Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles Eric (Eric) was born in the inner suburb of Carlton, Victoria to Frederick and Janet Plummer on the 29th May, 1904. He was one of two children with a sister, Lillie.
Eric was married to Ethel but moved from Victoria and was living in College Park, in the eastern area of Adelaide when aged 36, he enlisted to serve in WWII in Adelaide on 1st July 1940. He was allocated the number SX7375 and placed in the 2/48th Battalion. Early training was initially conducted in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds before moving to Woodside in the Adelaide Hills for further preparation, drills and fitness. With embarkation imminent, Eric, a Sergeant, was part of the advance party which travelled to Outer Harbour on the 16th November to report to the quartermaster of the troopship Stratheden. He received instructions on his role acting as one of the deck sergeants when the 2/48th boarded. Ironically, in the heat of the following day, the troops in full dress and packs, marched from Woodside, which had a local railway station, to the significantly further station of Oakbank. Rather than maintaining the anticipated security, word of the troops’ movements had spread, and crowds lined their route to wish the men goodbye and good luck. Eric and the newly formed 2/48th Battalion were heading for the Middle East.
Four days later, the Stratheden berthed at Freemantle in Western Australia for leave and onshore training.
Eric was a Sergeant who understood the character of those with whom he served. An incident at Freemantle is indicative of his sense of what actions were important and what were just sheer larrikinism. In his book Tobruk to Tarakan, John Glenn recounts the incident: ‘On the second day in Freemantle, Sergeant Eric Plummer, of C Company, being seven hours overdue from leave, displayed a truly soldierly ingenuity. When he reached some stacks of timber near the wharf, he found Sergeant Bill Miller and several others hiding there, wondering how to get back on board without being noticed. He gathered them together, fell them in behind a huge shed, and then, giving orders that could be heard on board, marched them on to the wharf and up to the guard at the foot of the gangway. There he reported “Shore picquet returning” and passed unsuspected up the gangway and dismissed his “men” on the main deck.’
The ship eventually docked in the Middle East in November. By the start of April 1941, the 2/48th were in Tobruk where they were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk faced with dust, flies, heat, insanitary conditions, minimal water supplies and rations as well as constant bombardment.
38 year old Eric was killed in a massive assault to ambitiously take the strategic position of Trig 29 which occurred over the 25th and 26th October, 1942. Conditions at the time were ever-changing and the fighting both continuous and relentless. Montgomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward.
In ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ John Glenn described the preceding nights where ‘an occasional burst from a machine gun disturbed the night of 24th October. Nevertheless, it was a busy time for the tired men. Little or no sleep could be had. A hot meal sent forward after dark was quickly swallowed. There was no time for yarning. Defences had to be improved, more digging and wiring done and patrols sent out.’ 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. The conditions included ‘arrangements were made for mines, wire ammunition, food, water, overhead cover, sandbags, tools, anti-tank guns, and all the rest, and holding the present position while preparing to launch another attack. And while all this was being done, the battalion was subjected to murderous fire from artillery and mortars. It says much for the battle-drill of the battalion and supporting arms that everything worked out smoothly, going off without a hitch.’
Glenn describes the attack on Trig 29 “which was to be the most bitter and bloody fighting of the war. When next the sun drove away those shadows from the desert, death would have reaped a rich harvest of gallant men. And of the 2/48th Battalion only forty-one weary troops would remain in the field.”
Added to the battle was carnage caused by the chance hit from an enemy shell on a truck loaded with mines. Two thousand mines went up in this explosion; all the war equipment of both B and D Companies was destroyed. Of the ten men who were in the vehicles, not one was saved. Glenn added that:
‘The attack continued, however, without pause…it was only after hard fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides, that they were able to consolidate on their objective. The troops had never been more tired.. The 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest; from first light until nine o’clock the enemy turned all their fury on the Trig area, with particularly heavy fire on 29 itself, hiding the position in a cloud of dust and smoke.’ A comment was later made that about the heavy casualties. 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.
