Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Herbert (Snow) Lloyd Mountford was born 15 October 1917 at Canowie Station, via Hallett, South Australia, third son of Sidney Herbert and Ellen Elizabeth (nee Morgan) Mountford. Sidney established a blacksmith shop at Willowie in January of 1923 in which Snow worked. He enlisted 20 October 1939, his occupation was ‘labourer’. He was allocated to C Section of 6 Division Ammunition Company (6 Div Amn Coy), which was raised in SA. After entraining to Puckapunyal in December to join the rest of the unit, Snow prepared for service overseas. He left with the main body of the unit in the Third Convoy on 5 May 1940, aboard HMT X5 ‘Empress of Canada’ taking 18 Infantry Brigade, 6 Div. Amn Coy and a large number of base troops to the Middle East. The entry of Italy into the war caused the convoy to be diverted to the United Kingdom and they arrived in June, just after the evacuation of Dunkirk. They were reorganized into Austral Force and given a role in defence of the south coast. 6 Div Amn Coy was reorganized at Tidworth Park as Austral Force Australian Army Service Corps (AASC) and moved to Bulford Wells in August and Colchester in October. Austral Force was reorganized as 9 Division and sailed to the Middle East in January 1941. During a stopover in Durban Snow failed to return before the ship sailed, but secured a berth on a later ship in March. Whilst on board he sustained an injury to his knee. When Austral Force AASC Company arrived in the Middle East it was disbanded, and when Snow eventually arrived he was admitted to 2/2 General Hospital at Kantara, and then on to 2/1 Convalescent Depot at Kafr Vitkin, followed by AIF (ME) Services Training Regiment at Beit Jirja. After his discharge from hospital he joined 9 Division Petrol Company (via the Staging Camp at Amiriya) on 6 June 1941, when they were already besieged at Tobruk. With little petrol work to do Snow was probably part of one of the AASC infantry companies formed to boost the perimeter defences. Snow talked occasionally about patrols out into enemy lines to either lay new land mines or to take the German mines out. In October 1941, the Australian Troops finally left Tobruk. 9 Div Petrol Coy was sent to Julis, (Palestine) where the unit was renamed 11 Company AASC. They then moved to Daher el Ain (Syria) to service 24 Inf Bde Gp. In March 1942, he spent some time in 2/11 Field Ambulance at Tripoli, suffering the effects of scabies. The unit moved back to Egypt in June 1942. Snow found time to be AWOL in early July before being wounded later in the month, going to 19 British Gen Hospital, then to 2/1 Conv Depot and to Services Training Company of AIF(ME) Composite Trng Regt at Beit Jirja (Palestine). He rejoined 11 Coy AASC on the 4th of August during the fighting preceding El Alamein. He also had some success as a boxer in competitions between the different military forces and in running dice games for the troops. In November they withdrew to Khassa (Palestine) before leaving for Australia in January 1943. Snow disembarked in Sydney on the 27 February 1943. After some leave they assembled at Kairi (Qld) in April. Three months later, in July, the AASC units were reorganized with Snow briefly joining 2/156 General Transport Company. However as a Blacksmith his skills could be better utilised in an engineer unit, so he transferred to 2/7 Field Company. He left for New Guinea arriving at Milne Bay on the 4th of August. Based on the movements of the various units, Snow would have accompanied 26 Infantry Brigade Group in their landing east of Lae in September and their subsequent advance on that town. They spent some time there repairing the base before moving to Finschhafen in November where they worked on the coastal advance. Snow was admitted to 2/2 Casualty Clearing Station at Finschhafen on 26 December, suffering from the debilitating effects of dysentery. He was discharged on 1 January 1944 and rejoined his unit before it left for Ravenshoe, Queensland on 31 January 1944. On their arrival back in Australia Snow spent some more time in hospital before being discharged from the army on 10 November 1944, having served a total of 1538 days with 1214 of those spent outside of Australia. Snow married Valmai Dorothy Lacey Black in Perth, Western Australia on the 26 February 1944. They had two children. He ran a wine shop in North Fremantle for a few years before getting a job at Fremantle Wharf as a waterside worker, then crane operator. He passed away on the 29 September 2003 at South Perth, aged 85 years and is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth.

