Lt. John Charles McIntosh MID (3/4/1924 to 14/11/2019)
by Greg Ivey
Jack was born in Townsville, Qld and attended the Stuart State School. After passing the compulsory education age, Jack worked on his parent’s farm and earned money doing a variety of casual work. He began an apprenticeship in Carpentry and then enlisted in the Army, aged 18, on 27 July 1942. Jack explained many years later in an interview that he enlisted because, “There was not a lot to do (in Townsville) and many other local men were joining.”
Jack did Army training for several months around Queensland: in Townsville, Hughenden, Goondiwindi, Warwick, Canungra and Brisbane. At Hughenden, Jack later recalled, the Army could only provide one rifle among thirty-six soldiers. Jack and other soldiers went by ship to Port Moresby as Infantry reinforcements. There, in late 1942, Corporal McIntosh volunteered for training, and possible posting, with the Papuan Infantry Battalion. Fitting into the PIB was difficult for new arrivals but Jack stuck it out while many Australian volunteers left. Jack struck a deal with a PIB sergeant such that the sergeant could improve his English while Jack learnt Police Motu. Jack passed his training and was posted to the PIB with the rank of Sergeant.
For over three years, Jack led short patrols against the Japanese Army and longer patrols of about five days behind enemy lines. The longer patrols aimed to identify enemy positions and enemy movements with such information passed later to headquarters. Lacking suitable radios, these long patrols carried pigeons for communication with Company headquarters. A bronze-wing pigeon was released daily with map references while the one white pigeon was sent back only if the patrol’s situation became desperate. Jack’s long patrols, with about six soldiers, carried minimum rations (bully beef and biscuits), left no tell-tale rubbish, and cooked their food only if well-hidden from the enemy. In rare, good conditions Jack said he would “mix bully beef with green paw-paw, pumpkin stems and sweet potato tops to make a stew. The vitamins in the green plants kept us healthy and stopped us from getting sores.”
Jack was posted initially to C Company of the PIB in 1943 and served in Papua and in many locations across New Guinea where, by then promoted to Lieutenant, he was awarded a Mentioned in Despatches for his bravery (see his Citation in the family tributes which follow). After Victory was declared, all the PIB Companies camped together at Torokina, Bougainville, and conducted parade ground Drill, Sporting events, and Official Parades during September-December 1945. There, Jack took photos which now appear on our Website. The Battalion moved to Fauro Island for three months and finally to Rabaul in mid-March 1946 where Jack’s duties included the supervision of Japanese prisoners of war. During the next three months, Servicemen in the PIB were sent home by ship and the Battalion gradually disbanded.
Jack reached the Redbank Depot, Brisbane for Discharge in July 1946 and had to make his own way to Townsville. Jack deplored the absence of post-Discharge support from the Australian Government. Jack recounted later in life that he and his fellow soldiers were, “treated like mongrel dogs” and they were offered little in the way of assistance to fit back in. He recalled in an interview, “When I returned I had a lot of trouble settling back into life because of nerves, sickness, and the change of life altogether.”
Jack tried to return to his Carpentry Apprenticeship but he enjoyed Farm work better. He met and courted Olive whom he married in 1950. Jack and Olive had two children, Irene and Kevin. Following the custom of Returned Servicemen, Jack did not talk about the War to his children (or grandchildren) apart from occasional stories about his off-duty activities. But he did inspire his children and grandchildren to investigate and appreciate his New Guinea service (see the following Funeral tribute from his daughter). Jack’s wife Olive, herself no stranger to family trauma, loved and supported Jack as he bore the long-term legacy of War service and witnessing Japanese Army barbarity. (Jack saw evidence of Japanese soldiers’ cannibalism and other devastating scenes in New Guinea – scenes which affected Jack’s mental health.)
Jack had productive and enjoyable years employed as a supervisor of prisoners at the Stuart Prison Farm in Townsville. In his retirement, Jack kept busy in his home vegetable garden, assisting his family, and doing casual work at the Cluden Race Course. He erected three flagpoles in his front garden at Douglas for Australia, New Zealand and PNG. When Jack heard about the death of a PIB Serviceman, he would fly the flags at half mast for several days. These flags attracted the interest of local people and PNG citizens studying at the University near by. Jack enjoyed informing people about the PIB and speaking in Motu to the families from PNG.
