Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ross, born in the mid hills town of Mt Barker on the 27th October, 1921 came from a large family of ten children and was the seventh son born to Walter William and Daisy Neate. His siblings included Charles Leonard, William Neate, Jack Murray, Arthur Gillard, Elsie Neate, Leonard Frederick, Ross Edward, Doris Jean and Ralph Dennison.
The family later moved to the north-west suburban town of Kilkenny. The children attended the Westbourne Park School at a time where families were an essential part of the extended school ‘family’. For one of the fund-raisers in 1930, the fifth Pet and Flower Show, Ross was the Grade III winner with the button-hole he had made. The same year, Ross also featured alongside a goat at the Challa Gardens Pet Show held in October. He later attended Adelaide High School.
The family eventually moved to Mindarie, a small town between Loxton and Karoonda in the Mid Murray. With the outbreak of WWII, 31-year-old William was the first of the sons to enlist on the 13th of June 1940, having previously been involved for three years in the Militia. He was allocated to the 2/7th Regiment as SX5029 and arrived in the Middle East on the 14th May ‘41, continuing to serve until the closing days of the war at Tarakan. He was fortunate to survive and was finally discharged on the 9th November ’46.
Ross was also one of the early enlistees to serve in the War and particularly keen to do his duty, enlisting on the 25th June ’40. The 18-year-old generously manipulated his age, claiming to be 20 and born in 1919, rather than correctly in ‘21. At the time he was employed as a driver, considered a useful skill as the war progressed. He was allocated the number SX6737 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion, little knowing that this would become one of the highly respected and decorated group of soldiers.
Another older brother, 30-year-old Jack Murray, a nurseryman, was the next to enlist on the 23rd April ’41 as S24363 with the 43rd Battalion.
Ross’s older brother, 28-year-old Philip had also been involved in the Militia as S27331 in the 43rd Battalion before he enlisted the year after Ross, on the 27th May ’41 as SX13004, initially in the same battalion as Ross as part of the 2/48threinforcements.
A fourth brother, 18-year-old Ralph enlisted in the Airforce as 152410 on the 29th February ’44. He had previously worked in the Postal delivery system. (He was a thoughtful, responsible young man, asking for his medical to be after the Christmas postal rush, and coinciding with his 18th birthday, also knowing of the shortage of fit, healthy workers in the postal system.) He rose to the rank of Corporal, eventually being discharged on the 27th February, ’46.
Ross’ early days were spent in the pavilions of the now named Royal Adelaide Showgrounds at Wayville, before he then continued his training in the Adelaide Hills. Following pre-embarkation leave, Ross then boarded the Stratheden on the 7th November, stopping in at Fremantle, Western Australia before then proceeding to the Middle East on the 17th December. The stop-over was the first time Ross had been out of South Australia, so with several others, he went ‘exploring’ overnight, only just returning in time to continue the voyage. In that instance, Ross was fortunate to only be admonished by his Commanding Officer.
Ross was less fortunate in January ’41 when he skipped a Parade and was confined to barracks for a week, which restricted his sight-seeing for a year. His older brother, Philip was soon to arrive in the Middle East, receiving a promotion to Acting Corporal in October ’41. Unfortunately, a chronic ear infection (otitis media) resulted in Philip being hospitalised soon after arriving.
By February ’42 Ross decided to do more ‘exploring’, leaving the barracks and beyond the strictly enforced limits of the camp. The hefty fine of £1 and again being confined to barracks, this time for a lengthy fortnight had little effect as the following month he was again absent overnight with the inevitable fine of £1 and the forfeiture of a day’s pay. Three weeks later, the behaviour was repeated and again a week being confined to barracks followed.
By May, Ross’s driving skills led him to be graded a Group III driver mechanic, which seemed to suit him. Unfortunately, in October he was wounded in action and extremely lucky to survive, sustaining a gunshot wound to his forehead plus an eye injury. He was to become on of the highly regarded ‘Rats of Tobruk’, a derisive term designed to affect the morale of the men, but which had the totally opposite effect and was worn with pride.
At the time, the 2/48th were involved in a massive and ambitious assault to take the strategic position of Trig 29. Conditions at the time were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. Montgomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. John Glenn in ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ described how ‘As the flies and heat made more than a couple of hours’ rest impossible, the men lolled in their holes and prepared their weapons for battle. When they moved off at 7:30 in the fading light there was little talking. There was a bitter night ahead. By ten o’clock the battalion was in position near Trig 29, waiting for the success signal of the 2/23rd.’
‘Waiting to go into battle is not a good thing and the 2/48th had long hours of it this night. As the hours dragged on some of the men dozed in the trucks while others moved up and down near their vehicles, often gazing at the exploding shells which seemed to be creeping nearer. One shell made a direct hit on a truck, and a man was killed, then another struck and seven were wounded.’ ‘Pieces of shrapnel were slapping into the ground near the 2/48th trucks, and men began scraping and digging shallow trenches.’
