Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

He was in the 2/5 Field Ambulance. ..from 1940 to 1945. I have a photo of him and some mates at Alexandria in 1941. I have also found out that he was at Tobruk. He came home from war and met my mum who already had 2 little kids...he took them on and then had 4 other kids..I was the second youngest. I remember he was nearly always drunk, yelling and frightening. He left out home when I was about 5 after a fight with my mum and older brother. In those days the police told the person to leave..and he did. He moved to the city..Melbourne, and lived in a boarding house. My mother took my younger sister and myself to visit him in the city but the visits stopped after a few years as he was always drunk. He would walk us to meet his old army mates, they lived in the parks, on benches in the city, with paper bags in their hands, drinking. My did never marched on Anzac day. He said it was nothing to be proud of, he never spoke of his war time. Mum tried to get help for him saying the war made him like he was. He also had night sweats and was often not well. But mum was told , he was already like that when he joined the army. She never believed that. So from about the age of 6 or so..I lost my dad..he just disapeared and I never saw him again. I never knew how or when he died...till a few years ago. I have since found his grave at Port Arlington Vic. I was shocked to se that it is just a stick in the ground with his name fading from it. His brother in next to him in the same state. So is this how our brave men are remembered? I have also since found copies of his medals. Mum told me he threw them away..angry at the war, the army, the way he and his family were treated....well, not treated at all!! Every Anzac day I take out his medals, and the very few photos I have of him. I set them up on a table for all to see. But the sadest photo of all, is the stick in the ground at his grave...not flag, not notice at all that he served his country. But I am proud of him. Sad that I never got a chance to tell him so. Sad that he suffered so after. Sad that war took my dad away. Sad that he and others lived life sad and alone after the war. I wonder how many other men are in sad lonely graves , forgotten. But I wont forget you dad, I know you where brave. You must have helped many many others. I have your medals, I have a few photos...you are remembered today. from your daughter..now 70 years old, Theresa.