

No surrender and no retreat”.

The Rats as they were called now

They made their famous stand

Beating Rommel’s African Corps

Fulfilling Gen. Moreshead’s command.

Now the Siege of Tobruk is history

And the years are passing by

The comradeship that was made there

For the Rats will never die.’                         SX7623 2/48

Anecdotes and memories shared by Syd’s daughters, Pam and Wendy. Researched and submitted by Kaye Lee daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th Battalion.