Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Noel was the second son and third child of Francis Joseph and Ella Ditty. He was a Christmas baby, born in the Victorian town of Camperdown on the 27th December 1909. His siblings included John Graeme Steele(Jack), Gladys, Leonard Austin, Dorothy Beryl and Nola 17.
Initially Francis worked for the Bank of Victoria, transferring to the Bank of Australasia in 1899. He was actively involved in the local community for over fifteen years, including being the honorary secretary of the Camperdown Swine Fever Association when the town was declared as ‘clean’ at the end of 1903, the first in the shire to receive this news. He had joined the staff of Thornton, Palmer and Co. in 1900, managing that until 1916 when he moved to Albury as chief accountant, then Manager for Dalgety and Company. With WWI declared, he and a fellow Dalgetty man, McKenzie made a visit to Lismore, acquiring twenty horses, eleven purchased and nine donated, for the Army’s use. By February ’15 his focus turned to the feasibility of constructing a rail line from Colac to Port Campbell, thus assisting various industries and especially pig breeders.
By 1916, Francis was initially transferred to Albury. Following a promotion to sub-branch manager in Adelaide, Francis and the family moved to live in Fullarton S.A. Noel attended St Peter’s College and after graduating, worked for the Bank of Australia in country areas, including Burra and then Kooringa. It was at the latter town that he met the young woman who was to feature in his life.
Noel married Muriel Dale in 1935, with the Advertiser announcing ‘MARRIAGE DANE—DITTY. —On the 26th January, at Hawthorn Presbyterian Church, by Rev. David Chapman, Muriel, only daughter of Mr. G. E. and the late Mrs. Dane, of Kooringa, to Noel F., second son of Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Ditty, of Fullarton. Present address, c/o Bank of Australasia, Kooringa.’
By ’38 Noel and Muriel welcomed their son Tony and, with Noel on annual leave, had a three-week holiday traveling through Melbourne and Sydney.
WWII intervened. Having worked for the Bank in Burra for eight years, Noel made the decision to enlist. He received an emotional farewell from the manager and staff who gave their best wishes to Noel for his patriotic decision and for a safe return to Australia. Muriel inevitably made the decision to live in Adelaide whilst Noel was away. The repercussions of so many fit, active young men enlisting from small country towns were particularly felt in sporting clubs. The Burra Cricket Club announced they would be dormant in ’41, assuming the war would be concluded in this time. Four of their players had enlisted. They had been part of the Mokota Association, winning eleven of their twelve matches. Two of the cricketers, Noel and Elias (Reg) Davey, both served in the 2/48th Battalion. Reg, SX9985 rose to become a Staff Sergeant and survived the conflict.
30-year-old Noel and his 28-year-old younger brother, Leonard enlisted together on the 2nd July ‘40. They were allocated successive number, Noel SX7455 and Leonard SX7456 with both being placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. By October, Noel was promoted to the role of Acting Lance Corporal. Two years later, their 27-year-old sister, Dorothy Beryl who had previously worked for Dalgety & Co in Currie Street, also enlisted, serving as an office Orderly and then a recorder.
Prior to embarking, Noel, Muriel and Tony returned to Burra in August, then in October for their final farewell. With the latter visit being so short, the usual farewell social gathering was unable to be organised, however the Soldier’s Welfare Committee organised a farewell to present Noel with a parcel from the Burra F.F.C.F. Noel was also presented with the Welfare Committee's gift of a hold-all and Conway Stewart Pen and Pencil, plus many good wishes from those assembled. Noel was suitably thankful to the Burra community for their thoughtfulness.
By the 7th November, Noel and Leonard were embarked on the Stratheden, arriving in the Middle East on the 17th December. Noel was soon attached to the Postal Unit with the rank of Acting Corporal. That month, as the men began to adapt both to army life and the light-fingered habits of the Arabs, there was also added time to write home. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan described how ‘Mail soon began to come in fairly regularly, and with incoming and outgoing mails Corporal Noel Ditty was kept continuously on the go.’
In June the following year, Sergeant Noel Ditty had a strange and amusing experience that was also shared in Tobruk to Tarakan.
“In a wadi in headquarters company area I was sleeping in the open on a pathway not far from George Driver (SX7357) when I suddenly felt something sniffing at me. I brushed it away. Then I really woke up. We had no dogs… I looked and, in the moonlight, I saw what I took to be a leopard moving away. When I reported the matter to Major Bull he was very sympathetic, and made remarks about somebody being a bit bomb happy, or perhaps subject to nightmares. In the morning I searched the ground, and then went over and asked Major Bull to come over and look at the tracks the nightmare had made. These were too large for an Alsatian which we knew the enemy were using to counter our patrols. Later in the morning a party of us left on a wadi patrol. Suddenly we saw a huge animal basking on the rocks at the bottom of a wadi. A hand grenade brought it bounding up the side, where it was brought to earth by a burst from a Bren. My nightmare had turned out to be a leopard, after all.”
