PIKE, Allan Lloyd
| Service Number: | SX469 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 October 1939, Port Pirie, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Cowell, South Australia, 12 April 1916 |
| Home Town: | Cowell, Franklin Harbour, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Cowell Public School |
| Occupation: | Builder's Improver |
| Died: | Natural causes, Perth, Western Australia, 8 October 1978, aged 62 years |
| Cemetery: |
Midland Cemetery Myles Rd, Swan View WA 6056 Alan Llloyd Pike buried with mother Dorothy Alice Cousin |
| Memorials: | Cowell Franklin Harbour WW2 Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 20 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Private, SX469, Port Pirie, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Private, SX469 | |
| 8 Sep 1944: | Promoted Sergeant, 2nd/10th Infantry Battalion |
“Jack “ COSTELLO, 2/28Bn.,AIF Homebuilding Scheme
L/Cpl John David COSTELLO, WX6351 was the organiser of the 2/28 Bn. Homebuilding Club after WW2. The Club Members had blocks of land at Toorak Road, Rivervale, Perth, purchased through War Service Loans. Allan Pike was asked to assist with the scheme, as he was a Bricklayer.
Submitted 2 November 2020 by Graham PIKE
Biography contributed by Dennis Oldenhove
Allan Lloyd PIKE was born at Cowell in April,1916. The son of Richard and Dorothy Pike, he was named for his cousin, John Lloyd Pike who had enlisted in the 27th Battalion, AIF in March, 1916. He grew up on the family farm at Pikes Corner until the family left the farm in 1923. He was educated at the Cowell School and his schoolmates included Charles Stening, Alex McDonald and the Zerna brothers who all served with the 2/10th Battalion.Allan left school in 1930 right in the middle of the Depression. He had various labouring jobs on farms and mines and was also trained as a builders improver by his father who was a stonemason.
In 1933, the family moved to Western Australia in search of work. One of Allan’s first jobs was at the Three Springs talc mine. Allan later worked as a bricklayer on the Eastern Goldfields with his father and older brother, Lin. They did building work in Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie, Boulder, Menzies and Leonora. They also did a lot of prospecting and surface mining. In 1936, the family returned to Cowell, where they operated asbestos, steotite and green marble leases. War broke out in September, 1939 and Allan enlisted in the 2/10th Battalion. He was assigned to the Pioneer Platoon. He served in England, Tobruk, Palestine, Syria, Milne Bay, Buna, Gona, Sanananda and subsequent campaigns in the Owen Stanley’s. In 1945, he served on Balikpapan. Discharged in December, 1945, he returned to South Australia.
He then moved to Perth, where he trained as a monumental mason. He worked as a bricklayer for the 2/28th Battalion Association’s home building project. He worked for Wilson and Grey. In the 1960s he was the building foreman on the rebuilding project on the American Embassy in Djarkarta, Indonesia. He died in 1978. He was very proud of his military service. When he first enlisted, he thought the discipline was too tough. At the end of his service he thought it was not tough enough. He had great respect for his fellow soldiers, especially his RSM, John Percival. - Graham Pike
Biography contributed by Chas Watt
Alan Married Elizabeth (Betty) Pursglove in Perth 1963
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