Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born in Port Pirie on the 17th of January, 1917 to Henry Edward and Florence Annie Baker, Laurie lived in Mambray Creek, to the north of Pirie. At the time, this was predominantly a farming area of South Australia which Laurie’s pioneering grandfather, William Edward had opened for farming. He survived droughts and, with the introduction of superphosphates, farming became reasonably safe.
With the outbreak of WWII, a huge enlistment drive was conducted, focussing on country regions of the state and aimed at fit, single young men. For many in the Pirie and surrounding region, the Depression had impacted on employment opportunities, so many immediately volunteered to serve, including 23-year-old Laurie. He had worked as a shearer, but at the time was unemployed in this predominantly seasonal occupation.
Laurie enlisted in Pirie on the 26th June ’40. That month was recorded as being the busiest month for the Pirie recruiting Depot with 137 young men applying to enlist and 92, including Laurie, passing the medical examinations and given a rail pass to travel to Adelaide. (Of those rejected, some were from reserved occupations, others had not undergone their health checks and a few were medically unfit.) Besides Laurie, others were from Tarcoola, Tarcowie, Booleroo, Ellendale, Three Chain Road, Port Augusta, Kimba Wandearah, Redhill, Crystal Brook, Solomon Town and Pirie. Once in Adeliade, he was allocated the number SX7282 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion.
His early days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before he and other new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training. During pre-embarkation leave Laurie returned to Mambray Creek to have precious time with family. The 2/48th Battalion then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940 and disembarked on the 17th December. The young men then completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before 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. Laurie was to become one of the famed Rats of Tobruk, but his life was to be irrevocably changed.
His battalion had barely arrived when at the start of May ‘41 he sustained a gunshot wound to his left thigh, resulting in him being evacuated to hospital but was discharged within a week to rejoin his battalion. His injury occurred in the fierce fighting for Hill 209 which also claimed the lives of seven others. John Glenn in his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ described conditions that day at Dimra: “At 3:50am on 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.” In an attempt to take Hill 209 in the heavy dust storm marked by overhead enemy aircraft targeting their carrying vehicles, ‘D Company moved out steadily with two platoons forward- 18 Platoon under Lieutenant Larkins on the right and 17 Platoon with Sergeant Tonkin in command on the left.’ ‘The company then moved well forward under control, and came under small arms fire, but continued until they came under very heavy machine-gun fire from the direction of the Water Point and Post S4.’
The remainder of that day was chaotic, information scant, the men weary and under heavy fire and a raging sandstorm. The next morning there was a terrific dust storm, but a foot patrol set out to find their soldiers who had not returned. For a few of those missing men it was some time before their fate was confirmed. An appalling day for the close knit 2/48th.
Back home in May ’41, the Chronicle listed 29 wounded in action from his battalion. These included Pte. Laurence S. Baker, SX7282, Mambray Creek; Pte. Percival G. Bartholomew, SX7122, Narrung; Pte. Thomas Bell, SX8265, Snowtown; Joseph Buckley, SX8459, Albert Park, Vic; Pte. Robert W. Carvosso, SX7888, Glenelg; Pte. Ernest H. Chapman, SX7289, Koongawa; Pte. Ronald R. Collins, SX7163, Gulnare; Pte. M. G. Day. SX7434, Nairne; Pte. Harold W. Gass, SX7147, Mannum; Pte. Ronald A. Gepp, SX7884, Ashborne; Pte. Roy D. Goodes, SX6917. Cur ramulka; Pte. John Kennedy. SX7842, Adelaide; Lieut. Geoffrey D. Larkins, SX10332. St. Peters; Pte. Wilfred. J. Lewis, SX8856, Scott's Creek; Pte Henry O. Lohman. SX7771, Murray Bridge; Pte. Keith H. Pointon. SX7143. Prospect; Pte. Leonard G. Rex, SX7990, Colonel Light Gar dens; and Pte. Leonard J Rodda, SX7327, Moonta.
Part of Laurie’s service was alongside ‘Diver’ Derrick, who, at the end of May, ’41 drew up in his diary a list of the 34 men left in his platoon, including Laurie and my father, Bryan Holmes SX8133. Of those 34, nine did not return, some being killed at El Alamein the following year. Eight were subsequently wounded in action.
By April ’42 the theatre of war and the horrors associated with fighting contributed to Laurie being diagnosed with probable Psychosis, resulting in him being treated first by British CGS where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia (often associated with stressful life events) and evacuated to the 6 Australian General Hospital, where, inevitably he was assessed as ‘Permanently unfit for service’ by the Medical Board. In December that year, Laurie returned to Australia via Melbourne. He was initially sent to the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital at the end of July, but after a week was discharged to return to South Australia. He visited his family at Mambray Creek in October before returning to Adelaide.
Aged 25, Laurie was finally discharged on the 8th December, ’42. He was issued with a civilian suit to wear as he was in ‘necessitous circumstance’ and possessed no civilian clothes of his own. In a further blow for Laurie, his 60-year-old father, Henry died in the Pirie Hospital the following month.
Over the coming months, Laurie was reported in the Pirie Recorder newspaper as visiting relatives back home, including being part of the ‘welcome home’ celebrations held at the Port Germein Institute in September ‘45. The stage was decorated with flags, bunting, banners and flowers. The ‘Ode of Remembrance’ was recited followed by the poignant song ‘Home Sweet Home’. Fellow 2/48th Battalion soldier, Sergeant Charle Lampre was unable to be in attendance with Laurie. Each of the returned men was presented with a beautifully inscribed certificate. Singing, dancing and supper all followed.
By July ’57, Laurie’s mother, Florence died and was buried in the Dudley Park Cemetery at Port Adelaide.
Laurie was still an unwell man and was placed in the Northfield Mental Hospital, later known as Hillcrest Hospital. It was initially established in 1929 to relieve overcrowding at the insensitively named Parkside Lunatic Asylum. Laurie lived at Northfield during the ‘50’s, with records indicating that there were 835 patients residing in ’53. One section with 25 beds was set aside for ex-soldiers with mental illness. Changes occurred extremely slowly but early in ’62 patients at Northfield Hospitals were classified as having either a 'mental illness' or a 'mental disability'.
Service medals were not distributed until well after the war had concluded. In that time many of the original contact details for soldiers had changed. Hard earned, and a symbol of the service freely given, soldiers were proud to wear them. By 1960 Laurie therefore twice contacted the department, giving detailed information about his service and requesting that these be sent to him at Northfield. His awards included the 1939 -45 War Medal, the ’39 – ’45 Star, African Star and Defence Medal
Aged 51, Laurie died on the 31st October 1968. He now rests in the Derrick Gardens, Centennial Park Cemetery Path 10 Grave 670A, where he is remembered by his family and nephews.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.