A DEDICATION SPEECH GIVEN AT THE 2/2nd PIONEERS PILGRIMAGE SERVICE at the SHRINE of REMEMBRANCE MELBOURNE, ON JUNE 17th. 2007 BY HIS NIECE, YVONNE JOSETTE SWEENEY
From the son of an Adelaide Lutheran Pioneer, to a son of the Victorian 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion, the hard way.
Born into a Lutheran Pioneer family in South Australia, ALLAN REGINALD KLICKE became the second son of Rudolph Theodore Klicke and Emilia Johanna Clara Klicke, on 16th, October 1912 at KABINIGE, in the BAROSSA VALLEY.
In true Pioneer tradition, his path in life was as hard as the one his forebears escaped from in their country of origin - Germany. They immigrated to South Australia as free settlers in the first State in Australia to be populated by legitimate, fee-paying immigrants, and not as convicts, sent to N.S.W., TASMANIA and VICTORIA to pay their debt to society in the penal colonies. But they had it just as tough as the others.
In 1838 Lutherans were subjected to political and religious persecution in their own country. South Australia wanted immigrants to settle and develop this new State in AUSTRALIA. From those beginnings, Barossa Valley became the Vintage Thoroughbred country we now know.
The advent of multiculturalism allowed KABININGE to be renamed KRONDORF.
Uncle Allan was born, bred and educated at the small one-teacher church school and Lutheran church in Krondorf. His fate was to die at the hands of the Japanese, as a P.O.W. in a BURMA/THAILAND Railway Prison Camp.
Allan was my mother's brother. I am proud to honour his memory and the sacrifice he made for kith, kin and country in WW2 with the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion.
Uncle Allan joined the ARMY on l8th MAY 1940, at Swan Hill Victoria, then went on to Caulfield Camp where he was trained for active service with the 2/2 Pioneers 'B' Company at PUCKAPUNYAL on 29th May 1940.
Before his departure he was engaged in duties ranging from Concreter Gr. III, to Infantryman in field construction tasks, put to use with the operations against the "VICHY" as well as being a machine-gunner.
His first taste of war began when he embarked, at Sydney, for the Middle-East, per 'N.N.' April 7th, 1941. Disembarked Suez May 3rd, 1941. From there on to Camp Palestine and Syria where the operations against the VICHY FRENCH near MERDJAYOUN and DAMOUR took place.
Sandfly Fever struck him in July, hospitalising him for days. Malaria followed in October 1941, before he went on to Palestine and Syria.
Embarked Suez per 'ORCADES' late January 1942. Disembarked Batavia, Feb. 1942. Operations against the Japanese were brief before being overwhelmed and captured by the enemy.
Reported "Missing in Action", March 7th, 1942. Listed as a P.O.W. March 9th, 1942 Batavia, to Singapore then to Burma where he remained as a P.O.W. in the infamous BURMA/THAILAND Railway Camps as slave labour, tortured, starved, suffering malnutrition, brutality and disease until he died of PNEUMONIA, CEREBRAL MALARIA and MENINGITIS on Jan 8th, 1944 in No.3 Branch Thai Camp, NIKE, THAILAND.
His last communication home before his capture was from JAVA, saying. "Plenty of fresh fruit. Soon plenty of Japs".
............ Famous last words and the last good feed he ever had!
Allan Reginald Klicke was posthumously awarded:-
to his widowed mother, Mrs Emilia Klicke in 1951. Initially buried in REUGUE P.O.W Cemetery, Grave 227.
In December buried in THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY, Grave A2 D2, Thailand. (NB Actually in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma).
A plaque in his memory was placed on his parents' double grave in the PIONEER family cemetery, KRONDORF, Barossa Valley. R.I.P.
EPITAPH TO AN AUSTRALIAN HERO
This little bachelor 'DIGGER', embodies the spirit and essence of what being an AUSTRALIAN is.
'His legacy, born of sacrifice, suffering and courage, was not left to a wife and family but was a greater gift to all Australians who now live in Peace, Safety and Prosperity."
A DEDICATION.. .LUTHER'S MORNING PRAYER.
"I thank you, Heavenly Father, through your dear Son Jesus Christ, that you have protected me through the night from all harm and danger. I ask you to keep me this day, too, from all sin and evil, so that in all my thoughts and deeds I may please you. In your hands I place my body and soul and all that is mine. Let your Holy Angel be with me, so that the Evil one may have no power over me. AMEN."