52 Ancestors #52 Kenneth Campbell Moses

Ken aged 5 - Future journalist

Kenneth Campbell Moses was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 4 September 1918. He was the younger son of Henry John (Reginald) Moses (1889-1936) and Agnes Campbell Thom (1891-1974).

The family lived at a number of locations including Turramuarra, Milsons Point and Killara before moving to 69 Wood Street, Manly, in 1933. Ken attended Chatswood Intermediate High School. The move to Manly no doubt suited the teenager who joined the Manly Lifesaving Club. As well as swimming and surfing he also played rugby and supported the Manly Rugby League club. Ken's interest in sport is shown in the following paragraph in the Referee 18 January 1934.

KEN MOSES 'The Little Boy from Manly,' aged 15, 5ft 10 in in height, and 12st 5lb in weight, has been vacillating in his choice of golf or swimming as a sport on which to give his serious attention. Maybe, swimming will win, for he won the 220 yards swimming handicap at the Manly carnival on Saturday, beating a big field of youngsters who never saw his heels for spray. A disinterested outsider, however, might suggest that in view of his bulk wrestling would be more in his line.

Ken left school when he was 16 and initially worked as a junior at an advertising agency, O'Brien Publicity Company, earning 15/- a week. However Ken wanted to go bush and twelve months after leaving school he was on the train for the two day trip to Morven in south west Queensland to work on a property owned by  R J (Dick) Boyer. Dick Boyer and Ken's father had been friends from their time together at the University of Sydney. A paragraph in the Australian Women's Weekly 30 November 1935 page 4 confirmed that Ken was working on a property in western Queensland at that time.  He was employed as a jackaroo on Durella and worked there for about three years. Before he left Sydney his father arranged for Ken to meet a literary acquaintance - Banjo Patterson - so he could receive advice about what it was really like living in the bush.

What happened after Ken left Durella is a little confusing. I have a photograph, dated 1938, of Ken at the Manly Life Saving Club Ball held in the Hotel Manly Ballroom. A note on the back of the photograph states that he 'had travelled from Thurloo Downs, 220 miles west of Bourke, leaving Thursday morning, arriving Sydney Saturday morning having travelled 720 miles for Ball Saturday night, left for Forbes 240 miles following night for Uah shearing.' Unfortunately I do not know when in 1938 the Ball was held however I have been able to locate the two properties mentioned via a Google search. An article about Ken in the Chadstone Progress (28 October 1981)  states that when war broke out 'he was working on 1.25 million acres 200 miles west of Bourke'. This was probably Thurloo Downs. We also know that sometime between leaving Durella and enlisting in the Army  Ken worked as a wool scouer at the Bourke Wool Scour.

Once again it is through sport that we can confirm that he was in the Bourke region for a time. Ken was a member of the Bourke Amateur Swimming Club and the Western Herald 24 November 1939 reported that he would be a member of a relay team at the next carnival. He must have been in the Bourke area prior to March as the Western Herald 10 March 1939 reported that Ken was participating in aquatic events in Bourke.

At the Carnival last Sunday Mr. Bill Cowderoy introduced "Mergathroyd Physizalwhacker" who won all the diving events at "the Olympic Games in 1066." This distinguished person (Ken Moses) amused the vast audience with a series of fancy diving never before seen in Bourke — or any where. His turn met with great applause, and his fancy dress was "something out of the box". Congratulations Ken!

I suspect that much of the employment on stations was seasonal and that men went from one property to another as required, hence the reference to leaving 'for Forbes 240 miles following night for Uah shearing.'

Ken with his mother

 Shortly after war broke our in September 1939 Ken, now 21, applied to enlist in the Air Force but as there was a long waiting list he joined the Army instead. He was 21 when he and a mate travelled to Sydney to enlist in the Army. His Attestation Form and Service and Casualty Form show that Ken passed the medical examination for the Army at Victoria Barracks on 2 January 1940 and from 3 January he was stationed at the Army Camp at Ingleburn as part of the 2/4th Battalion. The following day, in full uniform, the soldiers marched through the streets of Sydney. There was little time to say goodbye to family and friends for on 10 January, only a week after joining the Army, members of the 2/4th Battalion were aboard the Strathnaver on their way to Palestine where they arrived on 13 February 1940.

