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Charles, known affectionately as Charlie or Chas, was the first son born in Adelaide on the 2nd July 1912 to Samuel Rule and Mabel Gertrude Lampre. He was one of seven children with siblings Doreen, Clarence Roy, Clifford Samuel, Stanley and Edna. Unfortunately, a further baby, George William born in August 1919 lived for just 8 days. A poignant memorial was placed in the newspapers grieving the loss of their small son. ‘We stood beside him in the hour of death, While he drew his fleeting breath, Sleep on dear baby, sweetly rest, They miss him most who loved him best.’
Early days for the family were challenging as they lived for a time in a tent at Canvastown and it was a struggle to provide for the family. The family moved to several different towns, including Nector Brook, Mambray Creek and Port Germein where the children attended school.
Post school Charlie became a farm labourer but with the outbreak of WWII, he and many other young men responded to a huge campaign conducted in country areas. The army targeted fit, single young men with many responding to the call. Just prior to his 28th birthday Charlie enlisted at the Port Pirie Recruiting Office on the 19th June 1940.
The local Social Committee at Port Germein was quick to honour their young men who had volunteered, with an impressive ceremony held in recognition of the spirit of men who had enlisted in the fighting services. Twelve Swamp Oaks and twelve hardwood Lagunaria trees were planted in their honour. Each tree was numbered until plaques could be added with the enlistees’ names and a working bee was organised to prepare the ground in front of the Soldiers' Memorial in High street in August 1940. Local school children were also part of the ceremony which they concluded with the singing of 'The Song of Australia’ and, appropriately, ‘God Bless These Trees.’ Mabel had the honour of planting Charlie’s tree.
In the meantime, Charlie was spending time in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. However, whist at Wayville, Charlie developed pharyngitis but when this cleared, he joined the other enlistees at Woodside for training. Brief pre-embarkation leave followed. Charlie and his fellow members of the 2/48th Battalion then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940 where the Battalion set up camp at Dimra before completed a few months training in Cyrenaica. Besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the light-fingered locals who saw any provisions or equipment as ‘available’. Soon after, the battalion was heading to Tobruk at the start of April 1941 where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to these fresh new enlistees.
The battalion was soon involved in intense conflicts where the reputation for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. The 2/48th was subjected to heavy, constant German shelling, forcing the men to shelter in the pits they had dug. Charlie was to become one of the highly respected Rats of Tobruk.
By July ’41 Charlie’s leadership skills were rewarded with his promotion to Corporal. He then began extra training through Infantry School, completing studies in Number 4 Platoon Weapons Courses for a month. By August ’42 Charlie was again promoted to Lance Sergeant. However, within three months he was wounded in action in the fierce fighting over October and November at El Alamein with a gunshot wound penetrating the back of his neck. Over that time fierce fighting was underway to take Trig 29. At the end of the night the 2/48th Battalion had just 41 men still standing. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan best summarises the soldiers’ efforts. ‘Truly it can be said of these men, “They fought themselves and their enemy to a standstill until flesh and blood could stand no more, then they went on fighting.” Charles was fortunate to survive. A month of medical treatment followed before he was able to return to his 2/48th Battalion and in time for the men to return to Australia Via Melbourne.
In April the following year, Charlie’s 19-year-old younger brother enlisted and was also placed in the 2/48th Battalion.
Training in Queensland followed as the 2/48th prepared to face a very different enemy in the tropical conditions of New Guinea. Charlie arrived at Milne Bay in August ’43 and was soon appointed to Acting Sergeant, then Sergeant. Just two months later, Charlie was again wounded in action and extremely fortunate to survive. He had received a penetrating wound under his right armpit, and centre of his back chest and was immediately evacuated to hospital.
