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Townsville and Charters Towers
We were still lost at this time: nobody wanted us. On 9 February, the
unit went up to the Townsville area.
We entrained in Brisbane, and I am not sure if it was at the main station, but I do remember that the train consisted of what , even then would be considered fairly old rolling stock, but in the compartment we were in at least we had a toilet. (I understood at the time some did not, and I do not know how they got on)
I say a compartment because that is what it was. No connection with the rest of the carriage or, of course, the train.
The seating was on both ends of the carriage, facing the way we were going and, on one side, as in a horseshoe. I think from memory there was only one door, but I am a bit vague on this matter.
All our gear, which consisted of a kit bag, great coat made of wool (great at the south pole, but hardly used in Queensland, let alone New Guinea), respirator (a criminal offence to call it a "Gas Mask"), tin hat, webbing, a small pack, water bottle, and bayonet was stacked on the floor, so that it was more or less impossible to put your feet down when sitting. At least it made it comfortable to sleep, an occupation we did much off over the next three or four days and nights. I can't remember just how long, but it seemed to be forever.
One of the contributing factors for the extensive time taken was that three times a day we pulled into a station or siding for meals, and ablutions, and of course we took second place to urgently needed supplies required for the conduct of the war. At this time there were not only Australian troops in camps, hospitals, and resting but also thousands of Yanks in the similar positions. Because McArthur was "god" their requirements came first.
I know we could not have defended Australia without them, but this resentment of the Americans was not only the feeling among the Australians, particularly those who had come back from the Middle East, but reflected the actual situation of preferment.
Eventually we arrived in Townsville, and were dumped in a makeshift tent camp about 5 miles from the city centre. Next to the camp, which was in a suburban area, not heavily populated, was a pond of fresh water in which we used to swim, and on a street was a small corner store where we could buy a few small items, but not of course cigarettes, which at that time I was not using.
The main occupation was a two-up school that two or three of the blokes organised, and as I didn't gamble (a dull life, no smoking, no gambling, and, because there weren't any, no girls) I can't remember how I put in the time. We were there only a few days before going to Charters Towers.
One thing I did do with a couple of the boys was to go into the city for a beer. Great hopes but no go, First the town was teeming with troops, mostly Yanks. Second beer was as scarce as hen's teeth, and for the real killer you could not get a beer unless you had your own glass. Because of the war effort, all non-essentials were not manufactured in sufficient quantities to replace the breakages. So the answer was make your own glass.
How? You found an empty beer bottle, and there was no shortage of those, as all bottles regardless of the brewer were identical, found a piece of string, soaked it in methylated spirits, tied it around the bottle just below where it commences to slope in to the top, light it. At the right time plunge the top of the bottle into cold water, and the top breaks off and leaves a smooth edge, and you have your own beer glass. If you pushed hard enough at an overcrowded bar, and it so happened the pub still has some beer, you got a drink. These "glasses" were called "Lady Blamey's" after the wife of our top General.
Two of the blokes in my tent made a killing on the "swy" and knowing I did not play forced me to hold their winnings in my money belt, on the understanding that under no circumstances would I give it back. After about two days, and being threatened with a fate much worse than death, they got their money back and I lost two good friends.
We then spent 2 or 3 days in Charters Towers. Why we had a train ride to Charters Towers
I don't know. We stayed there overnight or two days and came back to Townsville
again.
We'd gone to Adelaide at the beginning of '42, it was now February '43,
and we were still the same group of men, by and large, except for those
from Watsonia who had joined the 18th Brigade. We were mostly CMF volunteers
who had transferred to the AIF. I think we had all transferred to the
AIF by then.
Embarkation
On 17 February, we were transferred from our camp about, four miles from
the harbour, by train - this time, when we didn't need it, in a sleeper
carriage (which was typical) - and embarked on the S.S. Katoomba. I had
a very pleasant trip. We were parked in the hold, that was our sleeping
quarters, and I slept one night in the hold and next three nights I spent
in the sick bay with Dengue Fever. I don't know where I picked that up,
but I got Dengue Fever.
Was what happened to me fairly unusual? I mean, twelve months buggerising
around in the back blocks after you'd volunteered to go overseas? I think
it was a bit unusual. We just got lost. Nobody wanted us. Blokes that
came from "civvy street" into the army, went straight in to AIF, did six
weeks or three months training and went straight overseas. On the other
hand, we had the training but were then "lost" for twelve months or so.
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