In 1990, Jack and Olive attended the 50th Anniversary Reunion of the PIB at Tweed Heads, NSW. There he was re-united with his PIB batman, Private (later Sergeant) Morea who had flown from Port Moresby with about 10 other indigenous PIB warriors. Morea greeted Jack warmly saying, “Hi boss, I knew you’d be here. I brought you your (news)paper as usual” and handed to Jack a copy of the Post-Courier. Over the weekend of 3rd and 4th June, the former comrades exchanged stories, gifts and deep respect. A Commemoration Service was held and later Mick Byrnes launched his book Green Shadows, a detailed account of PIB and NGIB operations during the Second World War.
In 1995, Jack and Olive participated in the Victory in the Pacific 50th Anniversary commemorations in Townsville. Jack was a member of the Veterans Welcoming Team which greeted participants who arrived at the Port or the Airport. Jack particularly enjoyed welcoming, from Port Moresby, Raphael Oembari and his support escorts. (Raphael had become famous when a photo of his assistance to an injured Digger was captured by George Silk and published in Life magazine during 1943.) After the War, Raphael used his fame to support the cause of the indigenous soldiers. Speaking to the Townsville media through his interpreter in 1995, Oembari was still very upset with the Australian Government for abandoning the Papuan Soldiers after the War. He stated that his own community currently needed “a generator, roads and a hospital”.
In his retirement, Jack and Olive kept in touch with Jack’s PIB mates, such as Frank Wust and his wife Shirley, supported the ongoing PIB-PIR Association, and always observed Remembrance Day. In 2005, Jack and Olive were active participants in VP 60 at Townsville and Jack took every opportunity then to promote the PIB in the local media. Jack received regular medical services for his heart condition and he was later offered psychological support.
In his last decade, Jack reduced his community activities but appreciated the community recognition given to him by collecting his awards and certificates together in a family heirloom cupboard for visitors to see. Jack limited his activities to preparing Olive’s breakfast, maintaining his vegetable garden, and cooking meals occasionally. His 90th birthday party at home included many family and friends, and featured his favourite food and beer. Even as his body aged, Jack strove to be independent and to maintain his interest in PNG War history. Life also took its toll on Olive who required various operations and she passed away in April 2019. Living alone was difficult for Jack but he remained resilient until passing away on 14 November 2019. Jack’s funeral in Townsville on 22 November was attended by family, former workmates, friends, former Servicemen, and Association representatives Graham Carnes and Greg Ivey.
ORDER OF SERVICE FOR JACK’S FUNERAL
IRENE HEATH (DAUGHTER) – asks all to stand for the final march of our father, grandfather, relative and friend.
PALL BEARERS – Kevin and Christine; Matthew and Madison; Robert and Kerrie
INTRODUCTION BY IRENE:
We are here today to pay our last respects to our dad – JOHN CHARLES McINTOSH; JACK; POP…..
Dad is indeed one of ‘the last’. The last person on the Stuart State School honour board, which proudly has been being cared for at home since the school’s closure, and which will now pass on into posterity by being donated to the Jezzine Barracks museum.
The last original surviving member of the 1st Papuan Infantry Batallion – and the last of our parents, as we lost mum only seven months ago. He was really only just getting used to her not being there and seeing her, there at home.
Dad had a tough life, and a long one, achieving much in his ninety-five and a half years. I’m sure he felt he could have achieved a whole lot more during his intended 106 years, but time and tide, and old mother nature changed that last Thursday.
Being born in 1924 meant a life lived through a depression, then a youth carried into war. He was born and bred at Partington (Townsville), much loved by his mother, our nana, and our grandad, the eldest of three, Hazel and Gordy to follow after him.
He was taught (or schooled as dad called it) from a young age, the stock and farm work he enjoyed to his end, by his own grandad, Charlie Todd. Dad loved this man and respected him till the day he died. His grandad’s whip decorates dad’s coffin today.
Life was hard – you grew what you ate, you worked from dawn till dark – school wasn’t necessarily a priority, except for sports day and breaking up day. Dad often talked about being put in charge of the school goats instead of being in the classroom – but this life totally prepared him for his next 85 years of life.
