Reginald Roy Rattey,
VC (28 March 1918 – 10 January 1986) was an
Australian recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British or
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...
armed forces. He was one of 20 Australians to receive the award for their actions during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, doing so while serving with the
25th Battalion during the
Bougainville Campaign
The Bougainville campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan, named after the island of Bougainville. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allie ...
in 1945. After the war, Rattey ran a farm near
West Wyalong
West Wyalong is the main town of the Bland Shire in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Located west of Sydney and above sea level, it is situated on the crossroads of the Newell Highway between Melbourne and Brisbane, and ...
, New South Wales. He died in 1986 at the age of 67.
Early life
Born on 28 March 1918, at
Barmedman
Barmedman is a rural village in the Bland Shire in the New South Wales state of Australia, located approximately half-way between West Wyalong and Temora. Barmedman began as a service centre for gold-mining operations in the area. Nowadays the ...
, in
New South Wales
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, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Reg Rattey was one of seven children born to a Lutheran family living in rural New South Wales. His father, Johannes Albert Rattey, who was originally from
Springton, South Australia
Springton is a settlement in South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fou ...
had married his mother, Anna Elisabeth (née Damschke), at
Pleasant Hills on 26 February 1914. Reginald was the couple's third child and when he was born, his father was working a share farm. Three years later he purchased his own property near Wargin, and after he bought another property called "Bon Accord", he expanded the family's holdings to .
In his formative years, Reg was schooled at Bellarwi, travelling by horse each way, and was a keen sportsman playing cricket, football and tennis.
[ After leaving school, he helped out on the family farm, and found work as a miner; he also joined the ]Militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non- professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
, serving as a part-time soldier in the 21st Light Horse Regiment.[ When the war broke out, he was working at the Gibsonvale Open Cut Tin Mine at Kikoira and was parading with the 21st Light Horse Regiment at ]Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's ...
.[
]
Second World War
In late September 1941, as the prospect of war in the Pacific against the Japanese grew, Rattey's regiment was mobilised for full-time service. The 21st Light Horse was subsequently redesignated as the 21st Reconnaissance Battalion,[ and Rattey served as a ]Bren carrier
The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used ...
driver and then a driver-mechanic.[ As a member of the Militia, under the provisions of the ''Defence Act'', Rattey was not allowed to serve outside of Australian territory, but in July 1942 he volunteered for overseas service as part of the Australian Imperial Force. He was transferred to 3rd Division’s carrier company and then the 11th Division, and in September 1943 deployed to ]New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
, remaining there until April 1944 when he returned to Australia as a corporal
Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...
. Two months later, he was transferred to an infantry battalion, the 25th Battalion, a Militia unit that had been raised in Queensland that was part of the 7th Brigade.
In July 1944, the 25th Battalion deployed to New Guinea where they were based around Madang
Madang (old German name: ''Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen'') is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 (in 2005) on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century.
Hist ...
until November when the battalion was transferred to Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island ( Tok Pisin: ''Bogenvil'') is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. It was previously the main landmass in the German Empire-associated North Solomons. Its land area ...
, landing at Torokina,[ where the Australians had taken over from the American force that had previously been fighting a ]campaign
Campaign or The Campaign may refer to:
Types of campaigns
* Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed
* Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme
* B ...
against the Japanese on the island. The Australians then began a three-pronged offensive in the northern, central and southern sectors of the island to clear the Japanese from the island. As part of this offensive, the 25th Battalion initially took part in the fighting in the central sector, and in late December fought in the Battle of Pearl Ridge
The Battle of Pearl Ridge (30–31 December 1944) was an engagement of the Second World War fought between Australian and Japanese forces on Bougainville Island. Part of the wider Bougainville Campaign, the battle took place in the central ...
before joining the southern drive on the Japanese stronghold of Buin in early 1945. By March they had crossed the Puriata River and begun moving inland towards a position that became known as "Slater's Knoll".[
]
Victoria Cross
On 26 July 1945, Rattey was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Buin Road in South Bougainville on 22 March. The 25th Battalion were ordered to capture a Japanese stronghold following an allied air and artillery attack. After determining that an attack by his section would likely incur many casualties, he single-handedly attacked three Japanese weapons bunkers with his Bren gun. After eliminating one of the bunkers with a grenade, he returned to his section through enemy fire to obtain two more grenades and returned to destroy two more enemy bunkers.
