Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

- Completed by Playford International College

Ronald Dudley Bain was born in Smithfield, South Australia, on 30 March 1910. He spent his twenties in the Smithfield district, remaining in his hometown throughout these years. By the decade's end, he was still living in Smithfield and working locally as a shearer (labourer). His Attestation Form of 1939 records his occupation and confirms his address as Smithfield at the time of enlistment.

Bain was one of many ordinary South Australians who answered the call to serve in World War 2. He was single then and listed his father, Kenneth Henry Bain, as his next of kin. On 2 June 1943, his mother, Mary Bain, replaced his father in this role. This transition marked the close of his civilian life in Smithfield and the beginning of his wartime service.

With enthusiasm and sensitivity, great care was taken to provide an accurate and meaningful account of Ronald Bain's service, as reflected on websites such as the Virtual War Memorial of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, the National Archives of Australia, and the State Library of South Australia.
Ronald Bain enlisted in the Australian Army just months after World War 2 began on 29 November 1939. He became Private SX982, joining the 2nd Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Bain was Taken on Strength (TOS) and assigned to the 2110th Battalion-part of the 18th Brigade, 7th Division raised in South Australia.

Bain was marched in on 18 December 1939 to Greta (Greta Camp), a large-scale training facility for Australian soldiers during World War 2 located in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.
On 5 May 1940, he embarked aboard HMT X4 (His/Her Majesty's Transport or Troopship) to Sydney and disembarked on 18 June 1940 in Gourock, Scotland. During World War 2, Gourock served as a vital disembarkation point for Allied troops, including the Australian soldiers. While the town was not directly bombed, the nearby industrial centres of Greenock and Glasgow were heavily targeted, making the region a strategic part of the wartime effort

On 17 November 1940, Private Ronald Dudley Bain, serving with the 2110th Battalion, embarked on HMT L13 from Glasgow. The voyage took the battalion via South Africa to avoid the dangerous Mediterranean Sea lanes, finally reaching Egypt on 31 December 1940 and disembarking at Port Tewfik. At this stage, the battalion was not yet committed to battle, instead preparing, and positioning for the campaigns that lay ahead.

On 21 March 1941, elements of the battalion reinforced the 219th Battalion for its attack on Giarabub. However, the entire unit was not fully engaged until it moved forward with the 18th Brigade to Tobruk in early April 1941.
The defence of Tobruk would become one of the most defining moments for Australian forces in North Africa, and the 18th Brigade held its ground with extraordinary courage until its withdrawal at the end of August 1941. Conditions were harsh and unforgiving:

- relentless shelling and aerial bombardments,

-critical shortages of water and medical supplies, and

- the harsh realities of desert warfare-intense heat, choking dust storms, and persistent swarms of flies.

Following their withdrawal, the 2110th Battalion underwent training in Palestine and later formed part of the garrison force in Syria from late September 1941 to early January 1942. Yet it was the Siege ofTobruk-April to August 1941-that became the battalion's enduring testament to resilience, sacrifice, and steadfast determination. By late August, the Australian Government ordered the relief of its forces, recognising both the immense toll of the campaign and the pressing need to prepare them for future operations. The 18th Brigade was withdrawn by sea and replaced by British and Polish forces.

The next chapter of the battalion's service unfolded in Papua New Guinea, where the battles proved even more bitter and costly. Arriving at Milne Bay on 12 August 1942, the men faced the full force of Japanese marines during a fierce and confused night battle on 27 August. Greater losses followed at Buna, where from 23 December 1942 to 2 January 1943, the
2/l0th endured some of its heaviest casualties-113 men killed and 205 wounded-amid desperate assaults against well-entrenched Japanese bunkers near the old airstrip.

On 24 December 1942, amid the intense fighting at Buna, Ronald was among those who sustained a gunshot wound to his left arm and shoulder-a solemn reminder of the human cost borne by those who served.

