The Leader Newspaper // Special Features ANZAC Day 2019 Supplement | Page 9

COMMEMORATING ANZAC Memories o f WWII I was very pleased to see everybody again. “After a short stay in Melbourne we were sent to Canungra Training Camp, Queensland. It was very hard training during those 30 days. “We went up Mt. Tambourine three times - if you couldn’t manage the 30 days, you would have to do a less vigorous course of 90 days. We were very fit when we left Canungra! “On April 12, 1945, we went to the Tablelands near Cairns and joined the 2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion which had returned from the Middle East war and were down in numbers. “They were a very nice lot of fellows - the best unit I have been in. I changed units four times. “On September 26, 1945 I spent my 21st birthday on the Rifle Range Tablelands in Queensland. We arrived on the Tablelands and departed by the famous Kuranda train to Townsville, where, at 2 a.m. we boarded a troop ship, the General HW Butner. “We sailed for Morotai Island. The ship carried 5,500 officers and men of corps troops and a unit of the 9th Division which included the 2.2 MG Battalion. “The 380 men slept on rows of bunks, each four tiers high. This ship was very fast. The Captain announced that the ship could outrun a sub so we did not need any escort. “There was even a butcher’s shop on board. US President Roosevelt died while we were aboard. “A memorial service was conducted by the ship’s chaplain Rev Hohenhaus (Church of England). The 2.2nd MG Battalion attended the service. “We landed on Morotai Island in the wet season, living in two-man tents with camp stretchers. “Water flowed through the tents most of the time, so we had to keep all our belongings on the bed - day and night. “The Americans had half of the island and the Japs, the other half. “The Americans would have picture shows or concerts nearly every night and there would be one or two Japs also watching the show. “We left for Borneo in May, 1945 for the invasion of Labuan Island and Brunei Bay, Borneo. “There were up to 200 ships in the convoy. “As we entered the harbour a Jap plane came in, dropped two bombs near the next ship from us - but missed. “The American sailors took things very calmly - they were having breakfast at the time, but never had time to finish it. I was on guard duty on the ship deck at the time. “The destroyers moved into Brunei Bay and Labuan Islan another base on Brunei. “A battle went on all day and night. At last the Japs retreated to the mountains. “The worrying time began - snipers everywhere, small platoons of 20-30 would turn up at night by small boats, overland or by foot. One lot marched into the camp alongside of us one night. Our guard noticed the leader was carrying a sword and a big battle began. “Next morning there were dead soldiers everywhere on both sides. It was a sorry sight to see our mates were lost. “In Brunei the British and other white people lived on the land and a lot of Borneo people lived on the water. Houses were built on stilts. “I would go out on patrol every second day with great concern about snipers. One morning at 8 a.m. when we were ready to go on a patrol, the forward scout was shot before we left the camp. “I had chopped wood with him the night before.” “The People of Borneo were very good to us and said we could help our selves to bananas, watermelon and tropical fruit at any time. “In our camp at Brunei we also had two young boys about 8 years old named Barrup and Sabbeean. They would come every day to do odd jobs around the camp. “One of our mates used to be a tailor by trade, so he made these two lads a uniform out of our shirts, shorts and cap. You could hear them coming over the hill calling out our names. “The first thing they had to do when they arrived was to have a shower and change into their uniform. Our camp in Brunei was on 2 hills. “We constructed a flying fox from the kitchen to the other side of the hill, so everything would come via the flying fox. “Our platoon was invited to a Borneo wedding which had plenty of colour and rice wine. “The war ended on August 14, 1945. As I was sitting on my bed the news came through that the war was over. “We returned to Labuan Island where we built a huge camp for the civilians from all nations who were POWs in Jap hands. “Most of the people were well dressed and looked well. We then had fresh meat, vegetables and beer every day. “There were pictures, concerts and dancing most nights. After a short stay, they would move ond the next ones would arrive. “In about three months we were ready to go home. We pulled down the camps we had built and burnt the material - there were huge bonfires. “Before we left Borneo we thanked God that we were spared to go home. We also spared a thought for those soldiers we had to leave behind.”there were 3,000 white crosses on graves from Labuan Island and Brunei Bay, Borneo. “We came home on a landing ship tank craft with about 120 soldiers. We had food poisoning two nights. “I thought I was going to die and never see home again. The captain found out it was the meat, so it was thrown overboard. “We arrived in Brisbane River about 5 p.m., all still alive after the poisoning. We had so much to carry so we decided to throw our folding beds overboard - the river was covered with beds! “We disembarked and were loaded into trucks. As it was a Saturday, lots of cheering people lined the sides of the road. Next stop was Melbourne staging camp. Private Les Kohlhagen, aged 18. “We were told on air to guard our belongings day and night. I had won a Jap sword in a drawer out of a truck load of swords in Borneo, so I had to sleep with a dam Jap sword! “Because I was a heavy smoker, I had saved a lot of tobacco to take home, but it was stolen in the Melbourne staging camp. “I was then sent to Northfield Hospital in SA working in a pack store for the next two months until I was discharged on May 23, 1946 after five years’ service. “After my discharge I worked for HB Schulz, my future father-in-law. “On July 21, 1946 I married my beautiful girl, Velma Schulz in the Langmeil Church, Tanunda. In 1949 I took over pop Schulz’s tank making business. “We were blessed with four lovely children and we closed the business in 1985 after 39 years.” G othic c leaninG S erviceS Lest We Forget 8562 2122 www.careerboss.com.au 8562 8688 barossavalleyballooning.com.au 8562 3521 25 Gawler Street, Nuriootpa [email protected] Lest We Forget Lest We Forget GAWLER Lest We Forget Lest We Forget Lest We Forget 0420 370 254 PGE 259 892 8523 1811 11 Julian Terrace, Gawler 8566 2203 West Terrace, Kapunda With the kind assistance of the participating businesses, The Leader has been able to provide a generous donation to the local RSL sub branches “The Leader”, Commemorating ANZAC, Wednesday, April 17, 2019 - 9