Private Alan Irvington RIEBE
7 May 1905 – 18 Apr 1941
Alan Irvington RIEBE was born in Boulder City, Western Australia, on 7th May 1905 to Gustav Hermann Riebe and Charlotte Antonie Riebe, who later moved to Waikerie.
Alan attended Immanuel College in North Adelaide. He was a single man, employed by his father as an Orchardist; they had been in the Waikerie area for 17 years. Alan was described as a popular man in the district, a tireless worker for the Methodist Church and valued member of the Waikerie District Brass Band, regularly competing in competitions with the band.
Alan enlisted with the 2nd Australian Infantry Force and commenced training on 20th July 1940. From the 16th to the 24th of October 1940, Alan had pre- embarkation leave and came home to his parents in Waikerie with another Waikerie lad who had enlisted into the 2/48th, Mervyn “Jack” WESTLAKE. Both were feted at the Waikerie Institute before they left.
On 7th November 1940, Private RIEBE embarked aboard “HMAT Strath Eden” for the Middle East with the 2/48th Battalion. Arriving on 30-1-1941, Alan, working as a member of the Field Ambulance including being a stretcher bearer, soon saw active service.
Allan was therefore one of the famous “Rats of Tobruk”. The stretcher bearers often exposed themselves to fire in order to assist injured soldiers, other soldiers commented that Stretcher Bearers ran unarmed where they were afraid to go forward whilst armed, at Tobruk this was very much the case.
Unfortunately, on the 18th April, 1941, Alan was in need of stretcher bearers himself but did not survive his injuries. He was “Killed in action – In the field” at Tobruk, only a few weeks short of his 36th birthday.
Alan was remembered as the first casualty of the Second World War from Waikerie. A service held in his and ‘Jack’ WESTLAKE’s honour was very well attended, and the Waikerie District Band played a heartfelt concert in his memory. Jack was also killed in action in Tobruk about a month after Alan was killed.
Alan is interred in the Tobruk War Cemetery and is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial on the Roll of Honour.
Alan is also commemorated with a tree and plaque here in the WAIKERIE War Memorial Gardens.
