Fred Cave fought in the one of the final bloody battles of World War II. The battle took place after the landing of the 2/31st Battalion and other units of 7th Brigade at Balikpapan, Borneo in July 1945.

His son, Peter Cave became a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Fast forward now to 30th April 2012 for Peter’s story:

After more than 40 years with the ABC and 30 years reporting foreign wars, Foreign Affairs Editor Peter Cave is on his way back from his last overseas assignment.

One of his retirement projects is researching the life and death of John Elliott, an ABC correspondent who was killed in 1945 covering one of Australia’s bloodiest battles in World War II.

Peter has uncovered information about Elliott’s death that points to a highly personal link to his father Fred Cave, who served as a Bren gunner in the area Elliott died.

I first learnt of John Elliott when I was involved with an ABC exhibition chronicling the work of ABC foreign correspondents called Through Australian Eyes.

In one corner of one poster there was a mention of John Elliott’s death in Borneo in 1945 and a grainy photo.

The name didn’t ring a bell with me, nor the photo, but what caught my attention was the fact that he died in Balikpapan.

Balikpapan was a name familiar to me because I knew my late father Fred Cave had served there in 1945 as a Bren gunner with the Australian 7th Division.

I mentioned this to my colleague Tony Hill, a former correspondent in Thailand and the Middle East, who had been one of the main organisers of the exhibit and he handed me a folder full of archival material on John Elliott.

At the time of his death it was reported that he was killed in action by the Japanese, and that story has found its way into most of the scant information on John Elliott death in the history books and on the internet.

But one old yellowing page hidden amongst the wad of documents made my blood run icy cold.

It was a letter from the Department of Information to the ABC executive outlining the true circumstances of his death, and that of an Australian Information Service journalist, Bill Smith:

Both men were seeking names of troops in the forward area when they were shot down. Elliott getting material for his broadcasts and Smith for his weekly Diary feature.

For reasons unexplained they had wandered into enemy territory near where Jap snipers had been holding up out troops for some hours.

They picked out a Jap shelter, sat down in front of it, and began exchanging notes and having a bite to eat.

Just a few minutes before three Japs were killed a few yards from where they were sitting. Smith had removed his slouch hat, but Elliott retained his American visor cap, which from a distance looks very like a Jap cap.

An Australian Bren gunner, 700 yards away saw the two figures, was convinced they were Japs and fired killing both men instantly. He cannot be blamed for what happened. He was only doing his duty.

The official Army version is that both men were killed in action.

That is as it should be.

Letter to ABC federal supervisor outlining circumstances of John Elliott’s death

I was stunned. Was it possible that my father had shot and killed the first ABC correspondent to die on a battlefield. A correspondent doing the very job I do now.

After more than five years of research I have yet to discover the truth.

Hopefully I will in the near future, but it has opened the window on a fascinating life and death that has been forgotten.

The news of his death coincided with the death of prime minister John Curtin and rated only a few paragraphs.

Shortly after, the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima effectively meant the war was over and Elliott, who had no living relatives in Australia, became a historical side note.

The ABC weekly carried a brief obituary a few weeks later that really only hinted at the rich tapestry of his life story.

Monday 2nd Sept 2019 was a special day in the life of 31st Battalion Association. On this day our last surviving 2/31st Battalion member in Brisbane, WO2 Alf Cumberland had his 102nd birthday celebrations. There to wish him a Happy Birthday along with other friends, were Brisbane Branch Association members- President Ray Fogg, Secretary Tony Wadeson , Mick James and Tim Lewis. We had arranged for our Honorary French member, Pierre, to do a Tribute for Alf on his 102nd Birthday (hence the 102 on the Tribute). We also arranged for his service file to be opened and we presented Alf with a copy.

We travelled to Alf’s Retirement Home south of Brisbane and the staff there provided some refreshments and we supplied the cake (see other photo). Alf was overjoyed with the Tribute, particularly the photo of himself when he joined up. He vowed to hang it in a place of honour so he can view it every day and treasure it. He was also thankful for the copy of his Service Record. It prompted various questions regarding his War Service and most were explained. He is still very “switched on” – when I mentioned that he grew up in Wellington St Clayfield, he could describe where it is (off Oriel Rd) and asked if I knew it. When I replied I delivered Meals on Wheels in the next St, Alf immediately said “Monpelier”. It was his parents home and he wouldn’t have been there in the last 50 years.

I’ll post more of Alf’s history later. He was a reinforcement to 2/31st Battalion in New Guinea in Nov 1943 and suffered in Hospital for some months when they withdrew back to Australia in Jan 1944. He rejoined the Battalion in July 44 at Strathpine and subsequently trained on the Atherton Tableland until they departed for Morotai and subsequently to invade Balikpapan. Our discussion brought back many memories for Alf (mostly happy ones) and he was reluctant to let us leave,even though he was getting tired. We are planning for another meeting with him this year.