The next nine months were spent training. The 2/4th was an Infantry Battalion but the soldiers also had training with an anti-aircraft regiment. On 9 November 1940 members of the 2/4th Battalion were transferred to Egypt and were initially stationed at a camp near Alexandria before moving to Mersa Matuh. In January 1941 they fought against the Italian soldiers at Bardia before moving on to Tobruk and later to Benghazi arriving as the Italian soldiers surrendered the city.

Ken did not go to Greece on 1 April 1941 with the rest of the 2/4th Battalion as he was in hospital with bronchitis. However later that month when the decision was made to evacuate the troops from Greece, Ken was aboard the Costa Rica, one of the evacuation ships. Loaded with troops, the Costa Rica was one of four Allied ships that were bombed and sank during the evacuation. The men from the Costa Rica managed to board other ships and were taken to Crete. When the Germans began bombing Crete the soldiers were evacuated from the island aboard a number of ships. Ken was aboard the Dido which although bombed by the Germans managed to reach port safely. The 2/4th Battalion then returned to camps in Palestine and Syria where they experienced a white Christmas.

In Palestine on 12 January 1942 members of the 2/4th Battalion embarked on the ship, Rajula, to return to Australia arriving in Adelaide on 27 March. After a period of leave the members of the battalion were sent to Darwin and from there to New Guinea, however the war was over for Ken as his health had deteriorated - he now had chronic asthma - and on 22 June he received a medical certificate stating that he was unfit for service in the army and was officially discharged on 16 September 1942.

Back in Australia, Ken returned to Bourke for a time before working as an overseer on another property in the Morven area, Victoria Downs. It was there that he met his future wife. However working in the outback affected his health and the decision was made (reluctantly) to return to Sydney and have a career change.

In 1944, Ken was offered a position as a trainee journalist on the Daily Telegraph. His first by-line was covering a story in the Blue Mountains where, as the picture on the left shows, his bush experience was an advantage. In 1945 he then spent a year in Canberra working at Parliament House in the Press Gallery. In 1946 he moved to Melbourne to work on the Sun News Pictorial as a sports writer. In 1948 he went to London to cover the Olympic Games and in 1950 he was in Auckland covering the Empire (now Commonwealth) Games.

Ken joined the staff of The Argus newspaper in May 1950 and was a sports writer and columnist on the paper until its closure in January 1957. Although he was interested in all sport, Ken wrote primarily about athletics, swimming, cycling and tennis. He also wrote a column, Why Keep it Quiet, in which he was renowned for expressing his opinion about the management of sport. Many of his articles were picked up by Australian Associated Press. In 1956 Ken was a member of the Press and Publicity Sub-committee for the organision of the Olympic Games in Melbourne.

When The Argus closed life changed again with Ken working in a variety of jobs, all related to journalism. These included twelve months at The Sporting Globe, Victorian manager of Rodney H Evans Advertising Agency, public relations manager for AMF ten pin bowling (when 10 pin bowling was introduced into Victoria), deputy news editor of Channel O -now Channel 10 - (when Channel O first opened) and editor of the short lived revival of Smith's Weekly. When Sunday newspapers began in Melbourne Ken worked on the Weekender and then the Sunday Observer. He also worked as a free-lance journalist for a time, worked on the journal of the Institution of Engineers Australia then finally worked at the Department of Trade. Ken was an active member of the Victorian branch of the Australian Journalist Association and was on the committee for a number of years. He also helped write books including White over Green which is the history of the 2/4th Battalion and My World on Wheels, the autobiography of Russell Mockeridge. Ken was assisting Max Rowley write the book, The Rowleys: golden years of cycling, when he died. When the book was published in 1990 it was dedicated to Bert and Eileen Rowley, Keith Rowley and Ken Moses.

At St Phillip's Church in Sydney on 11 February 1946, Ken married Rosemary Ann Lord. After a two week holiday on Phillip Island, staying at the Phillip Island Hotel at Cowes, they then moved to Melbourne to live. They had two daughters and one son. Initially they lived in rented accommodation until purchasing, with the aid of War Service Home Loan, a newly built house in East Bentleigh. The family moved to East Bentleigh in May 1955. With family in Queensland and New South Wales, the summer holidays were spent visiting those states.

Ken loved Australia, especially its history. He loved to travel and saw much of the country when working or on holiday. Many of the pieces that he wrote for the weekend newspapers featured places he had visited in Australia. In later years he also spent time working on the family tree. He was so pleased when he discovered that the convict, Uriah Moses, was his great grandfather. After Ken died we discovered another seven convicts on his family tree. He would have been so pleased with this discovery, especially as one of the convicts, William Roberts, was a First Fleet convict.

