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Max, born on the 11th January 1919, was the second son of Arthur James Vivian and Carrie Rachel Ann Reid. He had an older brother, Clarence with both boys being active sports players, especially cricket and football. Their father had been connected to the local football team since 1914, continuing to support the team for well over two decades.
Both boys also attended the local school with Max later becoming a truck driver until the outbreak of WWII At that stage, a very strong recruiting campaign was conducted for the A.I.F. in a huge drive aimed at fit young country men. As an incentive for country-based men to enlist, intending recruits were encouraged to contact the Balaklava Recruiting Committee for their initial examination. The added inducement was that they would then receive a free rail pass to Adelaide for their second examination, as well as being met on arrival and conveyed to Keswick. Consequently, 20-year-old Max, was given the number SX6604, his friend 26-year-old Raymond Young, SX6607 and Louis Kostera SX6606 with all enlisting on the 23rd June, 1940. The following week Louis’ older brother, 25-year-old Paul Kostera also enlisted on the 29th June, as SX7090. All four were allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Bryan Sutton, also from Balaklava, was SX6605 but allocated to the sister battalion, the 2/43rd. The local paper was quick to publish the names of the new recruits. They included Neil Gilcrest SX7266, Max Reid SX6604 and Louis Kostera (later both taken as POWs) and Raymond Young SX6607 (who sadly was killed in action) with all allocated to the 2/48th.
Clarence, Max’s older brother was keen to serve in the RAAF ground staff as his occupation was working with trucks and tractors. He had travelled to Adelaide to apply, just days before Max but was rejected. Just prior to Max going overseas, Clarence married Lucy Hallion at Balaklava and chose Max to be his best man. Two years later Clarrie successfully enlisted in January ’42 as SX17069 and was allotted to the Number 2 Transport Company.
A huge farewell social was held in the Balaklava Institute to farewell the young enlistees in October. They were escorted to the stage before the singing of WWI songs and other items were given. During speeches, the young men were told that the locals “were both anxious and willing to honour the young men who answered their country's call. Australia was not muddling through but making determined effort to do its part in the struggle.” The men were presented with an inscribed wristwatch from the district as well as various other gifts. The Pinery Cricket Club representative praised Max, saying “Pte. Reid had been a cricketer for seven or eight years, and was a useful man in all departments of the game” before presenting him with a fountain pen. Others also spoke in praise of Max as a player with the Balaklava Football Club, assuring him that there will still be a place in the Club when he returned. Woollen gifts were also presented before the singing of the National Anthem and Song of Australia preceded dancing and supper.
The battalion’s initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. Max was unfortunate to contract measles whilst there and had a week’s sick leave before then moving to Woodside for preliminary training. Probably still not recovered, he then had an extremely high temperature, (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin), followed by jaundice.
After enjoying pre-embarkation leave, the 2/48th contingent embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 17th December 1940. Their 2/48th Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before moving 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. They were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk, a title designed to be derogatory, but one worn with pride. Max wrote back to the local Comforts Fund, sharing that “Only those who have been on active service know what such luxuries as tinned fruit, cream and chocolates are to those away on service. Ah these things, as well as soap and razor blades, are supplied each week, by the Fund.” He also wrote to the local RSL, acknowledging their parcels sent to those serving overseas.
In October the following year, ’41 Max was confined to barracks for four days for leaving Parade without permission, the only blemish to his record. Just nine months later, in July ’42, the conflict reached a critical point. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan described how ‘The sky roared with battle; great clouds of dust billowed up from the combat. To the sullen rumble of the gun, reminiscent of Tobruk, the 2/48th dug in and prepared to make a stand should the German forces break through.’ On the 9th July, word was received that the focus was on attacking and capturing Point 26, Point 23 and Tel el Eisa Railway Station near the ridges and Points 23, 26 and 33, all considered strategically essential to the Allied’s advancement. This was preceded by German tanks charging and running over the slit trenches in which the Australians were sheltering. The fighting was ferocious but also resulted in remarkable acts of courage by individual soldiers against the might of the tanks. It was during this intense fighting that Max was captured whilst attacking and capturing Tel El Isa Railway station to consolidate their position. The enemy counter-attacked; the company withdrew leaving two forward sections in position which were later surrounded by enemy infantry and tanks. Sydney Kinsman SX8953, captured at a similar time, explained that he was taken prisoner having been captured at the Tel el Eisa railway station when the Germans counter attacked with tanks and artillery. As dark approached, the remainder of his company withdrew without telling the two forward sections, which included Syd. They continued to fight until they were attacked from the rear while also facing tanks and infantry fire from in front, making it impossible to hold out and therefore having no other option that to surrender. Syd was captured with his section leader, Corporal Alvine Montgomerie SX7967, Lieutenant Colonel Max Richardson SX7532 and Private Ronald Irwin SX7858. John Glenn described how the intense action continued “for the next fortnight, bitter and bloody fighting was to rage around this feature until it was finally occupied by A Company… The capture of this coastal ridge turned the whole tide of battle; Rommel’s advance petered out on the slopes of the Tel el Eisa. He had sent counter-attack after counter attack to remove this spearhead that had been thrust deep in his side. The 2/48th Battalion’s casualties for the first day were six men killed in action, eighteen wounded, thirteen missing.” Max and his friend, Louis Kostera, were some of those reported missing.
