1 References for the cover images and general images published throughout this booklet are provided on page 64, in order of publication. Message from the Speaker As we commemorate ANZAC day, A number of former Members returned the experiences of a generation home from war with extraordinary tales of Australians who lived with the of survival. disruptions and anxieties of a Geoffrey Chinchen and another officer global war more than 75 years ago escaped from a German prison in continue to resonate with us. This Europe, after being shot down in North year Queenslanders continue to face Africa, by cementing themselves inside a uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 bricked-off part of a passage for several pandemic—one of the greatest global days. Chinchen served as a Member challenges since the Second World War. of Parliament from 1963 to 1977. Lloyd The Queensland Parliament Roberts and Keith Hooper both served commemorates the lives of its 49 former as ministers after being held as prisoners members who actively served with the of war in Changi. military during the Second World War. Nev Hewitt, former Member for Each of these servicemen lived a unique Mackenzie and Auburn from 1956 to war story, but they had in common their 1980, parachuted from his disabled commitment to their country and the aircraft landing in ‘no-mans’ land in North people of Queensland. Africa. He sustained a serious ankle Charles Brown and Jack Duggan were injury and spent the next four days serving Members of Parliament when crawling mostly at night to reach his they enlisted for war service. Charles aircraft, evading enemy fire and patrols. Brown served as a medical practitioner We cannot relay the stories of all of with the RAAF, after being assigned the servicemen and servicewomen to nursing duties and serving as an who defended Queensland during the ambulance officer during the First World turbulent years of the Second World War. Jack Duggan served in New Guinea, War, but we honour their service and holding seats in Toowoomba almost contributions made to this State, as continually from 1935 to 1969. we honour the contributions of the Many returned soldiers went on to have 49 servicemen who served in the significant influence in the development Queensland Parliament. of Queensland as ministers, including Lest we forget. Jack Pizzey who served as Premier for six months in 1968. Arthur Wienholt (Jnr), a veteran of the Boer War and the First World War, had completed two terms as a Member Hon Curtis Pitt MP of the Queensland Parliament before he was killed in 1940, in Ethiopa, after Speaker of the Legislative Assembly joining a British Army mission tasked with fostering rebellion against Italy. ii Contents Message from the Speaker ii Lloyd, Eric Gayford 34 Introduction 1 Miller, Colin John 35 Members of the Queensland Parliament Moore, Robert Edgar 36 who engaged in active service during Morris, Kenneth James 37 the Second World War 4 Muller, Selwyn John 38 Baldwin, Edgar Allan 5 Murray, John Chester 39 Bennett, Colin James 6 Pilbeam, Reginald Byron Jarvis 40 Bishop, Bruce Edward 7 Pizzey, Jack Charles Allan 41 Blake, James Robert Henry 8 Rae, Wallace Alexander Ramsay 42 Booth, Desmond James 9 Ramsden, Samuel Raymond 43 Bromley, Frederick Phillip 10 Roberts, Lloyd Henry Scurfield 44 Brown, Charles Victor Watson 11 Scott-Young, Norman Reginald 45 Brown, Ivan Milton 12 Smith, Percy Raymund 46 Chinchen, Geoffrey Talbot 13 Sullivan, Victor Bruce 47 Connolly, Peter David 14 Tucker, Percy John Robert 48 Delamothe, Peter Roylance 15 Wallis-Smith, Edwin 49 Dewar, Alexander Tattenhall 16 Warner, John Herbert 50 Dittmer, Felix Cyril Sigismund 17 Wienholt, Arnold 51 Duggan, John Edmund 18 Wood, Leslie Arnold 52 Glasson, William Hamline 19 Wordsworth, Carlisle Favell 57 Hanson, Martin 20 Acronyms 54 Harper, Neville John 21 Glossary 54 Harris, Edward David 22 Honours and Awards 54 Hart, Graham Lloyd 23 Personnel images 57 Heatley, William Clarence 24 Additional images 59 Herbert, John Desmond 25 Bibliography 60 Hewitt, Neville Thomas Eric 26 Notes 60 Hodges, Allen Maxwell 27 Disclaimer 61 Hooper, Keith William 28 Endnotes 61 Houghton, James Edward Hiram 29 Kaus, William Bernard 30 Kehoe, Gregory Brian 31 Lamond, William McMillan 32 Lickiss, William Daniel 33 iii Introduction The Queensland Parliament pays tribute to the former members of parliament who engaged in active service during the Second World War. When Great Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, the then Premier W Forgan-Smith stated: “At a time such as this there is no need to make a long speech dealing with the situation. It is enough to say that the declaration of war and the war that is now in operation is probably the most tragic occurrence in human history. It is not an occasion for any kind of illusion or Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. 