Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

On the morning of the 16th of May, the 2/23rd prepared to relieve the 2/43rd Battalion in the eastern sector of the Tobruk salient. Unfortunately, during the previous few nights, German forces had consolidated positions they had taken earlier in the month. These included posts S8, S9 and S10. The 2/23rd was given a half hour notice to be ready to retake those posts.

The battle began on May 17th 1941, at 0527 with a sustained fire by Vickers machine guns of the Northumberland Fusiliers. It was chaotic and it was dusty. Smoke screens, and artillery barrages laid down by the Australians and the Germans had, unfortunately, resulted in visibility being down to as low as 25 yards.

Captain Malloch led D Company of the 2/23rd, of which Alan Kelly was a member, southwards close to the perimeter. The supporting British Matilda Infantry tanks lost contact with the infantry and returned back to their original assembly area. The infantry pressed on their attack. Casualties began to mount, especially when the Germans fired air-burts from their 88-mm artillery pieces. By 0700 hours two forward platoons of A Company, 16 and 17, had few effective men left, and the company’s reserve platoon was back at S11. The men of 16 Platoon fought their way into the German sangars (shallow sand scrapes lined with rocks), overlooking Post S7. They found themselves in the middle of a killing ground and caught in the open. Allan was killed during this first charge when providing covering fire for another soldier. His body was lost near S7 and later searches failed to find him. 

The battalion commanding officer, Colonel Evans (no relation to James), was desperate to capture post S7 so organised another attack by the reserve company, A Company, and eight Matilda tanks. By this time, it was well after 0700 hours. James Evans was part of A Company and a member of one of the two lead platoons. The tanks that had been supporting the advance once again became hopelessly lost and actually began firing on the Australians. Sergeant Stuckey of 7 Platoon turned them around and directed them back into the attack. He walked about 20 metres in front of the tanks, Bren gun blazing away. Unfortunately, after moving over the escarpment, they veered too far to the left and played no further assistance in A Company’s attack. During this time, Lieutenant McRae of 8 Platoon was wounded along with Privates Fox (who was acting Sergeant), Armfield and Howard. James was seriously wounded when he was struck by an anti-tank shell. He died of his wounds the following day.

The fighting around Post S9 had initially been chaotic. However, there had been no reports on the condition of the Australians at the post, so Colonel Evens decided to send a carrier to investigate. John Johnson, in his carrier named “Walwa’, with Jim Swinton, as driver, and Vern Scott, as the third crewman, were sent. Upon arriving at the post they found it eerily quiet, although on the ground there was the detritus of battle. Equipment, weapons, dead bodies, littered the area around the post. John climbed out of the carrier to investigate while Jim drove in circles to avoid being an easy target. When John had seen enough, and found no occupants, he walked across to the carrier. As he was climbing in he was shot in the back by a sniper and fell to the ground. The only way of being able to collect John was for Jim to place the carrier between the sniper and John. They bundled John into the carrier and rushed back to the RAP (Regimental Aid Post), a hole in the ground covered by some tarpaulins. Some records indicate that he had been hit in the spinal cord, just below the neck, severing the cord but not killing him outright. At the RAP he was given a dose of morphine and sent in an ambulance to the 2/3rd Field Ambulance Main Dressing Station, situated in a cave just west of Tobruk Harbour. John died at 1700 hours that afternoon.

Meanwhile, B Company had taken Post S6 and was holding on. However, by mid-afternoon it was discovered that Posts S4, S5 and S7 were held by the enemy. The troops at S6 were in a difficult spot. Enemy armour had also been heard in the area. As the 2/10th Battalion, to the left of the 2/23rd were unable to assist those in S6, it was decided to evacuate the post. At 2000 hours a carrier section of three was sent out to retrieve the wounded and assist those who could walk, bringing them back to the battalion's assembly point in the Ariente area. As the carriers approached S6, they were not aware that the enemy had established a strong anti-tank gun emplacement nearby. The leading carrier, on the left, was in charge of Corporal Pat Joy, with Privates Col Bowden and Jack Lorimer as crew. Approximately 15 metres from the water tower an anti-tank shell penetrated the front of the carrier, killing Pat. At the same time, Col’s arm was shattered and Jack was rendered unconscious (he would remain unconscious for three weeks). Col was able to restart the carrier and drove it back to where the battalion was regrouping.

The total casualties for the 2/23rd Battalion for that day were:

Killed 20

Wounded and brought back 59

Missing, believed killed 5

Missing, believed wounded and captured     23

Missing believed taken prisoner with unknown number of casualties     66

In the course of one day, four of the Upper Murray’s finest, three from Walwa itself, would not be returning home.

Alan was born on the 2nd of November, 1920, in Mildura, Victoria. He was the youngest, and only son, of four children to Patrick Clement and Alice Josephine (née Kennedy) Kelly. Alan had two older sisters, Katherine and Dorothy. Alan’s other sister, Edna, passed away in 1915 when she was only one year old. Electoral Roll information shows that Patrick, Alan’s father, was working in Mildura in 1919 at the Ice Works. Before moving to Walwa Alan lived in Korumburra, where he received his education and attended the Catholic Church. 

Alan enlisted on the 22nd of June, 1940, at Caulfield, Victoria. He was given the Army Number VX42229. Alan’s service records are not currently available, so little is known of his movements until the 2/23rd was stationed in Tobruk. However, he would have followed the same path as that of James Evans, whose records are available, and John Johnson.

Alan was often mentioned in letters written between John Johnson and his wife Josie. We know that Alan’s nickname was “Zup”, although we don't know the origin of the name. It is known that Alan was one of the 2/23rd Battalion’s buglars and that, on the last morning of his embarkation leave, he blew reveille from the front verandah of his sister’s home in Walwa. At some stage in either late April, or early May, Alan was given the job of being Colonel Evan’s batman. It was the job of a batman to make sure that their officer’s kit (uniform and equipment) were ready and to organise his meals and living quarters. 

Alan’s movements on the 17th of May are described above. While he has no known grave he does have a memorial headstone at the Tobruk War Cemetery. 

Alan is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, and the Walwa Roll of Honour. For his service, he was awarded the Africa Star, the 1939-1945 Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-1945 and the Australian Service Medal 1939-1945.