The Soldier's Details

Pitts enlisted AIF 10 Aug 1940 later joined 2/4th MGB’s ‘D’ Company, No. 15 Platoon with Commanding Officer Lt Meiklejohn.

Pitts was wounded in action at 0200 hours on 9/2/1942 with ‘D’ Company 15 Platoon. Admitted to Field Ambulance with a shrapnel wound to left thigh. Transferred to 2/10th Australian General Hospital on 18/2/1942. Discharged to unit on 24/2/1942.

From Singapore Slim was selected with the first work Force to leave Singapore.  ‘A’ Force Burma, Green Force No. 3 Btn.

When the railway was completed at end 1943 Slim as brought south with all the POWs in Burma first to Tamarkan then to Chungkai Hospital  Camp.  From here he went with several work parties into Thailand – Kachu Mountain Camp, Bangkok, Nakom Nayok, Lopburi then back to Nakom Nayok – from where he was recovered at the end of war.

 

 

 

WOODSIDE LAMENT   by Slim Pitts

On arrival at Woodside Camp, SA

We come from the West where the beer is best, parlez vous

Our Camp was better than all the rest parlez vous

We came over here and God knows why

Unless they brought us here to die, inky pinky parlez vous.

 

God stiffen the crows we bloody near froze  parlez vous

With a barking cough and a running nose parlez vous

If we stay much longer I’ll bet you’ll see

We’ll all end up in the R.A.P. inky pinky parlez vous.

 

They tell us its colder in months ahead parlez vous

If we don’t want to finish up all in bed parlez vous

We will be getting around in leather vests

With flannel protectors on our chests. inky pinky parlez vous

 

We were all so glad when we went away parlez vous

From Northam Camp in W.A.,   parlez vous

How one and all of our thousand men

Are wishing to God they were back again. Inky pinky parlous vous

 

 

 

Above: 1985 Bunbury Reunion

Slim Pitts and Joe Beattie (regretfully we advise ladies are unknown to us – 2020)