Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Descended from Early Settlers In SA

Aleck Claude Golding SX7600

Aleck became the historian of the Golding family. A synopsis of his forbears who first settled in Australia in 1852, just 16 years after settlement of the newly established colony, was published in the Mount Barker Courier in 1950. The family originally came from Oakington, Cambridgeshire, in the old country. By the time of his great grandfather Stephen’s death, aged 91 he left 270 descendants. Aleck’s father, Solomon was the seventh son in a family of eleven. His father, Reuben was a market gardener in Stirling West. At the age of 15, Solomon started attending the old fruit and vegetable market in Adelaide, driving three-horse team three nights a week for the 1:00am market. Reuben recalled that on one occasion he arrived at home so tired that he fell asleep over his meal, and his folk laid him on his bed, not waking until the following morning. Twice married, Solomon had a family of 12 with Aleck being the youngest; born at Stirling West on the 10th April, 1917.

Solomon had a variety of occupations including that of mason's labourer, then when residing at Kilburn, (known as Chicago), had a dairy and milk round, before taking up his property at Bigg's Flat in 1923 for dairying and wood-carting until his retirement. Remnants of past skills remain with the family, including bootmaker's hammers and a sickle. used for hand-reaping.

Aleck grew up in in the Adelaide Hills at Echunga (the name coming from a local word meaning ‘close by’), originally the first South Australian a gold mining town in the 1850’s. As a child, the family were actively involved in the Echunga Wesley Guild, particularly in the musical and elocutionary evenings where Aleck and his sister Beth would give recitations and brother Ted a duet with Mr Lowe.

By the time he was 13, Aleck was awarded a Government bursary on the proviso that he passed his Public Exams at the Echunga School. He then attended the Mount Barker High School where in the term exams in Intermediate, he came second in his class with a creditable 69.3 per cent, first in maths. II, second in arithmetic and geography. In later years, Alec played football for Echunga in the local competition where he was a reliable backline player, creating drive to finish off play. In tennis he was elected vice captain of the B Grade team and was one of the first competitors to play on the newly created tennis courts in 1939.

In November of that year, 22-year-old Aleck married Jean Martens at St. John's Church, Mylor before living at Bigg’s Flat, just out of Echunga and Hahndorf. Little did the young couple know of the looming war that would force them apart for several years of uncertainty.

Aleck was one of the locals who enlisted on 2 July 1940, just after his 23rd birthday. After initial training at Woodside in the nearby Hills, Aleck, then Private Golding, SX7600 had pre-embarkation leave in October. The local Echunga Institute Hall was crowded in October for a farewell to Aleck, Jack Whimpress, (SX7222) and Henry Lohmann, (SX7771) with all to serve in the 2/48th Battalion. The men received a presentation of a ‘soldier’s companion’ from their local community. The Jupiter Creek community made a presentation to Aleck of a New Testament, as a token of esteem from members of the Methodist church. A series of speakers spoke highly of the men’s involvement in their local church, sport and civic affairs. Following the enlistees’ response, all joined in the patriotic singing of ‘For They are Jolly Good Fellows’ and the ‘Song of Australia’ before a country supper was enjoyed.

The three friends were soon on the ‘Stratheden’ with other locals in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Their fate in Tobruk and beyond was yet to be written. Having served for just over two years, Henry Lohmann was killed on the 25th October, 1942, aged 30 in a massive assault to ambitiously take the strategic position of Trig 29. Aleck and Jack Whimpress survived.

Having finally been discharged, Aleck was able to return home to Jean, welcoming Colin Aleck on September 20th 1948 and a daughter, making a pigeon pair – not quite the large family of his forbears!

Aleck continued to be an active member of the Echunga RSL, remembering those with whom he served and those who had not returned.

Aged 65, Aleck died on the 2nd January 1983. Jean died two years later in October, 1985. The ashes of both are interred in the Hahndorf Cemetery.

Written and researched by Kaye Lee daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion