by Ann McLachlan
This series of photos from The Brewster Collection provides an insight into the relaxed informal side of the Loveday Internment Camp.
They were owned by a former World War II private, Lance Brewster of Port Pirie, who gave them to SA Social Historian John Mannion from Pekina in the Mid North. He has kindly agreed to share these with us.
This photo features Drivers Clarence Victor Longbotham (left) and Sydney Abrook, Group Officer Transport Herbert William Hockney, Clarence Victor Longbotham and the man in the overalls is believed to be Driver T J Talbot.
However, his service number VX137426 has also been linked to another man called Archibald Moore.
He is also featured in a number of Australian War Memorial photographs amongst a poppy crop at the Loveday Internment Camp 14.
I am wondering if anyone knows about either of these men and whether they are two different people or the same person?
Can you also help us identify the drivers in the photos featured throughout this article?
Source: The Brewster Collection
Many drivers have connections with Quorn and Port Pirie, which was where Lance Brewster had lived.
Port Pirie was the base for the 14 Australian Personnel Staging Camp where troops joining or leaving trains at Pirie Junction (Solomontown Railway Station) were fed and accommodated.
The buildings in the background of some of these photos include the Savings Bank of SA and huts.
Some of the men pictured are with the RAAF who may be linked with your family.
The drivers drove a variety of vehicles including modified three tonne trucks, semitrailers, stock trucks and transported supplies for the prisoners of war (POWs) and internees.
They also delivered food, rations, medicines, fuel, equipment, the mail, and passengers to many locations in the area.
The drivers also drove the POWs and also provided an ambulance service or were medical officers who took unwell internees, army personnel, and staff at the Loveday Internment Camp to hospital.
Source: The Brewster Collection
Source: The Brewster Collection
The camp also employed female drivers from the Berri/Barmera area.
I have been able to find the names of drivers and associated officials who were involved in transport at the Loveday Internment Camp.
Can you add to this list?
Names of Loveday Internment Camp drivers and associated officials
- Abrook, Sydney Lance Corporal QX7221
- Atree, Leonard S85479
- Barry, Francis S7876 of HQ Loveday Internment Camp
- Battams, Leonard George SX28857 Transport driver Mobilization
- Campbell, Charles Edward SX32710
- Christie, Andrew John S40732 was a Motor Engineer at Woodside
- Cleggett, Albert John S17645 Staff Corporal. He was at Woodside, 25 Garrison and 14D Camp
- Chomel Clyde Milton SX32702 NT Driver, 25 Garrison Sandy Creek
- Crowe, Ross Edward SX26758 25 Garrison Loveday
- Davis, Ralph Hampton SX29340 Car and Truck driver
- Dawson, Eric James SX18775
- Doyle, Kevin SX27892
- Edwards, John Henry SX29763 Motor Transport driver
- Feehan, Reginald Paul SX28693 Motor Transport driver, Truck driver 14D Loveday Australian Water Transport Centre Staff
- Finlay, Richard S32306 Driver 2265 2nd
- Green, Thomas Alexander SX22187 Loveday No 9 Tractor driver and Motor Transport driver
- Gregory, Kenneth Ezekiel S88453 Tractor operator
- Haarsma Family Drivers
- Haarsma, Lawrence Keith 47503 Berri Yeelana Motor Mechanic, Fitter RAAF, Mount Gambier Transport driver
- Haarsma, Maurice John SX5399 Berri driver
- Haarsma, John Joseph SX28167 Port Lincoln driver
- Haarsma, Shirley Noni SF113002 Driver
- Haarsma, Thomas Anthony V156377 Motor Mechanic Driver
- Hanforft, Ike SX32678
- Hanna, Lawrence William SX28333 Loveday Lorry Driver, born in Quorn like Lance Brewster
- Hanlon, William SX28570 Motor Trimmer driver.
