Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Torrence Ford (Ted) Egan SX5207
Ted was born in the mid-north town of Port Pirie, SA. in March of 1916 but this street-wise youth soon moved to Adelaide where he became involved in petty crime while still a juvenile of 16 years. His first documented store breaking trial was being in the company of older youths (19 and 17) when the group were found inside the older section of the Tobacco Company of South Australia premises on a Sunday afternoon in 1932. The manager, was in the newer portion of the factory, and hearing a noise, rang the police, with officers arriving a few minutes later. Their search found the older youth on a ladder propped against the dividing wall. Ted and the other lad ran upstairs but were soon caught. On searching it was discovered that a hole had been made through the brick wall of the old portion of the factory, and some bricks had been removed from the dividing wall which one of the youths admitted he had removed but that they had gone into the place to play. Subsequently Ted Egan, being the youngest and smallest, admitted that he had got into the factory by knocking some bricks out of the wall, entered through the hole and opened the door for the others to enter. All three lads said their plan was to play a game called "outings" where sides were picked, and one side went into hiding and the other side had to look for those hiding. They went into the building to see if there were any "hide-outs" there but had no intention to steal anything. However, the jury found all three accused guilty and strongly recommended them to mercy on account of their youth. All three had previous convictions recorded against them with the result that the older youth was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labor. Ted was ordered to be retained in a reformatory until he attains the age of 18 years.
This was a tough start to Ted’s life between the two World Wars and covering the Depression years. The Reformatory would have taught him a range of ‘survival skills’ that inevitably would have been drawn on during his war service.
Other incidents of offensive behaviour and indecent language attracted fines in the late 30’s and early 40’s. Enlistment in June 1940 brought a fresh start for labourer Ted, just three months after his last charge. It offered regular pay and a chance to ‘see the world’. He trained at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills before being allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion before being sent to Egypt to become one of the highly respected Rats of Tobruk. Ted was involved in many activities that raised the morale of his Battalion. One such event was the infamous 1943 New Year’s Day Donkey Derby, which included the Hammer Handicap, (in honour of Lieut-Colonel Hammer, affectionately called ‘Tack’) Shammama Shambles, Middle East Mile and Tucker’s Trot ( in Major Tucker’s honour). Ted’s role was as auctioneer of the donkeys with such evocative and colourful names including Rommel out of Africa by Easter, Quastina out of Bounds by Routine Orders and Latrine out of Paper by Austerity.
Having been notified they would soon be relieved, in September 1941 Ted and Archie Boyse, also of the 2/48th, were captured in an iconic image which represented the colourful Rats of Tobruk with the pair recording (graffitiing) their names and numbers on a café wall. All three in the image survived El Alamein and the war, including Victorian ‘Ned Kelly’, William Morris.
Ted was discharged in October 1945, living until the 10th April 1983, aged 67.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th