Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harold was the oldest child, born in his mother’s hometown of Yanac in Victoria on the 31st January 1913. His parents were Florence Alexina and Albert (Bert) Ernest Roy. Harold (Harry) was one of four children with siblings Albert Leslie (Jim), Jean and Maxwell Keith Gordon all of whom attended the local Renmark West School.
Post school, both Harry and Jim followed in their father’s footsteps as a fruit growers in the region.
Harold met Iris Florence May Forsyth of North Adelaide, who was a nursing Sister at the Renmark Hospital. By November ’37 the two married in an evening ceremony held in the Renmark Methodist Church. Their reception was held in the RAOB Hall before travelling by boat to Sydney for their honeymoon. Returning to live at Renmark West, they welcomed their first daughter, Ngari Helen in October ’39. Harry’s younger brother had also married in ’37 to Lola Irene Lill in an early morning ceremony in May. Both brothers were amongst the early enlistees with the outbreak of WWII.
Aged 27 Harold enlisted on the 29th June ’40 with his close friend Henry (Dick) Boothey becoming SX6876 and SX6839 respectively. A young Harry Lock also enlisted the same day as SX6846. All were allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. They trained at Wayville, now the Adelaide Showgrounds before marching to Woodside for more training. Harry’s younger brother, Jim who had been in the Militia enlisted just days later as SX8478 and was allocated to the 2/7th Battalion. He served with distinction as a Signaller, scoring 95.9% in his practical exam and being praised as an ‘excellent student with plenty of initiative.’
Harry and many others from the region returned to Renmark on pre-embarkation leave visiting friends and relatives in September. Many of the 17 young men were in his 2/48th Battalion, including SX8176 Dick Smith, SX8039 Donald F. Priester, SX8184 Walter Smith, SX6876 Harold A. J. Roy, SX6866 Roy T. Loveday. SX8179 Howard J. Trenwith, SX6846 Harry Lock, SX6839 Henry Boothey, SX7996 Colin Roger R. Jacka and SX8274 Andrew Kelly.
The young men were feted at the Renmark Institute in October when presentations were made to those who had enlisted. Over 500 people attended to hear speeches and watch the presentations of propelling pencils and cigarettes made to the 20 local men, including Harry. The Mayor said that “he felt the huge crowd present was more expressive than anything he could say of the regard in which they were held. He felt that the lads they had met to honour were brimful of the true British spirit. Right through history, England had fought for tolerance, freedom, and honour. So was it any wonder that the men of Australia had answered the call as they had.”
Following their brief leave the new soldiers returned to the 2/48th with their contingent then embarking on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940. There the recruits completing a few months training in Cyrenaica. The battalion was soon on its way to serve in Tobruk, Syria and Egypt. By the start of April 1941, the 2/48th were in Tobruk where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to new enlistees. They were to become the famed Rats of Tobruk.
In an horrific accident, his friend Dick Boothey was killed in Egypt on the 21st May ’41. The incident was also described by John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan. ‘The minefields hereabouts were very hard to locate, covered as they were with sand, and they claimed a number of victims. Not so fortunate was an A Company truck which ran onto a mine field the next day; Private H.J. Boothey was killed, and another member of the battalion was seriously injured.’
Whilst in the Middle East, Harry became a Group III Driver and mechanic by August ’42 and continued to develop his skills in the maintenance of vehicles before leaving the Middle East and returning to Australia via Melbourne.. A fellow soldier, Driver Doug Malcolm was interviewed by the Murray Pioneer in December that year. He described how “He was in Tobruk for five months and then, full of desert sand, had to go to hospital for some months. He contacted a number of Renmark soldiers including Roger Jacka and Tom Loveday, both pals of his. In the retirement from Bardia, Malcolm was one of a lone Brigade who held the fort at Tobruk against great Nazi odds. They fought alone until reinforcements arrived. They were bombed by day and night from every point of the perimeter roughly formed by these, Australians.
"I was a driver" he said, "but when we found ourselves in Tobruk we were alone. We had no trucks, so of course I joined those in the front line. We had to fight hard but somehow we held the Germans off. We had to retreat from Bardia and I shall never forget that retirement. It was orderly.
