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Born in Kensington on the 28th May 1923, Cyril was the fourth son of Sydney Charles and Nellie Marie Aplin. He came from a large family of twelve, although only ten survived, four sons and four daughters. His siblings included Ronald Charles, Sydney George who died aged just 8 months, Shirley May, Rhonda, Iris and Margaret Nellie, Colin Raymond, Eric Sydney, and Bruce Malcolm. The family occasionally moved but for much of his early life, Cyril Lived in Mornington (Plympton) SA on Anzac Highway.
In the 1920’s school attendance was strictly monitored by Senior School Attendance Officers and parents who did not ensure their children’s attendance, were required to face a Magistrates’ Court and fined. Over a decade, Cyril’s father continued to appear with his fines increasing in cost and regularity, from 5/ and 15/ costs in September ’25, to £1 and £1 costs the following month. It was a frustrating time for the family, with Sydney separating from Nellie for a while and having to pay her £2 15/ a week for her and the children’s maintenance. Unfortunately, by ’36 there were twelve children in the family and the absenteeism continued with each parent blaming the other for the non-attendance, especially of their young daughter who instead was found playing in the streets. Nellie struggled to organise her time and Sydney complained that "All she does is go to the dago camp down the road all the week." In frustration he added “I can't stay home because of her nagging, she's the person who should be charged. I've reared, 12 children and eight of them were taken from the wife because she would not look after them properly.''
Sydney also seemed to attract the attention of authorities, accruing several other fines for his actions. These included in November ‘39 having burnt the stubble on land on Anzac Highway, Plympton without having complied with the Bush Fires Act, an action for which he was initially heavily fined £5 but was then reduced to £2 with 10/ costs. Within a few weeks he was one of four milk vendors, bread-carters, and other tradesmen fined for leaving their vehicles facing the wrong way on a street. Little sympathy was shown to the deliverers, despite their reasoning that their horse-drawn vehicle was left on the wrong side because there was more feed there for the horse. Sydney’s fine was for 7/6 with 10/ costs. Life continued to be a struggle for him in trying to provide for the family as in September the following year he was fined for ration fraud, by altering a receipt date for extra rent work. He was again fined 15/-.
As a 16-year-old, Cyril was extremely fortunate to survive an encounter with a tram in June ’39 whilst riding his bike on King William Road near the Adelaide Bridge. He sustained a fracture to his left thigh and possible concussion, being taken to hospital via ambulance.
At various stages, the boys all joined the junior ranks of the army with an older brother, Ronald Charles, joined the Milita as S302474 serving in the 43/48 battalion as a Lance Corporal, but his discharge was finalised in April ’35. At the time he gave his father as his next of kin.
Of the sons, three would enlist to serve in WWII. At the time he gave his father as his next of kin, as did the other brothers. Having both been part of the Army Scouts, The two brothers, Colin and Cyril enlisted at a similar time in July ’40, 20-year-old Colin on the 3rd and 17-year-old Cyril on the 6th July. Cyril was ‘generous’ with his date of birth, registering the correct day and month but suggesting 1920, just a month after Colin’s birthday on the 9th April 1920. He claimed to be 20 years old but his very youthful photo on enlistment is more telling of his real date of birth. (The mistake was corrected later during his service.) At the time Cyril had been working as a labourer.
Their youngest brother, Bruce was the third to enlist, just days after his 18th birthday in May ’42 becoming PA2856 and rising to become an Able Seaman.
Colin was allocated the number SX7670 and Cyril SX8144 and by September both were placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. At the time, Cyril’s mother, Nellie, still had two young children at home to care for, but money was always a struggle for the large family, exacerbated by the Depression and Sydney earning a minimal wage or being unemployed. At that stage, Colin had already nominated to give part of his wage to support his mother, as had Cyril for a short time, until he cancelled this in November, just prior to embarking. However, Nellie had heard Cyril was drinking which indicated to her that he had too much money, believing she could put it to much better use, so she wrote to the Army with this request. Cyril, however later made the decision to allocate money to his married sister, Rhonda.
Following pre-embarkation leave, the brothers boarded the Stratheden on the 7th November ’40 and were on their way to the Middle East, arriving on the 17th December. Almost immediately, Cyril, known as ‘Curly’ was graded a Group II carpenter. Conditions in the war zone were extremely challenging for the men and probably much worse for a young lad.
In March the following year, Cyril was severely punished for his undisciplined behaviour ‘to the prejudice of good order and military discipline’. He was confined to barracks for a fortnight and fined 5/-, plus his pay was suspended to cover the (unrevealed) damage he had incurred. Seven months later in October, Cyril was again ‘forcibly resting’ in the barracks for a further fortnight for his lack of discipline and being drunk. This time he was fined a large £3/10/-
However, this only curtailed Cyril’s impulsive behaviour until August ’42 when he took ‘unofficial leave’ overnight, resulting in the loss of a day’s pay and a fine of £3. Even more unfortunate was an accident Cyril incurred. Compared with his run-in with the tram as a 19-year-old, this time it was his right leg where he fractured his fibula and sustained an ankle injury. Several weeks of hospitalisation followed.
Fortunately, by February the following year, the 2/48th returned to Australia via Melbourne. Being back on home soil, Cyril’s reaction was to accumulate multiple offences for being absent without leave. He lost eight day’s pay and was fined £5. It is possible this coincided with the family receiving news that their youngest son, Malcolm was wounded. The April ’43 issue of the News reported ‘Adelaide Seaman Wounded in Action Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Aplin, of Flinders street, Adelaide, have been informed that their youngest son, Ordinary - Seaman Bruce M. Aplin, has been wounded as the result of enemy action. Seaman Alpin is 18, and has two brothers serving in the A.I.F. Before enlistment he was employed by the South Australian Brush Co. and had been a Sea Scout since he was 13.’ At the same time the matriarch of the family, Sydney’s mother and the children’s 83-year-old grandmother, Clara died. She had been the ‘glue’ for the family and was much loved and missed by all the grandchildren. Cyril and his sister placed a poignant farewell to her ‘APLIN.—In loving memory of Grandma. passed away April 10, 1943. food's greatest gift: Remembrance.—lnserted by May, Cyril, and great-grand sons John and Kevin.’
Training in Queensland followed in preparation to face a very different enemy in the humidity of New Guinea. Unfortunately, Cyril again reacted with numerous expensive absences, making these charges worse by threatening his superior officer and striking him. The resultant fines and loss of pay seemed to have little effect. He arrived in Milne Bay in August ’43 but within two months had contracted malaria, followed by an extremely high temperature Pyrexia of Unknown Origin, both of which continued to flair in the following months.
Cyril finally left via Port Moresby to return to Brisbane, but still was unable to divest the malaria infection, despite being hospitalised. However, In September ’44 the battalion was in Ravenshoe for the much anticipate 9th Division premiership between the 2/48th and the 2/9th Division Cavalry Regiment. The 2/48th won by just three points in what was described as one of the best matches ever played between units. It was also the third time the 2/48th had won the Divisional Premiership. Many in the team had been league players before the war and Curly Aplin was mentioned as being one of the elite players.
Army requirements continued to frustrate Cyril, and he continued to resort to his ‘solution’ of being absent without leave. Fortunately, he was not fined, just ‘admonished’. Soon after, he spent in the Bowen Hospital, followed by treatment for his ankle and an ear infection before he was able to rejoin the 2/48th in December ’44. More ‘unofficial leave’ followed with the inevitable fine.
Service in April saw Cyril leave Cairns for Morotai and thence to Tarakan, but within months his ear infection flared in July. He return to Australia, then South Australia before his discharge on the 10th October ’45, aged 23 years. His older brother, Colin followed, being discharged on April 8th the following year.
By April ’47 Cyril had married Marion Kathleen Jocey from Stepney and the young couple soon welcomed Cheryl Marie in January ‘48, followed by Lynette Alexis in May ’49, Bronwyn Faye in April ’51 then Roxanne. By that time, Cyril had gained a War Service Housing loan to build a home for his family in East Payneham. Sadly, his marriage deteriorated in the ensuing years with Kathleen filing for divorce in August ’54.
Cyril died just three days prior to his 56th birthday on the 25th May ’79. At the time he was living at Wingfield, Port Adelaide. He was buried in the Cheltenham Cemetery Lawn, Drive D, Row 24 Site 469S. His plaque is a memorial to his service with the 2/48th Battalion and to his children; ‘Beloved father of Cheryl, Lynette, Bronwyn, Roxanne and Spog. At Rest.’ Marion lived a much longer life until her death in March 2003 with her remains now at Enfield Memorial Park.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.