- Hatch, Robert SX35485 25 Garrison Graded 3 HT Driver
- Hatherly, Herbert James SX27911 Loveday Army Transportation Co Hampstead Later driver
- Heading, Frank William SX26759 Trans 532863, Tank Driver, 121 Australian General Transport Company, Loveday
- Hodge, Charles Herbert Corporal SX4294
- Hockney, Herbert William SX28479 Group Officer Transport Motor Mechanic Loveday
- Hullock, James William SX27135 5 R H D Barmera DID Barmera 7 Australian Supply Coy
- Ising, Lancelot Ronald SX25840 RASD Barmera DID 7 Australian Supply Coy
- Keegan, Thomas Joseph SX22174 Labourer-Driver 25 Garrison 33 Garrison 14B Loveday No 9
- Kirk, Archibald Sgt S595
- Longbotham, Clarence Victor SX22167 Truck driver, No 9 Loveday Stilton Road Mount Gambier
- Mitselburg, Frederick Charles SX32708 Driver
- Moll Ernest Leslie SX29822 Sandy Creek 25 Garrison 8 Aux Australian HT Coy
- Morgan Sydney Clive Bassham SX35155
- Morrison Roy SX25841 RHS D Barmera and 7 Australian Supply Coy
- Mullen, Keysal Howard Belgium
- SX29909 Group III Driver HT 32 Works Coy 14D Loveday
- Mutton Willie Lieutenant S212982 14D Camp
- Mystery Man: T J Talbot VX137426 or Tarbot? In the Brewster Collection
- Neumann, Headley Andrew SX32959 14C 14B Loveday 2/2 Ausralian Coy 6 Army
- Owen, Leslie Alan SX35252 Loveday Enlistment, Woodside Driver
- Penn, Robert John SX32706 Truck Driver 33 Garrison Port Pirie Service POW Cook Driver MT 2/48 Australian Infantry Coy
- Phillips, Allen Henry SX22089 Driver Barmera and NT
- Philpotts, Harold SX25509 Motor Driver
- Powell, Douglas Nelson SX23169 Driver/Mechanic
- Preuss, Reginald John SX29982 Truck Driver Loveday 2/2 Port Operation Coy
- Roberts, Clarence Edward Loveday SX26826 Sandy Creek Driver
- Ryan, Michael Edward 532811 Motor Driver Cook Loveday
- Sabey, Shirley Jean SF113611
- Schultz, Clive S85485 Mechanic Improver
- Toolan, Robert Daniel SX21354 25 Garrison HQ Loveday Motor driver
- Viner Leslie Albert SX32800
- Walsh, Martin John SX32786 driver
- Wilden, William Roy S34900
- Wilksch, Herbert Victor SX62016 or S62016. He is another Mystery man as he changes his name to Alexander Greenaway-Smith in 1959 by deed poll. A unique aspect of his truck driving is taking the refuse away from the internment camps
- Whitehead, Alan Wesley SX22326 driver
- Whitehead, Jeffrey Varley SX27308
- Whittingham, Robert John William S85486 Tractor driver and troops motor mechanic
Seeking more details about these drivers:
- Driver A Aplin
- Driver Jack Broadbent
- Driver H P Brooks
- Driver Edwards M G
- Driver A Hill
- Driver W Kennedy mentioned in Murray Pioneer Thursday 15 July 1943 page 6 has wife and two children staying with Mrs R Sykes Chaffey
- Driver G Thomas
- Driver Williams
Connections to my family (Ann McLachlan)
It is a “small world” as my research has identified connections to my family.
- Trezise, Herbert David SX27287 was a driver mechanic with 121 AGT NT. He enlisted in Barmera. He drove vehicles from Barmera to the Northern Territory and back. He was connected to my mum’s family who were in the Broken Hill area and Moonta on SA’s Yorke Peninsula and my dad’s sister’s husband uncle Graham Galpin.
- Hams, Maxwell John Wallace SX21332 was a driver at Loveday and is connected to my dad’s family. He lived in Ardrossan on the Yorke Peninsula and in the Eyre Peninsula area and his family are still in SA. My great grandmother Sophia Hams married into the McLachlan family.
- Thredgold, Henry George SX32372 was a driver who was connected to my dad’s family also.
Source: The Brewster Collection
Source: The Brewster Collection
Source: The Brewster Collection
Ann is a librarian, researcher, and historian based in Dubbo in NSW.
She has a family connection to the Loveday Internment Camp, which she has been researching for over 20 years.