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Allen’s parents, Sarah Pretoria (Tory) and William Stanley Roy Harris were both locals of the Moonta area where Allen was born on the 23rd March, 1918. William was better known as Stanley Roy. Later nicknamed ‘Squeak’ Allen was the oldest son and one of seven children with younger siblings including Zeta Doris, Robert Glen (curly) and Ivan Clive who all attended the Moonta Primary School.
Allen was 18 when his 40-year-old father died on January 3rd 1937 at Wallaroo, with his remains interred in the Moonta Cemetery. William’s death was announced in the Chronicle. ‘Mr. Stanley Roy Harris, 40. of Moonta. who died at the Wallaroo Hospital on January 3 was the third son of Mr. Fred Harris (who resides in the city). He has left a widow, four sons and three daughters.’
Post school, Allen became a labourer, working at Port Victoria. Through the Possum Pages of the Mail, in December ’33, a young Lorna Leverett, also from Port Victoria on the Yorke Peninsula wrote in with an unusual request for ‘a boy friend about 13 or 14, who is Interested in film stars.’ Whether Allen fitted this description in later years is debatable, but on the 20th June ’40 the Advertiser carried the announcement ‘LEVERETT—HARRIS.—The engagement is announced of Lorna M. elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. R. Leverett. Port Victoria, to Allen R. (Pt. Victoria, 2nd AIF.), eldest son of Mrs. S. P. and the late Mr. S. R. Harris. Moonta.’
Lorna’s father, 44-year-old Stanley, a hairdresser, enlisted just days before Allen. He was a veteran of the Great War, enlisting as a 19-year-old with the 10th Infantry Battalion. He was twice wounded, in his right shoulder and foot. In WWII, Warrant Officer Stan served with the 25/33 Garrison Battalion at Camp Loveday as S55.
22-year-old Allen was also formally accepted to serve in WWII, enlisted on the 1st July 1940, being given the number SX7330 and allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. His close friend, Leonard (Len) Rodda enlisted on the same day and was given the number SX7327 and allocated to the same battalion. Allen’s younger brother, Glen Robert enlisted the following year on the 12th May, having just turned 19. He became SX12717 with the Infantry Training Battalion.
At the time of enlisting, Allen was single, naming his widowed mother, Sarah as his next of kin. However, during the war years, Sarah re-married. She and her new husband, Alfred Hayes subsequently had a young son, Ronald born in ‘43.
Allen and Len’s early days were spent in the Motor Pavilion of what is now the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. Their ‘beds’ were straw filled hessian on wooden pallets. Training continued in the Adelaide Hills before the young men had brief pre-embarkation leave. They finally boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, in November, arriving on the 17th December where their battalion marched to a Staging Camp. During those early days, besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the locals.
Within months, the 2/48th Battalion was involved in intense conflicts where their reputation for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. ‘Squeak’ was to become one of the respected and famed Rats of Tobruk.
Whilst he was overseas, Lorna was one of four country girls in camp at Mount Lofty, serving with the Australian Women's Army Service. The training program involved drill, physical training, and lectures to prepare them to be clerks and typists. Her cohort was described by Captain May Douglas as being “of a very good type." Of those trainees who enlisted with Lorna, four, including Lorna, were then attached to A.W.A.S. headquarters for the second camp.
Early in January ‘42, Allen went ‘sight-seeing’ for an hour but was fortunate not to be fined because his absence was less than six hours duration. In the desert conditions and close confines with so many others, by May that year, Allen had contracted tonsillitis resulting in him recovering for a week with the Field Ambulance.
Two months after recovering from tonsillitis, on the 22nd July, Allen was wounded in his left forearm with a gunshot wound which was treated for about a month before he was able to join the Infantry Trig Battalion. That year was to be a challenging one for the 2/48th. Orders had been received to capture West Point of Tel el Eisa in a dawn attack. In late June ‘42 with Rommel crossing into Egypt, the 2/48th were in an offensive to capture Trig 33, which was achieved on the 10th July. In doing so, over 400 Italian prisoners were taken. The 2/48th battalion then advanced south, capturing the Tel el Eisa station and repelling numerous counter attacks. However, they were eventually forced to withdraw, having suffered over 100 casualties. The 2/48th battalion suffered 215 casualties between the 7th July and 23rd October. Of that number, 64 men were killed and six, died of their wounds. 125 other men, including Allen, were wounded but survived.
In July the battalion was attempting to capture West Point in a dawn attack. In his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’, John G. Glenn described the ferocious encounter.
‘When the troops were well forward of the start-line they came under terrific fire from shells and mortars from the front and left, and suffered heavy casualties. With the slow deliberate movement of perfectly trained soldiers both companies continued the advance in perfect formation, over ground that trembled and erupted with vicious explosions. Through this, sometimes obscured by the smoke and dust, the men moved, and, as they advanced, the fire kept place with them, leaving behind the still shapes of fallen men among the camel bush and sand.’
