Distinguished Conduct Medal : Private O Z Neall, 2/8 Battalion, AIF

Distinguished Conduct Medal (Geo VI). Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Oliver Zachariah Neall was born at Lake Mundi, Victoria, in 1908. He was a farmer in the Warrnambool area before enlisting in the AIF in December 1939, becoming Private VX9024 in 2/8 Infantry Battalion. The unit embarked aboard HMAT Y5 (‘Dunera’) in April 1940, for service in the Middle East. Neall saw action in 2/8 Battalion’s engagements at Bardia and Derna, and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his gallantry in destroying Italian tanks during the Australian attack on the strongpoint of Fort Pilastrino, Tobruk on 21 January 1941. He then participated in the ill-fated campaigns in Greece and Crete, and further distinguished himself by using a donkey to assist wounded men during the lengthy withdrawal from Mount Olympus. After 2/8 Battalion returned from the Middle East in March 1942, it spent twelve months as part of the garrison defending Darwin, and remained in Australia until late 1944.
During this period, Neall was granted a commission and married Miss Golda Ellis, a ‘Cheer-Up Society’ girl from South Australia. Owing to his deteriorating health, he did not go to New Guinea with the rest of his unit in late 1944, and was still in Australia when the war ended. He was discharged with the rank of lieutenant in January 1946, but was not fit enough to resume farming, becoming instead a joiner in Adelaide. ‘Ozzie’ Neall died at Gilles Plains, South Australia, in February 1999.

The citation for the award of the DCM reads as follows: ‘Act of Gallantry and devotion to duty at BATTLE OF TOBRUK on 21 Jan. 41. During the approach of his Company to Fort Pilastrino, They were attacked by a number of enemy tanks. Private Neall ran over 200 yards in the face of heavy machine gun fire to get the anti tank rifle and ammunition from another member of his section who had been wounded. He then opened fire on the tanks and succeeded in accounting for three tanks. He was the object of fire from all tanks during this action and the success of his fire caused the remaining tanks to withdraw. Throughout the remainder of the action Private Neall continued to display similar courage and initiative and assisted in no small measure to bring victory at the end of the day.’

Neall’s own recollection of the event, as recorded in ‘The Second Eighth’, the history of 2/8 Australian Infantry Battalion, reads as follows; ‘During the attack the platoon’s anti-tank rifle was hit and put out of action, and Pte Keith Hall who was carrying it was wounded. Lt. Herbert Anderson led the bayonet charge and the first two tanks were taken. The platoon was divided in half and when we reached where we were sheltering, our officer only had six men with him, and the remainder were with the platoon sergeant. Here the magazine of the Boys rifle was belted off with a stone and the jammed bolt was freed, and I was able to feed one round at a time. It was slow, but I was able to do some good until help arrived from our right. It was here that Lt. Bert Anderson was killed; he had kept right in the front and there was none braver. After the Italian barrage had lifted a bit, I saw another anti-tank rifle on a rise about 200 yards away. Its previous owner had been wounded, so I set out to get it as mine was not much good. I was spotted and bought back the rifle – the distance was covered in record time! With a halt called to reorganise the company, there was some sniper fire from the top of a rise and a section of the platoon was sent to put them out. In case of a breakthrough (which had now been achieved) the Italians had plans for a counter-attack. Our platoon, not knowing what was happening, was having a bite to eat when I heard a yell for me and my anti-tank rifle. I dived out and there seemed to be tanks everywhere. I grabbed the gun, and one of our sections, Pte John Mayer, filled the magazine so I was able to keep up a fairly constant fire, knocking out three leading tanks, and the other six were left to circle and retreat but not before over-running a section of the company. We were then reinforced, and three two pounders manned by English soldiers did some wonderful work. We crossed the ridge and the Italians hurled everything at us in the fiercest battle of the day.’

• 1939-45 Star : Lieutenant O Z Neall, 2/8 Battalion, AIF
• Africa Star : Lieutenant O Z Neall, 2/8 Battalion, AIF
• Defence Medal : Lieutenant O Z Neall, 2/8 Battalion, AIF
• British War Medal 1939-45 : Lieutenant O Z Neall, 2/8 Battalion, AIF
• Australia Service Medal : Lieutenant O Z Neall, 2/8 Battalion, AIF
• Greek War Medal 1940-41 : Lieutenant O Z Neall, 2/8 Battalion, AIF