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Born on the 6th July, 1917 in the suburb of Prospect to the north of Adelaide, Dominic’s parents were James Marten and Therese Adelaide Flanegan. The family were strong supporters of the local Rosary Church, making regular financial contributions to Catholic charities. Don had two brothers an older, Archibald Michael and younger, John Grant.
Post school Don became a labourer, but with the outbreak of WWII and the month before his 23rd birthday, Don enlisted on the 23rd June 1940 becoming SX6562. His younger brother, 21-year-old John, a driver enlisted just days later on the 29th June, becoming SX7058 briefly with the 8th Signals Division, before being transferred to the 9th Sigs Division. He also served in the Middle East, at one stage being a linesman.
The prospect of two sons heading overseas to a war zone carried understandable angst for their parents, James and Therese. Then just days after the two younger brothers enlisted, their oldest brother, 26-year-old Archibald Michael died on the 10th July. The family posted a ‘thank you’ in the Advertiser the following month. MR. and Mrs. J. FLANEGAN. DON and JACK, of 64 Gordon road. Prospect, sincerely THANK all relatives and friends for letters, telegrams, cards, floral tributes, and personal sympathy in their recent sad bereavement. Will all please accept this as a personal acknowledgment of deepest gratitude?’ Archie was laid to rest in the Dudley Park Cemetery.
Whilst unknown to each other at the time, Henry (Dick) Boothey SX6839, from Renmark in the Riverland enlisted at a similar time to Don. Both were to serve in the 2/48th Battalion and their lives were to be intertwined as the war progressed. The young enlistees trained at Wayville, now the Adelaide Showgrounds before marching to Woodside for more training.
Don had met Ariel Dardanel Gosden, who had also featured in the News as part of a ‘Four Daughters Contest’ with a photo of her and three sisters, Lyla, Pat and Sylvia published in June ’39. Don took the opportunity to marry Ariel on the 2nd November whilst on leave and just days before his contingent headed overseas. Several days later, his brother John followed suit in marrying Eileen Fanning on the 25th November. Following their brief leave the new soldiers returned to their individual Battalions, then embarking on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940. They arrived on the 19th December 1940. The 2/48th Battalion was soon on its way to serve in Tobruk, Syria and Egypt. There the recruits completing a few months training in Cyrenaica. By the start of April 1941, the 2/48th were in Tobruk where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to new enlistees. They were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk.
Early in April, John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan described how ‘A Company had been having a pleasant time at Derna, with Italian prisoners as batmen to make their beds and clean their rifles and boots, enjoying the life of garrison troops. They lived in a world of their own, completely isolated, and quite unaware of the enemy’s approach. Private Dick Delaney of 7 Platoon remembers how it ended:
“Life was very easy, and I had an extra good batman who was a particularly good cook. We had an idea that the rest of the boys were up Benghazi way doing a spot of garrison work. The only incident of note was the time Don Flanegan and Dick Boothey, when wandering about near the escarpment, found some cord which they promptly pulled. The result was amazing. They had set off a land mine which brought great pieces of plaster down around my ears. Don and Dick came into the room nearly killing themselves laughing.” He then recounted how, having been given a concert by the prisoners, they went to be only to be awakened at 2:00am with the news ‘the Hun’ were just 10 miles down the road. The men then set out down Derna Road towards Tobruk.
Just days later, in sweltering heat and a khamsin blowing, the 2/48th could see the enemy amassing in No Man’s Land. Pamphlets were dropped by the Germans claiming to have surrounded Tobruk ‘and it is useless to try and escape. Remember Mechili. Our dive bombers and Stukas are awaiting your ships which are lying in Tobruch.’
John Glenn then described how ‘The men stood behind their guns and held their fire until the German trucks were well within range. Don Flanegan patted his anti-tank rifle affectionately and said, “Come on Anzac, let’s do them over.” His first shot hit one of the trucks and sent it up in flames. Then the Bren joined in, and the motorcycle was hit. The other two vehicles fled.’
Aged 26, and ten months after enlisting, Dick Boothey was killed in a tragic accident in Egypt on the 21st May ’41. Mark Johnston recently published Derrick VC In His Own Words documenting the diary entries of ‘Diver’. For the 22nd May it reads “Just the same, stand to is over and again its “All Quiet”. Some bad news. One of our trucks ran over our own mine field, Dick Boothy (sic) riding on mudguard was blown to pieces. Don Flannagan in cabin badly injured in both legs, driver uninjured but badly shaken.’
The incident was also described by John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan. ‘The minefields hereabouts were very hard to locate, covered as they were with sand, and they claimed a number of victims. Major Batten, whilst visiting B Echelon for administrative purposes in the ‘I’ truck, overran his destination and returned by the same track, only to disappear in a cloud of dust and smoke, with disastrous results to the vehicle. By some freak of luck, it had passed unscathed through the minefield, but trying it a second time, was perhaps tempting fate a little too much. Even though no one was hurt, the driver’s murmur about a blowout was certainly not appreciated. Not so fortunate was an A Company truck which ran onto a mine field the next day; Private H.J. Boothey was killed, and another member of the battalion was seriously injured.’ Don carried the shrapnel scars on his leg for the rest of his life.
Inevitably, a Court of Enquiry was held in the field on the 26th May, with the finding that ‘During the course of duty a truck was driven on to a minefield; the explosion killed SX6839 Pte Boothey H.J. and wounded SX6562 Pte Flanegan D.J.’ Dick’s death was therefore ‘due to a truck being blown up on a minefield. The accident was not due to misconduct or negligence.’ Dominic Flanegan SX6562, who was also involved in the accident received injuries including a lacerated left foot and right calf. These were deemed to be ‘of a slight nature and unlikely to interfere with his future efficiency as a soldier.’
Despite being in the Middle East and a hellish war zone, Don and Ariel posted an in Memorium in the Advertiser in July ’41. ‘FLANEGAN.—In loving memory of Arch, who passed away on the 10th of July. 1940. "Ever remembered" by his loving brother. Don. A.I.F. abroad, and Ariel.’
Don transferred to Signals with the 9th Australian Division, where his brother was also serving. He returned from the Middle East, having brief leave and precious time with Ariel. However, he was soon in Queensland, training to face a very different enemy in tropical conditions of New Guinea, then Borneo. While in New Guinea he heard of the safe arrival of his son, Brian at the Chatham Hospital in December’43. The tropical conditions of New Guinea caused Don to experience bouts of ill health including extremely high fever (PUO - Pyrexia of Unknown Origin) and several bouts of Malaria, causing him to be hospitalised. His brother John also served in New Guinea, similarly contracting several bouts of malaria, dermatitis, and upper respiratory tract infection and PUO.
John was discharged in September ’45 and Don in November that year from the Signals section of the 9th Division. A highlight for Don was the arrival of his second child, a daughter, Gloria Ann, also born at the Chatham Hospital in September ’46.
Having seen both his sons return from war, their 71-year-old father James died in October ’59. Both he and Therese, who died in ’68 are now interred in the Enfield Memorial Cemetery.
Aged 73, Don died on the 21st October 1990. He is remembered at the Centennial Park Cemetery with a plaque on the RSL Walls 123 Niche C008. His wife, Ariel lived to be 98. She died in 2013.
Written and researched by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th Battalion.