Congratulations Alf.

Words by Association Member,

Mick James

Editor’s Note: One of Alf’s many anecdotes was posted in July this year. It appears in  the 2/31st Battalion page under the Unit Activities Menu of this website. Member Tim Lewis passed on another anecdote from Alf that was retold at his birthday gathering. It concerns the battles on the Milford Highway that occurred subsequent to the landing at Balikpapan, Borneo, on 1st July 1945. Alf says that they were pushing up the Milford Highway and the Japanese were firing splinter bombs. To his horror one dropped and dug into the ground at his feet. To his great delight it failed to detonate. 74 years later he still marvels that he is able to recount his good luck on that day.

Alf Cumberland celebrating his 102nd Birthday with members of the 31st Battalion Association.

The Association presented Alf with a tribute to mark the occasion and to thank him for his service.

The tribute was produced by our Honorary member in France, Pierre Seillier.

Association Member Tim Lewis has passed on the following reminiscences from Alf Cumberland. Alf has been regularly in attendance at our small commemoration service at the 2/31st Battalion Memorial in Southbank just prior to the main march through Brisbane each Anzac Day. At 101 years of age Alf is still going strong, one of a dwindling number of 2/31 Battalion members. Tim takes up the story:

Alex Swann ( nee Henderson ) and I spent a couple of hours with Alf recently. Alf was in fine form and told us a couple of ” never been told before stories .” Now I could be corrected on the details , however, the first one went something like this :-

Alf was at a Staging camp in 1942, either in Petrie or Oonoomba in Townsville and was getting a bit toey to help in PNG. He was a Corporal at the time and they were calling for six hundred private soldier volunteers. Now he knew that one of the privates was incapacitated, in hospital and would not make the roll call. So, as you do, when his name was called Alf was the man. Everything was going swimmingly until he stepped up to the man with the clipboard at the top of the gang plank. The private’s name had been crossed of the list. “So who are you?”asked the clipboard man. “Cpl Cumberland, Sgt” came the reply. “Stand over there,” he was told, “I’ll deal with you later.” In no time all troops were on board and were leaning over the ship’s railing to see what was going to occur. “Now, what’s you story Corporal?” “Well I just want to get over there and help out.” says Alf. So, after a bit of argy bargy came the executive decision —- “Alright , up you go.”

And so it was that Cpl Alfred Herbert Cumberland became a valued member of the 2/31st Infantry Battalion

Tim Lewis

Tim and Alf go over old wartime photos and stories.

Tim’s Father Lt Aub Lewis was a member of 2/31st Battalion 

Alex Swann (nee Henderson) enjoys a morning tea with Alf.

Alex’s Father was also a member of 2/31st Battalion.

Before the main March in Brisbane on ANZAC Day 2019, 31st Battalion Association Secretary Tony, Committee member Mick and member Tim Lewis attended the 2/31st Battalion Service at the Memorial at Southbank. This photo of Tony and Mick with 2/31st Battalion veteran, 101 year old Alf Cumberland. Alf who is a Veteran of the New Guinea and Balikpapan campaigns turns 102 in Sept 2019. Well done Alf. Still going strong. Thanks for your service past and present.

Association member Tim Lewis has been in contact with Keith Hearne, one of the few remaining members of 2/31st Batalion still active. He was formerly a President of the Victorian Branch of the 2/31 Battalion Association. Tim was also contacted by Eric Anderson, the son of “Hook” Anderson. Eric sent a parcel of old newsletters published by the 2/31st Bn association. “Hook” Anderson was for many years the editor of the 2/31st Bn Association newsletter “Forever Forward”. Amongst the newsletters were half a dozen copies of “Forever Forward”, dating from December 1993 to December 1998 and the four copies of the 25th Brigade newsletter “Teh Kallim”, dating from December 1963 to June 1988.

Keith Hearne sent a number of pictures of association reunions. We are hoping that Keith can give us some more information on members in the pictures including some of their stories. In later years as numbers gradually declined Keith mentioned that their had been an amalgamation of the  2/31st and 2/25th Battalion Associations in Victoria.

Tim gave me a number of pictures taken by his father, Leiutenant Aub Lewis, prior to and during the final campaign of the 2/31st Battalion, in Balikpapan. Some of those pictures were taken prior to the departure from Australia during training in the Atherton Tablelands. A selection of those are included below. Some members may recognize a familiar face from the past amongst them.

Martin O’Sullivan.