Newspaper Article 2005 – Young Jim defied Dad to march off to war

OBITUARY

Young Jim defied Dad to march off to war

JIMMY LANCASTER
1920-2005

Robert James (Jim) Lancaster, who died in Clive aged 85, was typical of many young Kiwis who, at the outbreak of World War 2, defied their fathers’ advice to serve their country.

In an interview with Hawke’s Bay Today two years ago, Mr Lancaster told how his first plans to join the air force went up in smoke, as his father said he was a “fool”, refused to sign the papers and burned them.

The then-19-year-old, lambing out the back of Wairoa for some time before news of the war filtered through, could have opted out of service because farming was an essential industry. But he determinedly headed for the army instead, his father apparently conceding after reading the boy’s name in a list of volunteers in the Wairoa Star, and telling him: “If you’re that damned stupid, then go.”

After training at Trentham, Jim, or “Shorty” as he became known, sailed with 2NZEF to Egypt in 1941 as a sniper. Among numerous brushes with the enemy he fought at El Alamein and was wounded, carrying the shrapnel in his hip for seven years before it was taken out.

During the battle of Ruweisat Ridge in July 1942, Jim and three others in his 11 platoon achieved recognition for their attack on a German battalion and capture of five machine gun posts under heavy fire.

One of those with Jim was Sergeant Keith Elliott, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions. By noon, the platoon had 140 prisoners.

Jim and Keith remained good mates until Keith’s death on October 7, 1989.

On August 13, 1943, Jim was mentioned in despatches for distinguished service, and received two congratulation certificates, one from General Bernard Freyberg and the other from the secretary of state for war, by the orders of King George VI. Jim also fought in Syria, and across Italy, the reality of it all shown in the eventual statistics after his service of four years – of the 360 men in the battalion, all but 13 had died or been taken prisoner.

Gisborne born, he was a man of the land throughout the East Coast and Northern Hawke’s Bay, including 18 years on Pakarae Station, which he bought in Wairoa’s Waiatai Valley soon after the war to settle, marry and bring up sons John and Giles. In the 1960s he moved to cropping land at Twyford, and in 1972 moved into Hastings, where he remarried, to lifelong friend Ruby.

He became a life member of the RSA, and was well-known in Hastings for some years as a barman at the Hastings Club.

Jim’s parents, Violet and Victor, were born in Manawatu. He outlived brother Harry (who also served with the 22nd battalion), and sisters Kit and Phyllis.

Survived by sons John and Giles, stepsons Ian, Graeme, Stephen and Brett, stepdaughter Lyn, five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and numerous step-grandchildren, his funeral was held at St Aubyn Chapel, Hastings, on October 7.

Photo caption – JIMMY LANCASTER: Action under fire recognised