Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

L/Cpl. Ross Mudge, who died while a prisoner of war in Italy, was the eldest son of Sgt. and Mrs. R. Mudge, formerly of Lismore and now of Coogee, Sydney. L/Cpl. Mudge was well known in
Lismore, particularly in sporting circles. He was 22. He enlisted soon after the out break of war, at the age of 18 After serving for 12 months in the Darwin area he was posted overseas. He was taken prisoner while acting as a stretcher bearer with a company of pioneers at a battle near Tel el Aisa in October 1942. The Pioneer company was cut off from the battalion by artillery and machine gun fire. The fire was raining from both sides while L/Cpl. Mudge trudged with his stretcher through the thick of the battle attending the wounded and ringing them in. He was the only stretcher-bearer in the company who was not wounded, and calls for him were continuous. He had brought in about half a dozen men, and was still unhurt when a German officer waved a white handkerchief from the top of a small knoll. The Lismore man went over thinking he was needed for a casualty. Instead, the German officer told him in broken English to go back to his commanding officer and inform him that the Germans had the Australians surrounded, and unless they sent back a message of surrender they would be wiped out. L/Cpl. Mudge returned with this ultimatum, also another wounded man. There was only a short delay in sending back a typical Australian refusal to surrender.
L/Cpl. Mudge was the holder of several cups and trophies for cycling and swimming. While in Darwin he won a lightweight boxing championship.