Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Contributed by the great grandson of McNamara who attends Investigator College

John Patrick McNamara was born on the 20th of July 1920 to mother Emelie Louise McNamara (nee Kupke) and Father John Philip McNamara. John was one of nine children first Margret then Vincent, Leo, John, Anthony, Thomas, Kathleen, James (Jim), and Brian (only lived for five days) (McNamara, 2009).

John was born in Rose Parks just outside of Adelaide before moving to Murray Bridge (John Patrick (Skeet) MCNAMARA n.d.), John first lived on Florence Street opposite the Holy Cross Lutheran Church but not long after they shifted to the corner of Standen and Ella Street. This house was the home where John commenced his school days at St Joseph School Murray Bridge.

John entered the war on the 15th of September 1941, he was 5 feet 9¼ inches and weighed 120lbs. Johns next of kin was his father John Philip McNamara (National Archives of Australia, 1939). John’s occupation was a baker’s delivery boy prior to the war (National Archives of Australia, 1939).

On the 7th of December 1941 (source 2), Japan bombed Pearl Harbour and in 24 hours John had left to serve in World War 2 (McNamara, 2009). John travelled to Alice Springs by train and then off to Larrimah by truck. John was put in the 10th Battalion (McNamara, 2009).

In February 1942, John thought it was a lovely day but not for long. In a flash, fighter planes and dive bombers appeared everywhere bombs dropped all around and tracer bullets flashed like lightning (McNamara, 2009). There was nothing John and his unit could do but duck for cover in the trench, (McNamara, 2009). That evening after the raid had settled down the unit was recalled and deployed to Lee Point, ten miles from Darwin (McNamara, 2009). John and his unit stayed in Lee Point until March 1943 and then travelled by truck to Alice Springs and were given three weeks leave to have advanced training, 30 miles south of Darwin (McNamara, 2009).

John’s older brother Vin was in the 9th Division (McNamara, 2009) and John wanted to transfer, With Vin’s help John made a brothers application claim which was soon approved and became officially registered with the 2nd 7th Australian field regiment (McNamara, 2009).

Since the New Guinea campaign, the Division was now in a place called Ravenshoe. After a long trek John participated in serious training (McNamara, 2009). John completed amphibious training at Trinity Beach once completed their division came back to Ravenshoe before being granted leave (McNamara, 2009).

John and his brother Vin spent their leave in their hometown Murray Bridge going to the movies, the local pub and spending time with their Mum and Dad (McNamara, 2009).

After leave, John went back to Ravenshoe with the 9th Division and headed for Townsville and moved to the Harbour Wharf. It was a tiring day. John had no idea where he was headed. It took all day to board all 7,500 troops (McNamara, 2009). Eight days later they arrived at Morati a place occupied by the Americans trying to clean up the Japanese in the area (McNamara, 2009). This is where the invasion assembled before heading into battle at Tarakan, Borneo. John arrived at the shoreline to the thundering noise of big guns and rockets. On arrival the fear of being killed was overwhelming all over again (McNamara, 2009).

The morning of the 1st of May 1945 and John started to move into Tarakan Hill, it was meant to take three days and then move to Hong Kong, however, the situation had changed. The Japanese had reinforced the island with their finest troops (McNamara, 2009). The infantry was soon advanced to the protection of the supporting arms. The 2/7th got the tanks of the 25- pounders field guns (McNamara, 2009). The leading of the infantry advanced through the scrub of the north beach and the wave of vessels (McNamara, 2009). The sounds of the bomb were deafening (McNamara, 2009).

John remained on his landing ship until early afternoon. Once John’s fleet landed, they were welcomed into the war zone with the sounds of bombs exploding and the harrowing sounds of yelling (McNamara, 2009). The battalion first attacked Tarakan Hill on May 3rd. John fired the 2/7th 25 pounder when there platoons advanced about noon and at 2.30pm the company commander called off the attack (McNamara, 2009). The last 15 days of World War 2 the wastelands became full of rotting vegetation and burning bodies. A plague of large green blow flies had engulfed the whole island (McNamara, 2009).

