Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Eric was born in Wallaroo on the 24th November 1911. His mother was Broken Hill born Bessie Whitehead, a single woman. Eric’s father was John Ruthven Jnr, who was the third of ten children. At the time, John Jnr was working as a labourer at ‘Sunnipride’. The following year, when Eric was eight months old, a struggling Bessie appeared in court at Wallaroo where John accepted that Eric was his son. The Court was told that the two parents, Bessie and John were engaged to be married, but John’s parents objected. John was charged £8 14s in fees and expenses and 7s 6d per week from January 3rd 1912, till Eric was 18 years of age. Unfortunately, Bessie struggled on her own. The result was that in the following year when Eric was 18 months old, the Advertiser on May ’13 reported that ‘Eric Whitehead, infant son of Bessie Whitehead, was charged by Mounted Constable Schumann with being a neglected child. Evidence was given that the mother was a single woman and was unable to support the child. Mr Keate committed the child to the care of the state until it was 18 years of age.’ A sad indictment of those times.
Still single, Eric’s 24-year-old father, John enlisted in October ’15 just prior to Eric’s fourth birthday, to serve in WWI as 1880 in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. He served in England and France, at one time holding the role of Acting Bombardier before eventually returned to Australia in January 1919. It is probable that he brought back and kept a pistol from the war as in later years he appeared twice in court on firearms charges for having an unlicenced pistol. He received a fine plus forfeited the pistol.
Bessie returned to Corowa in New South Wales, and later married William Humphrys, having three sons and three daughters.
Three years after his return from the war, Eric’s father, John married 25-year-old Lottie Pyatt of Moonta in ’22 with the two having four children together, Margaret Jean, Joyce, Elizabeth (Beth) and Brian Osmond. In a tragic event, their two younger children, six-year-old Beth and four-year-old Brian were found drowned in a dam between the railway line and the Kadina-Wallaroo road in February ’37. (Eric was 25 at the time). In a cruel twist, John had instigated and erected a fence around the dam, following a tragedy thirteen years previously. It transpired that the two youngsters had been visiting their grandparents to collect milk but, having not returned by evening a search ensued and their bodies found. It appeared that they had been walking along the cement drainpipe near the dam, when one or both overbalanced, catching each other as they fell. They were buried in the Wallaroo cemetery. (Lottie and John were later interred with their children Lottie died aged 60 in August ’58 and John in February ’75.)
By the time Eric was 18 he had developed into a talented bicycle racer, regularly competing in the Kadina and Wallaroo areas, including challenging handicap races where he was frequently the final rider. Over a mile and a half for the ’28 Labor Day races he was at the 260-yard start, and for the one-mile race, was at the 180-yard mark.
Eric became a truck driver, but with the outbreak of WWII, aged 28 he enlisted on the 11th June 1940. He was given the number SX5030 and initially with the 2/8 Field ambulance before being allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Both his birth parents were listed in the next of kin category. His early days were spent in the Motor Pavilion of what is now the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds where his ‘bed’ was a straw filled hessian on wooden pallets. The battalion trained in the Adelaide Hills before they had brief pre-embarkation leave. Back home, a Farewell Social was held by the Deputy Mayor in honour of those young men who had enlisted. These included SX6909 Reg. Paterson and SX8271 Clift Snodgrass in the 2/48th Battalion and two others, SX4052 Maxwell S. Jones and SX4106 William Dunn.
The 2/48th Battalion finally boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, in November, arriving on the 17th December. Eric’s battalion then marched to a Staging Camp. During those early days, besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the locals. Within months, the 2/48th Battalion was involved in intense conflicts where their reputation for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. Eric was to become one of the respected and famed Rats of Tobruk. Conditions for the men were harsh, both in terms of the terrain and the strict army demands. By May ’41 Eric received a fine for ‘neglect to the prejudice of good order’, then several months later in November, was confined to Barracks for three days for not being at Parade.
In October ’42 the Battalion was subjected to fierce fighting on the 25th, where conditions were ever-changing and the fighting continuous. The 2/48th Battalion had prepared for the second battle of El Alamein which began on October 23rd. That month, Mongomery had ordered the 9th Battalion to attack northward. This included an all-out attack on the strategically positioned Trig 29. The evening was described by John Glenn in ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’ as ‘an occasional burst from a machine gun disturbed the night of 24th October. Nevertheless, it was a busy time for the tired men. Little or no sleep could be had. A hot meal sent forward after dark was quickly swallowed. There was no time for yarning. Defences had to be improved, more digging and wiring done, and patrols sent out.’ He later added that ‘the 2/48th had stirred up a real hornets’ nest.’ On that night alone 9 of the Battalion were killed and 20 wounded in action. Of these 16 were from South Australia and the remainder from Western Australia. Glenn explains they were ‘running into particularly stiff opposition to the west of the Trig point. It was only after hard fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides, that they were able to consolidate on their objective. Gradually the platoon, small in number to start with, was being whittled away and those remaining were being forced to go to ground.’ He added ‘At last light on the same front some three hundred enemy troops attacked, and D Company area was swept by small arms fire. Eric survived but sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his thighs and back. He was hospitalised and it was over a month before he was able to re-join his battalion.