Back home, the August edition of the Chronicle in ’42 carried the names of the killed and injured. Besides Allen, those in his battalion included: Wounded In Action SX6828 Pte Harold R L Baker Adelaide. SX8878 Pte Gerald W Bellinger Millicent. SX9388 Pte Clarence G Brown. Port Wakefield, SX1075 L-Cpl. Eric Brown SX11079 Pte Harold D Brown, Trinity Gardens. SX537 Pte. P. A Carey, Broken Hill. NSW SX7497 L-Cpl Ronald Chinner, Angaston. SX7725 Pte. Cecil Clark, Langhorne's Creek. SX8132 Pte. Cyril H. Fleet, Menlngle. SX7417 Pte. Clarence L Gallagher, Murray Bridge. SX7330 Pte. Allen R Harris, Moonta. SX13570 Pte Charles Holman, Broken Hill. NSW. (Later KIA Oct ’42) SX12363 A-Cpl. Harry B. Irwln. Port Augusta. SX8017 L-Cpl. Charles. G. Manuel. Balaklava. SX8138 Pte Albert. V. McKenzie, Minlaton. SX11302 Pte. Walter Sharp, Magill. SX7952 Pte Kevin P Stephens. Adelaide. SX7294 Cpl. Henry P. Stopp. Keith. SX9034 A-Cpl. Noel A Tietzel. North Adelaide. SX8539 Pte Edward J Young Inf., Morgan.
The Advertiser added more detail that ‘Pte. Lorna Leverett, AWAS, has been advised that her fiancé, Pte. Allen Harris, has been wounded in action. He enlisted in June, 1940, and sailed in November, 1940.’
Whilst Allen was preparing to leave the Middle East and return to Australia, his young brother Private Robert Harris was facing a serious District Court Martial at Keswick at the end of December ’42. He was charged with desertion, failing to appear on parade, absence without leave, and two charges of escaping from a detention compound. He had acquired 16 previous convictions. Robert had left camp because his pregnant wife, Shirley was ill, but he had no intention of deserting. He pleaded guilty to the other charges, but declared he was unaware that his platoon was warned on a parade that it might be moving shortly and that any man missing when the move occurred would be treated as a deserter. Robert was not with his platoon when it moved. He was absent from his unit from November 23 until apprehended by members of the Provost Corps on November 28. During this time he had visited his seriously ill, pregnant wife, with their baby being stillborn. An incredibly traumatic situation for any young family.
The 2/48th finally left the Middle East at the start of February ’43, arriving in Australia via Melbourne.
Allen married Lorna Margaret on the 16th March ’43 whilst home on leave, with the announcement carried in the Advertiser that ‘LEVERETT—HARRIS.—Marriage of Lorna (A.W.A.S.). daughter of Mrs S. R. Leverett, Parkside. to Allen (A.I.F. ret’d.). son Mrs. Hayes-late S R. Harris. Moonta, Holy Trinity Ch. North ter., Tues., March 16, 7 p m. No reception.’ The News carried both Lorna’s photo and added information that ‘SIGNALWOMAN Lorna Margaret Leverett was married this week to Private Allen Roy Harris, A.I.F. returned in Holy Trinity Church. The bride who is the elder daughter of Warrant Officer and Mrs. S. R. Leverett Parkside. wore white Indian lace with a long tulle veil. Her bridesmaid was Miss Maureen Leverett in blue taffeta. Private Len Rodda. A.I.F., returned, was best man. The bridegroom is the eldest son of Mrs. Hayes and the late Mr. S R. Harris, of Moonta.’
Unfortunately, Allen again contracted tonsillitis the following month, but continued to train in Queensland in preparation to meet a very different enemy in the tropical conditions of New Guinea. He arrived in Milne Bay early in August ’43. The following month he received multiple wounds in his scalp. Others in his battalion were also affected, including Corporal Woodall, SX7212 from Exeter, who was killed, with Private Albion St.L. Gray SX7823 from Magill, and Private David K Stark SX6891 from Lower North Adelaide also being injured.
In the compilation and annotation of ‘Diver’ Derrick’s diaries, Mark Johnson in ‘Derrick VC In His Own Words’ wrote an entry on the 17th November ’43 from the White Trunk Tree area, Sattelberg Road New Guinea. He mentioned Allen (known by his nickname of ‘Squeak’) as being one of the wounded and th circumstances. “B Company were pushed in and a glorious display and attack dislodged enemy from well dug in posn. Lt Norton, Pte Ogilvy, & Pte Dixon were killed and approx. 20 wounded including Lt Robbins, Sgt Batman & Lampre, Cpls Bub Smith, Geoff Radbone, Linds Hardy, Squeak Harriss and Jack Redden.”
Having recovered, Allen was promoted first to Acting Corporal, then officially Corporal early in December ’43, with the end of his war in sight. He finally arrived back in Australia via Brisbane in February ’44 but continued to be affected by malaria and a skin condition exacerbated by stress. He continued to undertake study with the Regiment Training School for instructors. To his credit, for the level of schooling he had as a child, Allen did well. The summary that he was a ‘Quiet reliable type’ was the most accurate assessment of this young man. He received his final discharge from the army twelve months later in February ’45.
With peace finally declared, Lorna and Allen welcomed their growing family, Beverly Anne born in October ’45, Jeffrey Roy in May, ’48 and Peter Allen in May ’53. In later years, the family moved to live at Glenelg North.
68-year-old Lorna died on the 24th February 1989. Her remains were placed in the Centennial Park Cemetery Harmony Wall 89, Niche A 004. Aged 78, Allen died on the 18th January 1997 in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. His remains were placed next to Lorna’s in Niche A005.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.