Page 64 - Memorial Groves
P. 64
PLAQUE NO 103:
Pte Douglas Norman Russell (1926-31)
2/4th Machine Gun Battalion
Doug Russell, or "Rusty", attended Hale School from Claremont between 1926
and 1931. He represented the school in the 1st XI, swimming and in the 1st
PLAQUE NO 102: XVIII. After leaving school he joined the Commonwealth Bank and was also
in the Citizen's Military Forces at Claremont, training with the machine-gun
Sgt Peter Duce (1927-31) company.
Doug enlisted in late 1940 to join the 2/4th Machine-Gun Battalion. He left
2/16th Battalion
Australia in January 1942 to serve in Malaya and was captured by the Japanese
when Singapore fell on 15 February. He was eventually sent to work on the
Peter attended Hale School as a boarder from Boyanup Burma-Thailand railway and died there of disease and malnutrition in January
between 1927 and 1931. He was a left arm opening bowler 1943. He was 29 years of age.
for the 1st XI. He returned to the family farm after leaving
FIRST XI, 1931
school and excelled at both cricket and horsemanship Dedicated and placed by Haleian Mr Doug Rowe (1954-59), son of 'Rusty'
STANDING: F Nathan, D Russell, A Ellis, E Dunn in the local district - he was a member of the 10th Light
SITTING: R Hall, J Rowe (Capt), Mr Rowlands (Coach), P Duce, K Bott. Russell's best friend at School, Mr Jack Rowe (1926-31). Jack was Captain of
ABSENT: T Hall, W Stubbs. Horse regiment in Bunbury in the 1930s. Hale School in 1931 and donated Pte Russell's plaque in memory of his close
friend.
On the outbreak of war, he joined the 2/16th Infantry
In his memory the Duce family, Battalion and subsequently served with the unit in Syria.
Later he survived the Kokoda Track campaign where he PLAQUE NO 104:
in 1964, financed and help was wounded in action. Desmond Noel Kennedy Smith (1936-37)
build the scoreboard which still In November he re-joined his unit and was with them
when they made attacks on Japanese positions at Gona
Village beginning in late November 1942. Sergeant Peter Desmond attended Hale School in 1936 and 1937. His report records that he
had average ability but good application. His father was Area Manager of the
stands on the boundary of Craig Duce took part in the final attack against the entrenched State gold-crushing batteries in the Eastern Goldfields and when Desmond left
Japanese on the 8 December. He was killed in action in
Oval to this day. A plaque the early afternoon of that day. He was 28 years of age. School he returned to the region and worked for the Commonwealth Bank in
Kalgoorlie.
Placed by his nephews, Haleians Marcus (1956-59) and
to his memory has been placed Peter Duce (1961-66) of Boyanup. He joined the army in 1941 and subsequently trained as a commando, finally
serving with the 2nd/5th Independent Company behind enemy lines in New
there. Guinea. He was killed near Wau, Papua New Guinea on the 27 January 1943.
He was 21 years of age.
Placed by his brother, Old Haleian Mr Geoff Smith (1930-32), who also served
with the Royal Navy during the war and who travelled from Victoria to be
present at the dedication ceremony.
