Story of a Digger Part 1

Roy (Blue) was born in Albany, Western Australia on the 18th April 1915, one week before the landing at Gallipoli.

Roy’s father (John) joined the Australian Imperial Forces and went to the Western front in France in 1916. John had enlisted into the 1st Pioneer battalion building and repairing the timber walkways that were commonly seen across the battlefield. His wife (Roy’s mother) died in 1917. The children were placed into foster care. Upon John’s early return from Europe he was discharged on medical grounds, having been gassed in France.

John remarried and moved to Jarrahdale W.A. with the children to start an orchard. This was not successful and the family moved closer to Perth. After several moves and schools around Perth, Roy left at 12 ½ years of age to find work. (Because of the depression). After trying several jobs he finally settled on a bakery and butcher delivery job, which he carried out for the next few years.

In 1933 at 17 his father requested he join him at Kalgoorlie in the goldfields. They worked the fields just making a living. Then a stroke of luck and he was offered a barman job in the Criterion Hotel. This gave him experience to continue with a barman job at the Kalgoorlie Railway Station and at the horse races. In the mean time joining the Australian Military Forces part time, training once a week, this was around 1936.


Roy’s step mother died in 1936, all the family had been broken apart with everyone pursuing different fields of employment to make ends meet.

On hearing the declaration of war by Australia on Germany, Roy and a few mates made the decision the join the AIF full time to protect families, country and the Empire. Roy’s first job was to sign up the recruits and as he signed them up he mentioned the enlistees were excited about joining the AIF to defend the country on “five bob a day”.

The recruits started training, with the “2nd/11 Battalion”, at an army camp in Northam W.A. on 11th November 1939, after about a month the battalion was moved to a camp called Silver City near Liverpool in NSW. After months of training the troops were ready to embark over seas. They left on the 18th April 1940, Roy’s birthday.


Roy and brother Jack

There was a lack of fighting equipment and what was available was very old, they had no idea of their fate or where they were going. The ship had no refrigeration and after a time the food went rotten so rations of Bully Beef were on the menu. There were two troop ships in the convoy with several destroyers escorting them. Training and PT were carried out everyday on route. This convoy was the last to pass through the Red Sea.
The lack of equipment continued while they were training in the Middle East in Egypt. The training ended in November 1940.

To be continued