Mark Johnston’s edited book Derrick VC in his own words: The wartime writings of Australia’s most famous fighting soldier of World War II. 

The book was purchased through Amazon and is a great read. A mix of diary and commentary by Mark Johnson, I thoroughly recommend it. I new about the history of Derrick’s war service but this book helped understand Tom, the person.

Weary Dunlop’s diaries are very well known, but Derrick’ are quite different. Dunlop was concerned for others, but the early pages of Derrick’s diary depict a life of gambling, drinking, stealing and fist-fighting.

Tom Derrick survived the Depression in South Australia by doing a variety of jobs; he married in 1939, and joined the second AIF a year later. He went to the Middle East with the 2/48th Battalion and became one of the “Rats of Tobruk”. A year later, at Tel el Eisa, in July 1942, he won the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his part in the attack on enemy machine- gun posts and some tanks.

A turning point in his life came in February 1941 when a schoolteacher-turned-soldier, Lieutenant Drew McLay, taught him in a junior leaders school and made him feel he was “not altogether hopeless after all”. Ambition to rise through the ranks now became a driving factor in his military career.

This reflects one of the most interesting elements of Derrick’s writings, namely that they show character development. His first campaign, in Tobruk in 1941, also taught him hard lessons about coping with fear and violent death, and in his next campaign, at Alamein in 1942, he was a veteran who won the second highest award for bravery available to men in the ranks. He described these events, as well as those that won him the Victoria Cross in New Guinea the following year. By that time he was a sergeant commanding a platoon of some 30 men. During his last campaign, in Tarakan in 1945, he was an officer, and his diary reflects the mind of a man much more responsible and focused on leadership than ever before.

Derrick’s service is not a simple “bad boy becomes a hero” story, although that theme is present. Every person’s life contains mystery. This man’s life, though he documented it daily over long periods, still remains largely mysterious. There are gaps in his writing in every diary entry, leaving the reader often wondering often, “what exactly did you do?” or “what did you think about that?”

Commander of the 2/48th Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Ainslie, attributed the successful recapture of Sattelberg to Derrick’s actions. He recommended the South Australian for a VC.

Citation: Without regard for personal safety, he clambered forward well ahead of the leading men of the section and hurled grenade after grenade so completely demoralising the enemy that they fled, leaving weapons and grenades.

Not content with the work already done, he returned to the first section, and together with the third section of his platoon, advanced to deal with the three remaining posts in the area. On four separate occasions he dashed forward and threw grenades at a range of six to eight yards until these positions were finally silenced.

In all, Sergeant Derrick had reduced ten enemy posts. From the vital ground he had captured, the remainder of the battalion moved on to capture Sattelberg the following morning.’ Lt. Col. Robert Ainslie, 1943

[NAA: B883, SX7964]

In other words, just as the attack was looking to have been futile, he took charge and engaged the enemy at close quarters with grenades. He then led his men in destroying ten enemy posts and held the ground during the night. It was fitting that next day Derrick was the one who raised the Australian flag over Sattelberg.

Sergeant Derrick raises the Australian flag following the capture of Sattelberg on 3 December 1943.

Derrick’s exploits brought him to wide public attention; he was a legendary figure in the 9th Division, and a darling back home. When he returned to his battalion as a lieutenant from an officer training course, “there was great jubilation”.

Lieutenant Thomas Derrick (right) congratulates Lieutenant Reg Saunders (left) after both men finished training at the Officer’s Cadet Training Unit, Seymour, Victoria, 25 November 1944. AWM 083166

The end of the war was almost in sight when in May 1945 the 2/48th landed on Tarakan Island and was again in tough fighting. On the 22nd, Derrick’s platoon was under heavy fire; he was hit in the stomach and thigh, and died the following day. The news of his death spread like a shock-wave through the division. It seemed, as one soldier said, that “the whole war stopped”.

The burial of Lieutenant Derrick at Tarakan, Borneo.

In the early hours of 23 May, Derrick’s unit had come under Japanese machine-gun fire. Derrick was wounded while he was checking on his men. He was shot in the hip, stomach and chest.

He lay back quietly, and, after a time, said to a mate, “I’ve had it. That’s that. Write to Beryl”. He continued to direct operations until mid-morning. Then they carried him back, his grin and his courage never deserting him. He died on 24 May 1945 and was buried in Labuan war cemetery, plot 24, row A, grave 9.

The figure is from Eureka Miniatures.

Warlord Games in their “Empires in Flames” Campaign Book (p92) equips him with a SMG as depicted on this model. The truth is that when he won his VC he was carrying the standard issue 303 Lee Enfield rifle.

Sources:

• Australian War Memorial, undated. Lieutenant Thomas Currie Derrick, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10676280 viewed 7 Sep 2020.
• ‘Derrick, Thomas Currie (Tom) (1914–1945)’, Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/derrick-thomas-currie-tom-9958/text35204, viewed 7 Sep 2020.
• Gammage, Bill. ‘Derrick, Thomas Currie (Tom) (1914–1945)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/derrick-thomas-currie-tom-9958/text17643, published first in hardcopy 1993, viewed 7 Sep 2020.
• Macklin, Robert. Bravest: Australia’s Greatest War Heroes and How They Won Their Medals. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen & Unwin, 2011. Print.
• National Archives of Australia: B883; SX7964; 6407287; 1939 – 1948; DERRICK THOMAS CURRIE : Service Number – SX7964 : Date of birth – 20 Mar 1914 : Place of birth – ADELAIDE SA : Place of enlistment – Unknown : Next of Kin – DERRICK BERYL
• Wigmore, Lionel, and Bruce A. Harding. They Dared Mightily. Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1986, p 16. Internet resource.