JAMES GEORGE WATSON

RECEIVED ON NING

Hello Lynne,
I am new to this type of thing, so will start with an e-mail, as I have never created a blog before. First things first.
My name is Simone Wood and I have a twin sister – Nicole Dorward. We are grandaughters of James (Bluey) George Watson of the 2/3 Pioneers. He was also part of several other battalions as his brother kept calling him. James passed away last year, and there are only two member of this Battalion left in the Melbourne group. That is Stan Owler and Frank. We will be meeting the Sydney Pioneer members and families on Monday, are you part of this group? If so, will you be attending this meeing/gathering?
Nik and I went to Canberra War Memorial to find out more information about our Pa only two weeks ago, but they will be posting that information to us as they have it filed in Archieves. We had hoped to have this information prior to this gathering, SayLaVe?

If anyone knows anything of Bluey, do let us know and we will pass it on to Simone and her sister or post it on her Ning Page.

George Eric KENNEDY NX46815

My Grandfather George Eric KENNEDY NX46815 joined the 2/3rd Pioneers in Newcastle in 1940. He was attached to B Company as a Corporal and travelled to the Middle East with the Battalion on the Queen Mary. Prior to this the boys built military camps in Cowra as well as the top end. Pop served in Syria before being transferred to El Alamein where he performed tasks such as the removal of mines with some of the British Engineers prior to the major battles. I am led to believe that he was seriously wounded in the early stages of the El Alamein offensive (October 1942) after the vehicle in which he was travelling hit a landmine. Pop survived with serious injuries for 3 days before help arrived, keeping alive a British engineer who had lost his arm during the explosion. All others on board were killed. I am led to believe that the area in which they had been blown up sustained some serious artillery fire for the 3 days prior to being found. Pop suffered a fractured spine and was subsequently placed in a plaster cast for 3 months and was discharged in 1943 medically unfit, having to learn to walk again. He returned to Australia on the Hospital Ship WONGANELLA.
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Due to his injuries Pop found it hard to maintain a full time job, however worked after the War in the Agricultural Department. He lived on the North Coast of New South Wales at Bangalow where both he and his wife Ruth raised two son’s. Pop passed away in 2005 aged 88 and was always proud of his Army Days. I now have his medals and a lot of other small momento’s including his discharge papers and a very rare copy of the first edition of the 2/3rd Pioneer magazine which lists all the original members. I would be happy for anyone who is a decendant of these men to contact me for the little information that I have. Pop never spoke much about his experiences but I am very proud that he served overseas and I miss him terribly. He was the President of the local RSL Club for over 40 years and was immensely Proud of his position.
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Lest We Forget
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Peter KENNEDY (Grandson)

PIONEERS IN MELBOURNE – 2009

Hi There,
A group of us that are descendant of 2/3 Pioneer battalion diggers here in Melbourne march on behalf of the unit every Anzac day. There is a fir tree dedicated to the unit on the main walk to the shrine and we also every 12th of May hold a service there and at the eternal flame to commemorate the life and death of Bluey Mackey VC. We only have a couple of original serving diggers from the unit left and have been trying to build a network of decendants down here.
In September we will be making a pilgramidge to Cowra to try to find the last survivors of the unit and their descendants in the hope that we can keep maintain and preserve the well known passion of the group.
Any help or contact would be much appreciated.
Darryl Wilson, 2/3 Pioneer Battalion Association – Melbourne Branch (or remnants there of).

 

MEN OF THE 2/3 PIONEER BATTALION: GORDON SCHOMBERG

GDay
My dad Gordon Schomberg was in the 2/3 pioneers and is still alive and living on the central coast N.S.W. I would be very interested in helping in any way I can. As the youngest child and dads girl I was the only one to follow in his footsteps, becoming a corp in signals corp at the old Kelvin Grounds Barracks. Please if I can help don’t hesitate to contact me.
Yours faithfully
J Schomberg
Daughter

MEN OF THE 2/3 PIONEER BATTALION: A.K. BYRNE

My grandfathers name was Alfred Keith Byrne, went by the name of Keith Byrne.
Joined the battalion from Paddington in 41, travelled to the middle east and was wounded in the Left heel. After returning to Australia, he rejoined the 2/3 PNR’s for the trip to PNG, however was injured loosing a finger and subsequently separated from the PNR’s after arriving in PNG. He was attached to a field hospital in Port Moresby, and became a stretcher bearer for the rest of the action.
He lived in Dundas near Parramatta with his wife and daughter until he died in the 60’s. Was a member of the Parramatta RSL.
This is all the info i have unfortunately.
regards,
Mark

(Mark Glease)