Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Reg was the twelfth of John Allen and Elinor (Ellen) Hannah’s sixteen children. He was born in Quorn, and on enlistment, gave his birth date as the 23rd May 1912 although several sources suggest he was born on March 17th that year. (It was not uncommon in country regions for birth dates to vary if there were difficulties in registering births officially, or if there were numerous births and a higher child mortality rate.) Reg’s siblings included six sisters, twins Emily Ellen and Ruth Evelyn (Emily died at birth), Vivian Hilda May, Kathleen, Marjory May and Charlette Margaret, plus nine brothers Andrew George, John Munro, Peter Silvinus, Alexander David, Frederick Thomas, Alfred Charles, Ronald Arthur, Charles and James Mealey.
Reg’s father, John Absalom came from Gloucester, England, arriving on the ‘Vendue’ in 1891. He predominantly undertook stevedoring work at Port Augusta and Quorn, but later farmed at Arden Vale near Quorn. There, he was actively involved in local council being the Councillor for North Quorn Ward in the Kanyaka District for two years. His other activities included the local Agricultural and Horticultural Society, the Quorn Racing Club and Football Club, the Quorn and Port Augusta Buffalo Lodges and being a Past Primo of Pichi Richi Lodge, all adding to his local involvement.
However, John faced a 2/6 fine, with £l costs in June ’21 for omitting to enrol Reg, aged 8 years and 9 months in school as Reg had been a useful extra pair of hands on the farm. Reg was supposed to attend the Willochra School whist the family was involved in farming at Arden Vale. Soon after, John and the family returned to Port Augusta where he again was engaged in stevedoring work and the fishing industry up to the time of his death aged 55 in October ’26. Many members of the Waterside Workers and Buffalo Lodge attended the funeral. Reg was just 14. Less than four years later, Reg’s 53 year old Mother Elinor died on the 20th March 1931 in Port Augusta.
By this time, Reg was working as a station hand until the outbreak of WWII. Aged 28, he enlisted to serve on the 26 February, ‘41 with his 20-year-old younger brother, Jim enlisting the following week. Reg became SX11667 and Jim SX11739. Both were allocated to the 2/48th Battalion, and both nominated their oldest brother, Andrew George as their next of kin. Following pre-embarkation leave, in April Reg and Jim were on the Ile de France on their way to the Middle East arriving on the 14th May ’41. Following training at the Amiriya Staging Camp, Reg was soon appointed as Lance Corporal in January ’42.
Reg was reported missing during the intense battle for Tel El Eisa in July ’42. Many eyewitness accounts survive, describing the conditions where German machine guns spread fire across the front of the 2/48th Battalion and the constant call for stretcher bearers. Concentrated anti-tank and artillery fire frequently pinned the men down, in the fearful desert heat. In the evening, patrols were sent out to search for the dead and wounded. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan observed ‘Tel el Eisa was ours, but the price we had been forced to pay had been high. On the tortured, bloody slopes of this sandy ridge fifty-three men had been killed and sixty-nine wounded.’ At that stage definitive numbers of prisoners were unknown. Wally Davis SX8328 who was badly wounded reported that “a party of Germans came over and passed close to me. They seemed to be moving among our wounded.” It was possible Reg may have been captured then.
Reg was first suspected of having been taken as a POW on the 10th July ’42 and a telegram to this effect was sent to his brother, Andrew. Tom Brown SX7750, also from the 2/48th and from Glenburnie on the SA, Victorian border was captured at a similar time. The exact date of Reg’s capture was difficult to ascertain but it was also at a similar time to Alf Taylor SX8396 who had been captured behind enemy lines on his Bren Gun carrier and handed over to the Italians.
Back home, The Chronicle in September described SX11667 L/Cpl R.H. Absalom as ‘Believed Prisoner of War.’ It took almost two months to officially confirm Reg’s fate which was changed to officially being registered as a Prisoner of War. Vatican radio reported Reg’s being at Camp 57 on the 25th March ’43.