When visiting family in Queensland, Ken became ill and died in Brisbane on 16 September 1984.

Being a New South Welshman through and through, Ken always said that he felt much better once he had crossed the Murray River and was back in New South Wales. However when he was in hospital in Brisbane all he wanted was to return home to Melbourne. The funeral service was held in Brisbane and being far from home most of Ken's many friends were unable to attend. However, as he was an ex-serviceman, the RSL arranged for members of a local RSL to attend the funeral and the Last Post was played. This was greatly appreciated by Ken's family. Ken's ashes were returned home and interred at the Springvale Cemetery in Victoria.

Ken Moses was my father.

Recognition of Diggers in country towns

During the Second World War, and immediately after it, servicemen who were home on leave or who had been discharged from the services were invited to, and included in, community events as the following articles found in Trove show.

First Anniversary of Club House 

Banquet, Speeches, Songs, and Music 

Upwards of sixty persons attended the banquet in commemoration of the first Anniversary of the Club House of the Bourke Bowling Club, on Thursday evening, August 13th, at 7.30 p.m.

In addition to members of the local Club, visitors were present from other towns and also members of the fighting forces in uniform.

The tables were nicely arranged in the large Club room and attractively decorated overhead with colored streamers. An excellent menu was arranged by the caterer, Mr. J. Maroulis, and a willing band of assistants helped at the table.

Mr. H. Kessey proposed "The members of the Fighting Forces." The speaker dealt with Japan's preparedness for the past 20 years and their intention to make Australia a Jap. colony. With the assistance of America and Allies Japan would be smashed for all time. He was proud to have members of the American forces present and said the bonds of friendship made would live forever. Also present were Privates M. White, Kendall and K. Moses, Bourke boys who had returned from overseas. The Australian returned men were seasoned soldiers and the man hood of this country had fought on every battle front in this war. He extended a hearty welcome to the returned boys and hoped their leave would fit them for the hard fight to come. In Bourke the V.D.C., Fire Fighting Squad, N.E.S.; and other patriotic associations were doing good work.

Mr. S. Coleman supported the toast.

Private A. Davis responded on behalf of the Fighting Forces and hoped that it would not be long before they were having a victory dinner.

Sgt. Morse (of the American party) also briefly replied, and thanked the Club for their hospitality.

Sgt. Parsons proposed the toast of 'General MacArthur.'

Mr. Hales proposed 'Our Visitors,' and extended a hearty welcome to the visitors; including our American cousins.

Mr. C. Bowen responded. He said the industrialists and their leaders were whole-heartedly behind the Government in their war effort. He wished the Club every success.

'The Press' was proposed by Mr. L. Rice, and replied to by Mr. A. Carmichael ("Western Herald.")

'The Caterer' was given by Mr. Heel and acknowledged by Mr. J. Maroulis.

'The Chairman' by Mr C. Skinner, was responded to by Mr. J. Duggan.

"Auld Lang Syne," "God Save the King," and "The Star Spangled Banner" concluded the dinner, and a conversational ensued for some time.

Orchestral numbers were played at intervals during the evening, and accompaniment to Community items by the following : J. Elder, J. Law (piano), T. D'Arcy (violin), L. Carmichael (Saxophone), and R. Doran (drums).

During the proceedings two recitations were given by Mr. J. Luffman, viz "How He Died," and "Gallipoli."
Mr. Harold Rice sang two songs "Fu the Nu" and "Old Apple Tree" (parody). Mr. A. Honeyman gave "Susie."

Mr. J. Elder contributed ''The Sergeant Major's on Parade," and Privates Moses, White and Kendall gave a character sketch song "Bless, them all" Mr. T. D'Arcy played violin solos. Members of the U.S.A. army contributed company songs.
Western Mail 21 August 1942

