War - Ww2 Vc - South Australia - Lieutenant Thomas 'diver' Currie Derrick, Vc, Dcm (1914-1945) Poem by Paul Warren

Tom ‘Diver' Derrick was South Australian born who survived ‘The Great Depression'
By doing odd jobs that took him around but Port Adelaide was his home at his mention
In 1939 he joined the 2nd AIF 2/48th Battalion to defend against the Nazi oppression
As a tough soldier with a larrakin grin who brought thoughtful intelligence to each mission
He was one of the famous 'Rats of Tobruk' in the Middle East holding Rommel at bay
Who he tried to take this town during the invasion of Egypt but it was a thorn in his side that way

In 1942 during the battle of El Alamein for bravery he won a Distinguished Conduct Medal
For disabling two tanks, destroying three machine guns and captured 100 men in his mettle
Later that year after recovering from his wounds he was sent to the New Guinea north coast
As the 2/48th Battalion was put to battle again at Sattelberg in a fight up a cliff to the Japanese posts
They were being held up so he rushed up and silenced six of the machine gun pits
And then rallying his men they went forward again and destroyed the last three positions to finish it

There is a famous photo of him raising the Australian flag over these captured heights
And he was lauded by the King with a Victoria Cross for his bravery in this amazing fight
He continued on with his men in this terrible Pacific War finally landing on Tarakan Island
But the war finally caught up with him in this fight with his chest riddled with five bullets as his end
So he was buried with other brave Australian soldiers on the island at the Labuan War Cemetery
And we honoured him in his South Australian home with a bridge named for him in his glorious story.

© Paul Warren Poetry