Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

SKIPPER JUSTIN WAY was the second son of Stanley Herbert SKIPPER & Kathleen Elizabeth BEACH and was born on the 3rd of May 1914 in Stangway Terrace, North Adelaide.

His parents were married on the 28th of September 1910 in the St Clement's Church of England, Mosman, Sydney.

His father was a Supreme Court Barrister & Solicitor and had previously served for 2 years in the South Australian Infantry Regiment from 1900 to 1902.

In 1915 when Justin was 12 months old, his father, Stanley joined the 78th Infantry Battalion, A Company (Adelaide East) and was made 1st Lieutenant on the 1st of January 1916. From the 24th of October 1916 to the 5th of January 1917 his father was entrained at Mitcham and became the Military Prosecutor from the 5th of January to the 15th of March 1917. At the age of 37, Stanley enlisted into the AIF on the 27th of June 1917 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number S13108. He was struck of strength on the 8th of August 1918 as he received a commissioned role with the 5th General Reinforcements “S.U.K” in Mitcham.

It was during this time that they moved to 60 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide.

His father embarked from Melbourne aboard the H.M.A.T “Barambah” on the 31st of August 1918 and disembarked at London on the 14th of November 1918 as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was entrained at No. 2 Training Brigade in Codford for 4 weeks then to duty at the Repatriation & Demobilization Depot in London Headquarters for staff duties.

In February 1919, his father was transferred to France to the Australian Base Depot in Havre. He was on leave with pay for 2 months from the 2nd of June 1919 due to Court duty in London.

Finally, his father disembarked in Melbourne on the 13th of December 1919 aboard the “Wahehe” and returned home to the family

Justin was educated at St Peter’s College and followed in his father’s footsteps by attending the Adelaide University and studying law. After being admitted to the Supreme Court in April 1938, he joined his father in the family practice in Pt Adelaide.

Justin enlisted into the 10th Battalion in May 1939 allotted the service number 308600. He was appointed Lieutenant on the 1st of May 1940.

Justin was entrained at Woodside and posted to the 2/27th Battalion on the 22nd of May 1940 and allotted the service number SX2926. The Battalion left Woodside by train for Melbourne on the 19th of October.

On the 21st of October 1940 Justin embarked from Melbourne aboard the “H.M.T Mouretania” disembarking in Egypt on the 24th of November. They moved straight to Palestine to complete their training. The Battalion occupied positions at Maaten Bagush and Matruh throughout much of April and May 1941, before returning to Palestine in preparation for its first offensive operation - the invasion of Syria and Lebanon, which began on the 8th of June 1941.

On the 3rd of July 1941 Justin was promoted to Temporary Captain.

The Battalion was employed in the drive north along the Lebanon coast but most of its operations were outflanking moves in the hills that edged the coastal plain. Its major actions were at Adloun on the 11th of June, Miyeoumiye on the 13th and 14th of June and around El Boum, as part of the battle of Damour, between the 6th and the 9th of July.

After the armistice on the 12th of July, Justin remained in Lebanon as part of the Allied garrison until the 11th of January 1942.

His parents would have been very relieved to know that Justin was safe and had embarked from Egypt for Australia on the 30th of January 1942.

Whilst Justin was home his oldest brother, Frederick, married Margaret Jane DUNCAN (eldest daughter of Sir Walter DUNCAN, the wealthy and influential pastoralist and politician) On the 30th of March 1942 in the Scotts Church, North Terrace and Justin was the Best Man.

Justin’s stay in Australia, however, was brief as the 2/27th Battalion arrived at Port Moresby, Papua, on the 14th of August 1942 and by the 6th of September they were in position at Mission Ridge on the Kokoda Trail preparing to meet the relentless advance of the Japanese. The battalion held on to its positions for two days before being forced to pull out by a Japanese outflanking move that cut the Trail behind it. A grim 2 week withdrawal through the jungle, with little food, followed. Sick and exhausted, the 2/27th re-joined the main Australian force at Jawarere, 40 kilometers east of Port Moresby, on the 22nd of September.

After a period of rest and retraining the Battalion returned to action at Gona on the 28th of November.

Captain Justin SKIPPER received news at 0900 on the morning of the 29th that the 2/14th had taken many casualties and that the 2/27th Battalion were to take over the role of advancing on Gona.

In the process of the attack Justin was Killed in Action on the 29th of November 1942, at Gona, aged 28 years. Justin’s body was recovered on the 9th of December and he was reburied in the Soputa War Cemetery, Grave M.A.13. (The Soputa War Cemetery was a temporary Australian War Cemetery for the casualties of Gona and Sananandra).

At the end of the war his body was later exhumed and he was reburied in the Bomana War Cemetery, Port Moresby; B5, E, 15.

Justin’s mate, Captain Ronald JOHNSON later wrote, “Justin was right on the post, urging his chaps on when he fell. He was killed instantly. He died as only the very bravest die – the only way worthy of such a gallant soldier.”

In 1947 as a tribute to Justin, his parents commissioned the “Justin Skipper Prize” the Adelaide University Law School Prize.