Difference between revisions of "John Peter Lewis Rymer"
From Our Contribution
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| death = 14 Mar 2001 | | death = 14 Mar 2001 | ||
| placeofdeath = City Beach, Western Australia | | placeofdeath = City Beach, Western Australia | ||
| − | | enlistmentage = | + | | enlistmentage = 20 years, 1 month |
| description = | | description = | ||
| height = | | height = | ||
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| hair = | | hair = | ||
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| − | | occupation = | + | | occupation = Farmer |
| − | | religion = | + | | religion = Church of England |
| − | | address = Byford, Western Australia | + | | address = "Nanooma", Byford, Western Australia |
| relation = Father | | relation = Father | ||
| − | | nextofkin = Mr John Rymer | + | | nextofkin = Mr John Bertram Rymer |
| − | | regnumber = | + | | regnumber = [https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6449609 WX6621] |
| enlistmentdate = 19 Jul 1940 | | enlistmentdate = 19 Jul 1940 | ||
| rank = Private | | rank = Private | ||
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==War Service== | ==War Service== | ||
| − | + | John enlisted at the Claremont camp on 19 Jul 1940 and was sent to the Melville Trainiing Depot on 26 Jul 1940. On 15 Aug 1940 he was posted to the [[2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion]] forming at Northam. From 27 Nov - 5 Dec 1940 he was granted pre-embarkation leave before departing Fremantle with the battalion aboard [[HMT Aquitania]] on 3 Dec 1940. They disembarked in Colombo on 12 Jan 1941 and on 14 Jan 1941 they embarked aboard [[HMT Nieuw Zeeland]] | |
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[[Category:Born Australia ww2]] | [[Category:Born Australia ww2]] | ||
[[Category:Born WA ww2]] | [[Category:Born WA ww2]] | ||
| − | [[Category:]] | + | [[Category:Farmer ww2]] |
| − | [[Category:]] | + | [[Category:Church of England ww2]] |
[[Category:2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion]] | [[Category:2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion]] | ||
[[Category:WIA ww2]] | [[Category:WIA ww2]] | ||
Revision as of 14:52, 26 November 2022
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 9 May 1920 |
| Place of Birth | Cue, Western Australia |
| Death | 14 Mar 2001 |
| Place of Death | City Beach, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 20 years, 1 month |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | "Nanooma", Byford, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr John Bertram Rymer |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | WX6621 |
| Date of Enlistment | 19 Jul 1940 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion |
| Return to Australia | |
| Journey Dates | 24 Jan 1943 ‒ 18 Feb 1943 |
| Transport Details | HMT L1 Queen Mary Port Tewfik to Fremantle via Massawa & the Maldive Islands |
| Post War Details | |
| Fate |
Wounded in action 27 Jul 1942 Ruin Ridge Libya Returned to Australia |
| Medals |
1939-45 Star Africa Star War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45 |
Pre War
War Service
John enlisted at the Claremont camp on 19 Jul 1940 and was sent to the Melville Trainiing Depot on 26 Jul 1940. On 15 Aug 1940 he was posted to the 2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion forming at Northam. From 27 Nov - 5 Dec 1940 he was granted pre-embarkation leave before departing Fremantle with the battalion aboard HMT Aquitania on 3 Dec 1940. They disembarked in Colombo on 12 Jan 1941 and on 14 Jan 1941 they embarked aboard HMT Nieuw Zeeland
The 2/28th reached the Alamein front on 10 July and the division attacked a week later. Just after midnight on 27 July, the 2/28th attacked Ruin Ridge and by 1:00 am they were on the feature. But things were starting to go wrong: the Germans were attacking the Australians from rear positions; three company commanders were wounded; and many of the vehicles that should have brought forward ammunition were destroyed or damaged. Increasingly cut off, an attempt by British tanks to relieve the battalion was abandoned after 22 vehicles were destroyed. Shortly before 10:00am enemy tanks began moving in on the Australians from three directions. 'A' company was overrun and the battalion's commander had little choice but to surrender. John was one of those who survived, and because of his injury early in the battle, he had been evacuated from the battle field ahead of the circumstances that saw more than 500 of his comrades taken prisoner.
Prior to leaving Egypt for Australia, John on a whim decided to visit the battlefield. He had participated in the ill fated attack on Ruin Ridge on the night of 26/27 Jul 1942 as a crew member of a carrier that had been blown up on 27 Jul 1942 while trying to take out an anti tank gun that was holding up their advance. John borrowed a motor cycle and sought to visit the site and came away affected by the silence and the array of skeletons strewn around the battlefield. [1]
On arrival back in Australia the 2/28th Battalion was housed in the Melville Camp and the men granted three weeks leave before they proceeded by train to Adelaide in March 1943. After a long delay in Adelaide the battalion moved to the Atherton Tablelands in north Queensland. As the battalion was preparing for jungle service its carrier crew would no longer be needed, and many, including John left to join other units.[2]
Discharged on 10 Oct 1944
Post War
Notes
- ↑ The Second 28th - The Story of the 2/28th Australian Infantry battalion in World War II, Philip Masel, 2/28th Battalion and 24th Anti-Tank Company Association Inc pp171,172
- ↑ The Second 28th - The Story of the 2/28th Australian Infantry battalion in World War II, Philip Masel, 2/28th Battalion and 24th Anti-Tank Company Association Inc p184