Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Dick joined the 2nd A.I.F. Army No SX4659. in June 1940, and reported for duty, transfering to Woodside for basic training. He gave his occupation as Horse trainer. In fact was a very good horseman, training and driving Trotters for many years at various places including Wayville Show Grounds. Played Polo with a local team that included Robbie and his father RW Mckenzie, Alf Barrett and Dr Watson as Umpire. He has the distinction of being the last true working Bullock Teamster of Southern Yorke Peninsula.
Joined the 2/6th Field Ambulance and embarked on the 29th of Dec 1940, Melbourne, arriving in the Middle East on the 31st of Jan 1941. On the sick list 12th of April 1941 with Dysentery, (must have been a horrid sickness to have in a hot climate) transferred to sicklist and to 2nd AGH. Discharged 13 May 1941 and transferred to Australian Army Medical Corps. Service records are brief but from a private record we know that with his mate Trader Horne they drove through Syria in their Ambulance they called "Bloody Mary" (Reflection on the work they encountered). Sick with Malaria while he was home and then off to New Guinea, Sep 1942. Embarked for Australia 30 Jan 1942. Transferred Bombay to Kosciuszko overseas. Arriving back 25 March 1943. Evacuated to 2nd GH Qld and had Malaria a few times.Embarked for N.G. 8 Jan 1943. Disembarked 11 Jan 1943. Back in Brisbane again in Mar 1943. He then went back to New Guinea from Aug 1942 till Jan 1943. Back on he sick list again in Aug 43, admitted to 2/2 AGH Rocky Creek nr Cairns with Traumatic Dysentery. Embarked from Cairns on "Canberra" on the 24th of Sep, and disembarked Pt Moresby on the 27th of Sep 1943. Evacuated 2/6 Field Ambo with hepatitis Dec 1943. Returned to Brisbane on the 15th of Mar 1944. Suffered with Malaria again in May of 1944, admitted to Yorketown Hospital. Also shown as having Hepatitis in 1943 New Guinea.. Embarked at Townsville per "General Anderson" 2nd of June and disembarked at Morotai, Nth Borneo, on the 8th of June 1945. Embarked Morotai per LST 168 for service Balikpapan, Nth Borneo. Transferred out to 2/14 Aust Inf Btn 3 Aug 1945. Transferred to 2/6 Field Ambo. Embarked per "HMTS Cheshire" at Balikpapan for Mainland and marched out to SA for Discharge 7 Nov 1945 . Disembarked Melbourne 20 Nov 1945. He was then discharged from the Army on Dec 6th 1945, Adelaide. He was on charges a number of times A.W.O.L., never injured but a number of illness's. He was one of the Warooka boys who visited Liddicoat's who lived in Weaver Ave Richmond, former Warooka residences. Across the road from the young Betty Delderfield. He saw a total of 955 days of active service overseas, 830 days in Australia.