With quick reflexes that had been honed during the war, Bowditch was dynamite on the cricket field , the Centralian Advocate reporting: “ Stonewall Bowditch did it again on Sunday last. What a man ...The elastic arm of Bowditch was responsible for the catch of the day...” Cricket had a large following and was of a high standard. The clerk of courts, Ken Bagshaw , who had played Sheffied Shield for South Australia , was such a good player it was said that he would have been the next Don Bradman but for the outbreak of war. Another highly regarded player had been Ginty Garrett, a superb wicket taker . During the war years cricket pitches had been built for the troops and the town was well supplied with playing fields.
Mine Host at the Alice Springs Hotel, where Bowditch often drank, was Ly “Uncle ” Underdown , with the unflattering nickname ,“The Pig ”. He boasted that he had once owned more biscuits than anybody else in the NT. This was due to the fact that he bought a mountain of tinned biscuits in the postwar auctions which were fed to his pigs .
Underdown loved cricket so much that he would , on occasions, close the pub and go and play a match. Underdown got carried away in a game and let out a loud Howzat! - then realised he was the umpire . He organised regular smoke concerts for cricketers and everybody attending had to get up and entertain the gathering in some way. Two clerics used to attend the evenings and tell jokes against each other. They were Father Dixon of Santa Theresa Catholic Mission and Reverend Fred Mackay . Father Dixon had a new car , a Ford ute, and took Mackay out to Santa Theresa Mission to see Aborigines making bricks. Mackay asked to drive the car , took a bend too fast, and damaged the vehicle. Dixon was upset, and said : “ If it hadn’t been Friday , Freddy, I would have eaten you.”
Later on , Underdown built a cricket pitch and nets on the roof of his pub and tried to get Don Bradman to open the facilities. When Bradman was not available,Territory MHR Jock Nelson officiated. The ceremony was performed at night and got under way when Ly’s mother switched on the fluorescent lights and the first ball was bowled by Jack Donnellan to Nelson who had a bat autographed by Bradman . The wicket keeper was Ly .
At chess, Bowditch, above , beat most players in town ; one of his regular opponents being a minister of religion. Due to his involvement on stage , Bowditch played a substantial part in the writing of the Alice Springs Theatre Group’s musical revue, Barcoo Rot, the title for which was his idea. His experience taking part in boy scout Gang Shows in England probably assisted him in this project. Other contributing scriptwriters were Jean Tainsh and the editor of the Advocate , Alan Wauchope. A sandwich board was used to advertise the forthcoming show.
The well received revue included a skit on the popular BBC radio show , Much Binding in the Marsh, which was called Much Finding in the Todd (the local river ) , and sent up Alice identities, including D. D. Smith, Jim’s boss, and Brigadier Loutit, the wartime Alice supremo. The show’s background was a radio station, and when a newscast announced that a house had been built in Alice Springs , the accommodation starved audience responded with “heartfelt and deafening applause ”. Part of the show included a farce about the early days of pedal radio in Central Australia. A newspaper review of the evening’s entertainment commented on an amusing sketch called Cats. Many years later, Bowditch said he and another clerk in Alice had written a “poem” called Cats which was about sexually desirable women in Alice ; people had thought it was just about felines roaming about various parts of the town.
Government Departments were also lampooned . The revue was so well received they set to and wrote another, but it folded after several rehearsals. Wauchope and Bowditch “ clicked” from the moment they first met in the RSL . It was due to Bowditch’s prompting that Wauchope came to write a regular column in the Australasian Post -Straight from the Heart- which ran for 10 years and attracted mail from all over Australia . Alice Springs businessman Reg Harris said Wauchope’s highly popular column did more to promote tourism and interest in Alice than the film A Town Like Alice . Wauchope admired Bowditch, a “ perpetual crusader ”. Wauchope , had served as a journalist on the Melbourne Herald , where he had an experience with Rupert Murdoch’s father , Sir Keith Murdoch , which resulted in him seeking a change in his career.
While working at the Melbourne Herald,Wauchope became concerned about some work related matter and sought an interview with Sir Keith . Ushered into his room , he was made stand while Sir Keith was busy with something on the desk in front of him ; eventually he looked up and asked what he wanted. Receiving what he regarded as an unsatisfactory response from Sir Keith, Wauchope had decided to seek another career.When he first arrived in Alice it was as a magistrate’s clerk.