040946. vainglory; it is definitely an occasion for calm resolution to see the war to With a major theatre of war being a successful conclusion.1” fought in East Asia, South-East Asia, and By the end of the war, between 30,000 the Pacific Ocean, the Second World and 40,000 Australian service personnel War brought fighting much closer to had died, and many more were injured. home than in previous conflicts.5 Over 30,000 Australians were taken Direct military attacks took place on the prisoner.2 Australian mainland and in Australian In many respects, the Second World waters.6 Japanese planes conducted War was different from any conflict that aerial attacks throughout Northern Australia had previously experienced. Australia, including Mossman, Townsville 7 Air attacks played a much greater role and Horn Island. Japanese submarines in the Second World War than they had attacked ships in Queensland coastal in the First World War and by 1945, the waters, including the hospital ship the AHS Centaur which sank off the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was 8 the fourth largest air force in the world.3 Queensland coast killing 268 people. Soldiers were conscripted to serve The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) not overseas in the Australian army, only took part in military operations but also played a role protecting the specifically the Citizen Military Forces 9 (CMF), for the first time in Australian merchant shipping fleet. history.4 Many veterans of the First World War At home, Australians faced new threats. joined the Volunteer Defence Corp (VDC), to provide defence within Australia in the event of attack.10 1 Civilians, including children, participated Many women joined women’s auxiliary in drills and complied with blackout services such as the Australian requirements. Rationing affected the Women’s Army Service (AWAS) and availability of foods, clothing and worked in a range of roles including petrol.11 nurses, telephonists, clerks, signallers, Parliament House in Brisbane was coders, wireless transmitter operators 20 prepared for attack. Windows were and drivers. Women also worked in reinforced or removed and rooms were factories and shipyards and as members converted into emergency shelters.12 of the Australian Women’s Land Army, Brick aprons were built around in response to labour shortages in 21 downstairs windows.13 Trenches were traditionally male areas of work. dug in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens14 The Labor Party retained power and air raid drills were held.15 The throughout the war, winning both the opening of Parliament took place 1941 and 1944 Queensland elections without its traditional pageantry.16 Extra under the direction of two premiers, copies of legislation were printed to William Forgan-Smith and Frank replace those that were destroyed en Cooper.22 route to England through attacks on The Commonwealth was responsible for 17 allied ships. the defence of the country, while state The arrival of American servicemen governments maintained community in Queensland in 1941, near Brisbane, activities and provided for the safety Rockhampton and Townsville, brought and care of the civilian population and significant social and economic change the protection of property.23 18 to the state. By 1944, America was Queensland referred certain state Australia’s largest source of imported powers to the federal legislature 19 goods. under the Commonwealth Powers Act 1943 (Qld), such as employment, Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. the advancement of returned service 061302 (Ronald Noel Keam). personnel and air transport.24 Controversially, the Queensland Parliament passed the Public Safety Act 1940 (Qld) in November 1940 which allowed for the establishment by proclamation of a Council of Public Safety to direct all administrative and executive functions in Queensland. The Australian Council of Civil Liberties, a number of unions and the Leader of the Opposition criticised the legislation on account of the broad-ranging powers given to the administering body.25 The Act was proclaimed in December 1941, following the bombing of Pearl Harbour.26 2 Image courtesy of the National Archives of Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. Australia. NAA: A5954, 1299/2 PHOTO PL1 088569. The Queensland Parliament enacted a We remember not only the former number of other important pieces of members of the Queensland Parliament, legislation. For example: but the service and sacrifice of all of the • the Air Raid Wardens Act 1939 men and women of Queensland who (Qld) empowered the Police contributed to the war effort at home Commissioner to appoint air and abroad. raid wardens who could exercise When the war in the Pacific finally similar powers to the police during ended in August 1945, Queensland an air-raid, began the task of rebuilding its society • the Industrial Conciliation and and economy, and service personnel Arbitration Acts (War Service came home to their families to rebuild Preference In Employment) Act of their lives.