The subsequent action between October 25th and 26th meant that the survivors of the horrific explosion and ensuing fighting were not always able to immediately retrieve their fallen men and accurate dates and times of casualties were challenging to record. Glenn’s final summing up was ‘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.” In added high praise about those who tended the wounded and collected those killed in action “It says much for them that not one man was missing in their search over the four thousand yards from Trig 29 to the Blockhouse, or in the attack of 3,600 yards to Ring Contour 25.” An horrific battle for the proud and very brave 2/48th Battalion.
Eric was initially buried in the field on the 4th November. Almost a month later back home, his death was officially reported in the Chronicle in December included a list of the other men, predominantly from the 2/48th Battalion, killed in action with him. They included SX7832 Pte. Max C. Boase, 2/48th Millicent; SX6896 Pte. Lance Chapman, 2/48th North Moonta; SX5226 Pte. Charlie L. K. Cock, 2/43rd Solomontown; SX7260 Sgt. Charles Fraser, 2/48th Norwood; SX10466 Pte. E. L Freeman, 2/43rd, Calca; SX8651 Sgt. Lindsay R. Goode, 2/48th Malvern; SX13580 Pte. Ronald A. Grist. Inf., Port Noarlunga; SX8587 Pte. George W. Haywood, 2/48th Mount Compass: SX7249 Cpl. J. Hinson, 2/43rd, Plympton: SX310 Sgt. Alfred W G. Miller, 2/48th Ponde; SX9488 Pte. Eric L. Montgomerie, 2/48th, Edwardstown; SX7375 Sgt Charles E. Plummer, 2/48th College Park; SX7176 A-Cpl. William C. Quinn, 2/48th Bordertown; SX8113 Pte. Michael N. Riley, 2/48th Burnside; SX7298 Cpl. Harold Sandercock, 2/48th Maitland; SX7732 Ste. Clem H. Schulz, 2/48th Yorketown; SX12924 Pte. Richard Speck, 48th Blanchetown; SX8491 Pte. Arthur G. Wilson, 2/48th Glanville. These were some of South Australia’s finest young men, all sadly grieved, so many families’ lives changed forever.
On the 15th April ’43 Eric was re-buried in the El Alamein War Cemetery in Plot XVI Row G Grave 13. He now rests with 21-year-old SX12157 Eric Stagbouer, 28-year-old SX13570 Charles Holman, and 25-year-old SX8587 George Haywood all from the 2/48th Battalion who were killed at a similar time, and others from the 2/7th, 2/23rd and 2/24th Battalions. His parents chose the inscription ‘Endured, fought and died for home and freedom’ for his headstone.
Age Saturday 21 November 1942, PLUMMER. —On October 26 killed In action in Egypt, Sergeant C. E. Plummer (SX7375). the dearly beloved only son of F. and J. Plummer, and dearly loved brother of Lillie (Mrs. Johnson), of Hawthorn. Duty nobly done, lad.
Age Tuesday 26 October 1943, PLUMMER. — In loving memory of my dearly loved brother, Eric. 3X7375, 2/48th Btn. 9th Division, killed in action El Alamein on October 26 — inserted by his loving sister Lil. PLUMMER. — In proud and loving memory of our dear son. SX7375, Sgt, C. E. Plummer (Eric), killed in action at El Alamein October 26. 1942. One of the Rats of Tobruk. So dearly loved, so deeply mourned. — Inserted by dad and mother. PLUMMER. — In loving memory of our nephew, SX7375, Sgt. Eric Plummer. killed In action at El Alamein October 26. 1942. In God's care. — Inserted by aunt and uncle.
Advertiser Tuesday 26 October 1943, PLUMMER. —In proud and loving memory of our dear son and brother, Sgt C. E. Plummer (Eric), killed at El Alamein, Oct. 26, 1942. So dearly loved, so deeply mourned. —inserted by mother. Dad, sister, Lil, Melbourne. PLUMMER. —In loving memory of Eric killed in action, El Alamein, Oct. 26, 1942. Someone in thought ever near you. —Always remembered by Dot.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.