Later that year on the 6th October, soon after the arrival of the 3rd Polish Battalion, a lone plane persistently circled Noel’s area before dropping twenty anti-personnel bombs, creating smoke, dust and blinding flashes above the 2/48th men. George Fenwick was killed, Sergeants Noel Ditty and George Driver wounded as was Private Arthur Bland. Noel sustained a gunshot wound to his right thigh and was hospitalised for three weeks.
Back home, the October 30th issue of the Chronicle listed those from the 2/48th who were killed and wounded in the encounter. They included Killed In Action.— Pte. Irvin. G. Fenwick, SX8001, Lameroo. Wounded In Action.— Sgt. George H. Driver, SX7357, Burnside and L/Sgt. Noel F. Ditty, SX7455, Kooringa.
Back home, Muriel shared the news with the community which had been Noel’s home. The Burra Record shared that ‘Word has been received by Mrs. Noel Ditty, of Fullarton, that her husband, Cpl. Noel Ditty, had been wounded in action. Cpl. Ditty, who enlisted from Kooringa, we have since learned, is suffering from a severe shrapnel wound in the leg but fortunately no bones are broken.’

Early in July ’42 the 2/48th was readying to attack Tel el Eisa Station. Noel became alarmed at the growing congestion of trucks, equipment and men. He seemed to be the only far-thinking soldier alarmed at the possible damage that could be wrought by so many concentrated in the one area. He immediately began to dig holes in the soft ground as protection against possible air attack. John Glenn shared that ‘He was spurred to greater efforts by unsympathetic remarks by those who continued to lounge on board the truck. The bombers came over all right, and, agreeing with Noel on the transport congestion, dropped a stick of bombs all round the vehicle. When the smoke and dust had cleared away, Noel could be seen, with swamp water up to his waist, in a bomb crater some distance away. He had been the only one to miss out on a hole. What Noel said when somebody remarked, “You gotta be quick” is nobody’s business and certainly cannot be repeated here.’
With rumours abounding regarding the battalion’s return home, it eventuated at the start of February, ’43 with the 2/48th returning to Australia via Melbourne. Back in South Australia on leave Sergeant Noel, Muriel and Tony returned to Burra, staying with Muriel’s father in March ‘43
Wherever possible the small family grabbed precious time together.
Training in the tropical conditions of Queensland followed, aimed at preparing the men for conditions they would encounter in New Guinea, against a very different enemy. While training in Queensland, a group portrait, featuring Sergeant Noel, was taken of the 2/48th Battalion Number 6 Platoon.
By August ’43 Noel left Cairns for Milne Bay. The tropical conditions contributed to him contracting a very high fever (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin), followed by Dengue Fever, causing him to return to Australia via Brisbane in February ’44. Niggling conditions, including acute sinusitis were frustrating, but a highlight was returning home in March ’44 to have time with his family.
By March ’45 Noel again returned to Morotai and thence to Tarakan for the closing months of the war. He finally arrived home in September ’45 to immediately spend time with Muriel’s father, whose health continued to deteriorate. (Her father had initially come to Australia from England to improve his health, eventually settling in Burra where he became a highly respected music teacher who organised a variety of concerts, operettas and comic operas including the 'Pirates of Penzance,' and 'The Messiah." He died in April ’47.)

Noel’s own 74-year-old father lived to see both sons safely return from the war. He died on the 25th July ’52, six years after retiring. (Ella lived to be 81 and died on the 19th July ’63.) The following year, Noel and Muriel welcomed another son in April ’53.
Post war, Noel became a representative of B.E.A. Distributors Ltd., 430 King William St, Adelaide, South Australian distributors of the famous Mercedes Benz diesel and petrol cars, utilities and trucks, travelling to many West Coast Towns to act as an agent.
Noel died aged 70 on the 10th January 1980. Muriel died 10th September 1988 aged 73 Centennial Park Rose bed.
Perhaps because he had his fill of war or because his medals were sent to the Adelaide branch of the Bank of Australia and were not passed on, Noel never received his medals sent in January ‘49. It was not until after his death that Muriel applied for them. Consequently, the precious 1939/45 Star, Africa Star, 8th Army Clasp, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Australian Service Medal were finally forwarded to the family.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.