The Exceptional Melbourne Cup
Just before the 2016 Melbourne Cup, a timely presentation was arranged with the cooperation of Waverley RSL and our Association. Charles Lewis, a recent new member of the Association presented an illustrated talk and made available an updated edition of his booklet ‘The Exceptional Melbourne Cup’.
During this year Charles discovered Paul McColl, the son of a member of the 25th Dental Unit which was associated with both the 2/29th and 2/30th Battalions from 1940 to 1945. Paul kindly allowed him to use some items brought home in 1945 by Vin McColl. This enabled an enlarged edition of the booklet to be compiled.
The presentation attended by both Ron and Simon Lovett centred on a race meeting staged at Tavoy by members of ‘A’ Force, the first work party to leave Singapore in May 1942. The races were held on the traditional first Tuesday of November. Unbeknown to the POWs the Australian government ruled that there were to be no mid-week races at Australia was in jeopardy. For morale purposes each capital city was permitted to stage a race meeting on a Saturday so the Melbourne Cup was run later in November.
The Tavoy races were run piggy-back style lightweight jockeys and stronger ‘horses’. Warren Lewis, who served as ‘bookies clerk’ brought home the hand-written field with names of the 35 ‘horses’, the odds, breeding, and names of the jockeys and owners.
One of several reasons why the word ‘exceptional’ was appropriate is that the Japanese POW commandant coopered with the organisers. It was later discovered that the day coincided with the birthday of Emperor Meiji who had overseen the emergence of Japan from feudalism to modernity – a national holiday. The commandant even presented the winner with his trophy. Wilf Neill of Bendigo - known as Sweet Potato by Ali Baba out of Canteen later received a small cup engraved by a Dutch POW who had been a jeweller. Thanks to the efforts of the War Graves Commission this trophy was returned to him in 1946 after being buried for years. The booklet contains photos of the trophy now treasured by Wilf’s family. Both Wilf and his ‘owner’, Capt. Charles Lovett were members of the 2/29th Battalion.
Sadly one the ‘horses’, Dick Campbell from Cobram, also from the 2/29th passed away at 96 years of age just prior to the presentation.
Vin McColl kept a hand-written list of starters in the Officers Highweight, an event based on the traditional ‘straight six’ Railway Highweight held at Flemington on Cup Day. Entries were limited to this was won by Capt. Lovett. His trophy, a painting by the remarkable Wilson Mills of the 2/29th, was also brought home in 1945. An image appears in the booklet thanks to the Lovett family.
Ron and Simon Lovett, past and current presidents of the 2/29th Battalion Association with Charles Lewis at Waverley RSL in October 2016. Charles is holding a copy of The Exceptional Melbourne Cup.
Charles has sent a copy of the booklet to his wife, Hazel. It features a photo of Dick and tells about the launch of his biography at Barooga in 2014.
The hour-long presentation covered stories about the troopship to Singapore, the Batu Pahat camp, the Battle of Muar River, the commencement of the infamous Burma Railway from Thanbyzyrat and what later happened to the men who were involved in the Tavoy Cup meeting.
Yet another remarkable occurrence is that children of three of the five man 25th Dental Unit were present at Waverley RSL 74 years after their fathers became POWs and later members of ‘A’ Force. To compound this – since the presentation, Charles has located and met Peter Dalrymple, son of a fourth member of the Unit. Believe it or not, Bob Dalrymple, whose photo is in the AWM collection with a bamboo dental chair, was a member of Waverley RSL!
After the presentation some two dozen of the audience retired to the RSL dining room for a very pleasant lunch and a chat to make new friends and renew acquaintances.
25th Special Dental Unit photographed at Batu Pahat. Back – Bob Dalrymple, Warren Lewis. Front – Norman Hicks, Bill Treleaven (Dentist), Vin McColl. Children of three members (Warren, Bill and Vin) attended the presentation at Waverley RSL in October. Since then the son of Bob Dalrymle has been located.