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Australia

Service in the Middle East (1940)

David John Hamilton Lovell began his official military service as part of the 2nd/1st Infantry Battalion, one of four battalions in the 16th Infantry Brigade. Previously a Lieutenant in the Australian Militia, Lovell was promoted to Captain upon enlistment in October 1939. He embarked from Sydney on the 10th of January 1940 and arrived along side his battalion in Egypt on the 13th of February. Due to a contusion of the right cheek, later revealed to have been caused by tonsillitis, Lovell was discharged from duty and evacuated from the Gaza Ridge on the 21st of May. He did not see any service in the 2nd/1st Infantry Battalion’s first campaign, the advance from Egypt into eastern Libya. During his recovery, Lovell was recommended for duty as a No. 6 Regiment Intelligence Officer. He attended the intelligence course on the 11th of October 1940 in Bardia (Bardiyah), Libya. 

 Service in Greece (1941)

Lovell embarked from Libya for Greece on the 2nd of May 1941, still attached to the 2nd/1st Infantry Battalion. During his brief time in Athens, he acted as a liaison party to British Headquarters. He was sent back to the Middle East later in May, arriving on the 29th, and 5 days later was admitted back to hospital with a sinus infection. He was discharged later that day and told to rest in the Officers Hostel until recovered. He experienced common cold symptoms for the next few days but was well enough by August to attend training at the Middle East Tactical School. During this time he rejoined his unit. Lovell completed his tactical training on the 19th of October. 

The Battle of Retimo in Crete (1941)

While Lovell was undertaking his liaison duties and receiving tactical training, the rest of the 2nd/1st Battalion were fighting in Crete, defending the Allied airbase staunchly in the Battle of Retimo. An Allied evacuation of Crete began on the 28th of May, but was not received by the 2nd/1st, who were busy defending the airfield, until the 30th. At that point, it was too late, and they were forced to surrender as food and ammunition ran out. A total of 511 members were captured as prisoners of war, 64 of them injured. A further 43 men were killed in the fighting. By June however, 70 of the battalions’ men who had escaped unharmed from Crete had made it back to Palestine. The decision was made to reassemble the battalion rather than disband it. The 2nd/2nd and 2nd/3rd Battalions transferred 200 experienced men across as reinforcements, and a further 500 new recruits from Australia were added to make up the numbers. 

Voyage home to Australia (1942)

Lovell was promoted to Major in February of 1942, and he seconded the new 2nd/1st Battalion until they were sent home to Australia on the 27th of March 1942 due to Japan’s entry into the war the previous December. On the voyage home, the men were diverted to Ceylon in Sri Lanka to defend against a possible Japanese invasion. It never came, so the 2nd/1st Battalion continued home, arriving in Melbourne on the 4th of August 1942.

Service in New Guinea (1943)

Back in Australia, Lovell was transferred to 55th Infantry Battalion. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on the 11th of August 1942. This unit merged with the 53rd Infantry Battalion in October to create the 55th/53rd Battalion. Before the merge, the 53rd Battalion had spent time fighting on the Kokoda Trial and experienced heavy casualties. Made up mostly of Militia members and conscripts, the 53rd had inexperienced leadership and little to no training, and as such handled the conditions in New Guinea poorly. The unit of over 500 men strong in October 1941 had dropped to just 213 members in September 1942. Their tribulations birthed a strong resentment toward the AIF in many of the remaining soldiers, not helped by the fact they had colloquially become known amongst their peers as ‘that mob’ or ‘the greyhounds of the Owen Stanley Range.’ 

The fortunes of the 53rd Battalion took a turn for the better under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Lovell. The battalion quickly transformed themselves from ‘that mob’ to a group that was ‘at long last well trained…[with] a willingness to be on their way,’ according to historian F.M. Budden. Their fearless fighting in Sanananda, where over the course of 2 weeks the battalion suffered 238 casualties, earned them respect within the 30th Brigade. The battalion was moved back to Gona in January of 1943, eventually returning to Australia on the troopship Duntroon in March. Arriving in Cairns later that month, Lovell and his men took a well deserved leave until reforming in Townsville in April. During garrison duty in Townsville in the latter months of 1943, the previously Militia 55th/53rd Battalion achieved full AIF status, meaning they could be deployed for service anywhere in the world. The battalion were able to serve in New Guinea previously due to the enacting of the Defence (Citizen Military Forces) Act 1943, which stated that Militia units may be deployed in Australia ‘and such other territories in the South-west Pacific Area as the Governor-General proclaims as being territories associated with the defence of Australia.’

 Service in Bougainville (1944-45)

With their new AIF status, Lovell and the 55th/53rd Battalion were sent to serve on Bougainville Island in December of 1944. Patrolling in dense jungle, Lovell instilled a strong emphasis on training in his officers and soldiers. He considered the Central Sector (the centre of the island, including battlefields such as Little George Hill and Pearl Ridge) to be an ‘action’ training ground. Lovell concentrated his battalion on ‘hit and run affairs,’ rather than trying to capture enemy territory. Lovell honed the battalion’s jungle warfare skills, at times sending them on rigorous patrols lasting up to 6 days. Battalion members had to have a high level of fitness to navigate the terrain, and despite being accompanied by Bougianvillean guides, Lovell made sure his patrol-leaders were skilled map-readers. Their training paid dividends during the battalions 36 patrols, on which they killed a total 107 Japanese, captured 2 prisoners and lost only 2 of their own.

Retirement (1945)

On the 29th of January 1945, Lovell was admitted to hospital with an undiagnosed illness. A week later, he was diagnosed with acute conjunctivitis. Not being able to see clearly, Lovell relinquished command of the 55th/53rd Battalion on the 27th of March and was placed upon the RSL retirement list. He was sent home from the main Australian base in Torokina and arrived in Sydney on the 12th of April. The 55th/53rd Battalion remained in Torokina until the end of the war. Lovell was deemed not fit for heavy lifting or concentration that could put undue strain on his still recovering eyes. He returned to his job as a bank officer, in the meantime performing general depot duties for the AIF. David Lovell died in 1994 at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife Judith Rosalind Lovell, who he had married before he left for service. 

David Lovell’s leadership directly contributed to Australia’s success in New Guinea. He served across 4 different continents, and the variety of his roles during his time in the AIF is testament to his ability as a commander and a soldier. 

Source List:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/55th/53rd_Battalion_(Australia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2/2nd_Battalion_(Australia)

The Hard Slog: Australians in the Bougainville Campaign, 1944-45 by Karl James (p. 100-101)