By the end of April ’43 Reg was moved to Camp 73 Prigione di Guerra at Carpi. Campo 68 By January the following year he was transferred from Italy to Germany where he was sent to Stalag 18A on 12th January ’44. Rather than his army number which he wore with pride, Reg was given a POW Number 6538. Whilst there, prisoners were divided into two work groups, agriculture or forestry and trade and industry.
There were a number of attempted escapes from the labour units, including Reg’s escape from his German camp on the 1st June where he enjoyed a whole week of freedom before being recaptured on the 9th and returned to Grass Rufling. By early September ’44 Reg had escaped again with four precious days of freedom before being sent to Teldback which held him for two days less than two months. He again escaped on the 11th November and had eight days of freedom before again being captured and sent to Alurrick on the 19th November. Early the following year in January on the 23rd and 29th he escaped from 108 Camp being captured two days later at Trohmlaitore.
With the war at a close, Reg was confirmed as being a recovered POW, arriving in the United Kingdom on the 28th May ’45. The Chronicle finally listed SX11667 L/Cpl R.H. Absalom as ‘Not Prisoner of War’. On the trip back to Australia Reg was admitted to the ship’s hospital with a number of health issues with his back (sciatica and Lumbar discs)
He was finally on home soil in Sydney on the 7th July and in South Australia on the 9th. The News recorded the emotional welcome the men faced at the Adelaide Railway Station. ‘Women with tears streaming down their cheeks embraced returning A.I.F. prisoners of war and airmen who had been away four years when they arrived at the Adelaide Railway Station today. In the crowd to meet them were wives, mothers, and sweethearts. The men were hurried off to motor transport waiting to take the airmen to Springbank and the Army personnel to Wayville. Lance-Corporal R. H. Absalom. of Port Augusta was one of the first named A.I.F. captive prisoners of war who returned on the train.
Brother Andrew, then living in Andamooka Station via Pimba
Just two days prior to his return, a very welcome list appearing in the July ’45 issue of the Chronicle that Reg was ‘Reported Repatriated’. In the same list were others from the 2/48th Battalion including Tom Brown of Glenburnle Reginald Absalom SX11667 of Quorn, Clifford Fowler SX8914 from Streaky Bay, Max Reed SX7137 of West Croydon (who was under-age when he enlisted) and Stephen Rogers SX6693 from Broken Hill.
Reg was eventually discharged on the 19th September ’45. His young brother, Jim was discharged on the 27th February ’46. At the time, Boxing was a popular pastime with Reg’s brother John (Jack ‘Happy’) Absalom being a very classy heavy-weight fighter. In a program held in the Port Augusta Town Hall and created to raise funds for the local Oval improvements, Jack won in a ten-round main contest against his Adelaide opponent in October ‘46. Reg also competed with his match being declared a draw against his Quorn opponent, Norm Smith. The two competed the following year, but again, the result see-sawed and despite Reg’s fine last round, the bout was again declared a draw.
Reg became involved in the Andamooka Progress Association and at a fancy Dress Ball in May ’48, presented the Absalom Cup, with the family being praised for their good work in the Interests of the community at Andamooka. Two years later, Reg was also involved in a football match staged by the Great Northern Football Association to raise funds for the Accident Fund (for injured footballers). He suited up in the B Grade Veterans team which was before its time in playing against a combination of girls with the participants proudly claiming they could play as good as the men. Reg was placed at Full forward.
Five years after his discharge, Reg received his medals the 1939/45 Star, African Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Australian Service Medal. Reg is remembered on the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial at Ballarat. It carries the poignant reminder ‘When you go home, tell them of us, and say for your tomorrow we gave our today.’
Reg later became the station Manager of Portana Station, Sheringa. This was one of the large sheep holdings with the quality of the flocks built on the bloodlines from Bungaree (near Clare) and Canowie. Aged 74, Reg died on the 13th September 1986 and was buried in the Stirling North Cemetery at Port Augusta. The inscription on his plaque reads ‘Loved and remembered by all his family’
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.