Back home the November issue of the Chronicle carried an extensive list of the cost to the soldiers involved in Eric’s battalion. SX11130 Pte. Ernest W S. Moore from Nth. Kensington and SX13756 Pte. Edward G. Davis, from Salisbury were killed in action. SX8096 A-Cpl. Henry D. Laughton, from King's Park was listed as Dangerously Wounded. Many others were listed as wounded in action including SX10316 Mjr. Geoffrey S. Edmunds, Toorak; SX9064 Lt. Hugh F. Treloar, Adelaide; SX8402 Pte. Arnold R. Dolan, Renmark; SX6910 Pte. Hoard Major, Woodville; SX6832 Pte. Walter J. Fennell, Berri; SX13701 Pte. Frank M. Lowe, Whyalla; SX7609 Pte. Colin H. Rickard, Penola; SX7411 Pte. Walter H. J. Hay, Murray Bridge; SX7122 Pte. Percival G. Bartholomew, Narrung; SX11828 Pte. Roy H. Winter, Thebarton; SX7242 Pte. P. A. Pfeiffer, Berri; SX7130 Pte. Eric A. Goold, Salisbury; SX6829 L-Cpl. Clement R. P. Billing, Pinnaroo; SX10501 Pte. Hedley K. Bonython, Burnside; SX7591 Cpl. Jack S. Bowers, Unley; SX7666 Pte. Eric J. Chuck, Kalangadoo; SX8810 Pte. Havard (Howard) R. Crabb, Whyalla; SX13683 Pte. Sydney L. Farrell Broken Hill: SX7657 Pte. Myers A. Geraghy, Pt . Macdonnell; SX7266 Sgt. Neil Gilchrist, Balaklava; SX9376 Pte. Harold H. Gogel, Moorook; SX11131 Pte. H. N. Headon, Adelaide; SX7642 Pte Donald J. Kerin, Burra; SX8837 Pte. Edgar V. W. Lynch, Adelaide; SX9445 Pte. Lawerence H. Mickan, Cummins; SX7025 A-L/Cpl. Paul B. Morrissey King's Park; SX9530 Pte. David R. Munn, Colonel Light Gardens: SX5030 Pte. Eric R. Olds, Adelaide; SX8239 Pte. Colin R. Parsons, Minlaton; SX8904 Pte. Keith Player, Warooka; SX6915 Cpl. Glyn H. Pope, Cheltenham; SX13012 Pte. Jack Ralla, Brompton; SX7410 Cpl. Robert F. G. Ranford, Davington; SX14283 Pte. John D Seebohm, Tantanoola; SX11302 Pte. Walter Sharp, Magill; SX7206 Pte. Ronald. C. Smith, Helmsdale; SX6894 Pte. Thomas V. Trish, Mile End; SX7221 Pte. William H. Vivian, Albert Park; SX7689 Pte. John E. Wakeman, Robe; SX11160 Pte. Samuel E. Welsh, Adelaide and SX7808 Sgt, Jack K. Weston, Appila.
Following three months back with his battalion, Eric was then finally able to leave the Middle East and return to Australia via Melbourne, arriving in February ’43. For Eric, that year continued to deteriorate. In April, a few precious hours of being AWL resulted in the loss of a day’s pay. This then escalated into more serious punishments with Eric spending time in detention barracks, from which he escaped, later surrendering at the end of November. This culminated in a Court Martial appearance held in Brisbane. Eric was found guilty of multiple absentee offences where a very hefty sentence of six months hard labour in prison was imposed plus an additional harsh forfeiture of 335 days’ pay. Little mention was given to his service in the Middle East or his own well-being. Eric was finally released from custody on the 12th December, ’44 and was finally discharged on the 8th September ’45.
Eric married Lily Mavis Frances Parsons on the 21st July ’45. She moved to Queensland during that year to be with Clift. In the ensuing years, the couple had four children, Darrell, Gail, Pamela Maureen and Kerry. Eric attempted to put the conflict behind him. Aged 69 he died at Berri in the Riverland on the 8th October, 1981 and was buried in the Barmera Garden of Memory Cemetery Section G.O.M. SECTION C Plot/Grave/Niche 7 RD. His plaque carries the poignant inscription ‘Always Remembered’. Lily lived to be 77 and died in March ’95.
Almost seven years after his death, Eric’s daughter Pam applied for the medals to which Eric was entitled. These were the 1939/45 Star, African Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Australian Service Medal. Finally, belatedly these were sent to the family and serve as a fitting reminder of the service Eric had given.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.