COMMEMORATION AT MORVEN

At sunrise the Union Jack and Australian flags were hoisted to half mast and remained there all day. At 10.30 a.m. a procession of State School children marched to the Soldiers' Memorial headed by children of returned soldiers and those of the present forces (in the form of a cross) bearing the school tribute, a larger wreath of laurel leaves finished with a spray of scarlet poppies, tied with navy blue and white ribbon (the school colours), and showing the word "Anzac" in gold lettering. All scholars carried a sprig of laurel to place on the Memorial. The ceremony of laying on of wreaths commenced at 10.50 a.m., the first wreath to be placed was the Honour Board Trustees, by Mr. S. V. Capel (soldier trustee. and president of Anzac Day Commemoration Committee). Following were Diggers, by Mr. R. G. Cumming (president Morven sub-branch R.S.S.A.I.L.A.), Anzac Day Commemoration Committee, Mrs W Mc Laughlin (hon. secretary); Church of England, Mrs. H. A. Douglas; Presbyterian Church. Mrs. L. Robertson; Methodist Church, Mrs. W. R. Smith; Roman Catholic Church, Mrs. G. W. Alliott; State School Committee, teachers and scholars, Master Desmond Schmidt, after which each scholar marched to shrine at foot of Roll and placed a sprig of laurel thereon; Q.C.W.A., Morven branch, Mrs. W. McLaughlin, president-secretary; B.N.A., Morven branch. Mrs. S. V. Capel; A.C.F.,- Morven branch, Mr. R. G. Cumming, president; Morven Fighting Forces Farewell Committee, Mr. M. Smith, president. Many private tributes followed.

After the ceremony of "laying on of wreaths" the names of the fallen of the 1914-18 war, and those of the present one were read, followed by one minute's silence, then the singing of the recessional hymn "Lest We Forget." Next came the repeating of the Lord's Prayer by all, that being followed by the hymn "O God Our Help in Ages Past."

Addresses we're, given by Messrs. H. J. Newitt (who kindly conducted the service in the absence of clergy owing to Easter Day), G. Taylor and K. Moses (returned 2nd A.I.F.)

The addresses were most appropriate and well delivered, each speaker stressing the spirit of Anzac as an example for us all to follow.

The address of Mr. Ken Moses was very stirring and inspiring. He gave a mental picture of the terrible odds our boys were up against early in the war in Crete, Greece, and the Middle East, owing to lack of proper equipment, and pleaded that we do and sacrifice all if need be to send aeroplanes, guns, and all equipment necessary. These sons of Anzacs have the same Anzac spirit of their fathers, and will win through if we back them up. What could be more discouraging to them, that while willing to sacrifice all, they hear of strikes holding back the help they need so badly.

The hymn "Nearer My God to Thee" was sung, followed by the National Anthem, which closed the ceremony at the Memorial.

The Honour Board Rest House was artistically and appropriately decorated, and the Honour Board brightly polished. This service, with the making of the 11 laurel wreaths for the public bodies and churches was given by a hand of the members of the local C.W.A., many of whom are members of the Anzac Committee. The Honour Board after the ceremony presented a striking spectacle, of which the town and district must well be proud, and should truly be able to say the " spirit of Anzac" lives.

At 1 p.m. the Country Women's Association entertained 13 returned men and one member of the Land Army at a dinner at which more speeches were delivered by tho president-secretary (Mrs. E. S. D Mc Laughlin), Mr. Cumming, and Mr. S. V. Capel.

Mr. O'Brien spoke on behalf of the visitors, ably supported by Miss Menzies, of the Women's Land Army.

Community singing was indulged in after the dinner, and the National Anthem brought a successful function to a close.

Cheers were given for His Majesty the King and Royal family, all the fighting services and our great allies.

The Anzac Day Commemoration Committee thank all who in anyway helped to make this Anzac Day what it proved to be-a more enthusiastic and better Anzac Day than ever before.
Charleville Times 30 April 1943

Bourke and District Patriotic Fund

During World War II the service men and women received support from their communities throughout Australia as is shown through the following selections from the Western Herald published in Bourke, New South Wales. Patriotic Associations had been in existence since the Boer War and Patriotic Associations or Patriotic Funds were active in maintaining a link between the Diggers overseas and home. Fundraising was undertaken to present a gift to soldiers going overseas and gifts were also despatched overseas to the soldiers from time to time.

Roll of Honour

LIST OF RECRUITS.

Below we give a list of recruits from Bourke and district as complete as we are able to report. Should relatives or friends know of any further enlistments will they kindly supply the names to the Town Clerk.
The following have already left Australia : — Corp. J. W. Barron. D. Haigh. C. Hunter, K. C. Moses. Corp. J. P.Perooz.
A list of 121 names(including the five names above) of men who had applied to enlist from Bourke and surrounding area is provided. Three  men who applied were not accepted.
Western Herald 28 June 1940

BOURKE & DISTRICT PATRIOTIC FUND 

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR

At the recent Annual General Meeting of the Bourke Patriotic Association, the following Report on the activities of the Association for the year was read: —
Gentlemen.— I wish to submit a report of the years working of the Bourke Patriotic Association. The year has been a busy one for this Committee, in giving send-offs to Soldiers and generally working for the benefit of our Diggers.