‘The attack continued, however, without pause…it was only after hard fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides, that they were able to consolidate on their objective. The troops had never been more tired.. The 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest; from first light until nine o’clock the enemy turned all their fury on the Trig area, with particularly heavy fire on 29 itself, hiding the position in a cloud of dust and smoke.’ A comment was later made that about the heavy casualties. 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. Ross was wounded under these conditions.
Back home, the November 12th issue of the Chronicle carried the names of those in the 2/48th who had been injured or killed. They included: Died Of Wounds.—SX6893 Pte. Leslie C. Cutchie, Brompton Park; Wounded In Action.— SX9327 Lt. Thomas H. Bowman, SX7093 Cpl. Norman L. Badman, Pinnaroo; SX11069 Pte. Stanley J. Crowell, Price; SX9093 SX715O L/Cpl. Geoffrey Gardner, Bordertown; SX 12741 Pte. Jack Hoey, Kadina, Pte. Ross. E. Hoskin, Kilkenny; SX11135 Pte, James N. Jarvis, Kent Town; SX8268 Cp! William K Mackay, Snowtown; SX7669 Pte. William Miller, Booleroo Centre; SX11753 Pte. Terrence C. O'Connor, Adelaide:: SX13763 Pte. Eric. K. Reynolds, Novar Gardens;- SX5991 Pte. Stanley G. Smith: Croydon Park; SX7311 Pte. Rayner R. Stagg, Tarcowie; SX8539 Pte. Edward. J. . Young, Morgan
Just days later, on the 17th November, both the News and the Advertiser added more detail. ‘Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Hoskin. of Rowell crescent West Croydon, have been notified that their seventh son. Pte. R. E. Hoskin 21 has been wounded in action. Pte. Hoskin served in Palestine, Libya, and for eight months in the siege of Tobruk. He has two brothers serving with the AIF in the Middle East.
By November Ross was hospitalised, with the eye injury resulting in the removal of the lens of his eye. Inevitably, he was classified as being unfit for service for at least six months. The following month, Ross was placed on a Hospital Ship for return to Australia with the knowledge that he would lose his left eye. Soon afterwards in January ’43 his brother Philip also left the Middle East arriving back in Australia via Melbourne where he then served in the 2/7th Field Regiment. Battalion.
From Melbourne Ross returned to Adelaide and was granted leave until the 23rd February, ’43. Later, based at Wayville, Ross again chose to have an extra day away from the army, forfeiting a day’s pay and being fined 10/-. He and Shirley Joyce Horsell of Woodville announced their engagement on the 26th June, which may have been the influence for Ross being ‘absent’. With just the one functioning eye, Ross was re-allocated eventually to the Workshop and Park Company but continue to baulk at being confined and continuing to be fined.
Home on leave in September 43, Ross married Shirley on the 11th in an evening ceremony at the St Margaret’s Church in Woodville. Their reception was celebrated in the Kilkenny Street Edward’s Hall. The young couple later had two daughters, Wendy Patricia, born in October ’44 and Diane Shirley born in January ’48.
Ross’ army service eventually came full circle in February ’44, with him returning to Woodside where he first began his training as an enlistee. Previously, the medical focus had been on the loss of Ross’ eye, but the head injury he sustained was also eventually acknowledged as being the cause of post traumatic headaches. Ross was finally discharged on the 29th September ’44. He continued to visit his parents back in Mindarie including in March for Easter the following year.
Unfortunately, his brother Philip sustained a fractured pelvis the same month as Ross’ discharge in September ’44. It was an accidental injury with Philip later continuing to serve. Early in May 45 the following year, Phillip left Townsville for Morotai, serving at Tarakan until his return to Australia in December. He was finally discharged on the 5th February ’46.
Ross’s parents lived for some time after the boys returned home. 80 year old Walter died on the 17th August ’63. Daisy lived for a further seven years and aged 82, died on the 3rd September 1970. Both now rest in the Cheltenham Cemetery.
Aged 85, Shirley pre-deceased Ross on the 23rd April 2008. She was buried in the Services Family section at Centennial Park Cemetery in Shrub Bed 8 Position 119. Ross had a remarkable life and lived to be 92. He died on the 1st August, 2013. He now also rests at the Centennial Park Cemetery in the SA Garden of Remembrance alongside Shirley in Position 118. His last gesture was for those attending his funeral, rather than bringing flowers, donate to the Royal Society of the Blind. As part of the family tributes, Ross was described as a ‘True family man with a great sense of humour. Thanks for the many memories. Will be sadly missed.” And “There are no words to describe the loss of a man we all loved and idolised to the end. Now back with the love of his life. Forever in our hearts and minds” and with a reference to his football allegiances… Go The Power! thanks for always being there. You will live on in our hearts and cherished memories forever.’
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.