Virtual
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Australia

Howard (nicknamed Bill) was born on the 13th February 1918 at Moonta, a coastal town on the Yorke Peninsula, a part of the Copper Triangle. His young parents were James William Major and Laura Annie who married in Hyde Park in November ’20 and later had two more children, Aileen Joy (Loughhead) and David Bramley.
The family later moved to live at Woodville a suburb of Adelaide where James worked as a lead wiper and in later years Howard as a labourer. However, with the outbreak of WWII, Howard’s 39-year-old father, James enlisted on the 3rd June ’40, becoming SX4267 in the 2/3 Corps. 22 year old Howard enlisted soon after on the 24th June 1940, with both spending their early days at Wayville now the home of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. They then headed to Woodside in the Adelaide Hills for more training. Howard was given the number SX6910 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Following leave, he was soon embarking on the Stratheden on the 7th November, heading for the Middle East where he arrived on the 17th December.
James was initially sent to Puckapunyal, before also heading to the Middle East in February ’41, arriving the following month.
Within two months Howard received quite a hefty penalty plus being Confined to Barracks for a week for non-attendance at a Parade. Coincidentally, his father also received a fine for being absent without leave but his fine was £1. It is possible they had heard the other was stationed in a similar area and attempted to ‘catch up’. At the end of that year, Howard was again caught being absent for two hours and was fined 10/-.
Over June ’41 James relinquished his role as a Group II Tinsmith and became a group I Plumber. At the end of October, he was also promoted to Lance Corporal, while back home his daughter (Howard’s sister) Aileen married Ray Loughhead on the 7th June. . Late in December ’41 both father and son were again charged with being AWOL, James losing a day’s pay and Howard fined 10/-. At the start of February ’42 James embarked from the Middle East. Following leave, he was then posted to serve in the Northern Territory in June.
That year, the 2/48th Battalion was involved in massive, sustained fighting where Howard received a gunshot wound to his scalp. This occurred during the fierce fighting at El Alamein at the end of October ’42 and into November. It was an horrific time for the men.
At the time, the 2/48th Battalion were exposed to ever-changing conditions and the fighting was continuous. The soldiers had prepared for the second battle of El Alamein which began on October 23rd. Mongomery ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward with an all-out attack on the strategically positioned Trig 29. The evening was described by John Glenn in ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ as ‘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.’ He later added that ‘the 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest.’ 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. Glenn explains they were ‘running into particularly stiff opposition to the west of the Trig point. It was only after hard fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides, that they were able to consolidate on their objective. Gradually the platoon, small in number to start with, was being whittled away and those remaining were being forced to go to ground.’ He added ‘At last light on the same front some three hundred enemy troops attacked, and D Company area was swept by small arms fire.’
Back home the November issue of the Chronicle carried an extensive list of the cost to the soldiers involved in Howard’s battalion. SX11130 Pte. Ernest W S. Moore from Nth. Kensington and SX13756 Pte. Edward G. Davis, from Salisbury were killed in action. SX8096 A-Cpl. Henry D. Laughton, from King's Park was listed as Dangerously Wounded. Many others were listed as wounded in action including SX10316 Mjr. Geoffrey S. Edmunds, Toorak; SX9064 Lt. Hugh F. Treloar, Adelaide; SX8402 Pte. Arnold R. Dolan, Renmark; SX6910 Pte. Howard Major, Woodville; SX6832 Pte. Walter J. Fennell, Berri; SX13701 Pte. Frank M. Lowe, Whyalla; SX7609 Pte. Colin H. Rickard, Penola; SX7411 Pte. Walter H. J. Hay, Murray Bridge; SX7122 Pte. Percival G. Bartholomew, Narrung; SX11828 Pte. Roy H. Winter, Thebarton; SX7242 Pte. P. A. Pfeiffer, Berri; SX7130 Pte. Eric A. Goold, Salisbury; SX6829 L-Cpl. Clement R. P. Billing, Pinnaroo; SX10501 Pte. Hedley K. Bonython, Burnside; SX7591 Cpl. Jack S. Bowers, Unley; SX7666 Pte. Eric J. Chuck, Kalangadoo; SX8810 Pte. Havard (Howard) R. Crabb, Whyalla; SX13683 Pte. Sydney L. Farrell Broken Hill: SX7657 Pte. Myers A. Geraghy, Pt . Macdonnell; SX7266 Sgt. Neil Gilchrist, Balaklava; SX9376 Pte. Harold H. Gogel, Moorook; SX11131 Pte. H. N. Headon, Adelaide; SX7642 Pte Donald J. Kerin, Burra; SX8837 Pte. Edgar V. W. Lynch, Adelaide; SX9445 Pte. Lawerence H. Mickan, Cummins; SX7025 A-L/Cpl. Paul B. Morrissey King's Park; SX9530 Pte. David R. Munn, Colonel Light Gardens: SX5030 Pte. Eric R. Olds, Adelaide; SX8239 Pte. Colin R. Parsons, Minlaton; SX8904 Pte. Keith Player, Warooka; SX6915 Cpl. Glyn H. Pope, Cheltenham; SX13012 Pte. Jack Ralla, Brompton; SX7410 Cpl. Robert F. G. Ranford, Davington; SX14283 Pte. John D Seebohm, Tantanoola; SX11302 Pte. Walter Sharp, Magill; SX7206 Pte. Ronald. C. Smith, Helmsdale; SX6894 Pte. Thomas V. Trish, Mile End; SX7221 Pte. William H. Vivian, Albert Park; SX7689 Pte. John E. Wakeman, Robe; SX11160 Pte. Samuel E. Welsh, Adelaide and SX7808 Sgt, Jack K. Weston, Appila.
Howard was treated by the British Field Ambulance before being able to return to his unit at the end of October. It was fortuitous that the battle-hardened men were able to celebrate Christmas and more importantly to leaving the Middle East at the start of February ’43 returning to Australia via Melbourne. In April ’43 Howard was again caught being absent without leave for 7 hours and fined a day’s pay. In June his health had begun to deteriorate with dyspepsia and a skin infection possibly from an allergy called functional dermographism which continued to contribute to his ill health.
The 2/48th had travelled to Queensland to prepare for a very different type of warfare against a different enemy in the tropical conditions of New Guinea. However deteriorating health with indigestion, a duodenal ulcer and hives caused Howard to return to Wayville, South Australia where the presence of the duodenal ulcer was confirmed. Despite this he married Ivy Jean Hann on New Year’s Day ‘41. The marriage was announced in the Advertiser on the 8th and the Chronicle on the 13th January’44. ‘MAJOR—HANN.—Marriage Ivy Jean, only daughter Mr. and Mrs. W. Hann, North Adelaide, to H. (Bill, A.I.F., ret.), elder son of Sapper and Mrs. J. Major, Woodville, was solemnised in the Finsbury Park Baptist Church, Saturday, January 1.’
Howard was eventually discharged that month as medically unfit for duty.
A fortnight later, his father was arrested in Adelaide for being drunk and was taken to the Detention Barracks, being fined £1/1/-. Again, in August, James faced the Police Court and received a further fine for his poor use of language. He was discharged soon after in February ’44.
Howard’s 72-year-old father died on the 4th February ’71 and was interred in the Cheltenham Cemetery. His mother, Laura lived to 74 and died on the 9th June ’74. In more recent years, their daughter, Aileen, her husband Ray, and their son Trevor are also resting in the same place, as is their younger son, David.
Ivy pre-deceased Howard and died aged 83 in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on the 17th October 2003. Howard lived to be 91. He died on the 4th August 2009.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.