On the 15th of August the new Australian Prime Minister, Ben Chifley declared World War 2 had ended (McNamara, 2009).

After the war ended John stayed in Borneo and on the 21st of August 1945 he received a letter from his Mum, John then wrote his last letter back home to his mum on the 24th of August (Bartel, 2023b).

John boarded a ship called Shamrock Victory to get back from Borneo to Brisbane Harbour. He was then trucked to army headquarters at Wayville (McNamara, 2009a). John had one month leave which he did not use so he had to stay at headquarters for a month before he could be discharged (McNamara, 2009). He finally received his discharge papers in March.

While John was at war, he was awarded 7 medals these were 1939-45 Star, the Pacific, the Defence, Australian Service, 1939-45 Medal, the Dutch Liberation, and the Australian Medal (vwma.org.au, n.d.).

John was finally at peace when he caught the 7:20 pm train to Murray Bridge it would take another three hours to be home (McNamara, 2009). Later after he got home John ran into a friend from the repatriation hospital, John was looking for a job and this friend that was not disclosed said to go visit the PMG department. Jobs were available for returned service men John commenced his work at the PMG department in August 1946 (McNamara, 2009). John started by learning some life lessons before being transferred to Tailem Bend (McNamara, 2009).

After a month at the PMG department, they transferred John back to Murray Bridge where he stayed (McNamara, 2009). After he was transferred, he met his wife Yvonne Spencer in Waikerie in February 1947. Fast forward to December 1949 they got married in Murray Bridge at the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. John and Yvonne moved into a house on 17 Montgomery Avenue which was built for ex-servicemen they then started a family of 10 first Jennifer then Mary, Paul (only lived for three days) Teresa, Christine, Philip, Stephen, Bernadette, Jacinta, and Catherine (McNamara, 2009). In 1980 John retired from Telecom (McNamara, 2009). A few years after retiring John started as a mail run, he retired fully in 1995 (McNamara, 2009). In the last 15 years of his life John enjoyed having a beer and putting on a bet. But most of all he enjoyed spending time with his wife, nine children, 18 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren (Bartel, 2023a).

John was married to his wife for 60 years and died on the 2nd of September 2009 at the Soldier’s Memorial Hospital in Murray Bridge (John Patrick (Skeet) MCNAMARA n.d.).

Bibliography
 

Bartel, M. (2023a). John Patrick McNamara life after war. [face to face interview].

Bartel, M. (2023b). Jonh Patrick McNamara life before and during war. [Face to Face interview].

Easton, M., Carrodus, G., Wilson, J., Wilson, A., Ryan, M., Thomas, K., Smith, R. and Davey, K. (n.d.). oxford digital. 2nd ed. [online] pp.396–397. Available at: https://obook5.oxforddigital.com.au/student/OB604/topic/0221/reader.html?pn=396 [Accessed 19 May 2023].

McNamara, Y. (2023). John Patrick McNamara life during war. [Face to face]. McNamara, J.P. (2009). Life As I Saw It. 1st ed. blurb books: Catherine Murray.

National Archives of Australia. (1939). MCNAMARA JOHN PATRICK: Service Number - SX23965 308852 S16862: Date of Birth - 20 Jul 1920: Place of Birth - ROSE PARK SA : Place of Enlistment - MURRAY BRIDGE SA : Next of Kin - MCNAMARA JOHN. [online] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6414837 [Accessed 3 Mar. 2023].

recordsearch.naa.gov.au. (n.d.). RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia. [online] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?B arcode=6414837&isAv=N [Accessed 3 Mar. 2023].

DVA’s Nominal Rolls. [online] nominal- rolls.dva.gov.au. Available at: https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=687007&c=WW2 [Accessed 9 May 2023].

vwma.org.au. (n.d.). John Patrick (Skeet) MCNAMARA. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/585849 [Accessed 3 Mar. 2023].