An Ulvog Journey by James Ulvog

Author:James Ulvog
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: farm life, family history, 1930s 1940s, farm finances, world war ii biography
Publisher: James Ulvog

CHAPTER SIX

Return to Civilization

On July 8th we arrived at Ballarat in the Australian province of Victoria, after 9 days of a spectacular but often nightmarish journey. If any of our 147th dirty, unkempt refugees failed to become adopted by someone in the throng that met our arrival it would have been their own fault. One of my buddies, Bill Ross, and I accepted the invitation to accompany a little "Limey" type Aussie to his home for baths and supper. We were treated royally, enjoyed the three small children, answered a multitude of questions by both the man and his gracious wife, and promised to return for a visit as soon as we were settled in camp and permitted to leave there. It was wintertime "down under" and was quite cold and rainy. The city literally gave us a beautiful park, in which were botanical gardens and a pond with various waterfowl, including swans. There was a building with showers, toilets and a boiler room and furnace, which may have been installed as an attraction to bring us there. Our tents were arranged in rows as near as possible to this building, although the area was in the lowest part of the park. As a result our camp location eventually became a literal swamp.

Thus it was not long before Bill Ross and I were visitors at the Arch and Phylis Nicols home where we had been invited. It seems that, especially in the south of Australia, the Northern Territory was practically unknown until the Japanese raids brought attention to it. So it was, when the people here in the 'civilized' established South heard that the U. S. troops were defending Darwin, their gratitude was overwhelming. We were literally taken in as family members.

The Nicols children, with whom I still correspond, address me as "big brother". Their other adopted "brother" was later killed in action and it fell to me the job of telling and consoling them.

By this time we had lost quite a few men, mostly to the tropical diseases, malaria, dengue, 'jungle rot', etc., and slow-healing wounds. Replacements, mostly draftees, were sent to fill our ranks, and new equipment, most of which we had never before seen, also appeared. Up to now our weapons and clothes were World War I leftovers. The old French 75 mm howitzers were swapped for new 105 mm guns; the old Springfield and Enfield rifles were replaced by the Garand, etc. Before long the old 147th of just 8 months previous did not look much like the reorganized regiment. And even the new recruits discovered there were a few things that the old 'salts' could teach them.

Since we were now in open country, farms and meadows, the 147th began again to be 'field' artillery. Consequently there were many drills and practice runs with which to become familiar as well as actual firing maneuvers.

After the 26-hour days and 8-day weeks that we had become used to during the 'Darwin Despair', it seemed as if our reward was a good amount of free time.

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