In June 1949 Jim’s in-laws , Colonel and Mrs George Hargreaves , came to Alice . Colonel Hargreaves , who had investigated war surplus auction rackets, flew on to Darwin in connection with government business. ASIO ran a check on Hargreaves . Iris Bowditch hosted a function in the “ tastefully decorated ” Rendezvous Cafe for her mother and a delicious afternoon tea was provided for 25 people.
Like a bolt out of the blue, Bowditch was projected even more into the public eye when it was announced he would be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his wartime exploits . The investiture was performed at Goverment House, Adelaide, by Sir Willoughby Norrie, on October 4, 1949. Bowditch wore an Army cap belonging to his friend Harry Krantz, secretary of the SA Federated Clerks' Union, and a uniform borrowed from the Creswick Army Barracks. Despite being called “Big Jim,” Krantz recalled it had been something of a problem finding items of clothing small enough to fit Bowditch.
The Distinguished Conduct Medal citation read: From 14 Apr 44 to the cessation of hostilities this NCO has performed outstanding services, calling for the highest degree of courage , leadership and initiative.
From 24 Apr to 3 May 45,Sgt Bowditch was a sub party commander of the Special Operational Party inserted into Tarakan Island for the purpose of collecting pre-invasion intelligence. With great daring and initiative,Sgt Bowditch carried out a special patrol to Tg Djoeata and located enemy dispositions and coastal artillery.
Between 24 May to 2 June 45 Sgt Bowditch took part in an enemy deception plan in support of 9 Aust Div operation OBOE V1 in British North Borneo. Again by his utter disregard for his personal safety,Sgt Bowditch was of great assistance to the party leader and his example was an inspiration to the other members of the party.
On 6 July 45, Sgt Bowditch was a member of a party inserted by parachute in the Mahakam River Lakes areas of Dutch Borneo to take part in Special Operations. The party remained in the field until 12 Aug 45 during the whole period Sgt Bowditch was in charge of a sub party of 2 white soldiers and 30 native guerillas. The sub party under the leadership of Sgt Bowditch carried out many successful patrols to contact native chiefs and destroyed enemy food dumps. On 10 Aug 45, Sgt Bowditch was sent to reinforce a small S.R.D. patrol at the mouth of the Kahala River , which was being heavily engaged by a Japanese patrol sent out from Moentai to liquidate the party. By his personal courage and leadership, Sgt Bowditch was mainly instrumental in killing 30 of the Japanese and pinning down the remainder at the mouth of the river where they were later destroyed.Throughout all the above operations, Sgt Bowditch has displayed great devotion to duty and courage of the highest order .
The Distinguished Conduct Medal citation read: From 14 Apr 44 to the cessation of hostilities this NCO has performed outstanding services, calling for the highest degree of courage , leadership and initiative.
From 24 Apr to 3 May 45,Sgt Bowditch was a sub party commander of the Special Operational Party inserted into Tarakan Island for the purpose of collecting pre-invasion intelligence. With great daring and initiative,Sgt Bowditch carried out a special patrol to Tg Djoeata and located enemy dispositions and coastal artillery.
Between 24 May to 2 June 45 Sgt Bowditch took part in an enemy deception plan in support of 9 Aust Div operation OBOE V1 in British North Borneo. Again by his utter disregard for his personal safety,Sgt Bowditch was of great assistance to the party leader and his example was an inspiration to the other members of the party.
On 6 July 45, Sgt Bowditch was a member of a party inserted by parachute in the Mahakam River Lakes areas of Dutch Borneo to take part in Special Operations. The party remained in the field until 12 Aug 45 during the whole period Sgt Bowditch was in charge of a sub party of 2 white soldiers and 30 native guerillas. The sub party under the leadership of Sgt Bowditch carried out many successful patrols to contact native chiefs and destroyed enemy food dumps. On 10 Aug 45, Sgt Bowditch was sent to reinforce a small S.R.D. patrol at the mouth of the Kahala River , which was being heavily engaged by a Japanese patrol sent out from Moentai to liquidate the party. By his personal courage and leadership, Sgt Bowditch was mainly instrumental in killing 30 of the Japanese and pinning down the remainder at the mouth of the river where they were later destroyed.Throughout all the above operations, Sgt Bowditch has displayed great devotion to duty and courage of the highest order .
The Federated Clerks’ Union held a special dinner in Adelaide for Bowditch , his wife, and in-laws who came across from Melbourne for the investiture . Bowditch subsequently wrote to Harry Krantz saying the experience of mixing with unionists had been a real education for his in-laws. They now had a different attitude to “ militant unionists”. Colonel and Mrs Hargreaves sent Krantz a specially printed Christmas card. NEXT: Bitter union struggles .