"We were called the Tobruk Rats, and the name was a correct one. I remember Harold Roy, A. Gregory, A. Aldridge being there at the time. We had many killed and wounded including some Renmark boys. We were continually bombed and then the Germans attacked. At the time of the great German thrust against us we had only one brigade in Tobruk with our battalion. It was on Good Friday that the attack came, suddenly, Seventy-two German tanks broke through our defences. They swarmed in on us. "We fixed bayonets and with the help of some British Artillery we tackled them. We fought hard for a long time and drove them out inflicting heavy losses on them. Thirty-five tanks were mopped up. We fought for about two hours.
"Then came our relief, by way of the sea. I take off my hat to the British and Australian Navies. They did marvellous work escorting supply vessels and convoying. Great dust storms used to burst over us. You could not see a yard, but we determined to hold Tobruk at all costs. I was given a truck. I had other men with me and don't want any praise for what we did. We had to go to the front line troops with supplies and ammunition. Well, we just made up our minds that this would be done. We worked by night. To do this in daylight meant destruction for us. To drive through a dust storm at night is no easy matter. But luck was with us, and we managed.
“I was driving my lorry along the perimeter in daylight. We were mail-men at the time. We had to go in daylight so that we could see the names on the mail. As we would stop at a post the German artillery watching us closely, would open up. I remember a very close thing. We had stopped at a post. A German shell came over and hit the side of my lorry. We drove on". As we halted at each post bang would come the German artillery again. They had our range, but we drove on.
“Of course, our worst experience was when we were first besieged in Tobruk. We had one solitary staff car. We were about done in then. I remember six of us being on a listening post at one time. We had two hours on and two hours off. We had sixteen days in that post. We had to crawl about 300 yards to pick up our supplies of bully beef, biscuits, ammunition and hand grenades. This post was on the Bardia road. It was a long crawl but we determined to hold that post.
Doug's story concluded with, "If it had not been for the Royal Navy we could never have held Tobruk.”
Following their service in the Middle East, the men returned home to Renmark with a huge contingent being welcomed by family and friends. Harry’s compatriots included Messrs. Walter Coombe SX7412, Bryan Nuske SX5237, Dick, F. Priester SX8039, W. Smith, R. T. Loveday SX6866. H. J. Trenwith SX8179, Harry Lock SX6846, D. French, R. Porter, Bryan, Lunday, R. Smith, R. Jacka and A. Kelly.
The local Murray Pioneer noted the men’s return with record crowds massed at the railway station. A hugely patriotic article appeared. ‘BEHIND the official announcement by the Prime Minister (Mr. Curtin) this week that a further contingent of troops had arrived in Australia from the Middle East lies a story of great excitement and enthusiasm in the River districts. The joy which came to human hearts as trains conveying the troops drew into the various stations could only be appreciated by those who witnessed the unforgettable scenes on the crowded platforms It recalled to the mind happenings of 12 months earlier when the first troops from overseas returned to Australia.
‘Many of these heroes of Rommel's El Alamein debacle—their most recent triumph—had been away from home for three years and were among the "Rats of Tobruk". From the time some days earlier, that news leaked through that the men had arrived at "An Australian port," relatives had lived in an air of joyous expectancy, which broke loose aa the various men reached their home stations on three weeks' leave. Practically without exception the men looked 100 per cent fit, though some carried the unmistakable traces of hard campaigning under difficult conditions.’
‘At Renmark the station yard was crowded on the several occasions when special coaches were attached to the passenger train to brins the men to their home stations. The largest attendance was on the Saturday afternoon that the first of the Diggers arrived home. All parking room in the station yard and approaches having been taken, cars were parked for some hundred yards down the road outside, and there must have been 500 people present. The height of community enthusiasm, however, was not reached until the welcome home social on the Thursday evening, when the record attendance of 1,000 thronged the Institute to honour these heroes of many campaigns.
