Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frederick William (Bill) Ridley, a farmer enlisted to serve in WWI in 1916 when he was 26, serving with the 19/10th Battalion as 6014. He sustained serious gunshot wounds to his chest and back in October ’17 requiring hospitalisation and subsequently returned to Australia where he was discharged in March ’18 to farm in the Riverland area. He had earned the British War Medal, Star and Victory medals. Soon after, he married Mary Anne (Annie) with the couple living in the river town of Loxton. Their son, Donald, was born on the 29th March ’20 in that township, grew up, went to school and worked as a farm and general labourer. He had five siblings including Joan, Miriam Isobel, Marjorie Alice, Ruth Margaret and Brian Frederick.
Life proved to be challenging for the family. Just prior to Don’s second birthday Joan Marie was born on the 14th February but survived for just six days. The family’s notice in the Chronicle was ‘Only a little while and then God took her.’ They were to draw on their faith several times in the ensuing years. Don was six when another daughter, Ruth Margaret aged six months also died on the 19th December ’26. "Only lent but so dearly loved." Having just turned nine, Don’s mother gave birth to a still born son but aged 37 she died a week later in July ‘29, dearly loved and sadly missed.
Bill subsequently re-married Alice Hilda and together they had four more children including Lillian, John, Janet and Pauline.
A hard-working young man, Don was employed by many of the local farmers who appreciated his work ethic as a farm hand. However, with the outbreak of WWII, aged 20 he enlisted in June ‘40 and was allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion.
Don’s 51-year-old father, Bill also re-enlisted the following month in July ’40 as S318 in the Garrison Battalion, serving at Loveday Internment Camp at Barmera from June ‘41. During WWI he had served in the 10th Battalion, being fortunate to escape with several shrapnel wounds in his back. At the conclusion of his service, he had both a War Medal and Australian Service Medal to add to those earned during the First World War.
Don’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. He and his father were able to return home on leave in December ’40 with others from the area, including Tom Simons SX6455 and Wallace Durdin, SX5839 in the 2/43rd Battalion (Wallace was also later killed in action in New Guinea in October ’43. Tom became a prisoner of war.)
In January, the young men, Tom and Don were farewelled at a social held in the local Pata Hall. Competitions, games and dancing were followed by speeches and the presentation of a silver pencil from the residents. Don was then soon on his way to the Middle East then 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. Don was to become one of the now famed Rats of Tobruk in a battalion which was to be highly regarded and decorated.
Aged 22, and two years after enlisting, Don was killed in action in Egypt 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. It was during this attack that Private Stan Gurney was awarded the 2/48th Battalion’s first VC having captured two machine gun posts and bayonetting the gun crew firing on his company but was killed attempting to take a third. 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. 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.’
Back home the local Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record announced in their August edition that ‘Mr. E.W. Ridley, of Loxton, has received word that his son, Pte. D. S. (Don) Ridley, was killed in action in Egypt on July 22. Pte. Ridley, who was 20 years of age, was born and educated in the Loxton district, and prior to enlisting worked for many of the farmers. Pte. Ridley enlisted at Loxton in June 1940 and left for overseas in April 1943. The last letter received by his parents was dated June 21 this year, when he was in Syria, and it was just two years since he had enlisted. Pte. Ridley was a fine type of youth, and well-liked and respected by all who came in contact with him. The photo for the accompanying picture was taken when he returned to Jerusalem, after being in action in Tobruk. Pte. Ridley's father is a returned soldier of 1914-18 and is now in the garrison.’
The Adelaide based newspapers continued to carry the names of those killed, so many from Don’s 2/48th Battalion. The News headlined the list with the stark ‘12 MEN DEAD Ten South Australians are reported killed in action, two dead of wounds, and nine wounded in action in the latest A.I.F. list of casualties abroad. In the lists below all casualties are infantrymen unless otherwise indicated.’
The Chronicle on the 20th August listed Killed In Action SX1312 Pte. Reginald W. C. Brown. 2/48th Whyalla. SX12765. Pte. Charles A. Corfield. 2/48th Clare. SX7166 Pte. Arthur R. Davis. 2/48th Rosewater SX5823 Cpl. George E. Gay, 2/43rd Wood SX13018 Pte. Colin J. Hanley. 2/48th Port Augusta. SX8236 Pte. Gerald J. Hayes. 2/48th Wir SX6297 Pte. Donald S. Ridley. 2/48th Lox, SX11052. Pte. Walter M. Shane. 2/48th Spalding. SX8315 Pte. Robert O. Sunman. 2/48th Port Augusta. SX1102 Pte. Lindsay H. Thorpe 2/43rd. Woodville Died Of Wounds SX8087 Cpl. Francis W. Fletcher, 2/48thAldgate, SX8454 Cpl. Arthur A. A. Harding. 2/48th Peterborough.
Initially the men were buried in the field, but they were eventually re-buried in the El Alamein War Cemetery in April ’43. Don now rests in Plot XVI Row B Grave 11. He lies with others from the 2/48th Battalion including 30-year-old SX7399 Ray Beresford, 33-year-old SX7354 Private H.C.P. Jones, 32-year-old Private WX10297 C.L. Liebelt, 26-year-old SX7200 Private G.J. Jury, 22-year-old SX8881 Private J. McA Sutherland, 23-year-old Private Gerald Hayes SX8236, 30-year-old SX7399 Ray B. Lovelock and 27-year-old SX7166 Private A.R. Davis. All were killed on the 22nd July ’42. Don’s father and step-mother chose the inscription ‘His duty nobly done’ for his headstone.
At the September ‘42 meeting of the Loxton District Council, the chairman and councillors stood for a minute in silent homage to those soldiers who had offered their services from the district, and by doing so had paid the supreme sacrifice in battle. The men were Ray Lovelock, George Noble SX10542 2/10th, Don Ridley SX6297 also 2/48th and Fred H. Rathjen RAF 416283.
Don’s parents placed a sincere message of thanks in the Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record that same month. ‘Mr. and Mrs. S. W. RIDLEY and family, of Loxton, wish to sincerely THANK all relatives and friends for their kind expressions of sympathy in the loss of their dear devoted son and loving brother Don, killed in action in Egypt. Would all please accept this as our personal expression of gratitude. Thanks.’
Over the following years they also placed a tribute to Don in their local paper.
Murray Pioneer Thursday 22 July 1943, RIDLEY —In loving memory of our son and brother Don, killed in action Tel et Eissa, Egypt, 22nd July, 1942. —Inserted by his loving father, step-mother, Miriam, Brian, Lillian, John, Janet and Pauline.
Advertiser Saturday 22 July 1944, page 10 RIDLEY, Donald Scott.—ln loving memory of Don, killed in action at Tel el Eisa. July 22. 1942.—Ever remembered by his father, mother, brothers and sisters.
Sadly, death continued to stalk the Ridley family when less than a year after Don was killed in action, his step-mother, Alice had a baby. Inexplicably the three-day old infant ‘died from burns when the crib in which it lay, caught fire at the Loxton District Hospital. The unfortunate little one was the child of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Ridley of Loxton. A report was prepared by the police and submitted to the coroner who deemed an inquest unnecessary’ the Pinnaroo and Border Times reported in May ‘43.
Don’s father, sister Miriam (SF 113486 in the AWAS) and brother Brian (155058) continued to serve Australia.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion