Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Borthwick Earnest Raymond “Ray” Topperwien SX8081
Ray Topperwien enlisted into the 2nd Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 14th June, 1940 at Glossop, South Australia.
The 2/48th Battalion originated on 9 August 1940 at the Wayville Showgrounds, in Adelaide, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Victor Windeyer. This unit consisted of all-volunteers, specifically for service overseas and recruited mainly from South Australia. The battalion's headquarters staff began arriving early in the August, with many of the key personnel having served previously in South Australian Militia units, including the 27th Battalion (South Australian Scottish Regiment). On the 9th September, 1940, Ray Topperwien was one of a large draft of recruits from the 2nd Infantry Training Depot and rudimentary individual training was undertaken in the nearby park lands.
There were around 900 personnel in the battalion. They formed four rifle companies—designated 'A' through to 'D'—each consisting of three platoons. Each company were supported by a battalion headquarters and a headquarters company with six specialist platoons: signals, pioneer, anti-aircraft, transport, administrative and mortars. With the 2nd/23rd and 2nd/24th Battalions, the 2nd/48th Battalion formed part of the 26th Brigade and was assigned to the 7th Division during its initial training period. It was later transferred with the rest of the 26th Brigade to the 9th Division. Following their pre-embarkation leave (15/10/40-23/10/40), the battalion undertook three weeks training at Woodside, this included undertaking a 7.2 km route march in full equipment at Oakbank. Prior to its deployment overseas, the battalion marched through the city of Adelaide and on 17th November, 1940 the battalion embarked upon the troopship ‘Stratheden’ and set sail the following day for North Africa.


After a brief shore leave in Colombo, the ‘Stratheden’ entered the Suez Canal in mid-December 1940. They disembarked on 17th Dec 1940 in the Middle East where the battalion briefly occupied a camp at El Kantara and then moved onto Dimra, in Palestine. At Dimra, the battalion joined the rest of the 26th Brigade for the first time and undertook further training until March 1941. However on 29th Dec 1940, Ray Topperwien was admitted to the Aust General Hospital and then discharged on 5th Jan 1941, rejoining the 2nd/48th Battalion at Dimra on 6th Jan 1941.

On 1st Feb 1941, Ray was taken to Headquarters of the 7th Aust Division and transferred to the 1st Aust General Hospital. It is unclear as to the reasons for this but it seems that he did not return to his battalion but became a Graded Group 3 Nursing Orderly on 1st July 1941 and transferred to the 11th Aust General Hospital on 13th Jan 1942. Meanwhile, the 2nd/48th Battalion took part in the defence of Tobruk, where the battalion saw its first action of the North African Campaign. Perhaps Ray was very fortunate to have not fought at Tobruk.

On 30th Jan 1942, Ray embarked on the ‘Governor’ and disembarked on 21st March 1942 in Australia. He was granted leave from 26th March to 3rd April 1942. On the 1st May, 1942, he transferred to the 9th AGH from the 11th AGH but on 6th May he ceased to be attached to the 9th AGH. After being promoted to Acting Corporal on 17th Dec 1942, Ray was promoted to Corporal on 23rd February 1943. For a time he as attached to the 2nd/12th AGH.

After his promotion to Lance Sergeant on 10th July 1943 with the 2nd/11th AGH, Ray embarked on a ship in Brisbane and sailed to Buna, New Guinea, disembarking on the 21st July 1943. He continued working as a medical orderly. During February 1943 and April 1943, Ray sailed on the ‘HMAS Katoomba’ between Buna and Bowen and Townsville.

On 6th June 1945, Ray was flown out of Finschafen, New Guinea to Brisbane, Queensland with recurrent bronchitis, depression and anxiety. He was discharged from the army on 6th August 1945.