Interpreting Australian Infantry WW2 Service Record - Anthony Curtis

Hi,
I have recently obtained a copy of my Great Uncle's War Service Record from the National Archives of Australia.
I have managed to decipher some of it, mainly by eye-strain, headache, and surmise. However, some parts of the document are cryptically elusive.
I have a number of questions and if anybody can answer them with authority it would be greatly appreciated.

pic 1: Curtis Page 5.jpg
pic 2: Curtis Page 6.jpg
pic 3: Curtis Page 7.jpg
pic 4: Curtis Page 9.jpg

The documents are hard to read, but I have detailed their entries below.

My question are:
(1) This relates to the entries in pic 2. I think they relate to him being wounded (not the burst ear drum on 8th July, 1943) but it does not really spell it out.
(2) entry in pic 2 dated 14/2/1944 and 25/2/1944. What does P.V.O. and P.T.O stand for?
(3) entry in pic 2 dated 28/11/1944. What does URTI stand for?
(4) What do the 'x' list entries mean?
(5) Any help on deciphering pic 4 would be appreciated.


Thanks in advance

cheers

Mark


pic 1
------
16/12/1941: O.C.A.I.F.DD.: Enlisted in AIF at Caulfield Details Depot, Melbourne. Taken on Strength to AIF DD (Australian Imperial Force Details Depot).

17/12/1941: O.C.A.I.F.DD.: Given leave (with out pay??).
24/12/1941: O.C.A.I.F.DD.: Rejoined unit after leave at Caulfield Details Depot, Melbourne.
25/12/1941: O.C.A.I.F.DD.: Given leave uop 25.12.41 to 31.12.41.
30/12/1941: O.C.A.I.F.DD.: Returned from leave w.o.p.

07/01/1942: O.C.A.I.F.DD.: Transferred to 2nd Field Training?? Regiment at Puckapunyal from Caulfield Details Depot, Melbourne.

29/01/1942: 4 Fd Regt: Transferred from 2nd Field Training?? Regiment at Puckapunyal to 4th Field regiment at Bonegilla.

16/03/1942: 4 Fd Regt: Entrained for 1 Military District.


pic 2
-----
24/10/1942: 4 Fd Regt: (promoted?) Rank Gunner III, Gun Layer.

25/11/1942: 4 Fd Regt: Granted Leave With Pay.
31/12/1942: 4 Fd Regt: Rejoined Unit from leave.

08/07/1943: 4 Fd Regt: Was injured when he accidentally punctured his ear drum. Record states that no round of inquiry will be held.

25/01/1944: 4 Fd Regt: Embarked on HMAT Katoomba at Townsville in Queensland and disembarked at Lae, New Guinea on 25/1/1944

14/02/1944: 2/5 Fd Amb??/Art??: tos - 2/5 Fd Amb P.V.O.

25/02/1944: 2/5 Fd Amb??/Art??: Dist (Derpie) P.T.O.
[could be "Disch Dumpu", which is in the Ramu Valley]

26/02/1944: ???: TOS from 2/5 FA

29/04/1944:2/7 AGH: Evac to (????. ??????) trans x list

21/11/1944: 109 CCS: Evac to (P.V.O.) trans x list

01/11/1944: Fd Rgt: Embarked on HMAT "Lindlay Garrison" at Lae and disembarked at Bougainville on 5/11/1944

28/11/1944: 109 CCS: Disch to ???? (URTI)
28/11/1944: 4 Fd Regt: TOS from 109 CCS

05/08/1945: 4 Fd Regt: Serving with linch????????

08/09/1945: 17 Fd Amb: Evac to (General ?????) 17 Fd Amb
12/09/1945: 2/1 AGH: Evac 17 Fld Amb to 2/1 AGH. Trans 'x' list.

