Virtual
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Australia

Born in Keswick on the 27th November 1914, Douglas Jnr was the elder of two sons born to Annie and Douglas Sutherland, after whom he was named. He also had a younger brother, John (Jack) McLennan. Douglas Jnr was a third generation Sutherland to live in the Richmond District with his paternal Scottish grandfather, John being born at Brord, Sutherlandshire. Leaving school aged nine, John had become a pruner on the local Duke of Sutherland’s estate and soon undertook night schooling. Once married, John had come to South Australia with his two children, teaching young children in a class of up to 100 whilst on board. In Australia he was employed with the Wertheim Sewing Machine Company but his belief in the importance of education led him the be the first chairman of the Richmond school committee, and the School Committees' Association in the district. He also served on the West Torrens District Council, and the Metropolitan County Board and was a Justice of the Peace. These values were also passed to his children and grandchildren, including Douglas Jnr who attended the same school.
Douglas gained employment as a fireman, meeting Oriel Meryle Irons whist in his 20’s. With the outbreak of WWII 25-year-old Douglas enlisted on the 29th June 1940. He was given the number SX7195 and allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. He quickly befriended 22-year-old Wilf Wear from Birkenhead who enlisted on the same day as SX7156. (Douglas’ younger brother, 19-year-old John (Jack) McLennan enlisted the following year in September, becoming S39089 with the 31/51 AMF Infantry Battalion, later serving for some of the time in Bougaville.)
Soon after enlisting and prior to embarking for overseas Douglas began teaching Meryle to drive – which became an expensive exercise for them both. Douglas was charged with permitting an unlicensed person to drive and Meryle with driving without a licence. Both were fined £1 with 10/ costs. Despite the fine, the two became engaged with a delightful portrait of Meryl appearing in the January edition of the News in ’41.
Doug’s initial 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.
Following pre-embarkation leave Doug and his fellow 2/48th Battalion, boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940 and disembarked on the 17th December. His 2/48th Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before going 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. Once there, they completed a few months training in Cyrenaica. Douglas and Wilf were to become one of the now famed Rats of Tobruk in a battalion which was to be highly regarded and decorated.
24 years old Wilf was wounded in action in Egypt and died on the 22nd July ’42. At that stage, 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, including Wilf. 125 other men were wounded but survived.
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.’

By August ’42 the hot, sandy conditions had contributed to Douglas developing painful desert sores. However, he survived the fighting in the Middle East, returning to Australia via Melbourne in February ’43. Following a brief time of leave, Doug was soon on his way to training in Queensland before heading to Milne Bay in August ’43. In those tropical conditions he attracted a fine for ‘conduct to the prejudice of good order’ in October and contracted malaria causing him to be hospitalised. The fighting though, was relentless.
In the recently published book by Mark Johnson ‘Derrick VC in his own Words’ Derrick in both his diary entry and in a later interview stressed how magnificently the men under his command had fought in the capture of the Sattelberg Heights on the 24th November’43. Amongst these, Slogger Sutherland was one of eight. The others were Don Spencer, Stan Davies, Charlie Barratt, Ron Logue, Swanny Washbrook, Shorty Edmunds and Wally Everett. He added ‘None of these men received medals for their efforts on the day, which became known as a one-man effort, ‘Derrick’s Show’.
In his diary entry for that day Derrick had written “Myself, Don Spencer, Stan Davies, Charlie Barratt, Slogger Sutherland gradually making ground and clearing the bunkers. Reached a foot pad leading up the hill… A slight hold up caused by 2 Japs on the track hurling grenades at us slowed things up a bit.”
On the 1st December ’43, again led by Sergeant ‘Diver’ Derrick, Doug was on patrol with Derrick who very keen to keep advancing where they were fired on by Japanese. A runner came back with orders to withdraw but Derrick wrote in his diary, meticulously edited by Mark Johnston “I thought we were going well so decided against the order and carried on. When a further order came ¼ hour later I went back myself and asked for more time – pleaded for another 20 minutes. Coy Comd was opposed to it because it was nearly dark, however he finally gave me 20 mins, and I went back. Owens and Brens wd fire short burst into opening of bunker at 10- 12x (we not dug in). While they were firing a man wd rush fwd and put grenade in slit of bunker. I grenade one and Pte D. Sutherland the other. We cleared 7 or 8 of those usually with 2 Japs, but Japs ram fm all but 2 of the bunkers.” Certainly, a measure of the coolness under pressure displayed by Douglas.
By February ’44 the tropical conditions had caused Doug to contract a high fever (PUO) and experience further hospitalisation before he was able to return to Australia via Brisbane. Unfortunately, he also contracted a further severe case of malaria and hookworm. Having survived so many conflicts and after a three year long engagement, whilst back in South Australia on leave, on the 1st April ’44 Oriel Meryle Irons and Douglas were married in an evening ceremony in the Pirie St. Methodist Church. They later had two children, Sandra and Raymond.
By June, Douglas again overstepped the ‘conduct to the prejudice..’ mark receiving a severe 7 day penalty. That month he also transferred to the 2/8th Field Ambulance.
Douglas was finally discharged in October ’45 and his younger brother in the following January. He continued to remember those men with whom he fought. Advertiser Thursday 22 July 1948, In memory of my late cobbers in "B" Company 2/48th Battalion. At the rising and setting of the sun I will remember. —Inserted by Flogger Sutherland.
Just prior to his 74th birthday, Douglas died on the 5th October 1988, and was buried in Centennial Park Cemetery with his grave marked by a weeping rose in the Rose Bed N31 Position 22. Oriel died on the 18th December 2012 and now rests with him.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion