World War II Veteran Leslie Sinclair, 100, reflects on VP80 Ccmmemorations
World War II veteran Leslie Sinclair was on duty manning a defensive ‘pit’ in case of a Japanese attack near Balikpapan in Borneo when he heard the joyful cries of his brothers-in-arms shouting out – ‘the war is over, the war is over’.
Townsville
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World War II veteran Leslie Sinclair was on duty manning a defensive ‘pit’ in case of a Japanese attack near Balikpapan in Borneo when he heard the joyful cries of his brothers-in-arms shouting out – ‘the war is over, the war is over’.
It was August 15, 1945 and his mates from the 2/33 Infantry Battalion were in the back of trucks coming back from a concert featuring English singer Gracie Fields at a nearby beach.
It was a bittersweet moment for the veteran who turned 100 in March. He returned from the war but many of his mates did not.
The veteran was one of the 30,000 troops who took part amphibious landing at Balikpapan the previous month – the last major Australian operation of the war.
The landing, code-named Oboe Two, occurred just six weeks before the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to the unconditional Japanese surrender and the final end to the war.
“I always remember we were on the LCI (Landing Craft Infantry), and they come in, and the LCI was surging on the beach. I could always remember this, this American bloke yelling out, ‘get off the ramp. You Australian soldiers, get off the ramp’, and they put us up in water,” he said.
“We’re up there, up to our hips in water. We just walked ashore, and then we formed up, and they took it up to where we were supposed to be, and the campaign started from there, we just went inland.”
During the brief but bloody six week campaign, ‘Doc’ or ‘Sinny’ as he was known to his mates, fought with his battalion, involved is some of the heaviest fighting along the Milford Highway where Australian forces suffered 50 percent casualties.
The 2/33 Battalion suffered 25 killed with 57 wounded in the 22 days of the campaign.
Amongst those lost was his best mate Lance Corporal Jack Galloway who was killed right next to him when his unit was given the order to advance.
“My best mate. I’ve got his photo there. He was killed in the Balikpapan campaign. I mean - 21 years of age. You know, it’s, it’s hard to convey to people just what happens in the infantry. Every time you go into action, your life’s on the line,” he said. “We had blokes (in the battalion) who had been through the Middle East, been through the Owen Stanley’s (Kokoda Trail, Buna-Gona campaign) and through the Ramu Valley, killed at Balikpapan. It makes you wonder why, so close to the end of the war.
“You can’t convey to people just what happens. I mean, why do you do it? You’re in the army. That’s one of those things. As I said, every time you go into action, your life’s on the line. You never know what’s going to happen.”
“Jack was next to me, and I swear blind to this day, I heard this one terrific crack. I saw him go down, and when I came back, he’d been hit twice, right, right in the middle. He was he was dead before he hit the ground. Young blokes, 19 years of age - dead.”
“I’d have been 20 if I’d have been killed - but you never forget.”
Mr Sinclair had joined the army in Townsville at 18 in 1943 and served as an infantryman with A Company, 7 platoon in the 2/33rd Battalion.
Only one other veteran, Noel Walker, is still alive from the battalion.
Soon after the war’s end the battalion had a parade attended by Lord Mountbatten, General Blamey and Mr Sinclair still remembers the words spoken by Mountbatten.
“Mountbatten told us later on that had the war hadn’t finished, we were to be in Malaya still fighting, yeah, and I don’t think I’d have come back from that.”
He said mateship was the bond binding the soldiers together especially when it was their turn to be forward scout on patrol.
“You just you had to rely on everybody. You relied on your mates to protect your back, especially when you were forward scout. Different blokes had different ideas on how to be a forward scout, but you had to take your turn like everybody else. And that was the big one. You were the first up, and if they saw you first, who knows what might happen?”
Itching to get into the action from his home in Townsville in 1942 he first tried to join the navy. “You could join the Navy at 17 and I was born in March, and around about August, I said to dad, I said, ‘they’re gonna call me up so I joined (the navy)’. I did all the tests and everything here, and I was just waiting to go.
“I waited and waited and waited and around about January (1943), I said to dad, ‘Oh, dad. I said, I’ll be heading in March. The navy doesn’t look as though they’re going to call me up. I’ll go and join the army’
“My mum was saying, ‘you’re young yet’ and dad said, ‘I’ll let him go. He’ll be home in six months’. I didn’t get home for three and a half years.
“Anyhow, I joined the army. Did the training at a little place called Port Morgan Park, halfway between Warwick and Stanthorpe. Then I went to a holding battalion. Then I went to Canungra. Then I was, as reinforcement, I was taken to the 2/33 Battalion, and that’s where I stayed until the end of the war,” the veteran said.
But during his army training the veteran almost transferred to the air force – desperate for aircrew.
“When we were doing our training, they (RAAF) called volunteers, air crew. So I said, ‘oh, well, I’ll have a go at this’. They took us to Brisbane. I passed all the exams and all the rest of it, but mum wouldn’t sign the papers for me to go on the in the air crew. When I asked her why, she said ‘you’re going to be a tail gunner’. I don’t know what you know about tail gunners, but that was the story here in Townsville, was the bombers took off, the bombers came back, and the first thing they did was they hosed out the tail gunner. That was a story. And mum says, ‘you going be a tail gunner’ and I said ‘oh mum, don’t be stupid’.
“She said, ‘what goes in before the infantry?’ I said, ‘bullets’ and mum said, ‘see if you can get back in the air force’. ‘Too late’. I said, ‘I’m in the infantry and I’m stuck with it’.”
He wonders if people still remember the sacrifices of his mates and those of his generation eighty years ago.
“I don’t know how people think these days, like I say they don’t even know what happened. I’m one of the very few that left. I mean that there’s, there’s only two in the battalion left, me and the bloke that I keep contact was in Sydney, Noel Walker. We’re the last two of them.”
But the WWII veteran will always remember and believes the history of his mates’ sacrifices should not be forgotton.
“I’ll never forget what happened, and all the rest of it. Oh, it should be remembered. History is history, and as my doctor said, or used to say, ‘I can tell you what happened yesterday, can’t tell you what’s going to happen tomorrow’.”
But he still would not hesitate to serve his country again - if asked.
“If I was young enough, I’d go again. That’s just my opinion. I mean, this is my country,” he said.
The Townsville City Council is coordinating several events in the city on August 15 to 17 for VP80 where Mr Sinclair will be a treasured guest.
“I’ve got the invitation there from the city council. I’ve just got to decide on what events I want to go to and all the rest of it, and the family with me.”
But he still vividly recalls the end of the conflict in the Pacific theatre.
“You never forget it, as I say, I can still remember them. I can still remember them coming in the trucks yelling out, ‘the war’s over. The war’s over’.
Townsville RSL president Colin Mosch said the VP80 commemorations went straight to the core of the RSL.
“It’s about honouring those that have served, preserving their legacy and making sure their sacrifices aren’t forgotten,” the Mr Mosch said.
He said despite the conflict being over for 80 years, the upcoming commemorations were an opportunity for the Townsville community to come together and remember.
“Whether you have a direct connection to the war or not, VP80 is the time for everyone to come together, pay our respects and remember that freedom comes at a price.
“This reminds us that the peace was really, really hard won, and we’ve got to honour the legacy of people like Leslie. They stood up during dark times when we needed them.”
Mr Mosch was not surprised that the WWII veteran would put up his hand to serve his country again and said his sense of value epitomised the Anzac spirit.
“That’s someone who’s got a real sense of duty in his core values and truly understands what it is that made Australia into this great country it is. I think that (Anzac spirit) is an important thing for every generation that has ever served. We all know that there was such a high standard set by all the previous generations beforehand, and you you’ve got to match that standard. You can’t let it down.
“VP80 gives the community a chance to stand together with those who served, to reflect and remember. Our World War Two veterans, their numbers are really, really lean, yet it’d be amazing to see the community come out and support the veterans that will be in attendance and remember their own family members who were involved in World War Two,” Mr Mosch said.
Commanding officer 3rd Brigade Brigadier Ben McLennan said the VP80 commemorations were particularly relevant to the modern solider.
“Because history matters. That’s my first point, to remind them that history matters and what they experience as a soldier in this nation is a result of what happened in World War Two, which was the most traumatic event in human history, but where Australia and the Australian soldiers triumphed in cooperation with our partners and allies,” the Brigadier said.
“So I think it’s the understanding the history of it, because history really matters.
“The second one is reminding them of what was important for the Australian Army back in 1942 to 1945 is as important today; well-trained soldiers, a well-equipped Army and an Army that is well rehearsed with its partners and allies. Those were the ingredients for victory in 1945 and they are, or could be, today.
“The last one is just to remind soldiers that they’re part of something that is really important to our nation, really important to our partners and allies and an institution that is venerated for what it has done on behalf of this nation, even 80 years later, and they’re now part of that. So if they’re called upon like the soldiers were back then, that they too will be remembered and honoured on an enduring basis, as it has been the case with the victory and Pacific celebrations.”
The Brigadier said the commemorations had particular relevance to Townsville.
“Townsville was one of two linchpins to turn the tide in the Pacific War. If it hadn’t have been for Townsville and Noumea, alongside our American allies, would not have been able to turn the tide against the Imperial Japanese Army from Guadalcanal to the Solomon Islands and then further west and north west and as part of the island hopping campaign.”
He said the brigade would be an active participant in VP80.
“We will be supporting the Townsville City Council to honour our veterans, to honour what this city and those who fought for our nation and for the United States, and other partners and allies such as the Papua New Guineans, what they achieved in World War Two, securing victory for our nation, for our world over tyranny, United. We’ll be supporting, honouring and celebrating that, through a series of displays, functions, ceremonial events and other activities that the council has scheduled for that extraordinary three days.”
VP80 celebrations full program - and to register to march in the Parade of Heroes, go to townsville.qld.gov.au/about-townsville/history-and-heritage/vp80
Originally published as World War II Veteran Leslie Sinclair, 100, reflects on VP80 Ccmmemorations
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