Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Rodda family were amongst the original settlers in Moonta. Born on the 9th April, 1919, Leonard (Leon) was the first son of Cecil James and Hetty Myrtle Rodda of Moonta. A second son, Clarence Lathlean was born in November ’25. Their father, Cecil was a miner working for Moonta Mines. In July ’25 he was one of six men involved in the agreement to sell all the mineral sections, buildings and plant as part of the Wallaroo and Moonta Mining and Smelting Company, which went into liquidation.
Tragically, three years later, just after Leon’s 9th birthday, Cecil died at home on the 20th July ’28, aged just 41 years. His death was reported in several newspapers, including the Chronicle. ‘Mr. Cecil James Rodda, who died at his residence, William-street, Moonta, on July 20, at the age of 41, had been in indifferent health for the past four months, but symptoms of a serious nature did not manifest themselves until a few days prior to his death. He was born at Moonta Mines and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Rodda. He married a daughter of Mr. Joseph Lathlean, of East Moonta, and leaves a widow and two young children.’
Hetty continued to raise the young boys, with both brothers attended the local Moonta Primary School. Leon then became a labourer and Clarry a bread carter. Leon became a good friend of Allen Harris who was just a year older. As an 18-year-old, Allen also lost his father in ‘37 to an early death.
With the outbreak of WWII, 21-year-old Leon and 22-year-old Allen were two of the early enlistees on the 1st July 1940. They were given the numbers SX7327 and SX7330 respectively, with both allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. (Over three years later, Len’s younger brother, Clarry, enlisted in December ’43 as 141872, becoming a Leading Aircraftman. He served in Borneo towards the end of ’45 and into January ’46.)
Allen and Leon’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. Murray Farquhar in Derrick VC observed that ‘Diver mated up with Jack Brice from Broken Hill, Lance Chapman from Moonta, Ike Rodda from Kadina and Tom Hill from the City. All would later figure in his rolls and diaries. The first mentioned two would fall in Tobruk and El Alamein respectively, the others would be wounded.’
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. Leon, or ‘Ike’ as he was also known, was to become one of the respected and famed Rats of Tobruk.
However, in the desert conditions and close quarters, Leon contracted tonsilitis in March ’41. He had barely re-joined his battalion when he was received a gunshot wound in his right chest on May 1st. This effectively ended Ike’s front line service.
In his book Tobruk to Tarakan, John Glenn described that day.
‘At 3:50 a.m. on the 1st May the men of the 2/48th stood-to to await the outcome of the battle which had raged all through the night. In thick mist, darkness and bitter cold, they snatched a quick breakfast of bully beef and hard biscuits. The battalion had to be prepared to meet either a break, through the 2/24th Battalion or a thrust from the south. An anxious wait followed as the morning dragged on, then around nine o’clock the noise of battle increased, and the continuous drumming of the artillery was joined by the sound of anti-tank guns and small arms fire from the direction of Forbes Mound, indicating a tank attack. Wave after wave of German dive bombers attacked the perimeter during the morning, and at mid-day they swept over our battalion area, where their bombing was joined with a heavy concentration of enemy artillery fire. The men went quickly to cover. One shell made a direct hit… killing two and wounding two others.’ He later added ‘The 2/48th casualties for the night of 1st May had been fifty-one, of whom sixteen were killed.’
Back home the Advertiser of the 21st May carried the names of those killed or wounded. From the 2/48th those from Leon’s battalion who were killed included Herbert Neumann SX8014 from Aldgate, Robert Carey SX7943 from Portland, John Christerson SX7791 from Yorketown, John Marshall SX7759 from Hawthorn, William Gates SX6867 from Brompton and Allan Glanville Porter SX7315 all from the 2/48th Battalion. Leon was one of the many listed as wounded. A tragic day.
By the end of that month, ‘Diver’ Derrick had compiled a list of the men in his platoon. Of the 34 listed, eight, including Leon, had been wounded, ten had been or would be killed in action. (Bryan Holmes SX8133 was one of the remaining men who survived the war comparatively unscathed.) Leon’s quite severe injury caused him to be evacuated to a New Zealand run hospital. At the end of June whilst still in the NZ hospital Len went AWL overnight, earning a harsh loss of four day’s pay. Soon after, he was moved to the Australian Convalescent Depot in September.
Two months later, Leon was ambitiously classified as ‘fit for active service’, returning to the 2/48th Battalion at the end of December ’41. Early the next month, Diver Derrick recorded in his diary of January 7th ’42 ‘Off to Tel Aviv for leave until 1700hrs. Blue Slater (SX8313) and Leo James (another of Derrick’s nick-names for Leon) being my handicap.’ He further added that they ‘had several beers and a glorious time and arrived back about 0230.’
By February, the following year, Leon was more accurately classified as ‘Permanently unfit for service’. His time in the Middle East was at an end and he was able to return home to Australia at the end of May ‘42. However, during much of May and June, Leon was on sick leave because of the gunshot wound to his chest.
By August that year, Leon was transferred to hospital at Wayville to recuperate. The following month he was diagnosed with scabies and knowing that his role with the army meant he would be re-allocated. With the remainder of the 2/48th Battalion returning from the Middle East in March, welcome leave was enjoyed. Leon’s fellow enlistee, Allen Harris from Moonta married Lorna Leverett, who was serving with the Australian Women's Army Service. The ceremony was conducted in the Holy Trinity Church on March 16th. Allen chose Private Len Rodda. A.I.F., returned, as his best man. However, at that time and whilst on recreation leave, Leon was late in returning to his battalion, resulting in the loss of a day’s pay.
Until the end of the war, Leon then served in the Northern Territory. Unfortunately, in September ’43 whilst serving in Alice Springs, he had a series of issues with his eyes, beginning with conjunctivitis, then a corneal ulcer. By August ’44 whilst in Alice Springs, Leon’s Medical Classification formally acknowledged the on-going effect of the gunshot wound to his chest. His frustration finally manifested with a charge of ‘Neglecting to Obey Camp Standing Orders’ at the end of that month. Time spent in Darwin pre-ceded his move to finally be discharged and a return to ‘normal’ life.

With his young brother, Clarry announcing his engagement to Gwendoline Donohue of Moonta in November ’44, Len soon followed suit. He and Beryl Leyson announced their engagement in January ’45. ‘LEYSON— RODDA.— Engagement is announced of Beryl, youngest daughter of Mrs. M. M. and the late Mr. D. Leyson of Camden, to Leonard James (2nd A.I.F., ret.), elder son of Mrs. H. M. and the late Mr. C. G. Rodda, of Moonta.’
Len was finally discharged on the 8th November ’45 and was married the following week in the Moseley Street Methodist Church at Glenelg. Len’s gift to his bride was a silver and blue pendant. He chose another ex-Moonta friend, Harry Worrall as his best man. A further cause for celebration on the day was the attendance of Beryl’s brother-in-law, Sergeant Roy Fisher SX11281 with the Motor Transport Company, who had safely returned home, having been a POW of the Japanese.
In June the following year, Len’s brother Clarry was also discharged. Len and Beryl welcomed two children, Colin and Janet.
Aged 72, Len died in Adelaide on the 24th September 1991. His remains rest at Centennial Park in Rose Bed 3, Position 92. Beryl lived to be 92. She died on the 5th November 2013 and her ashes now are also interred with Len’s in the rose bed.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.