Dad, from 17, was a member of the Militia – CMF/Army Reserve of the future. He claims they were ‘shanghaied’ by Chris Wordsworth’s father – at two bob a signature, – into the army, WW2 having commenced. Apparently a few beers and a car ride back to Partington instead of the push bike, helped to smooth the signature onto paper.
27 July 1942 saw dad permanently in uniform and after training ‘all over the bloody cookshop’, arrived in PNG. Some months hence, and after the almost total decimation of the 39th Btn, of which he was currently a member – he was volunteered to the newly formed Papuan Infantry Batallion. He said he and Cooky, his mate, said it was a good deal, as it carried Sgt rank, more pay – he was a Cpl at the time – and the chance to “get away from the bloody idiots that are trying to get them all killed”; and the chance to work with native soldiers, who dad already had great respect for.
He quickly learned Motuan – and spoke it fluently to the end – often surprising local kids in the street by talking to them in their native tongue – kids whose parents were studying at JCU (James Cook University). There was a parade of parents/students/kids and researchers walking along Fenner Street, all chatting in the native tongue and information gathering through the years.
But I digress —
During the years away parcels were sent to Lt J McIntosh, c/- PNG fighting often being the only address registered. Most arrived – Aust Post obviously did a much better job in those days of getting things delivered. These were sent, often in a hollowed out loaf of bread for safe packing – a bottle of beer, a fruit cake, biscuits, even once a small bottle of rum – and were greatly appreciated by those who got to share.
Leave time finally came, and dad was turning 21. He had been away for more than two and a half years. He was sent back to Brisbane before making his way home to Townsvile. His life experiences must have been weighing heavily on his mind at this time because he bought the beautiful brooch I am wearing to give to his mother to ‘remember him by’ in case he didn’t live to his 21st birthday. Nana wore it with great pride, and I inherited it when she died. I was 11, and have continued to wear it on important occasions in mine and my childrens’ lives.
Dad had an undying respect for the PNG soldiers and in fact fought to bring his ‘batman’ Sgt Morea, back to Australia with him after the war – ‘denied’. His mother wrote to the government saying that she would look after this man, and that she totally trusted her son’s judgement – ‘denied ‘.
Dad did not see Morea nor any others from those days, from July 1946, following the war trials, and ‘banishment and abandonment like mongrel dogs’ from the Army, until a wonderful reunion was held at the Tweed Heads RSL for surviving members of the PIB/NGIB and ANGAU men. Morea was flown down, along with 8 other PIB survivors, from PNG. This was in 1990 – 48 years of personal hell post war.
The two sidled up to each other, and Morea presented dad with a Port Moresby newspaper – ‘I always bought you the paper didn’t I boss’, was all it took for 48 years of memories, all the good ones, to surface. Tears, laughter, love and happy times were shared during that week, and mum and I were delighted to be part of the experience.
VP50 was next – sadly Morea had died of TB the month prior. But others came, including the famous Raphael Oembari, and dad and Mick Byrnes and six others again had a marvellous week, becoming instant TV stars, interviewed too by Ray Martin, and generally all poking their faces in front of anything resembling media – the start of dad’s love of being in the paper!
VP60 and the numbers were thinning but dad, mum, Frank and Shirley Wust and Alan Hooper again all had a wonderful time together, being honoured and laying a lifetime of ghosts, survivor guilt, bad memories, PTSD and ill health to rest. As their families, we had lived it all of our lives too. We kids are also survivors.
Mum and dad worked well together for nearly 70 years, providing for themselves and relying on no handouts from anyone – a proud couple together.
We were always very proud of our father, a man who worked hard, never drew a payment for anything that he hadn’t earned, provided well for his family. He shared everything he grew, bred, killed or harvested with the extended families of both his family and mum’s – and helped out many other local families with produce and meat – families who otherwise would have had little on their tables to feed their children – and gave of himself untiringly to many and varied community organizations.
Everyone is well aware of the field days, show society, etc, but mum and dad also supported the Royal Flying Doctors very generously and furnished and built a bedroom at Ronald Mcdonald House here to help out their country connections who may need help.
Dad’s legacy to us is one of commitment to family, friends, and a strong work ethic – it is obvious that this is carried on right through to his great grandchildren.
