Army Service
He enlisted with the Australian Military Forces in Caulfield, Victoria on 10 June 1940, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 July 1940. He joined the 8th Division on 12 July 1940, spending the next 7 months in Sydney. He and his unit embarked for Singapore on 2 February 1941, arriving on 18 February 1941. Following the outbreak of hostilities with the Empire of Japan, he was awarded the Military Cross for outstanding conduct during operations in Malaya. The citation read:
During operations at GEMAS this officer succeeded in maintaining cable communications between his Brigade HQ and units under heavy artillery and mortar fire and serial bombardment, displaying a high standard of courage, energy and ability in doing so. Later during the operation on Singapore Island Capt Matthews succeeded in laying a cable over ground strongly patrolled by the enemy and thus restoring communication between his Divisional HQ and the HQ of a Brigade at a critical period.Matthews was subsequently promoted to Captain on 21 January 1942.
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Famous quotes containing the words army and/or service:
“The contention that a standing army and navy is the best security of peace is about as logical as the claim that the most peaceful citizen is he who goes about heavily armed. The experience of every-day life fully proves that the armed individual is invariably anxious to try his strength. The same is historically true of governments. Really peaceful countries do not waste life and energy in war preparations, with the result that peace is maintained.”
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“We too are ashes as we watch and hear
The psalm, the sorrow, and the simple praise
Of one whose promised thoughts of other days
Were such as ours, but now wholly destroyed,
The service record of his youth wiped out,
His dream dispersed by shot, must disappear.”
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