For all of those captured, their clothing was only what they were wearing – shorts, shirt and boots. It was to be a bleak future as they left the desert. It took some time before the news was published that Max was missing. A list of POWs, all from the 2/48th Battalion appeared in the Advertiser’s August edition: ‘Missing, Believed Prisoner Of War SX10598 Pte. R. Bannister, North Adelaide. SX8953 Pte. Sydney G. Kinsman, West Thebarton. SX66O6 Pte. Louis T. Kostera. Balaklava. SX6604 Pte. Max G. Reid, Balaklava. SX7532 L-Cpl. Max Richardson, Elliston.
The following month, the Reid and Kostra family received confirmation that both young men were officially Prisoners of War. The Red Cross also found that Max was in a serious condition with a fever and undiagnosed medical condition. It was later revealed that many of the POWs were suffering from scurvy, dysentery and desert sores.
By May ’43 Max and Louis were interned in Camp 57 PM 3200 but continued to be moved to a series of different camps in Italy, Camp 106 PM3100 and then Germany, including Stalag 4B, later named Stalag 344. Rather than his 2/48th number SX6604 of which he was justifiably proud, Max was given a POW number, 34315.
Max was extremely fortunate to survive being a POW. The prisoners from Australia and New Zealand had been divided according to their surnames, with the A – L group with Louis Kostera aboard, being shipped on the ‘Sestriere’ and the M-Zs, including Max, being on the new SS ‘Nono Bixio’ Italian troop carrier with other POWs in August ‘42. Max’s ship was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS ‘Turbulent’ soon after leaving Benghazi Harbour. Neither ship carried Red Cross identification or that they were prison ships. Less than half of the 300 prisoners in the hold survived. 37 of the 201 Australians were either killed or drowned. Those surviving were kept on the ship to identify, if possible, the dead and to carry them up on deck, an horrific task for the survivors.
With the war coming to an end, welcome news was finally received in May that Max and Louis’s almost three years as prisoners in Italy and Germany, was over. They were in England and were well, having spent some time in Stirling Castle. Max returned to Australia via Sydney and thence to Adelaide where he spent time in the Kapara Convalescent Home with a gastric issue. His brother, Clarence was discharged on the 22nd December ’43. Almost two years later Max was also officially discharged on the 31st October ’45.
Max’s father, Arthur lived to see his son safely return home. He died the following year aged 72 but before he was able to see Max married. Max’s widowed mother, Carrie died in 1960 and both were buried in the Balaklava Cemetery.
Max and Edith Anna Lange married on February 22, 1947, in the Zion Lutheran Church. Max chose Ernest Lange, a childhood friend and Edith’s brother, as his best man. Ern had also served as SX38825, including a stint in New Guinea. Edith and Max soon welcomed their son the following year on March 12th and their first daughter on June 4th ’49 and second on July 4th 1950.
Max, Clarrie and brother-in-law Ern continued to work as a team and garnered high praise for their efforts as wheat lumpers at Balaklava with the Producer reporting that ‘There are no go-slow methods with Balaklava wheat lumpers—Messrs. Clarrie and Max Reid and Ern Lang. Work begins at 7 a.m. and continues until 6:30 p.m. Not only have the dozen or so trucks been kept moving but in addition barley has been loaded on to railway trucks too. On the best day 2728 bags of wheat were shifted and 720 of barley—a total of 3,588.’ No mean feat in any language.
True to their promise, the local Balaklava Football Club had a place for Max in the team. Clarrie played in defence whilst Max played in the forward lines but also worked to keep the ball out of the danger zone. Both brothers were praised for being safe handlers of the ball. Max also returned to playing cricket for Wooroora with the Producer reporter commenting that Max “came in late in the innings and batted in very unorthodox fashion, but nevertheless, helped considerably to take the total to 141 before the side was finally dismissed.” In another match, Max and his fellow batter, Klinger were hailed as the 'Two Rocks of Gibraltar’ who held out until stumps were drawn after adding 19 and 21 respectively. Max continued to be a high scorer for Erith, whilst also being their leading bowler and fielder, to the extent that the team was unbeaten for three years post war. Max was also a generous supporter of golf, providing a silver spoon for competition by members of the Owen Golf Club.
Balaklava was exceptionally proud of their young men who had enlisted. Many had become Rats of Tobruk. On their return they were generously supported as a number had also become POWs with Max and Lou Kostera. Some had become grocers, others returned to the classroom or became Rawleigh representatives.
Max lived to be 84 and died on the 13th March, 2003. His wife Edith lived for a further two years. Both were buried in the Balaklava Cemetery where a plaque commemorated Max’s service.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.