Herbert (Snow) Lloyd Mountford was born 15 October 1917 at Canowie Station, via Hallett, South Australia, third son of Sidney Herbert and Ellen Elizabeth (nee Morgan) Mountford. Sidney established a blacksmith shop at Willowie in January of 1923 in which Snow worked.

He enlisted 20 October 1939, his occupation was ‘labourer’. He was allocated to C Section of 6 Division Ammunition Company (6 Div Amn Coy), which was raised in SA. After entraining to Puckapunyal in December to join the rest of the unit, Snow prepared for service overseas. He left with the main body of the unit in the Third Convoy on 5 May 1940, aboard HMT X5 ‘Empress of Canada’ taking 18 Infantry Brigade, 6 Div. Amn Coy and a large number of base troops to the Middle East. The entry of Italy into the war caused the convoy to be diverted to the United Kingdom and they arrived in June, just after the evacuation of Dunkirk. They were reorganized into Austral Force and given a role in defence of the south coast. 6 Div Amn Coy was reorganized at Tidworth Park as Austral Force Australian Army Service Corps (AASC) and moved to Bulford Wells in August and Colchester in October.

Austral Force was reorganized as 9 Division and sailed to the Middle East in January 1941. During a stopover in Durban Snow failed to return before the ship sailed, but secured a berth on a later ship in March. Whilst on board he sustained an injury to his knee. When Austral Force AASC Company  arrived in the Middle East it was disbanded, and when Snow eventually arrived he was admitted to 2/2 General Hospital at Kantara, and then on to 2/1 Convalescent Depot at Kafr Vitkin, followed by AIF (ME) Services Training Regiment at Beit Jirja.

After his discharge from hospital he joined 9 Division Petrol Company (via the Staging Camp at Amiriya) on 6 June 1941, when they were already besieged at Tobruk. With little petrol work to do Snow was probably part of one of the AASC infantry companies formed to boost the perimeter defences. Snow talked occasionally about patrols out into enemy lines to either lay new land mines or to take the German mines out. In October 1941, the Australian Troops finally left Tobruk. 9 Div Petrol Coy was sent to Julis, (Palestine) where the unit was renamed 11 Company AASC. They then moved to Daher el Ain (Syria) to service 24 Inf Bde Gp. In March 1942, he spent some time in 2/11 Field Ambulance at Tripoli, suffering the effects of scabies.

The unit moved back to Egypt in June 1942. Snow found time to be AWOL in early July before being wounded later in the month, going to 19 British Gen Hospital, then to 2/1 Conv Depot and to Services Training Company of AIF(ME) Composite Trng Regt at Beit Jirja (Palestine). He rejoined 11 Coy AASC on the 4th of August during the fighting preceding El Alamein. He also had some success as a boxer in competitions between the different military forces and in running dice games for the troops.

In November they withdrew to Khassa (Palestine) before leaving for Australia in January 1943. Snow disembarked in Sydney on the 27 February 1943. After some leave they assembled at Kairi (Qld) in April. Three months later, in July, the AASC units were reorganized with Snow briefly joining 2/156 General Transport Company. However as a Blacksmith his skills could be better utilised in an engineer unit, so he transferred to 2/7 Field Company. He left for New Guinea arriving at Milne Bay on the 4th of August. Based on the movements of the various units, Snow would have accompanied 26 Infantry Brigade Group in their landing east of Lae in September and their subsequent advance on that town. They spent some time there repairing the base before moving to Finschhafen in November where they worked on the coastal advance.

Snow was admitted to 2/2 Casualty Clearing Station at Finschhafen on 26 December, suffering from the debilitating effects of dysentery. He was discharged on 1 January 1944 and rejoined his unit before it left for Ravenshoe, Queensland on 31 January 1944. On their arrival back in Australia Snow spent some more time in hospital before being discharged from the army on 10 November 1944, having served a total of 1538 days with 1214 of those spent outside of Australia.

Snow married Valmai Dorothy Lacey Black in Perth, Western Australia on the 26 February 1944. They had two children. He ran a wine shop in North Fremantle for a few years before getting a job at Fremantle Wharf as a waterside worker, then crane operator. He passed away on the 29 September 2003 at South Perth, aged 85 years and is interred at Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth.  

Excerpt from "Diggers From the Dust" (2018) Di Barrie and Andrew Barrie.