Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George was born on the 30th September 1906 in the city of Glasgow, renowned for its shipbuilding and engineering, on the River Clyde in Scotland. George came to South Australia where he lived in North Adelaide although his family remained in Scotland. From February ’31 he had volunteered to be part of the Militia 31 as 303758, then when WWII erupted, he volunteered to enlist at Wayville on the 2nd July 1940 to become SX7587 and allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. He did not, however record his middle name on his enlistment papers. At that time, he had the unusual trade of being a brass moulder, an advanced skill most frequently found in Scottish Brass Foundries. Conditions at the time did not always allow young people to have on-going dental care but 33-year-old George was able to have necessary dental work before being classed as ‘fit’ to enlist. George nominated his wife, Amy Catherine as his next of kin.
His early days of training were initially spent at what is now the Adelaide Showgrounds before travelling to Woodhouse in the Adelaide Hills. Brief pre-embarkation leave followed before the Battalion set off on the Stratheden on the 7th November ’40, arriving in the Middle East on the 17th. Two bouts of ill-health followed but George’s battalion of disparate men was to become highly respected and decorated.
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. Tobruk was typified by dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment which provided a continuous challenge to new enlistees. They were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk. Rations were very basic with bully beef, biscuits, tea, milk and sugar being the basics and extras including jam being shared sparingly, but extras from home were always a welcome addition. George’s good friend, London born Henry Winn (Lofty) SX13573, had enlisted the year after to George but both served in the 2/48th Battalion. Both men rose to the rank of Corporal. Both were involved in the second battle of El Alamein which began on October 23rd ’42 By then, conditions were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. Mongomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. This included an all-out attack on the strategically positioned Trig 29. 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. Over the period of the 25th and 26th, men of the 2/48th showed incredible courage. Henry Winn was also amongst the casualties.
Kenneth Slessor the Official War Correspondent wrote an article which was reproduced in a number of newspapers. Referring to the outstanding work of the 2/48th Battalion he 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.’ It was under these conditions that close friend, 36-year-old Henry Winn was killed along with others from the 2/48th including ‘Sgt. Alfred Francis E'en Meyer of Renmark, SX8468 Pte. Patrick H. Hoare. 2/48th North Broken Hill (NSW); SX13570 Pte. Charles Holman, 2/48th Broken Hill; SX7771 Pte. Henry O. Lohmann, 2/48th Murray Bridge; SX6848 Cpt. Alfred F. Meyer. 2/48th Renmark: SX3149 Col. Arthur H. Peters. 2/48th Macclesfield; . SX11768 Pte. John R. Smith, 2/48th Wardang Island; SX13535 Pte. Allan L. Thessinger, 2/48th Jamestown.
George and his family placed a memorial in the Advertiser of December ’42 remembering Harry: ‘WINN. —To the memory of our dear friend, A/Cpl. Harry Winn. Too far away your grave to see, But not too far to think of thee. —Ever remembered by his pal, George Crawford (A.I.F., abroad), Amy and children.’
By February the following year George had arrived back in Melbourne. Following training in Queensland, he was soon on his way to a totally different war front and against quite a different enemy in New Guinea. As did many of his fellow soldiers, he contracted malaria, requiring extended hospitalisation and a subsequent change of focus in the 9th Division Kit Store. Finally with the war drawing to a close, George returned home via Townsville and by 1945 was promoted to Corporal. He survived the war, even volunteering to serve an extra two years from mid-1946 (but he excluded service in Japan). This contributed to his later discharge on the 13th February, 1948. He was then able to return to life with Amy and his three sons, John, Peter and Colin.
Aged 59 George died on the 16th July 1966. A plaque in memory of his service is at Centennial Park, Pasadena.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion