Sister Susie’s - Another Connection

 By Kate Davis - Casey Cardinia Libraries

Last month’s article told the story of Jack Dawson, a Beaconsfield local who fought during World War Two and was taken and died as a prisoner of war in Burma. Jack’s family had a special connection to a local Beaconsfield fundraising club, Sister Susies, which raised funds throughout the war for the benefit of those serving overseas. Jack’s two sisters, Beryl and Rena, were heavily involved in the club - something mentioned by Darla Adamson during the Adamson’s interview, in which Jack’s own story was uncovered (read more about this here). This article discusses the development and success of the club, using newspaper excerpts found on Trove.

In the Adamson’s interview, Mrs. Darla Adamson mentioned the eagerness with which all Beaconsfield residents contributed to fundraising and relief efforts for local soldiers. Darla spoke about the Sister Susies club, in which women from around the district would gather and organise functions and balls. According to Darla, these women would send parcels with all sorts of goods, including socks, balaclavas, and even Christmas cakes during the festive season! It is perhaps unsurprising then that Beryl and Rena Dawson were heavily involved in the club, on account of their experience as sisters of a serviceman. 

Sister Susies clubs have been a longstanding method of organising funds and goods for soldiers overseas. The first instance of the Beaconsfield Club appears in the local newspaper, ‘The Dandenong Journal’ in 1942. Reading the article below, it becomes apparent that the Beaconsfield Sister Susies club was founded in 1941.

                                                                    Published in September 1942.

At that point, while the club was relatively small in membership, their fundraising efforts were nevertheless quite successful, raising £10. This is equivalent to approximately $17.50 AUD at that time, and worth around $675 AUD today. In a nation recovering from the Great Depression and experiencing another world war, this amount is quite impressive.

The next article regarding the club was published in April 1944, which has insight into the origins of the Sister Susies club. They were not a random collection of women but were formed predominantly from the Younger Set – a sub-group of the Country Women’s Association in Beaconsfield. The Younger Set themselves in Beaconsfield had been formed in 1931, and were, as the name suggests, younger CWA members (1). Clearly too, the club’s success was only growing; raising £18 at this function, equivalent to around $1,200 today.

                                                                  Published April 1944.

This prosperity came in the same year as the club’s fourth birthday - a joyous affair, as noted in the article below. Undoubtedly, a sizeable amount of funds for servicemen would have been raised at this birthday ball too.

                                                            Published August 1944.

Over the next year, the club’s achievements seemed to increase tenfold. As the war effort increased, nudging ever closer to the end of the war, it seems that morale was building on the home front. This appears to have contributed to increases in donations at Sister Susie functions. The Sister Susies fifth birthday ball in August of 1945 raised £200 - equivalent to $13,500 today – quite a feat! The article also mentions Beryl Dawson’s role in the club, as the President. At this point, Jack’s death had been announced in the local newspaper, and so the Dawson family knew that he was no longer alive. It seems that the Dawson sisters, particularly Beryl, channeled their efforts into continuing to raise funds for all the remaining soldiers still fighting. For a family that had lost a member in such a tragic way, it is remarkable that the Dawson sisters continued to contribute heavily to the success of the club.

                                                            Published August 1945.

Then, in June of 1946 with the war well and truly finished, the Beaconsfield Sister Susies club dissolved. There was no longer such a pressing need for funds to support soldiers and so Sister Susies members were released from the undoubtedly huge amounts of time they had surely been contributing to the balls and functions. As the article below details, the club's Victory Night was a huge success and celebration, in which the contribution of the community was acknowledged.  

                                                                       Published June 1946.

The time had come for Beaconsfield to focus their efforts on rebuilding the community. This celebration would have been met with welcome feelings of relief for many of the attendees, as the end of the war and the beginning of a new chapter was marked. Beaconsfield, as with every town across the entirety of Australia, had lost fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters. The success of clubs like the Sister Susies of Beaconsfield displays the significant contributions and impact of the efforts made by those on the home front, during such difficult times. The dedication of members, alongside the generosity of the wider community demonstrates a small part of the Australian experience of war, and the strong spirit of those living through and fighting in the wars.

 

References

1-      The Dandenong Journal, ‘Younger set formed’, The Dandenong Journal (Vic.: 1927-1954), 26 March 1931, p. 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201083127

 

Excerpts from articles, in order of appearance.

The Dandenong Journal, ‘Beaconsfield Sister Susies doing fine work’, The Dandenong Journal (Vic.: 1927-1954), 9 September 1942, p. 5, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article215710340

The Dandenong Journal, ‘£18 from Beaconsfield “Sister Susies” dance’, The Dandenong Journal (Vic.: 1927-1954), 19 April 1944, p. 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214165310

The Dandenong Journal, ‘Beaconsfield “Sister Susies” celebrate 4^th birthday’, The Dandenong Journal (Vic.: 1927-1954), 30 August 1944, p. 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214166958

The Dandenong Journal, ‘Beaconsfield Sister Susies’ Record-breaking birthday ball’, The Dandenong Journal (Vic.: 1927-1954), 29 August 1945, p. 5, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page21584807

The Dandenong Journal, ‘Beaconsfield “Sister Susies” happy wind-up', The Dandenong Journal (Vic.: 1927-1954), 26 June 1946, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214794234

 

 

Jack Dawson - A Beaconsfield Prisoner of War

 Written by Kate Davis, Casey Cardinia Libraries

Last month’s blog detailed the experiences of Beaconsfield locals Mr. and Mrs. Adamson, their family, and the town during the Second World War. In the interview, Bruce Adamson mentioned another Beaconsfield local, Jack Dawson and his prisoner of war status. This article will focus on Jack’s story.

John William ‘Jack’ Dawson was born April 10, 1919, in Brighton, to Gregory Dawson and Louise Harriet Horneman. At the age of 21, on July 3, 1940, Jack enlisted. At the time, he was living in Northcote and working as a clerk. Prior to his deployment, Jack trained at both Mount Martha and Seymour. From there, Jack was sent to Sydney and shipped out to Singapore on October 3, 1941. Over the next four months, Jack fought in the Australian Army 2/10 Field Company and was ranked as Sapper (general term that refers to all military engineers), service number VX34391 (1).

Jack in his military uniform.

In February 1942, Jack was wounded and listed as shell-shocked (2). This was most likely a post-traumatic stress response – of course this term was not yet used. Shortly after, on the 26^th of February, Jack was officially listed as a prisoner of war (3). It is likely that Jack had fought in the Battle of Singapore and was taken as a prisoner of war when Singapore fell to the Empire of Japan. In fact, in early 1942, over 22,000 Australians were captured by the Japanese army as they conquered parts of Southeast Asia (4). Most Australians captured in Singapore were immediately transferred to a collection of internment camps known as Changi (5). Many Australian prisoners in these camps were then forced to work on the Burma-Thailand railway. Jack’s service records suggest that he was one of thousands of prisoners of war who had worked on the Burma-Thailand railway.

Prisoners of war building a bridge using bamboo scaffolding at Tamarkan, across the Mae Klong River. This river is now known as the Kwai Yai River.

This railway, sometimes otherwise known as the Burma-Siam railway, was built from 1942 to 1943. This railway would provide an alternative supply line to Japanese forces in Burma and allow them to avoid using sea routes which had recently become risky after Japan lost significant naval strength in the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway in May and June of 1942 (7).

The working conditions on this railway were, as one might expect, horrendous. The track was 415kms long, and work was carried out on all sections simultaneously, rather than the railway being completed from each end and eventually meeting in the middle. This meant that during the monsoon season, many working parties went without integral supplies, due to immense rainfall affecting roads and pathways to these groups (8). Prisoners often worked without food or medicine (9), while building the railway with hand tools in rugged jungle areas (10). In total, 13,000 Australian prisoners of war worked on the railway, 2646 of whom died while undertaking this forced labour (11).

Prisoners of war laying track at Ronsi, Burma.

During World War Two, Japanese radio channels would broadcast lists and messages from prisoners of war. As Bruce mentioned in his interview, Jack’s name was included in these broadcasts for quite some time after his capture. Jack’s death though, was not reflected accurately through the Japanese broadcasts. Jack died on November 24, 1943, in Burma, from illness (12), but his death was not reported on until early 1945 and only published in the local paper in April 1945, 2 years after his actual death (13). Bruce recalls that this had been very difficult for Jack’s parents and his two sisters, all of whom had held out hope that Jack was still alive all that time. Jack was buried at the Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, Thanbyuzayat Mon State Myanmar, Burma and was posthumously awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and the Australian Service Medal 1939-1945 (14).

1945 article reporting on Jack’s death.

References

1. Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Dawson John William’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/dawson-john-william/
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Department of Veterans’ Affairs [DVA], ‘Burma-Thailand Railway and Hellfire Pass 1942 to 1943, DVA Anzac Portal [website], 2021, para. 2, https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/burma-thailand-railway-and-hellfire-pass-1942-1943
5. Australian War Memorial [AWM], ‘Changi’, AWM [website], 2020, para. 1, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/pow/changi
6. Department of Veterans’ Affairs [DVA], op. cit., para. 4.
7. Department of Veterans’ Affairs [DVA], op. cit., para. 8.
8. Australian War Memorial [AWM], ‘Stolen years: Australian prisoners of war – the Burma-Thailand railway’, AWM [website], 2019, para. 2,  https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/stolenyears/ww2/japan/burmathai
9. Department of Veterans’ Affairs [DVA], op. cit., para. 5-6.
10. Australian War Memorial [AWM], ‘Prisoners of the Japanese, Burma-Thailand Railway’, AWM [website], 2021, para. 1, https://www.awm.gov.au/research/guide/pow-ww2-burma-thai
11. Australian War Memorial [AWM], ‘John William Dawson’, AWM [website], 2022, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1712007
12. Dandenong 1945 The Dandenong Journal (Vic.: 1927-1954), ‘Death of Beaconsfield soldier in Thailand’, Trove [database], 18 April 1945, p. 1, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214330916
13. Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Dawson John William’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/dawson-john-william/

 

Images (in order of appearance)

Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Dawson John William’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/dawson-john-william/

Australian War Memorial [AWM], ‘Burma-Thailand Railway. c. February 1943.’, AWM [website, accession number 118879, 1943, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C202573?image=1

Unknown Japanese photographer , ‘Collection of 40 images taken by a Japanese surveyor and exchanged in Thailand post war with QX15191 Arthur Francis Seary’, Australian War Memorial [website], accession number P00406.034, 1943, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C41431

The Dandenong Journal (Vic.: 1927-1954), ‘Death of Beaconsfield soldier in Thailand’, Trove [database], 18 April 1945, p. 1, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214330916

 

 

The Adamsons of Beaconsfield

Written by Kate Davis, Casey Cardinia Libraries.    

The recent digitisation of oral history interviews brings new light to the local histories of the area in a new format! This article was created from excerpts of an interview with Mr. Bruce and Mrs. Darla Adamson, conducted by then Berwick Secondary College student Helen Erskine-Behr. The interview itself was recorded on September 10, 1990 at Bruce and Darla’s home in Railway Avenue, Beaconsfield, and focused predominantly on their experiences during World War Two (1).    

Kenneth ‘Bruce’ Adamson, and Margaret Alice ‘Darla’ Adamson married in 1958 (2), after Darla’s first husband, Ronald Keith Brown, whom she married in 1935 (3), passed away in 1955 (4). Darla had two children of her own when she and Bruce married, and the pair didn’t have any more children together. They both worked at St Margarets School in Berwick together after they married, Bruce as caretaker and Darla as a cook. Once retired, they moved to their home in Railway Avenue, Beaconsfield (5). Thus, the Adamson’s were retired at the time this interview was recorded.    Bruce was born in 1927, making him 12 at the time that World War II broke out (6). He describes the feeling in Beaconsfield at the time as apprehension; most locals knew returned servicemen from the First World War. Bruce remembers that they had once been told the First World War would be the war to end all wars. No one could quite believe it was happening again, and certainly no one knew what would happen this time. Despite this, the tight-knit local community rose to the occasion, giving departing soldiers large send-offs, and throwing celebratory welcome home parades for returning servicemen. Bruce recalls that many families moved away from Beaconsfield during the war, because of the lack of work – no factories in Dandenong meant people often had to travel to Melbourne for work.   Bruce’s own family was quite involved in the wars. Bruce’s father, John Adamson, had served in the First World War as a private for several reinforcement units (7) – perhaps a motivator for Bruce’s eldest brothers, who enlisted in the Second World War.  

Private John Adamson

Bill and Peter Adamson, had served in the air force and the navy respectively during the Second World War. Peter, born Hugh Malcolm, was ranked as a writer in the Royal Australian Navy, and served in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. After the war, he returned to Beaconsfield at first, then married Leah Adeline Rule in 1956, moving to settle in Carrum, where the pair had two boys. Peter worked as a school inspector after the war, and passed away on 21 July 2001 (8).  

Peter Adamson, Royal Australian Navy.  

Bill, born Ian William, served as a warrant officer in the 37 Squadron for the Royal Australian Air Force. He had served in Papua New Guinea, and was awarded the War Medal 1939-1945 and an Australian Service Medal 1939-1945 (9). Bruce recalls that Bill had trained for six months before being deployed overseas, going to night school to get his pilot’s licence, and that he often worked as a navigator on the air crew also. Bill was involved in a plane crash when returning to Australia at the end of his service, which Bruce talks about. The following is an excerpt from the Beaconsfield Soldier’s write up on Bill’s service: 

 

As Bruce mentions in his interview, while no passengers were injured, Bill did suffer a broken skull from the incident. Prior to officially being discharged, Bill had married Mildred Kathleen Charlotte Armstrong, and upon his discharged, the pair settled in Western Australia and also had 2 sons. Bruce voiced concerns for his brother during the interview, saying that he had not been in good health and that he was worried Bill did not have long unfortunately, Bill passed away 19 days after the interview was recorded, on September 29, 1990 (10).  

Bill Adamson, Royal Australian Air Force. 

 

Bruce himself enlisted for military service towards the end of the war. His service record shows he enlisted in Marrickville, New South Wales (11). As Bruce recalls in this interview, he then went to Darwin to be ready for whatever might have happened next. Records of exactly which year he enlisted were unavailable, but it can be assumed that it must have been in 1945 – Bill would have turned 18 this year. 

Sadly, Darla Adamson passed away on September 1, 1995 (12). Bruce though, went on to live for another 25 years. He was a devoted member of the Beaconsfield CFA, and had been heavily involved in the building of the old Beaconsfield fire station. Upon his death on October 23, 2020 (13), Bruce was the longest serving member of the Beaconsfield CFA (14).  

Click here to listen to this interview, and browse the range of local history records Casey Cardinia Libraries have to offer.  

 

References: 

1. Dandenong Valley Regional Library Service, Mr Bruce & Mrs Adamson - Beaconsfield [audio recording], 10th September 1990, Casey Cardinia Libraries Local History Archive BSC036, https://cclc.libsvic.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/search/asset/266309/0 

2. Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Beaconsfield loses a living treasure’, Beaconsfield Banner, vol. 7, no. 5, October 1995, p4;9, https://beaconsfield.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Beaconsfield-Banner-V.7.No_.5..pdf  

3. The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, ‘Margt Alice Lurley in Victoria, Australia, Marriage Index, 1837-1950', Marriage Records, The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2018, Ancestry.com [database], reference number 3444, https://search.ancestrylibrary.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61649&h=708672&tid=&pid=&queryId=97496727c353f7b2067c331572605c99&usePUB=true&_phsrc=sig57&_phstart=successSource 

4. Death Index Victoria, ‘Ronald Keith Brown in the Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985', Death Index Victoria 1921-1985, 2010, Ancestry.com [database], reference number 3403, https://search.ancestrylibrary.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=1779&h=1872088&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=61649 

5. Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Beaconsfield loses a living treasure’, Beaconsfield Banner, vol. 7, no. 5, October 1995, p4;9, https://beaconsfield.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Beaconsfield-Banner-V.7.No_.5..pd 

6. NewsCorp Australia, ‘Kenneth “Bruce” Adamson’, mytributes [website], 2022, https://www.mytributes.com.au/notice/death-notices/kenneth-bruce-adamson/5575711/?rs=20 

7. Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Adamson John’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/adamson-john/ 

8. Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Adamson Hugh Malcolm’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/adamson-hugh-malcolm/ 

9. Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Adamson Ian William (Bill)’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/adamson-ian-william-bill/ 

10. Ibid  

11. National Archives of Australia, ‘Kenneth Bruce Adamson in the Australia, World War II Military Service Records, 1939-1945', B883, Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947, National Archives of Australia, Canberra, Australia, 2016, Ancestry.com [database], https://search.ancestrylibrary.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61172&h=2012185&tid=&pid=&queryId=f0577f1505b0b1f93a08fb393d4498fd&usePUB=true&_phsrc=sig65&_phstart=successSource 

12. Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Beaconsfield loses a living treasure’, Beaconsfield Banner, vol. 7, no. 5, October 1995, p4;9, https://beaconsfield.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Beaconsfield-Banner-V.7.No_.5..pd 

13. NewsCorp Australia, ‘Kenneth “Bruce” Adamson’, mytributes [website], 2022, https://www.mytributes.com.au/notice/death-notices/kenneth-bruce-adamson/5575711/?rs=20 

14. Lukas, Tony, ‘Beaconsfield Banner Summer 2020 Beaconsfield CFA’, Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated [website], 2022, https://beaconsfield.org.au/beaconsfield-banner-summer-2020-beaconsfield-cfa/ 

 

Images (in order of appearance): 

Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Adamson John’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/adamson-john/ 

Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Adamson Hugh Malcolm’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/adamson-hugh-malcolm/ 

Beaconsfield Progress Association Incorporated, ‘Adamson Ian William (Bill)’, Beaconsfield’s Soldiers [website], 2018-2021, https://beaconsfield.org.au/digitalmemorial/adamson-ian-william-bill/