03/10/1945: 2/1 AGH: Discharged to NGDD (New Guinea Details Depot?)
03/10/1945: 4 Fd Regt: TOS from NGDD

23/11/1945: 109 CCS: Evac to (??? RT. Elbow) 109 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station)
???? to 'x' list

pic 3
------
27/11/1945: 109 CCS: Discharged 109 CCS to NGDD
27/11/1945: 4 Fd Regt: TOS in NGDD

10/12/1945: 4 Fd Regt: Trans. to 141 Heavy? AA Battery
10/12/1945: 141 HAA Bty: TOS from 4 Fld Regt

12/12/1945: 141 HAA Bty: Embarked on HMAT Taroona at Torokina on Bougainville and disembarked at Townsville, Queensland on 15/12/1945

18/12/1945: 141 HAA Bty: Transferred fo VIC LofC LTD (H/S) for Discharge.
[This whole line needs translating]

 

The term URTI was still being used by doctors 30 years ago for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (basically a sore throat / throat infection)

TOS = Taken On Strength (if you didn't already know that one)

HMAT = His Majesty's Australian Transport (as compared to HMAS - Ship)

I'm guessing that x list entries mean that he has been posted as a non-effective at his owning unit while he is sick, recovering, injured etc


VX68427 - I just looked him up on ww2roll & am now reading his file on-line at the NAA (with the "enlarge" option on, so it is a lot easier to read)


24/10/1942: 4 Fd Regt: graded trade Gunner III, Gun Layer.

14/02/1944: 2/5 Fd Amb / Evac to 2/5FA (P.V.O.) - PUO from the next email from Spider makes sense

25/02/1944: 2/5 Fd Amb / Disc (Dengue) P.T.O. (could be RTO) - Discharged after treatment for Dengue Fever, Returned to Operations

26/02/1944: 4 Fd Regt TOS from 2/5 FA


28/11/1944: 109 CCS: Disch to Unit (URTI)

29/04/1944: 2/7 AGH: Evac to (Clin. Dysentry) trans x list

05/08/1945: 4 Fd Regt: Serving with linch???????? - I think this is serving with Unit

08/09/1945: 17 Fd Amb: Evac to (General Dermatitis) 17 Fd Amb

23/11/1945: 109 CCS: Evac to (Cellulitis RT. Elbow) 109 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station)
transf. to 'x' list (transferred)


18/12/1945: 141 HAA Bty: Transferred fo VIC LofC LTD (H/S) for Discharge.
[This whole line needs translating]

VIC LofC is Victorian Lines of Communication - basically the admin area covering the whole state

LTD is Leave and Transit Depot (for Melbourne it was at Royal Park - article to follow)

Going off the context of the rest of the line, I'm going for H/S as being Holding Section

- Transferred fo Victorian Lines of Communication Leave and Transit Depot (Holding Section) for Discharge -


(these depots would have been processing 1000s of troops each week, saving time by using accepted (to them) acronyms definitely would have made good sense)

 

PUO is Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (fever) (at 109 Casualty Clearing Station)
URTI is Upper RespiratoryTract Infection (at 109 CCS)
X list Lists members of a unit who are absent. Enables a unit to maintain its establishment strength i.e. in transit after being admitted to hospital for an extended period.

Medical records are held by DVA, so you could ask for a copy of them through FOI.

 

Reading this article and comparing it to your relative's service file, I presume he missed the step where he should have received a Discharge Certificate -

 

5) Any help on deciphering pic 4 would be appreciated

That just looks like an internal Army form to state that he has been processed and discharged

The first line is LTD (Leave and Transit Depot) - ??? for Disposal (the ??? could be M/in which would stand for Marched In - which would make sense, but I'm really just guessing)

 

According to his 1976 letter to CARO (Central Army Records Office - which still exists with the same name) he specifies that he was in 11 Field Battery of 4FdRegt.

Here is the unit photo from the AWM collection which doesn't include your Great Uncle (Gnr Tony Curtis, Gnr Bridgefoot, Gnr Jack Bott and Sgt Harry Smith are absent from the group) -

Torokina, Bougainville. August 1945. Group portrait of members of C Troop, 11th Battery, 4th Field Regiment. Identified are, left to right, back row: Gunner (Gnr) Newton, Gnr (Bluey) Bryson, Gnr (Jimbo) Grogan, Gnr Jacobsen, Gnr (Junior) Harbury, Gnr Mande, Gnr (Boots) Gover, Gnr Morris, Gnr Mason, Gnr Gorie, Gnr Adam, Gnr Kevin Harrigan, Gnr Tom Hardcastle, Gnr J. Toole, Gnr Ernie Peters, Gnr Lorrie Toole, Lance Bombardier (LBdr) Stewart, Gnr (Tap) Brown. Middle row: Gnr Len Davis, Gnr (Aussie) Bird, Gnr Thompson, Gnr Lynch, Gnr Warner, Gnr (Spike) McGrath, Gnr Joe Boundy, Gnr Purvis, Gnr Mitch Segal, Gnr (Hiro Hito) Davies, Gnr Clashe, Gnr (Cocker) Haley, Gnr Adams, Gnr Pearce, Gnr (Snowy) Feeley, Gnr Terry O'Niell, Gnr May, Gnr Sutton, Gnr McNamara, Gnr Colac Spokes, Gnr Ron, Fahey, Gnr Barry, Gnr Hogan. Front row: Gnr McGill, Bombardier (Bdr) McKinnon, Sergeant (Sgt) Ray Adams, Sgt Tom Gray, Corporal (Cpl) Norm Lacey, Sgt Len Smith, Warrant Officer Class 2 Marc Crawford, Lieutenant Noel Sefton, Captain J. Whitelaw, Lt Sigmund Berry, Sgt Firmstone, Sgt Terry Maddaford, Bdr Merrington, Sgt Tom Brooks, Sgt Norm Glass, Bdr Payne, Gnr Crozier. Gnr Tony Curtis, Gnr Bridgefoot, Gnr Jack Bott and Sgt Harry Smith are absent from the group. (Donor J. Whitelaw)

 

This was one well photographed and identified unit -

SORAKEN, BOUGAINVILLE. 1945-06-05. NO. 1 GUN, C TROOP, 11 BATTERY, 4 FIELD REGIMENT ENGAGING A TARGET ON COMMO RIDGE. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE:- SERGEANT T.G. BROOKES (1); GUNNER A.H. BIRD (2); GUNNER A.G. CURTIS (3); GUNNER T.C. FEEBEY (4).

 

soraken, bougainville. 1945-06-05. No. 1 gun, c troop, 11 battery, 4 field regiment engaging a target on commo ridge. Identified personnel are:- sergeant t.g. Brookes (1); gunner t.c. Feeby (2); gunner a.h. Bird (3); gunner a.g. Curtis (4); gunner h.g. Brown (5).

 

From your first email I'm guessing you have already read this at the AWM, but it would appear that your Great Uncle was one of the men who helped save a company of 31/51Bn -

Towards the end of 1944 Australian forces were being redeployed around the islands. At the end of October the 4th left Lae for Bougainville, arriving at Torokina, the main Australian base, on 5 November. The 2nd Field Regiment and the 2nd Mountain Battery provided artillery support for the campaign.

For the next nine months, until the end of the war in August 1945, the regiment would be in action. One of its batteries supported the advance across the Numa Numa Trail in the Northern Sector, another supported the 3 Division’s campaign in the Southern Sector in the push towards Buin, while the third battery and the regimental headquarters moved to the Northern Sector where the infantry were moving towards the Bonis Peninsula.

As the Australian campaign on the island progressed, in June 1945 a company from the 31st/51st Battalion made an amphibious landing at Porton, in Bougainville’s Norther Sector. Things quickly went bad for the landing troops and eventually they had to be evacuated, but through out the entire operation, 11 Battery, firing from Soraken, provided outstanding support. Indeed, if not for their professionalism and skill of Lieutenant David Spark, the Forward Observation Officer who had landed with the infantry at Porton, the company probably would have been over run by the Japanese.

During the course of the Bougainville campaign, the 4th fired 62,723 rounds.

 

Some more details of the Porton Plantation Landing.

Interesting reading of an under resourced landing on Japanese positions, and faded into history.

THE "DUNKIRK" OF A COMPANY 31/51 INFANTRY BATTALION

 

Wealth of info Dave!

 

Wealth of info Dave!

Thanks Mate - when the original requester doesn't comment I always wonder if I have just been wasting my time.

Time will tell, maybe he only logs on to the net once a week (unlike some of us......)

 

Apologies for taking so long to respond. My PC has been down for repairs for the past week and a bit.
Thank you all for the responses so far. It has given me much to think about.
Thanks also to DaveB. I followed the source of your thumbnails to AWM and cleared up one entry at least.
The line
01/11/1944: Fd Rgt: Embarked on HMAT "Lindlay Garrison" at Lae and disembarked at Bougainville on 5/11/1944
was really the American Liberty Ship Lindley M Garrison. Found heaps of photos.