Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Reginald Harley Bambling, known as Reg, was born 15 Aug 1916 at, "Kotoro," Nurse Hillcoat's Private Nursing Home, the child of Bill & Lily Bambling. Aunt Lily being the sister of my grandfather Alf Jones. In 1916 the Bambling Family lived at the Gunalda Hotel where Regs father the licensee until Aug 1917. The family moved to Nerang and Reg’s siblings Phyllis & Colin were “new Faces” at Nerang School in 1918 and Stanley in 1919. Reginald was “New Face” in 1921. I have a family photo taken at Nerang School abt 1922 when my maternal grandmother, Ivy Berg, was a teacher there and I am sure young Reg and his siblings are in the photo!
Per the 1921 electoral roll, the Bambling family lived at Cotton St, Nerang and Uncle Bill was a Teamster and in 1925-1928 he was a Dairy Farmer at Signatos Farm, Helensvale. By 1936 he was working as a Farm Hand at Carrara, Nerang. Uncle Bill died in 1937 but I have been unable to find a burial record.
In 1928 11 year old Reg was enrolled at Wooroolin School near his Uncle Alf & Aunt Lizzie (my Grandparents). Oh to know why young Reg moved away from his parents – the records show his father was a farmer at Coomera! He left Wooroolin School in Sep 1928 and went back to the South Coast where he played cricket for the Upper Coomera State School team with his brothers Stan & Noel. By 1934 Reg was living at Nambour and playing cricket with the Nambour team. He was also a member of the Maroochydore Surf Lifesaving Club.
Reg joined Australian army at Kelvin Grove, Qld on 4 Jun 1940 and was posted to 2/15 Battalion. Unfortunately his Army Records are not yet available on the NAA website so I have to rely on the records of the 2/15 Battalion to follow his army years. The Australian War Memorial website https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U56058 records that the battalion was raised at Redbank army camp in Brisbane on 1 May 1940, as part of the 20th Brigade. The battalion did its basic training at Redbank and went to Darwin to undertake three months of garrison duty in July. It moved to Sydney in November and at the end of the year sailed aboard the Queen Mary with the 20th Brigade to Palestine via India. The battalion arrived at El Kantara in Egypt at the start of February 1941 and moved to Kilo 89 in Palestine for desert training. Then through the Libyan Desert before arriving in Tobruk.
A photo postcard from Reg to his Uncle Alf & Aunt Lizzie records that Reg was involved in the "Benghazi handicap", the withdrawal of British forces from Tripoli to Tobruk in March 1941. He wrote that they did not know then that there would be very little Beers for us during the next 6 months. There are 10 men in the photo and Reg says “All bar one came out!”
Reg received a DCM for bravery in 1942. This story from the Traces of War website records: In Nov 1942 Private Bambling displayed outstanding qualities of leadership, courage, and determination during an attack made by 2/15 Aust Inf Bn at West Point 25 near Tel el Eisa on 1 September 1942.
Bambling's section was the rear section of the platoon and had been given the task of "mopping up" behind two forward sections.
As the section crossed the outer wire of the enemy position the section commander was killed. Bambling at once took command of the three men left in the section and led them through the inner wire. Inside this he could see an enemy post, which had been passed by our forward troops and was firing on them. Bambling charged this post at the head of his section, firing his Bren from the hip, killing 5 of the enemy and taking 1 officer and 10 other ranks prisoner.
Detailing one man to take the prisoners to the rear, Bambling led his remaining two men in an attack on another post 50 yards away, again firing his Bren from the hip, but was himself shot in the back and left shoulder, and while he lay in the open had his leg badly lacerated by mortar fire.
Subsequently one of our tanks appeared and although wounded Bambling pointed out to the tank commander that the enemy post was still resisting and asked him to bring fire on it. This was done, five enemy being killed and 14 more being taken prisoner by the two men with Bambling. Ten more enemy frightened by the appearance of the tank whose fire Bambling had directed, emerged from another post with their hands up and were taken to the rear by the same two men, who later carried Bambling out of the Battle.
By his resolution, disregard of personal danger, and coolness Bambling was thus responsible for causing the deaths of 10 enemy and the capture of an officer and 34 other ranks, as well as silencing the fire of two Spandaus and two 81mm mortars, which were found in the first post, and two Spandause and five machine pistols found in the second."
Another photo he sent to his Uncle Alf & Aunty Lizzie shows him at Con Depot (Convalescent Depot) probably after this attack where he says: “In Con Depot, the chap I am using as a post is a Qlder, the other two are South Aussies, both good chaps.”
At the same time that Reg was being so brave in Egypt his brother Noel was fighting in New Guinea. In December 1942 Noel was reported missing but later reported as died in action.
Reg sent 2 more photos to is Uncle Alf & Aunty Lizzie when he had a “Holiday” at Tel Aviv. On the back of one taken by Photo Silberstein, Hayarken St, Tel-Aviv 52 Reg wrote: “Taken in Telaviv a few days ago. The mate Pat Campbell comes from Dalby. He contracted the same sickness as myself, and were together the first time we met up with Jerry.” On the other photo, which includes, Reg, Unknown and Pat Campbell, Reg wrote: “Yes it was a hot day. Taken in a café in Tel Aviv, every café sells beer.”
I have not found any more personal info for Reg so assume that he returned to Australia with the 2/15th and fought in New Guinea. Records from the AWM included here: The 2/15th left Egypt aboard the Acquitania on 25 January 1943 and disembarked at Sydney on 27 February. After leave and jungle training on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland it embarked for Milne Bay in Papua on 2 August 1943.
On 4 September the battalion landed on Red Beach, 15 miles north-west of Lae. Shortly after it fought its way ashore at Scarlet Beach near Finschhafen and defended the area against Japanese counter-attack. The battalion also took part in the Huon Peninsula campaign, advancing along the northern coast of New Guinea from Lae to Sio.
Reg’s cousin Laurie Jones (my Dad) had arrived in New Guinea with the 2/4th Field Regiment on 28 Jul 1943 and his battalion took part in the Ramu Valley-Finisterres Operations. Guess they didn’t know at the time they were so close but perhaps talked about it later!
Reg was discharged from 2/15 Battalion 14 Sep 1945. The WW11 nominal rolls show that he had been promoted to Lance Sergeant.
Reg was presented with his DCM by The Governor of Queensland, Leslie Wilson, at Parliament House, Brisbane on 8 Mar 1946. We have a lovely photo taken that day of him with his Mum, Aunty Lily, in our family collection and I have extracted relevant sections of the article in The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld.:1872-1947)Friday 8 March 1946.
Reg married Florence Fay Sanger on 10 Apr 1948 at St. Stephen's Church of England. Cavendish Road,Coorparoo. In 1949 they lived at Landers Shoot, Palmwoods where Reg was a farmer. In 1954 they lived at Glasshouse Mountains in Saraha Rd which is where I remember visiting them as a youngster. Reg and Fay had two daughters, Pamela and Gaye who both attended the Glasshouse Mountains State School. Uncle Reg, as we knew him, grew Pineapples and I remember them being the best ever eaten!
Reginald Bambling died on 27 Aug 2010 aged 94 years old and his wife Fay died a year later. Her funeral service was held at the Gregson & Waite Chapel, Caloundra. I have not been able to find a notice for Reg nor a burial place for either of them.