Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Jones family moved from Gympie to Wooroolin in 1912 where James Jones owned and ran the Butcher Shop. He also purchased Portion 146v in West Wooroolin, from AE Olker and later sold the land to EG Weller. His young brothers Alf & Reg came from Gympie with him as their parents had died by the time Alf & Reg were aged 8 & 4 respectively. The butcher shop was sold to the Woltmann family in 1925.
Alf married Lizzie Nolan in 1920 at the Wooroolin Presbyterian Church. Alf share-farmed his brothers land for a while but due to bad droughts he gave up farming and took work in Wooroolin Shops. He worked at the Bakery for some time and at Wondai Butter Factory but our memory of him is at Woltmann’s Butcher Shop. Their son, Laurence William Jones, was born in 1921 at Ontario Nursing Home, Kingaroy and baptised at the opening service of St Andrews Church of England at Wooroolin. Alf & Lizzie were unable to have any more children.
Laurie was enrolled at Wooroolin School on 27 Jan 1927, pupil no 610. In the booklet “From Federation to Future” covering the history of Wooroolin School he stated: “I wasn’t a good scholar. I can remember Duncan Arbuthnot telling me I was lazy. All I wanted to do was to get to seventh grade and go to work on a dairy farm. In fact I started there before I finished school at 14 years old. When I was working at the dairy, I would deliver a billy of milk to several families and I can remember Mr Allen gave me a calf for judging of calf day. Then I can remember that Viv Weller and I would go around the district looking for things that we could display – things that grew on farms. We won a few competitions.”
After he finished school at end of 1935 , Laurie did start dairying. He said: “I worked at the dairy for two to three years. Then I went out on my own doing casual work until the war broke out. The Quail family owned two farms near the school and my Dad and Bill Quail were very friendly and they got me onto these two blocks. I could never understand why until I realised they did not want me to go to the war. I worked it for 2 years and then I joined the Army.”
Laurie enlisted in the Australian army at Brisbane on 2 Sep 1942, one week after his 21st birthday. Laurie was sent to Tenterfield where he did his training with another Wooroolinite, Charlie Campbell. We are fortunate to have a photo of them enjoying a game a cricket during their time at Tenterfield
In Aug 1943 Laurie was based at Townsville and embarked there for Port Moresby, arriving 28 Jul 1943 where he was transferred to 2/4 Australia Field Regiment.
Thanks to the Australian War Memorial website for details of the movements of this regiment. The 2/4th remained in New Guinea for the next four months and supported the 7th Division's campaign through the Ramu Valley, the assault on Shaggy Ridge, and in the Finisterres.
On 1 February 1944 the 2/4th was relieved by the 4th Field Regiment, and the former was flown back to Port Moresby and then sailed back to Australia. It participated in the 7th Division march through the streets of Melbourne and, after leave, reformed at Strathpine, near Brisbane, before moving to Kairi, on the Atherton Tablelands, in late August. The war was nearly over before the 2/4th went into action again.
In early June 1945 the regiment moved to Morotai, which was being used as a staging area for the Australian operations on Borneo. The 9th Division made amphibious landings at Tarakan and north Borneo in May and June, while the 7th Division landed at Balikpapan on 1 July. 8th Battery was the regiment's first unit ashore and the first to report "ready". Although there had been a massive pre-invasion air and naval bombardment of the landing beaches, the division still experienced heavy fighting as it pushed inland. In the first four days of the campaign the 2/4th fired more than 10,000 rounds. After about two weeks the campaign was all but over and on 15 August Japan announced its surrender.
Laurie contracted Malaria during his time in New Guinea, first record dated Nov 1943 and he suffered from this for some years after the war.
We are also fortunate to have quite a few photos taken during Laurie’s time in Balikpapan – and have known several of his Army Mates very well – notably Curly Sinclair who visited and worked on the farm for his annual holidays.
Laurie was discharged from the Australian Army on 1 Jul 1946 and returned to Wooroolin where he continued working on farms in the area. In 1947/48 he was working for Albert & Ivy Kamholtz where he met their daughter Dulcie. They married in Aug 1948 and purchased some of the land that Albert was renting from George Darrow.
Laurie and Dulcie lived on the farm all their life and their sons took over it during the 1980’s. They had a full social life in the Wooroolin community between RSL, Womens Auxillary and School. Many wonderful memories for us all.
Laurie died in 2001 and is buried at Memerambi cemetery where Dulcie joined him in 2013.
Lest We Forget