Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

7122 / SX 2929 James G DOBBS (1899-19--)

James Dobbs served in both World Wars rising from the rank of Private to command the 2nd/10th Battalion during the most testing of times in the dark days of late 1942 at Milne Bay and Buna / Gona.

Born on the 28 October 1899 to parents, Mr Thomas and Mrs Elizabeth Dobbs, of Le Hunte Avenue, Prospect, South Australia, he was schooled locally and at Prince Alfred College. He was subsequently employed as a clerk but with the outbreak of war, he was keen to enlist.  He had to wait until 1916 to do so, signing on the dotted line with his parents' consent, at Wayville (Keswick Barracks) on 29 August 1916.  Enlisted into the 10th Infantry Battalion he was allocated to the 23rd Reinforcements. 

He embarked with his Unit from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A35 Berrima on 16 December 1916

He was subsequently transferred to the 5th Machine Gun Battalion in November 1917, where he saw out the War in the latter stages of 1918.

He returned to Australia on 19 Feb 1919. He joined the RSL and was a member of Striling sub Branch.  He undertook took study/training as an accountant in which capacity he was subsequently employed.  He married Lynnette Desiree and they relocated to 9 The Grove, Mitcham in Adelaide's inner south.

James Dobbs enlisted in the Inter War Militia.  He was Commissioned (ie appointed as an Officer) in the 43/48 Militia Battalion, on 27 February 1934.  On 21 February 1938 he was transferred to the  9/49 (Militia) Battalion in Queensland presumably as a consequence of a move with his employment

With the outbreak of war he applied to transfer to the 2nd AIF, and was intially seconded to the 2nd/27th Battalion then promoted on 13 May 1940 to the rank of Major and by the end of the month he was formally allocated to the 2nd/27th Infantry Battalion.  He Embarked with the Battalion for Active Service overseas in October 1940, arriving in the Middle East on 24 November 1940.

On 01 January 1942 he was appointed as a general service officer grade 2, AIF Headquarters, Middle East, and on the 3rd January,  he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed commanding officer of the 2nd /10th  Battalion.

With Japan in the War the 2nd AIF less the 9th Division, was withdrawn to Australia.  James Dobbs arrived in Adelaide on the 29 March 1942. After some leave the Division concentrated for preparation to got to New Guinea.  On the 15 August 1942, the 2nd/10th arrived at Port Moresby.  Along with the rest of their parent 18th Brigade, they were deployed to Milne Bay.  Between the 25th -31 August 1942, they repelled an attempted attack by a Japanese sea landing.  The 2nd/10th Battalion was the 'point' Battalion, and as such it endured the greatest casualties, many inflicted by tanks for which the Australians had no effective counter measures, until they were either bogged or came in range of anti tank guns further back.  However, the Brigade held the Japanese attack and as a consequence, in the words of Field Marshall Sir William Slim, later Governor General of Australia

"Australian troops had, at Milne Bay, inflicted on the Japanese, their first undoubted defeat on land.  Some of us may forget that of all the Allies, it was the Australians who first broke the spell of Japanese invincibility."

Subsequently, the 18th Brigade was redeployed along the New Guinea coast to augment Allied forces preparing to attack the Japanese Beach Heads at 
Buna and Gona and Sanananda in late October 1942.  This was to prove to tbe the worst experience of the war for the 2nd/10th Battalion, culminating in the attack along the 'Old Strip' at Gona.  In line with the rest of the 'Beachheads' campaign, results were determined by the inordinate haste imposed on Operations by US General McArthur from his headquarters in Brisbane, than any grasp of the tactical situation he may have had.

A subsequent attack directed by Wooten (Brigade Commander), had the 2nd /10th  Battalion and the remaining four tanks attacking along the line of the ‘Old Strip’, which proved to be not particularly well-advised but once again the imperative of haste made its effect felt.  The 2nd /10th pushed further forward for half an hour until Japanese anti aircraft guns engaged them and in a matter of minutes the tanks were all knocked out and the attack faltered.  The 2nd /10th went in again on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but their numbers were reduced to about one third of their normal strength and they sustained heavy casualties.  Finally Wooten committed the 2nd /12th Battalion supported by more tanks to clear the area out to Giropa Point.

A subsequent attack directed by Wooten, had the 2nd /10th  Battalion and the remaining four tanks attacking along the line of the ‘Old Strip’, which proved to be not particularly well-advised but once again the imperative of haste made its effect felt.  The 2nd /10th pushed further forward for half an hour until Japanese anti-aircraft guns engaged them and in a matter of minutes the tanks were all knocked out and the attack faltered.  The 2nd /10th went in again on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but their numbers were reduced to about one third of their normal strength and they sustained heavy casualties.  Finally Wooten committed the 2nd /12th Battalion supported by more tanks to clear the area out to Giropa Point.

The 2nd/10th lost more men at Buna than in the rest of their subsequent New Guinea service combined, including Milne Bay.

Not only had they sustained battle casualties but disease and illness had taken their toll, and the CO was among their number.

He was evacuated ill with malaria, which plagued him for years later.  He relinquished command of the Battalion on 05 January 1943, as deemed medically unfit for duty due to malaria.  He returned to Australia as a medical evacuee, on 14 January 1943.

Of his time as CO, the Battalion History notes (1):

"As CO of the Battalion, he had capped his 12 months with the unit by leading it well, in its toughest fighting of the war. From the moment of his being appointed CO in Syria he had impressed everyone by his  forthright manner and his determination to put the Battalion in the top fight as regards efficiency and discipline".

For the remainder of the war from 30 April 1943 after recovering in hospital, he held appointments in Queensland in the Line of Communications organisation as commanding officer to Metropolitan Troops, Headquarters Queensland Lines of Communication Area and subsequently from 18 October as commanding officer 4th Australian Reinforcements Training Battalion.

On 29 December 1944 having been medically downgraded to Classification 'B2', he relinquished command of the 4th Australian Reinforcements Training Battalion and on 04 March 1945 he was transferred to the Reserve of Officers.

Footnote (1) - "Purple and Blue" p307

Compiled by Steve Larkins Oct 2023

Sources:

NAA Service Records

WW1 - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3509650&S=1

WW2 - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6644224

Allchin, MM, F "Purple and Blue", the  History of the 2nd/10th Battalion, AIF ('The Adelaide Rifles')" 4th Edition 2008 Digital Reproductions Morphett Vae South Australia ISBN 0 909133 03 4

Brune, Peter, "A Bastard of a Place", 2003, Alexander & Unwin, Crows Nest NSW, ISBN 1 74114 403 5