Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Named after his father, Alfred Cyril Snr, Alf was the second son, born on the 2nd August 1920 at Magill to Edith Jean and Alfred (Tom). Brother Ron He was one of five children, including Ron, Thelma Edith, Joan and Betty.
Alf’s father was a plasterer who had served in WWI, enlisting on the 23rd November 1914 aged 23, as 1560 in the 10th Battalion. This was just a year after his first son, Ronald was born in October 1913. Alf Snr’s time in the army was particularly challenging and was marred by a string of being absent without leave, discipline breaches, giving a false name and number, culminating with him being placed in a Military prison with hard labour, charged with desertion and court martialled. He also experienced heart problems and a range of health issues which continued after his discharge.
Alf, nicknamed Joe had a childhood which was marked by ill health in his family. He was five when his oldest sister, Thelma died in February ‘26 and just 16 when his 46-year-old father died in January, ’37. Joe worked as a cabinet maker, then as a porter with the South Australian Railways.
Joe attracted a small road fine when working as a cabinet maker and failing to indicate when turning in February ‘40. The £1, with 10/ costs certainly put a dent in his wages. He retained his friendship with the Bannister brothers, Clarrie and Raymond who had also lived at Ovingham, but later moved to North Adelaide after the death of their own father. The three had a celebratory Saturday night out together in October that year. Unfortunately, their high spirits resulted in a Court appearance where they were found guilty of offensive behaviour in Archer street, North Adelaide. Both Bannister brothers were each fined 15/- with 7/6 costs. Joe incurred an additional fine for using ‘Insulting words to Constable Golding.’
The young men’s friendship remained intact, such that, with the outbreak of WWII all three enlisted, Ray as SX10598 in December ’40, 20-year-old Alf in January ‘41 as SX10848 and Clarrie on the 18th March ’41 as SX11792. All three were allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. Alf’s older brother, Ron enlisted five months later in June that year but was placed in the 2/7th Battalion as SX13129.
Joe and the two Bannister brothers left Australia on the ‘Ile De France’ in April, heading for the Middle East, arriving on the 15th May ’41. He began more training at Camp Amiriya. Unfortunately, Joe followed in his father’s footsteps, chafing at the demands of military discipline. Almost immediately, he failed to appear at Parade and disobeyed a lawful command, inevitably being fined for this action. The desert conditions of dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge living in the desert and the constant conditions associated with warfare also contributed to his ill health in July. Later that year, he was charged with the same discretions of his conduct and attendance at parade, with a heavy 12-day loss of pay and being confined to barracks. January and February ’42 heralded more fines for being absent without leave and non-attendance at parade, with a further hefty 12 day fine and again being confined to barracks.
With the conflict accelerating, Joe sustained a gunshot wound to his left arm on the 6th November ’42 resulting in almost a month long stay in hospital. The news reached home with the Advertiser carrying the news that ‘Mrs. E. J. Capper, of Toronto street, Ovingham, has been notified that her youngest son, Pte. Alfred Cyril Capper (22), has been wounded in action. Formerly employed by the South Australian Railways, he enlisted on January 6, 1941, and left for overseas in April of the same year. He has served in Tobruk, Bardia, Syria and Egypt. He has an older brother in the AIF.’
The events of that month created a turning point in Egypt. In his book, Tobruk to Tarakan John Glen attempted to capture the conditions. ‘They were the unsmiling eyes of men who have killed or tried to kill and have faced death in its most vicious forms. Theirs was the pride and sorrow of me who had endured too much. When all else was forgotten, they would remember Alamein and their mates who died there…. They had lived a lifetime in one night.’ The men survived being strafed by their own planes, witnessed their own trucks exploding and buried their own men. They also received the congratulations of Mongomery that ‘the part you have played is beyond all praise.’
Joe was finally able to return from the Middle East to Australia via Melbourne but again the dual illness and fines for being absent without leave accompanied him. He contracted scabies whilst training in Queensland just prior to heading to New Guinea to face a very different enemy in tropical conditions. Joe arrived in Milne Bay in August ’43 and again lost 4 days’ pay for his absences. Tinea, the curse of the tropical conditions, also contributed to Joe’s poor condition. By the end of that year, he left via Manunda on a hospital ship, disembarking at Brisbane. Malaria and scrub typhus accompanied him, as did a further AWL fine in March ’44. Alf was immediately classified as an illegal absentee by the investigating officer. He was not apprehended until the 7th July and was held in custody while a district court martial was held in Brisbane on the charge of him being absent from 12/3/45 until 7/7/45. Inevitably Joe was found guilty and forfeited a huge 209 days of pay.
By the end of the year, he faced a charge of using insubordinate language to a superior officer, fined and subjected to seven days of being confined to barracks. With the war coming to an end, Joe again was in strife, found with articles suspected of being stolen. His health was extremely poor with an upper respiratory infection, bronchitis acute gastroenteritis. Fortunately, his time in the army concluded on the 11th April ’46.
Joe’s mother Edith, lived to see both her sons return home. Ron was the first to be discharged on the 6th February ’46 and Joe two month later, on the 11th April ’46. She died in 1951.
Joe married Teresa May with the two having three daughters. Helen Jean was born at the Hindmarsh Maternity Hospital in September ‘49, followed by Christine and Elizabeth.
As did his father, Alf also died relatively young, aged just 47 years old on the 8th May, ‘68. A plaque to his memory is in the Derrick Gardens at Centennial Park Cemetery, Path 7, Grave 548A. Teresa live for another decade and died in September 1989 aged 71.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.