Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cyril was born ‘across the ditch’ in Wellington, New Zealand on the 15th April 1902 where, aged 14 he joined the Reserves, serving until he was 22.
In his late 20’s Cyril became involved with a small-time thief while living at Parkside. He was found in possession of three leather cases of varying sizes, which were for his wife’s use on her visit to New Zealand. The cases were supposed to be ‘put on the books’ for later payment, but the Court decided the possession of the cases was unlawful, resulting in a two-month stint of imprisonment.
Cyril married Marjorie Elsa Churchill, with the two living in Robertstown, in the mid-north of South Australia, a farming and railway hub between Eudunda and Adelaide. Cyril worked as a woodchopper, until the outbreak of WWII. Then, aged 38, Cyril enlisted on the 19th ’May 40 as SX5830, briefly being allocated to the 2/43rd but days later allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. His early days were spent in intensive training at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills before being granted pre-embarkation leave. He sailed on the 7th November on the Stratheden, arriving in the Middle East on the 17th December. Almost immediately, his battalion was involved in the fierce fighting and faced conditions of heat, dust, flies, rats and basic food supplies. He was to become one of the highly respected Rats of Tobruk, an unofficial term originally designed to destroy morale and encourage the troops to surrender, rather than live like rats in their hand-hewn dugouts. It had the opposite effect.
Cyril developed an extremely painful ear infection, which he probably ignored initially until it developed into painful Mastoiditis causing him to be hospitalised for considerable time. He was eventually classified as being fit for duties other than field formations. Cyril continued to be plagued by ill health of dysentery, enteritis and painful boils as he served in different roles, including the Infantry Special Group.
He finally headed for Australia, via Freemantle to Adeliade, arriving in December ’42. He joined the Supply Department Company despite on-going health issues with boils and ear infections. Marjorie moved to live in Adelaide in August ’43. By November the following year, Cyril was serving at the Loveday Internment Camp. Originally this was set up in Barmera in the Riverland of South Australia to intern local people of German, Japanese or Italian descent and later, Prisoners of War. It was a productive Camp, producing fruit, meat, eggs, wheat and produce, including opium, to produce morphine and pyrethrum for the troops serving overseas in insect prone areas. Cyril was finally discharged from Loveday on the 4th September, 45.
The two lived at Greenacres until aged 60, Cyril died on the 18th April 1962. He was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, Columbarium, Wall 5, Niche F028. Marjorie lived for more than three decades afterwards. She died aged 89 on the 16th November 1997 and was initially buried in the Enfield Memorial Park Cemetery. Her ashes are now alongside Cyril in Niche FO29.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.