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Corporal Max Dimmack was always on the scrounge in New Guinea during World War II. He collected every decent scrap of paper he could lay his hands on, including old envelopes.
You see, Max loved to draw and he was desperate for paper on which to record his black and white pencil sketches of life in the Signals, 7th Australian Division, AIF. "I'd even have drawn on toilet paper but there was never any to spare in New Guinea," he said ruefully. His real job was unit draftsman, setting out on paper all the information on where and how the various signals systems needed to be, a system that was essential to communications, particular in the hills and jungles of New Guinea.
Max did most of his work before the fighting started, drawing the theoretical information in a way that could be understood by the troops. "Communications were, of course, vital to every operation."
"When my work was finished, the troops went into action," Max recalled. "That left me with some time to work on my drawings, until I was needed for the next action."
"Of course materials were scarce in New Guinea and I collected anything I could get hold of, including old envelopes, so I could keep a pictorial record of my service." His drawings were in great demand and have found there way into collections all over Australia, including the Australian War Memorial, various RSL Clubs, the Army Communications Training Centre at Simpson Barracks in Macleod, Victoria, as well as private collections. "When I looked at some of my drawings at Simpson Barracks recently, I thought to myself I couldn't do them today." But he certainly did them in New Guinea and Borneo where he served throughout the war.
He did time at Milne Bay, Port Moresby, Lae, Nadzab, Ramu Valley, Dumpu, Morotai and Balikpapan in Borneo.
At one stage, Cpl Max Dimmack was given a .45 pistol by his CO, Col George Parker, so he didn't have to carry his rifle with him. "But he didn't give me any ammunition with it, so I'm not sure what I would have done if I'd had to use it," Max said. Like most Australians serving in New Guinea, Max caught his share of malaria and dysentery and also suffered from malnutrition.
But he was full of praise for the army cooks. "I'm a great admirer of army cooks," he said. "They always managed to produce a meal even when their kitchens had been shot up by the Japanese. We couldn't have done without them." Max is also a great admirer of the 7th Division, particularly the signals unit. He has recently written a book, Signals of the Silent Seventh, which is the account of a unit "which served its country, in a time of crisis, with bravery, loyalty, and above all, honour". Several of the drawings seen here are also in the book.
(The material for this article was supplied by Max Dimmack of Victoria)
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