The Man They Could

Not Dismiss Carfax-Foster and the Australian Brasshats

SON of an English baronet, officer in the British Army, mercantile marine skipper, world wanderer, A. J. Car fax-Foster is well known in several Paci fic Territories. We reported him killed in action in North Africa in 1943, but in January, 1945, we had the pleasure of restoring him to life and announcing that he now was holding an administrative position of some importance with the United States Forces.

Mr. Carfax-Foster has had many ad ventures; but, for variety and colour, few will bear comparison with what happened when he tried to serve his country per medium of the Australian Army. The following details have been gathered up from various sources —mostly private let ters from Mr. Carfax-Foster. We publish the following story, without apology, as further evidence of the stupidity found in some administrative sections of one of the world’s best fighting armies—the AIF.

When war came, on September 3, 1939, Carfax-Foster, then on the Australian Reserve of Officers, owned a sound coun try business in NSW. On September 4, his business was closed down, and he was on his way. He became second in command of the 33rd Battalion, thence to Divisional Headquarters as GSO (2) which carries the rank of major, and he was later recommended for Lieut.-Col.

GSO (1). However, back in 1937, when commanding a company -in cam*}, his horse had had an argument with a tank ancj he was knocked about very badly.

When his promotion to Lieut.-Col. hit Army Headquarters, they suddenly re membered his accident and, although he successfully passed a medical board, he was discharged as unfit.

Nothing daunted, Carfax-Foster re enlisted in the ranks. Within 16 days he was sergeant in the 2nd AIF, in Queens land. He served 11 months with the 2/26 Battalion (which was eventually captured in Malaya) before being found out. He could not get a commission, as he had only been able to put his age back 10 years.

When Brass Hats discovered who he was, in spite of all the protests put up by the battalion commander, and also protests signed by over 400 of the battalion, he was returned to Brisbane ; and had a special medical exam., which included admission to hospital, tests and X-rays for every known disease. To show how ludicrous is the Army’s mind: although this medical board gave him an absolutely clear certificate of “A” fitness, and recommended him for retention, he was discharged medically unfit.

By the time he had joined under dif ferent names a couple of times more, and had been thrown out again, he was a little sick of the Australian Army; so he attempted to join the American Army and was accepted as a sergeant in the Air Corps (radio operator). His application had to be submitted to Melbourne; and the Australian Army, of course, refused to let him enlist because he was an offi cer on the retired list!

So then the indomitable Carfax- Foster remembered that he had had a good deal of sea experience, and an old ticket; so, without any trouble, he joined the American Small Ships as a skipper.

He was one of the earliest to join, and went to New Guinea, where he served 11 months, finishing in command of a 250tonner. He was in the Buna-Sanananda campaign, where they used to sneak up the coasts with supplies and sneak back

before the Japs could see them, hiding out during daytime. He survived 60 bombing raids, seven direct strafes and 11 doses of malaria before being sent back for a spell on the mainland. He was then transferred to his present duties.

While in New Guinea, he had very close associations with Mr. Jack Gilmore, of Rabaul, who has been doing good work up there. He and Carfax-Foster in one instance succeeded in carrying out a very dirty salvage job, right under the Japs’ noses. Ray Parer was another who was there then. He was aboard the “Melanesia” when she was strafed and sunk in Douglas Harbour. Bob Moody and Dick Ewen. of Moresby, were other

New Guineaites there —the former, for a time, in command of a 700-tonner, and Ewen was the skipper of the “Melanesia” when she was strafed.

It would be interesting to know the number of British men (especially Terri torians) who have been rejected by the AIF and who, like Mr. Carfax-Foster, have been able to make their specialised knowledge available to the Allied cause through acceptance of their services by the Americans.

After seeing service with the AIF in the Middle East, North Africa and New Guinea, Lieut.-Col. Don Junor, formerly of Suva, has been promoted to the rank of full Colonel.