Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Johno was too young for WW1, but watched the service of his older brother Richard, KIA France in 1918. After school he also played footy for Warwick, Johno met the beautiful Kathleen and they married, had kids and he joined the Army reserves in Warwick while working on the local roads crews. In 1940 when he was 31, the next war started and he jumped at the chance to do his bit. After training he joined the 2/15 Bn AIF and they headed for Mindil Beach in Darwin for training and defence duties. Instead they were used as wharf labourers during the great Darwin wharf strike. By the end of 1940 the 2/15th embarked for Egypt, then Gaza. Where Johno and his mates were issued their Bren guns and fired them for the first time at Jaffa range. Itching to prove themselves the 2/15th headed to Lybia and replaced the 6 Div who headed for Greece. Johno’s Company set defensive positions in Derna. Romell's infamous Afrika Corp came charging through Lybia causing the British and Australian line to break and they made a dash for the fortress of Tobruk in what the diggers called the Benghazi handicap. Johno, his company and battalion HQ stayed and fought on, they were surrounded and cut off. The Afrika Corp rained hell on Johno and his mates. Johno saw his good mate 39yo Wally Ross from Toowoomba killed in the fire, they fought it out against 18 tanks, artillery and air raids with rifles and Bren guns but ran out of ammunition. Most surrendered but Johno and a few cheeky mates took off into the desert to escape, but they were eventually captured a month later. They were shipped off to Italy, Austria then Poland to Stalag 8B. In their desert uniforms they did forced labour for the next 4 long years through freezing conditions with little food. In mid 1945 the German guards forced marched them in blizzard conditions and many of Johnos mates died. Eventually liberated by the Russian Army Johno headed for England then Sydney. The Army kept him and his mates there for weeks in holding units, Johno snuck out to see his family for a few days and was charged with being AWOL. A few weeks later they finally discharged him and he reunited with Kathleen and the kids, they moved to Southport. Johno never recovered from his poor condition and died aged only 47, widowing Kathleen and their 4 children and now the second of his siblings that died from serving Australia. Lest we forget an Anzac legend that stood his ground against German tanks, QX5922 Private John Laws.

Sources, AWM, NAA and Unit history