Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

“Gampa” is the affectionate nickname for my grandfather, Eric David Howells, who was born in Yandoit, a small town mid-way between Castlemaine and Daylesford.
While studying for a degree in electrical engineering, he joined the Melbourne University Regiment (MUR), a military reserve unit that trained students as part of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. Although the regiment itself was not deployed overseas, it provided essential military training, and many of its members later served in the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF).

One of the few surviving photographs of him in uniform is a group photograph of the MUR, dated September 1916. Only two months after this photograph was taken, Gampa enlisted and served as a gunner in the Field Artillery Brigade, deploying to the Somme in France. He returned home in April 1919 and was officially discharged on July 1 that year, allowing him to complete his studies.
His childhood friend from Ballarat High School, Bill Williams, also served and attained a senior rank. After retirement, they remained close friends and even lived across the road from each other.

I once met a man who had been a cadet at the State Electricity Commission of Victoria when Gampa was the Chief Electrical Engineer. He told me that Gampa was always a thorough gentleman. It made me so proud to hear that even outside of our family, people remembered him for his kindness and integrity.