The following timeline reflects the final chapter of Ronald's wartime service, highlighting his journey from the battlefront to recovery and eventual discharge due to severe wounds sustained in action:

• 5 January 1943 -Ronald embarked on SS Katoomba at Port Moresby, returning to Australia. He disembarked on 13 January 1943; his active service overseas having come to an end due to injuries sustained in battle.
• 3-9 February 1943 -He was admitted to the Australian General Hospital and Australian Unit Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his left arm and shoulder, a serious injury that caused significant nerve damage.
• 10 February 1943 - Granted a period of convalescent leave from 9-22 February 1943 to begin his recovery away from hospital conditions.
• 14 May 1943 -Transferred from the 105th Australian General Hospital to the 108th Convalescent Depot for the final stage of recovery, focusing on rehabilitation from his wounds and the associated ulnar nerve paresis.
• 24 June 1943 -Evacuated to Kapara Convalescent Home to continue his treatment and regain strength.
• 7 July 1943 - Suffered a further setback with an attack of appendicitis and was urgently transferred from Kapara Convalescent Home to the 101 st Australian General Hospital for surgical care.
• 8 July 1943 -Evacuated from the 101st Australian General Hospital to the 108th Australian Convalescent Depot to continue post-surgical recovery.
• 22 July 1943 - Further evacuation followed, this time to the 105th Australian Military Hospital, due to persistent complications from left arm ulnar nerve palsy.
• 31 July 1943 - The Medical Board formally assessed Ronald as medically unfit for further military service due to the severity of his wounds and permanent nerve injury.
• 7 August 1943 - Discharged from the 105th Australian Military Hospital to the South Australian General Details Depot for administrative processing in preparation for demobilisation.
• 6 September -3 November 1943 - Granted extended leave as part of his transition out of active service.
• 9 September 1943 -Honourably discharged from the Australian Imperial Force, his service marked by courage, sacrifice, and enduring resilience.

After nearly four years of dedicated service, Private Ronald Dudley Bain returned home to South Australia. In 1945, he married Mavis Mary Kakoschke, who had been born on 8 September 1915 in Aberdeen, Burra, before moving to Adelaide. Mavis had previously been married to Clarence Albert Lomman in 1935; that marriage concluded in March 1945, enabling her union with Ronald later that year.

In October 1945, the Smithfield community hosted a welcome-home social to honour its returning servicemen, including Private Ronald Dudley Bain. The gathering was a proud celebration of sacrifice and service, where Ronald was acknowledged alongside two other Bain family members, Jim and Jack-an enduring testament to the contribution of one family to the nation's defence.

On 12 February 1950, Ronald was recorded as residing at 10 Beaconsfield Street, Unley South Australia. At that time, he wrote to the Army Medal Section to follow up on the engraving of his Africa and Pacific Stars. An accompanying note confirmed that he was also entitled to additional honours, including the Australian Service Medal-recognition of his significant commitment of the war.

In July 1996, his beloved wife Mavis passed away in Adelaide at the age of 80 and was laid to rest at Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena. Nearly a decade later, on 23 August 2005, Ronald passed away in Adelaide at the remarkable age of 95. He was cremated at Centennial Park on 26 August 2005, joining his wife in eternal rest.

Bibliography

Australian War Memorial (AWM) (1942) New Guinea Campaign. September 1942. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/026689 (Accessed: 15 July 2025).

Australian War Memorial (AWM) (n.d.) Members of the 2110th Infantry Battalion pictured on their journey to the Ramu Valley, New Guinea. Available at:
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C47090 (Accessed: 22 August 2025).

Australian War Memorial (AWM) (1944) Members of No. JO Platoon, 2112th Battalion resting during action on Shaggy Ridge, New Guinea, January 1944. Available at:
https://www.awm.gov.au/co11ection/C55779 (Accessed: 28 July 2025).

Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) (n.d.) World War Two Nominal Roll- Veteran Details. Available at: https:/ /nominal-rolls.dva.gov .au/veteran?id=663123&c=WW2#R
(Accessed: 5 August 2025).

Find a Grave (n.d.) Memorial page for Ronald D Bain. Available at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/248460142/ronald-d-bain (Accessed: 2 August 2025).

Monument Australia (n.d.) Smithfield and District Roll of Honour WW2 [Image}. Available at: https ://www .monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/ww2/ display/51696-smithfield­and-district-roll-of-honour (Accessed: 31 July 2025).

National Archives of Australia (NAA) (n.d.) Service Record [Image]. Available at: https ://recordsearch.naa. gov .au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/Vi ew Image.aspx ?B=664 3 651
(Accessed: 10 August 2025).

Picryl (n.d.) Australian soldiers disembarking from a ship at Gourock, Scotland, during World War 2 [Image}. Available at: https://picryl.com/media/australian-soldiers­disembarking-at-gourock-in-june-1940-88bd07 (Accessed: 31 August 2025).

Virtual War Memorial Australia (VWMA) (n.d.) Kapara During the World Wars. Available at: https://vwma.org.au/collections/home-page-stories/kapara-during-the-world-wars
(Accessed: 30 August 2025).