‘It was Indeed a "meeting of the clans", including people from other districts as well as local residents. The hall's capacity proved unequal to the occasion. Renmark was determined to welcome those who had fought and suffered. A number of wounded men were present. Mothers, wives and sweethearts were noted in the crowd. Seats were provided on the stage as well as all round the hall—sometimes double-banked—but even then there was scarcely "standing room" for the mighty throng.’
In a eulogistic speech the RSL President commented that “in greeting these fine young men, that a mere 35 years ago they were peace loving lads in a peaceful country, but by virtue of their earnest training and their high ideals they were today fighting soldiers second to none in the world. He reiterated that nobody in Australia was more proud of them than members of the original AIF. Old soldiers had watched their exploits with the keenest interest. Many of them were sons of men who had served twenty-five years earlier.
"It must be a matter of pride that of the eleven Victoria Crosses awarded to Australians in this war three of these greatest awards have been made to members of one battalion." The men who bad assisted in these great exploits stood before them. They still had a job to do and he knew from conversation with the gallant men themselves that they desired to complete the task before them. This was not the "welcome" to which they looked forward, but a greeting in passing. He wished them all God speed and a final happy return to Renmark. On behalf of ex-servicemen, he congratulated them on what had been accomplished and expressed confidence in their determination to carry on their valorous campaign to victory.’
Harry’s young brother, 18-year-old Maxwell Keith Gordon Roy enlisted with the RAAF in November ’42, becoming Flight Sergeant 437162 with the Number 467 Squadron. The Renmark community was justifiably proud of the young man with his keenness and interest in flying and his studies. At his farewell in September ‘43, the Mayor commented that “The service Max had joined had played a prominent part in the past and would play a much more prominent part in future, until the termination of the war.” Max had also been an inaugural member of the Renmark Toc H Group which also honoured him.
In a devastating blow to the family, 20-year-old Max was killed during Air operations over Courtrai, Belgium, on the 21st July 1944. At first it was reported that he was missing as a member of the crew of a Lancaster on air operations over Europe.
Harry, who was by this time in the 4th Garrison Battalion, was approved under Military Regulations and Orders for discharge to support his father with the seasonal demands of the fruit orchards. He had also been experiencing severe migraines. Similarly, his younger brother, Gunner Jim was also granted harvest leave, before returning to his unit in April ’45. Harry was discharged on the 9th October that year.
Harry, Iris and their family were an active part of their Renmark community with Iris being secretary of the Mothers and Babies Association and both being involved in lawn bowls and golf. Iris was, Secretary and Vice President of the Women’s Bowling where a strong competition developed with Loxton, Barmera, and Cobdogla. In his first year as a lawn bowler, Harry and his partner were runners up in the Pairs Championship in March 45 with the local paper commenting that ‘Harold Roy did well, he is a first-year bowler.’ They also were very sociable, including hosting fellow golfers from Winkle and Chafey post-match back at their home for tea and bridge playing.
Iris and Harry’s second daughter, Judith was born in ’47. Ngari was obviously the proud and helpful big nine-year-old sister. In a letter to the Young Folk’s Club run through the local Murray Pioneer newspaper, she wrote of being in Grade V and “I have one sister called Judith. She is 15 months old. In the school holidays I stayed home and looked after Judith. I have a garden of my own which has in it freesias, daffodils, marigolds, hyacinths, wallflowers and larkspurs.” The two girls were also involved with their parents Bowls Club, presenting posies to the season’s champion in 1950. Harold also excelled in golf, winning the Renmark Patron’s trophy in ’49 with net scores of 66 and then 67.
The Roy family remembered Max in the Murray Pioneer Thursday 18 July 1946, ‘ROY—In memory of our loved son and brother Flt. Sgt. Max Roy who lost his life over Belgium, 21/7/44. Not just today, but every day, In silence we remember him.’
Having been a member of the Methodist OK preaching band and a member of the Methodist Order of Knights, in March ‘46 the Roy family presented a beautiful communion service in memory of their son and brother to the church. The following year a lamp and photo of Max was presented to the Toc H Group dedicated to the memory of Max Roy.
Aged 89, Harold died on the 19th September 2002 and was buried in the Barmera Garden of Memory Cemetery where a plaque commemorates his service.
Written and researched by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th Battalion.