Corporal Peter Danne – Second World War
RSL Victoria remembers the sacrifice of Corporal Peter Danne who lost his life serving his country during the Second World War.
Peter was born on 9 October 1922 in Maldon, Victoria, one of five children born to Reverand Noel Danne and his wife Gladys.
As a clergyman Peter’s father moved the family from Maldon to Emerald in the Dandenong Ranges when Peter was still an infant and later to Newport where he became Vicar of St Mark’s in Spotswood in 1925.
At the age of seven he demonstrated skill as a singer, leading the choir at his father’s church every week. Peter attended Melbourne Grammar School where he won a signing scholarship and joined the Army cadets, serving with them for five years.
His family were much loved in the western suburbs during the depression where they regularly provided free meals for dozens of local children.
In 1939 Peter’s father became vicar of St Phillips in Abbotsford and the family moved into the vicarage.
His brother Geoffrey had worked started working as an architect with HW and FB Tompkins in 1938 but just 12 months later put his career on hold when the Second World War broke out and he joined the Royal Australian Navy.
After finishing high school Peter enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 10 October 1941, one day after his 19th birthday.
He trained as an air crew from December 1941 until April 1942 when he was discharged from the RAAF after it was deemed, perhaps because of his youth, that he was “not likely to become an efficient air crew.”
Undeterred Peter enlisted in the Australian Army only one week later and by May 1942 was undergoing training at the Guerrilla warfare school. In July he was deployed to 2/6 Commando Squadron which had returned from fighting in the Middle East in 1941 and been reorganised to face the new threat from Japan in Australia’s north.
The Squadron was deployed to New Guinea in August 1942 where Peter grew ill in September and then again in December before being evacuated out of the front lines with malaria in April 1943.
He was finally able to rejoin the Squadron in June 1943 and was promoted to the rank of Corporal. In early 1944 he saw action in the Battle of Shaggy Ridge when Australian troops fought the Japanese in some of the most difficult fighting of the Second World War. The Japanese were entrenched at the top of ranges, and the Australians were forced to climb cliff faces so steep that many suffered fatal gunshots to the top of their heads as the Japanese fired down towards them.
Peter survived the fighting and in March 1944 he was evacuated from the front lines after suffering appendicitis and spent some more time in hospital while the Squadron returned to Australia in April and began further jungle training around the Atherton Tablelands of far North Queensland.
Meanwhile his brother, Geoffrey, had been joined the Royal Navy Commandos, a specialist unit responsible for landing in or ahead of the first wave of an amphibious landing. In June 1944 he had served with the unit in the D-Day landing in Normandy and in the same role in Sicily the previous year.
In November 1944 Peter and some friends had spent a number of days in the forest around Innisfail when they wondered into the town and found a truck stopped outside a hotel with the keys in the ignition.
The vehicle was later found overturned and the four soldiers inside, including Peter Danne, were taken to hospital with injuries. Peter told a Magistrate that he had been wandering about the scrub for some days and “had the opportunity to come to Innisfail for some relaxation.” He apologised to the magistrate for what had occurred and promised it would not happen again.
The magistrate found Peter and his fellow soldiers were of otherwise exemplary character but that when they came into civilised territory they must “learn to control themselves.” He found them guilty and order pay for the damages and a six-shilling fine in default of three months jail time.
Chastised Peter returned to his unit and completed training for the jungle warfare that waited his unit in 1945.
On 2 July 1945 Peter followed the example of his brother when he took part in the landing at Balikpapan on the second day of the invasion of Borneo.
The 2/6 Commando squadron’s role was to conduct reconnaissance patrols as the Australian troops moved into Japanese occupied areas. On his fourth day on the island, 5 July 1945, with only one month remaining in the war Peter Danne was shot and killed in action. Killed along with Peter at Balikpapan was a fellow member of the YMCA choir back in Melbourne, Corporal Ken Clarke.
Peter’s father, Noel Danne, presided over a memorial service for his son and Corporal Clarke at St Phillips Church in Abbotsford a week later followed by a memorial at the YMCA where Peter Danne and Ken Clarke had once been part of the choir.
Peter was initially buried near where he fell by his fellow soldiers who carved his name, rank and religion onto a crude wooden cross with a knife before moving on to continue their patrols. His body was later exhumed and reburied at Labuan War Cemetery in Malaysia.
Geoffrey Danne survived the war and continued to serve in the Navy reserve until the 1970’s, retiring as a Lieutenant Commander.
RSL Victoria pays tribute to Corporal Danne, his family and all those who have sacrificed in the service of their country.
Lest We Forget.
