| Notes |
- Private WX 14014
Australian Infantry Forces
Enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces in June 1941. As an acting Corporal he was posted to the Middle East in November 1941 assigned to 2/16 Aust Infantry Battalion. He was later sent to fight the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea as part of Maroubra Force. The entire band perished on Brigade Hill on 8 September 1942.
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HASKELL-Treasured memories of Ron, killed in action. NewGuinea, fond nephew of uncle Bill and aunty Grace. and cousin of Patsy. Doreen. Marguerite Sullivan. One of the best.
HASKELL (Ron). returned Middle East, killed New Guinea.September 8, 1942. Inserted by his sincere friends. George, Olive, Lyall and Les Youd and. Muriel. We will always remember you smiling.
HASKELL - In Memory of Ron, killed in action. September 8.dearly loved friend of Frances and Alan Hughes and loved uncle of Nancy.
HASKELL. A loving tribute In memory of Ron, killed inaction, September 8, New Guinea, fond nephew and cousin of Mr and Mrs P. J. Sullivan and family of Bayswater. His duty nobly done.
HASKEL.L. A loving tribute to Ron. Deepest sympathyto Stella and his famlly from his Pals. Grace and George -Payne. Perth-road. Bassendean. With Christ. which is farbetter. Good-night. Ron, we will see you at the dawning of a brighter day.
HASKELL.-In loving memory of Ron, killed in action, NewGuinea. September 8. loved friend of Mr and Mrs Ted Lange.Pte Will, and Ruth Green. Mark and Olga Green.Peace,perfect peace.
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Newsletter of the Haskell Family Society
Vol. 2, No. 2, December 1993
At various times during World War II Charles Haskell and his wife Vera Maude Haskell had the experience of having seven of their nine children serving abroad in the armed forces. This branch of the Haskell family has been based in Freemantle, Western Australia, for over sixty years. The eldest son in the family, Ronald Eric, was born in 1912 and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces in June 1941. As an acting corporal he was posted to the Middle East in November 1941 and was assigned to the 2/16 Australian Infantry Battalion, which formed part of the 7th Australian Division. With the advent of Japan entering into the war this Division was returned to Australia In February 1942. At that time Australia was very thin on the ground as regards front line troops. The 6th Division had been severely mauled by the Germans during the Greece and Crete campaigns and was in the process of reforming in the Middle East. The 9th Division, which was well trained in desert warfare, was left in the Middle East and attached to Montgomery's Army in the fight against the Desert Fox Rommel. The 8th Australian Division had gone down with British troops in Malaya and Singapore, and such was the position with the Japanese on the doorstep to the north. America was reeling from the Pearl Harbour tragedy, the Philippines had fallen and American troops were fully involved in the Solomon Islands campaign. The Japanese had carried all before them down the Malay Peninsula, Singapore and the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) and were driving across the Owen Stanley Ranges in New Guinea with a view to capturing Port Moresby as a toehold into Australia's northern coastline. One brigade of the 9th Division was rushed to New Guinea to assist two Militia Battalions which had taken the full onslaught of the Japanese attack. Numerically the Aussies were outnumbered 10/1, and they lacked artillery of any form and air cover. The battles were fought in dense jungle through precipitous peaks ranging up to 8000 feet, with the ground a churned up quagmire from the incessant monsoonal rains. There was a ribbon of a track through the area now known as the Kokoda Trail. The 2/16 Battalion was one of three battalions of the Brigade, known as Maroubra Force, that engaged the Japanese, and there followed six weeks of ceaseless containment and organised retreat until reinforcements could be brought up and counter attacks made.
The Japanese eventually withdrew in disarray and Port Moresby was saved. At one stage during the fighting the Japanese got within 15 yards of the perimeter of Brigade Headquarters and Captain Langridge was ordered to attack with the remnants of two platoons. He passed his identity discs and paybook to a friend and then inspiringly led the forlorn foray. Affectionately known as 'Lefty' to the men of his Battalion, Langridge along with Lieutenant 'Bluey' Lambert and some twenty of their comrades perished in the vain attack. That horrendous Brigade Hill action typified the spirit of the Maroubra Force not just blindly reckless but calmly brave and faithfully accepting the duty that often meant death. So great was the carnage on Brigade Hill that it became known as Butchers Hill. Ronald Eric Haskell was one of the elite band who paid the supreme sacrifice at Brigade Hill on the 8 September 1942.
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1912 - 1942 (30 years)
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