So far presentations numbering 45 have been made and in nearly all cases a function has been held and have been successful, and I am sure appreciated by the Diggers and their friends. Canteen Orders numbering 93 have been despatched and when names and addresses of other members of our local boys are received orders will be also sent.

One great difficulty still exists, it is not until the last moment that we are aware of recruits being despatched on Active Service, consequently the function of the presentation is a hurried one. If friends or parents or relations of the Boys would only advise the Secretary before they arrive on final leave it would assist the work of this Committee very considerably. Under the circumstances I think we have done exceedingly well to cope with the matter. We have to thank the various bodies that have contributed so well to wards the funds, and also to the Knitting Group for issue of socks and woollen goods. Thanks is also due to the Orchestra of Mr. T. D'Arcy's for playing for the functions free of charge, and to Mr. Kessey for use of Hall, and to the Ladies under the control of Mrs. Permewan for attending to the suppers at the Hall.

Although funds are still in hand I am of the opinion that a function should be held shortly so that we may have money in hand for requirements. Seeing that nearly 250 recruits have enlisted, the task of keeping up to necessary requirements is going to be a problem, but with the liberal aid of the people of Bourke and district who are always ready to help I do not fear that we shall be short of funds. Mr. Higgins has made a very nice gesture intimating that he will give 1/- for each presentation that is made by the Committee.

The accounts for the year have been audited and found correct. The administrative expenses were kept down to zero. The recruiting account has been transferred to the Patriotic Funds and recruits that require assistance are helped from this fund. An effort was also made for the Great Britain Civilian War Funds, and £131/5/1 was sent to Sydney for disbursement.

The Lord Mayor's Fund has now been closed and all matters are dealt with by this body. A donation of £10 was recently made towards the funds of the Womens All Canteen Association, who do great work in helping the boys and providing refreshment at the Central Station, in Sydney.

In the matter of salvage, this was taken in hand by a Committee consisting of Messrs Heads and Permewan, and one load of old material has been despatched. There should, be plenty more in the district, and supplies can be sent to the Council Waterworks for safe custody. I desire to place on record my appreciation of the support of the Committee during the years working. It has been a pleasure to work with you gentle men.
I wish to finally conclude by expressing the thanks of this Association to the Secretary, Mr. Heel who has worked very hard in carrying out the stupendous task of the organisation of the many functions of the Association. Thanks is also due to his Assistant, Mr. O'Mara, for the valued assistance that he has always rendered. Yours faithfully, S. C. COLEMAN, President.
Western Herald 18 April 1941

ON ACTIVE SERVICE 

NEWS FROM BOURKE BOYS. 

Many thanks for your canteen orders which arrived by air mail a few days ago. I can assure you they were very much appreciated by me and put to good use. I have seen quite a few of the Bourke boys since I have been over here. Stan, Douglas and Laurie Snell were in the machine gun company which supported us in Greece and Bob Cunningham was the driver of the truck which drove us to the transport. We are resting ever since we evacuated Crete. Kind regards to all Bourke and district.—
Pte, K. C. Moses.
Western Herald 26 September 1941

ON ACTIVE SERVICE 

NEWS FROM BOURKE BOYS.

Pte. K. C. Moses writes as follows to the Patriotic Association: "I would like to thank you and the Patriotic Association for the excellent parcel and cake I received a few days ago. I can assure you that both of these gifts were warmly appreciated by myself, not only for their practical use, but for the spirit in which they are sent. You and your fellow workers are doing a great job in keeping these comforts up to us, and I know you would be rewarded for your troubles if you could only see the eagerness in which your parcels are opened. At the moment I am doing a freeze up in Syria, we had a fall of about six inches of snow last night which is now in the process of thawing out, with the result that all the boys are togged up in full army issue, plus many extra woolen articles of their own. The way the sky looks tonight, I think we are in for another fall, so on form up- to-date, it looks as if we are in for a real English Xmas."
Western Herald 9 January 1942

ON ACTIVE SERVICE 

NEWS FROM BOURKE BOYS. 

During the past week a number of Bourke boys have been home on leave, including a few who saw Service overseas. Amongst the latter were -Driver E. A. Holland, Pte. A E Boyd, Pte. Ken Moses and Pte. J. Tully. All these were welcomed by the Patriotic Association and presented with canteen orders.
Western Herald 29 May 1942