3335 Pte Shawil [shimasha] Talia 21st company
Gk- Where and when did you join the Levies?
Pte- I joined in Syria at the beginning of 1942, I was 16.
Gk- Where did you go from there?
Pte- They sent us to Habbaniya for our training, after three months we were sent to Tel Hawa on the border of Iraq and Syria our job was to patrol the border. We did that for three months. I was in the 21st Assyrian company, from there we returned to Habbaniya and stayed there for four months doing more training.
Gk- What type of training did you do at that time?
Pte- It was mostly target shooting at the rifle range.
Gk- What type of rifle did you carry?
Pte- I had a short magazine.
Gk- Where did they send you after Habbaniya?
Pte- They sent us to Karmansha in Iran, there we guarded the material that was to be sent to Russia to help them fight the Germans. We also had to go on patrols in the mountains and surrounding area.
Gk- Was there many Assyrian Levies in Iran?
Pte- Yes, we had many, I couldn't even imagine how many, we had companies in Tehran, Abadan, Touris, in Kasbin and many other places in Iran. From Karmansha we were sent to Sultanabad. About the end of 1943 we were sent back to Habbaniya, we were only there for a couple of months, we were preparing to be sent to Palestine.
In Palestine we were based in Akka near Haifa and from there my Platoon was sent to Lebanon for two months for more guard duty and then returned to Akka. In Palestine we guarded the RAF Planes so we were bombed from time to time by German planes.
When I was in Palestine they gave us four weeks leave so I decided to go and see my parents in Mosul. I stayed there for a while, then they asked me to go and visit my sister in Syria. I went to Syria to see them but there they were all on my back to get married [I think they all planed it] so they found me a wife and I got married. I was in Syria for four days then I decided to take my wife to Mosul, it was easy for me to cross the border being a Levy but they would not let my wife through so I had to do something. I dressed her as a Levy with the whole uniform including the hat! I put her in the back of an Army truck with other Levies going to Habbaniya and we crossed the border without a problem all the way to Mosul, I stayed with her for four days then I had to go back to Palestine.
We stayed in Palestine until 1946, then we had a big problem. We were supposed to go on British ships to go to war but we had enough by that time, a lot of Assyrians were getting killed.
We wanted the same rights for our families as any British soldier killed in battle but they would not give us that right so we went on strike and refused to go to war, they were forced to send us back to Habbaniya. We stayed in Habbaniya for two months then we were sent to Bahrain where we guarded supply depots full of military equipment. We did that for about a year then we returned to Habbaniya. Because I had an Army truck license I had it since 1943, my job was to drive the duty truck from Habbaniya to Baghdad, and there we loaded supplies on trains for other Levies still overseas.
One day they told me I was to join a convoy to go to Egypt. I left Habbaniya with other Levies that had truck licenses with some Indian and British troops. When we reached Egypt it was at the height of the Cholera epidemic, we were walking down the main street one day and you could see people falling all around you, they were dying in the street, we were not affected because we were given injections. Each of the Levies drove a truck back to Habbaniya and the Indians took their own trucks back. I stayed with the Levies until 1948, then I was discharged.
Gk- Did you receive any medals from the British?
Pte- Yes. I have the 1939-45 Star and the War Medal.
Gk- I also want to ask you about the certificate you have hanging on the wall.
Pte- That certificate was given to me by the Australian Government, I will read it to you. "ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, A GRATEFUL NATION EXPRESSES IT’S THANKS TO SHAWIL TALIA FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE WAR EFFORT AND THE COMING OF PEACE". It is signed by the Prime Minister. Mr. Paul Keating and the Minister for Veterans affairs.
Gk- What did you do after the Levies?
Pte- I joined the Swiss Airlines as a catering officer. I worked with them for twelve years and In 1968 I immigrated to Australia.
Pte- I joined in Syria at the beginning of 1942, I was 16.
Gk- Where did you go from there?
Pte- They sent us to Habbaniya for our training, after three months we were sent to Tel Hawa on the border of Iraq and Syria our job was to patrol the border. We did that for three months. I was in the 21st Assyrian company, from there we returned to Habbaniya and stayed there for four months doing more training.
Gk- What type of training did you do at that time?
Pte- It was mostly target shooting at the rifle range.
Gk- What type of rifle did you carry?
Pte- I had a short magazine.
Gk- Where did they send you after Habbaniya?
Pte- They sent us to Karmansha in Iran, there we guarded the material that was to be sent to Russia to help them fight the Germans. We also had to go on patrols in the mountains and surrounding area.
Gk- Was there many Assyrian Levies in Iran?
Pte- Yes, we had many, I couldn't even imagine how many, we had companies in Tehran, Abadan, Touris, in Kasbin and many other places in Iran. From Karmansha we were sent to Sultanabad. About the end of 1943 we were sent back to Habbaniya, we were only there for a couple of months, we were preparing to be sent to Palestine.
In Palestine we were based in Akka near Haifa and from there my Platoon was sent to Lebanon for two months for more guard duty and then returned to Akka. In Palestine we guarded the RAF Planes so we were bombed from time to time by German planes.
When I was in Palestine they gave us four weeks leave so I decided to go and see my parents in Mosul. I stayed there for a while, then they asked me to go and visit my sister in Syria. I went to Syria to see them but there they were all on my back to get married [I think they all planed it] so they found me a wife and I got married. I was in Syria for four days then I decided to take my wife to Mosul, it was easy for me to cross the border being a Levy but they would not let my wife through so I had to do something. I dressed her as a Levy with the whole uniform including the hat! I put her in the back of an Army truck with other Levies going to Habbaniya and we crossed the border without a problem all the way to Mosul, I stayed with her for four days then I had to go back to Palestine.
We stayed in Palestine until 1946, then we had a big problem. We were supposed to go on British ships to go to war but we had enough by that time, a lot of Assyrians were getting killed.
We wanted the same rights for our families as any British soldier killed in battle but they would not give us that right so we went on strike and refused to go to war, they were forced to send us back to Habbaniya. We stayed in Habbaniya for two months then we were sent to Bahrain where we guarded supply depots full of military equipment. We did that for about a year then we returned to Habbaniya. Because I had an Army truck license I had it since 1943, my job was to drive the duty truck from Habbaniya to Baghdad, and there we loaded supplies on trains for other Levies still overseas.
One day they told me I was to join a convoy to go to Egypt. I left Habbaniya with other Levies that had truck licenses with some Indian and British troops. When we reached Egypt it was at the height of the Cholera epidemic, we were walking down the main street one day and you could see people falling all around you, they were dying in the street, we were not affected because we were given injections. Each of the Levies drove a truck back to Habbaniya and the Indians took their own trucks back. I stayed with the Levies until 1948, then I was discharged.
Gk- Did you receive any medals from the British?
Pte- Yes. I have the 1939-45 Star and the War Medal.
Gk- I also want to ask you about the certificate you have hanging on the wall.
Pte- That certificate was given to me by the Australian Government, I will read it to you. "ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, A GRATEFUL NATION EXPRESSES IT’S THANKS TO SHAWIL TALIA FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE WAR EFFORT AND THE COMING OF PEACE". It is signed by the Prime Minister. Mr. Paul Keating and the Minister for Veterans affairs.
Gk- What did you do after the Levies?
Pte- I joined the Swiss Airlines as a catering officer. I worked with them for twelve years and In 1968 I immigrated to Australia.
