Born at Wingham, NSW on the 25th of March 1918 to Oliver and Isabella (nee Sullivan), Oliver was the youngest and only son of their 7 children.
Oliver was working as a carpenter when he first enlisted. His Mobilization Enrolment Form dated 16th of September 1940 at Gloucester assigning him to 16 MG Regiment with Army No. N7949. Being single, he gave his father also Oliver Henry of King Street, Gloucester as his next of kin (NOK). He marched in for training on the 18th of December 1941.
Oliver was designated to the 16th Motor Regiment on the 4th of April 1942 and enlisted ‘In the Field’ at Gympie on the 8th of July. His enlistment papers show he was now married to Mary of Stratford, NSW. On the 19th of October Oliver was promoted to Corporal. He was detached to Camouflage School, Nambour between the 6th and the 10th of December 1942 after which, he rejoined his unit.
Having returned to Australia from the Middle East in early 1942, the 2/16th were sent to New Guinea, landing in Port Moresby in mid-August 1942. Later that month it was committed to battle, and joined the fighting retreat down the Kokoda Trail, being rushed into the line around Alola to fill a gap after the 53rd Battalion fell back from Isurava. At the Battle of Mission Ridge in early September the battalion suffered heavy casualties after being encircled by the Japanese and had to conduct a fighting withdrawal to Imita Ridge. Following its relief in the middle of September, the battalion’s surviving members were joined with those from the 2/14th Battalion to form a composite unit temporarily, as the battalion suffered so many casualties in the retreat that it was down to an effective strength of about 200 men; the 2/14th had also suffered heavily.
As the tide of the campaign along the Kokoda Track turned towards the Australians, the Japanese withdrew north towards their beachheads around Buna and Gona, with the Australians in pursuit. A brief period of rest and reorganisation followed for the 2/16th during this time, as they were re-constituted before being committed to the Battle of Buna–Gona in November 1942. Despite the arrival of reinforcements, the battalion could only provide two or its four rifle companies to the fighting, and by early January it was withdrawn, with a strength of only 56 men. The battalion was subsequently rebuilt on the Atherton Tablelands. During this time, the battalion received over 600 reinforcements from the 16th Motor Regiment.
Now with the 2/16th Battalion, Oliver embarked from Townsville aboard the ‘HMT Duntroon’ on the 6th of August 43 to disembark at Port Moresby on the 8th of August 1943. Staging out of Port Moresby, in early September the 7th Division was flown into Nadzab, and the 2/16th supported operations to capture Lae. After this, it was air transported to Kaiapit, where from late September it took part in the advance up the Markham Valley towards Dumpu. As the division pushed through the Ramu Valley and then moved into the Finisterre Range, the 2/16th undertook a series of patrols and advances but experienced only minor actions. During this time Oliver was appointed Lance Corporal (LCpl) on the 29th of October and promoted to Acting Corporal (A/Cpl) on the 13th of December prior to the battalion being involved in a significant action around Shaggy Ridge on 27th and 28th of December, when it conducted an assault on a position dubbed ‘The Pimple’.
In January 1944, at the conclusion of the campaign, the battalion was to be withdrawn to Port Moresby. Oliver had asked to relinquish his promotion and reverted to L/Cpl on the 10th of January. The battalion eventually embarked Port Moresby on the ‘Canberra’ on the 15th of Feb 1944 and disembarked at Townsville on the 18th. After their return, the battalion spent over a year training before what would be its final campaign – the Borneo campaign
Oliver was charged with being Absent Without Leave (AWL) from 16.00 on the 20 of March 44 till 17.00 on the 10th of April. He was awarded a reduction in rank to Private and forfeiture of 22 day’s pay.
On the 28th of April he was evacuated to the 105 Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) and on the 4th of May was transferred to the 2/4th Australian General Hospital (AGH). After 2 days there he was again transferred to the 2/12th AGH before being discharged to the 102 Australian Convalescent Depot (ACD) on the 15th of May. He was finally discharged to General Duties Depot (GDD) on the 28th of June. During his time at the GDD Oliver was granted 7 days leave without pay on the 18th of June.
On the 26th of September Oliver again climbed the ranks, being appointed L/Cpl and then promoted to A/Cpl on the 14th of December. His New Year started by reporting to the 2/2nd CCS with hemorrhoids on the 11th of January 1945 and on the 23rd of January he was transferred to 1 ACRC. Oliver’s rank of Corporal was substantiated on the 21st of April.
Embarking at Townsville aboard ‘General Anderson’ on the 2nd of June the 2/16th Battalion disembarked at Morotai Island on the 8th of June. Oliver was promoted to A/Sgt on the 19th of June. On the 21st he embarked from Morotai aboard the ‘HMAS Manoora’ to take part in what was to be the largest amphibious landing in the Pacific, at Balikpapan on the 1st of July. Its most significant actions of the Borneo campaign were fought on the first day of this operation, as the 21st Brigade landed on Green Beach, on the right of the lodgment and then advanced east along the coast, tasked with capturing Sepinggang and the airfield at Manggar.
On that 1st day of the landing, Oliver was reported ‘Wounded in Action’ and died of his wounds later that day. He was buried in the field at Balikpapan on the 2nd of July. A further report on the 13th of August 1945 revised the previous report to ‘Killed in Action’. He was 27 years old.
In September 1951 Mary had made an application under the War Service Homes Act. One of the many Sydney suburbs used under the act was Punchbowl. On the 3rd of September 1962, Mary was living in James Street, Punchbowl and had not remarried.