May dad rest, well satisfied with his contribution to his country! RIP dad.
KEVIN MCINTOSH (SON) WILL NOW SHARE SOME FAMILY MEMORIES WITH YOU.
PETER VERHOEVEN, A LONG TIME FAMILY FRIEND, WOULD NOW LIKE TO TELL YOU A FEW THINGS ABOUT DAD.
PHOTOS AND MUSIC
ROBERT WILL SHARE MORE OF DAD’S LEGACY WITH YOU, AS WILL GREG IVEY A MEMBER OF THE PIB/NGIB ASSOCIATION OF WHICH DAD WAS A LIFE MEMBER.
ROBERT MCINTOSH (GRANDSON) – FAMILY MEMORIES; AND THEN ROBERT READS OUT DAD’S WRITTEN REPORT ABOUT A BRAVE RESCUE DURING THE WAR.
(Jack told a Townsville newspaper that this action occurred on Bougainville in late 1945.)
Well, the night I received my commendation, there was a military truck ambushed down the road about a mile or so away. One soldier got out and the other was still in the truck. About 6 or 8 of us – the boys and me – decided we should go and get him out, but it was taboo to move around after dark, so we were told by another young officer not to go. His passing words to me were that he was going to charge me for disobeying an order.
Well I can’t write what I told him to do, but my passing words were ‘you haven’t got the guts to go yourself or come with us’ – or something like that.
We went out there very carefully and quietly, because we didn’t know where the Japs were. We found the truck, and all my men had Owen guns and plenty of lead, so covering me,I went down to the truck in the creek, got the soldier out and got him on my back and we took quite a long trip back to camp to get him medical attention.
I went back to my camp and notified my CO as to what had happened, and what had been done. He came to the area next day and asked the natives and myself what had happened and what time it was. He went down to that grub that wanted to charge me and asked for the charge sheet. Our CO was our backbone, his PIB soldiers could do no wrong. But by the time the boss was finished with that young bloke, I think he wished he was back at Duntroon being told how important he was.
(Irene notes: I couldn’t find this information at the Australian War Memorial, but it is written in dad’s hand so was likely sent to COY HQ.)
GREG IVEY READS THE FOLLOWING –
This text was found at the Australian War Memorial in their records cabinet – written on a card approx 3 inches by 4 inches in size, and typed in close script.
(It is thought by Jack’s family that this is the official Citation for Jack’s Mentioned In Despatches.)
B COMPANY – SEPIK RIVER AREA – APPROX 4 JULY 1945
When Lt McIntosh’s platoon attacked Aoniaru*, heavy fire was encountered from an enemy bunker. Placing his troops, numbering Sgt Cook and 5 native soldiers from PIB behind him, he moved forward with Sgt Morea to pinpoint the enemy positioning. He engaged the enemy with his SMG and grenades but was unable to silence them. Realising his efforts were failing and enemy fire was becoming more intense, he dashed forward and rolled two grenades through the embrasure.
He then engaged the enemy in the next position, utilising hand to hand combat with the Japanese, killing one and drawing two more out. When his platoon came up, Lt McIntosh continued to lead them forward against strong opposition, until his ammunition was expired, and he was forced to retire.
Two days later, undaunted by the previous enemy contact, he led his platoon in another attack, and after an extremely hard fight, where again hand to hand combat by him and his soldiers, gained a commanding feature. This resulted in the untimely end of life of 16 Japanese soldiers, with no injury or loss of life to his own men.
Lt McIntosh’s tenacity, devotion to duty, and to the safety of his men, and reckless disregard of personal safety, was directly responsible for the capture of this enemy feature.
*Aoniaru Village is located inland from Wewak and east of Maprik.
SERVICEMAN ROBERT MCINTOSH THEN INTRODUCES THE POPPY CEREMONY, EXPLAINS ITS SIGNIFICANCE, AND ASKS FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE; WHILE GREG IVEY RECITES THE POEM –FUZZY WUZZY PRAYER BY BERT BEROS.
ROBERT SAYS ODE, LAST POST, ONE MINUTES SILENCE, AND REVEILLE.
IRENE GIVES THANKS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED.
THE SERVICE ENDS.