Malcolm Richard Bowman Service No S34599 Compiled by Kelvin Bowman, second son of Richard & Olive Bowman of Gulnare SA. My elder brother Lawrence sadly predeceased his parents in 2000

I will attempt to relate a few incidents that dad has told me:-

Dad said, with his uniform issue he informed the storeman that he wore size 8 boots, only to be given size 7 and was told “these will fit you”. The resizing was done by stuffing them with wet newspaper. This sounded strange, where his enlistment medical made mention of problems with his feet.

Once enlisted dad was assigned to a horse transport section, because of his farm background, where tractors had not completely taken over the role of horse teams.

One time dad fell down between a horse team and was dragged some distance, skinning face, arms, chest and legs. The medical treatment administered, was, being held down by four medic soldiers, with a fifth generously cleaning the abrasions with mentholated spirits. Dad recalls the journey from the Adelaide city along Anzac Highway to Glenelg, travelling through mostly open farmland.

Boredom was a problem, so to keep the troops active, dad said they would dig a hole one day, and the next day, fill the hole back in. The following days the procedure would be repeated.

Food: -Dad refused to eat baked beans and spaghetti, even until he died. These were regularly on the Army menu. The soup was likened to dish water and worse when another unit of men turned up as it was expanded by the addition of the required amount of water.Beer, they had an issue of one glass of beer a day. Glasses were made out of a long neck beer bottle (750ml in today’s terms), as high up the neck as possible, a petrol soaked string was tied, set alight, allowed to burn then plunged into a bucket of water, the neck would bust off. The sharp edge was smoothed off with sand paper, making the biggest glass possible.

Dad related this story of his marriage:- While on leave, he requested the Spalding Methodist minister to marry he and Mum on the Saturday. The Minister refused, saying that he required seven days notice, with Dad’s response, quoting that servicemen only had to give 24 hours notice. Dad and Mum were married 30th December 1944. Mum wore a wedding gown borrowed from her cousin Valma. The “reception” was an afternoon tea at Mum’s cousin Valma’s home. The honeymoon was brief, with Dad being on a troop train back to Melbourne on Sunday 31st.

A belated honeymoon, following World War 2 was taken, with a cruise on the Karrata (a passenger carrying cargo ketch) between Wallaroo, Pt Pirie, Whyalla and Pt Lincoln. There was no joy for Dad as he was sea sick for the entire cruise.

Dad was discharge from the Army following the end of WW2 in 1945, however following the death of his brother Doug SX442 (KIA) in Dec 1942, he was recalled to the family farm at Gulnare to perform essential services for the war effort.

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