Shortly after this, his section advanced and encountered further Japanese machine gun fire. Rattey again launched a solo attack on an enemy gun position, killing one, injuring another and causing the remaining gun crew to retreat. The section captured the Japanese machine gun with 2,000 ammunition rounds before advancing further.[ Two days after this action, Rattey was promoted to sergeant,][ and the following month his battalion was relieved shortly after holding off a large-scale Japanese attack during the ]Battle of Slater's Knoll
The Battle of Slater's Knoll (28 March – 6 April 1945) was a battle fought between Australia, Australian and Japan, Japanese forces on Bougainville Island during the World War II, Second World War. Part of the Bougainville campaign, the ...
.[
]
Post war
After returning to Australia, Rattey was briefly hospitalised with a bout of malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...
and then briefly toured the country helping to raise money for the Australian Comfort Fund. He was discharged from the Army on 31 October 1945,[ and began farming a property around ]Lake Cowal
Lake Cowal is the largest inland lake in New South Wales, Australia. The lake is ephemeral, being fed by the small Bland Creek and by the occasional flooding of the Lachlan River. Despite this, it retains a considerable amount of water in abou ...
, near West Wyalong, which he was granted under a special lease. In March 1946, he returned to the Army, being granted the rank of sergeant to attend the Victory Parade in London, where he was presented his Victoria Cross by King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...
at Buckingham Palace. He was discharged from the Army again in September 1946 and returning to Lake Cowal. In 1948, Rattey married Emily Café, with whom he had one daughter. Emily died in 1954 and the following year he remarried, exchanging nuptials with Aileen Delaney at St Mary's Catholic Church, in West Wyalong; the couple would later have four children.[
Rattey expanded his property at Lake Cowal by an extra , and eventually worked the land with sheep, cattle, pigs and wheat. Later, he also farmed tiger snakes for their serum.][ In his later life, Rattey's health deteriorated and he had to give up the land. He died on 10 January 1986 as a result of ]emphysema
Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the a ...
and was given a full military funeral at St Mary's Catholic Church, before being interred at the West Wyalong Lawn Cemetery. He was survived by his second wife and his five children.
Honours and awards
In addition to the Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, Rattey also received the 1939–1945 Star
The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces for service in the Second World War. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, Batt ...
, the Pacific Star
The Pacific Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in the Pacific Campaign from 1941 to 1945, during the Second World War.
One clasp, Burma, was ...
, the War Medal 1939–1945
The War Medal 1939–1945 is a campaign medal which was instituted by the United Kingdom on 16 August 1945, for award to citizens of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time in the Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy for at least 28 days ...
, the Australia Service Medal 1939–1945, the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...
.[ He is also commemorated by the following memorials:
* A plaque in the Strand, London, which was one of 12 unveiled during ]Victory in the Pacific Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
celebrations on 29 August 1995;[
*A memorial cairn in Lions Park, West Wyalong, which was unveiled on 13 November 1992;][
* Reg Rattey Drive, which was opened in West Wyalong, in March 1999;][
* A memorial park in Canberra (part of the national Remembrance Driveway);] and
*A soldiers' club at Larrakeyah Barracks
Larrakeyah Barracks, incorporating , is the main base for the Australian Defence Force in the Northern Territory of Australia, and occupies the headland west of the suburb of Larrakeyah in the capital, Darwin. It was established in 1932–33, ...
.[
]
References
;Footnotes
;Citations
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rattey, Reginald Roy
1918 births
1986 deaths
Military personnel from New South Wales
Australian Army soldiers
Australian World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
People from the Central West (New South Wales)
Deaths from emphysema
Australian farmers
Australian Army personnel of World War II