At the time dawn patrols were moving through thick bamboo, which meant that fighting was forced to be close combat without the use of mortars or artillery. Murray Farquhar in Derrick VC and more recently Mark Johnston in a meticulously documented book, Derrick VC In His Own Words both mention the fighting at Fougasse Corner, Satleberg Road, New Guinea. It was an area thickly covered with bamboo and difficult to traverse. Johnson quotes from Derrick’s diary written in the White Trunk Area, Sattelberg Road on the 17th November 1943 writing of B and C Company moving at dawn with the support of one troop of tanks. Having advanced 100 yards, they were fired on “by MGs, these were soon put out of action.” The battalion came under fire from the well-prepared Japanese manned with machine guns and with snipers hidden in trees with one of these tree-snipers killed two of the battalion. They were 26-year-old SX7410 Sgt Robert ‘Snow’ Ranford, a highly respected leader and soldier who had won the Distinguished Conduct Medal and was twice Mentioned in Despatches, and SX18365 Private Walter Millard. Derrick’s note of 20th November describes a major tragedy. ‘Fighting was hard and bitter with casualties mounting up – Sgt Snow Radford being killed while doing a glorious lone assault on Jap bunker positions. The end of a dashing, courageous and fearless soldier, easily the battalion’s best. This may be gathered from the ceremony which took place at his burial the next day. 50 per cent of his company attended to pay their last tribute to a great man.’ The War Diary says the 2/48th lost two killed and 15 wounded on this day, compared to 100 Japanese casualties.’ Many of the men believed Snowy was worth 100 others. He was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches in March ’45, a further sign of respect for this heroic young leader.
Glenn recounted that ‘Norm Puckridge had just moved to one side of our tanks on the rise when he stumbled on to a hole, out of which popped a head. Norm fired and missed, and the Jap hurled a grenade which wounded Harry Gogel. Norm then tossed a grenade into the hole, and the Jap came out and hot-footed it for the bamboos. The tank opened up and the Jap fell.’ In an interesting sidelight of this action was the capture of a Jap soldier’s diary. One entry read ‘We have found out the enemy is the finest Australian picked division (9th). They have fought against Germans and Italians. They are very good fighters.’
Back home, the December ‘43 issue of the Chronicle reported that from the 2/48th Battalion George Butler SX12499 and Ken Kelly SX10856 were also killed with Stephen Galvin SX15180 from Saddleworth and Harold Gogel SX9376 both being injured at a similar time to Charlie.
Highly respected ‘Snow’ Radford continued to be remembered by the members of the 2/48th Battalion. After being discharged, Charlie and Norm Bradman placed a very poignant tribute to ‘Snow’ in the November ’46 issue of the Advertiser. ‘RANFORD.—A token of respect to that great soldier. Sgt R P G (Snow) Ranford 2/48th Battalion killed Satelburg 1943-Inserted by his pals. Norm Badman. Chas. Lampre.’ Each year their thoughts would have drifted to those brave fellow soldiers who did not return. “We Will Remember Them” was a promise made and kept.
Charlie’s wound caused him to return home via Brisbane. In March the following year, he married Mary Dempsey at St. Cuthbert's Church, Prospect in an evening service on the 4th. His mother, Edna, Cliff, Stan and Clarrie travelled from Port Germein for the wedding. Charlie chose two 2/48th mates as his attendants. They were West Australian Thomas Phelan WX10347 as his best man and his brother Private Clarrie Lampre SX19448 as his groomsman. The newlyweds were able to have a brief honeymoon on the River Murray.
Charlie’s neck wound led to him being medically downgraded and discharged on the 18th October 1944. The local Pirie Recorder summarised his service; ‘Wounded On Two Fronts Sgt. Charles Lampre, who has received his discharge from the A.I.F., has returned to his home. He is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Lampre, Port Germein, and enlisted for active service in May 1940. Leaving Australia in November of the same year he served with the Ninth Division in Tobruk, Palestine, Syria, and Egypt. He received wounds while in action at El Alamein in 1941, and returned to Australia in February 1942. He was transferred for active service to New Guinea and again wounded while in action in 1943.’ That year, Charlie was feted at a social evening held in the Port Germein beach kiosk in aid of Red Cross funds. He took up work as a stockman and Station Manager for H.A. Humphris. Charlie and Mary later had four children, Barbara, Ross, Margaret and Glen.
Mabel and Samuel lived to see both their sons return safely home after the war. Aged 67, Samuel died in August ’52 at the Port Pirie Hospital and was buried in the Port Germein Cemetery. Mabel lived to be 78 and died in September ’73. She now rests with Samuel.
After his years of service, 70-year-old Charles died of cancer in Adelaide just after Christmas on the 30th December ’82. He now rests in the Dudley Park Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.