Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Excerpts from ‘Recollections of life in Yankalilla’ written by Norma Rose Crawford, daughter of Richard Lunnay, in the early 1990s and edited by her daughter Rose Dow in 2024.

My father’s parents lived in Alberton, where he spent his early years. On commencing work he joined Barries, who were bakers and lived in the Kilkenny or Port Adelaide area. He learnt the trade there and spoke highly of the family. Just before World War 1 he worked at Pridaeux’s bakery at Yankalilla (east of the Post Office).
 
When war broke out, he enlisted in the armed forces and fought in France.  My father’s regiment was the 5th Pioneers, who fought in the trenches at the Somme. During the war he was gassed by the Germans, and this affected his lungs resulting in asthma. I remember him using Himrod’s asthma powder, by placing enough to cover a sixpence on a small piece of blotting paper, which he set alight. This gave off fumes and he inhaled it to give relief.
 
After returning home from the war, he went to work for his friend John Townsend, who had the general store (now Johnson’s Super store opposite the Yankalilla Hotel). When my father had saved enough money he purchased a house, which is opposite where the Police Station stands. On this site he built the Bakehouse.
 
My father died a month after his 50th birthday in 1941. The asthma had weakened his heart. He worked so hard for his family. My brother Bill took over the business and did all the baking. He was only seventeen. I was eighteen and a half. There were only three years between Eleanor and Bill and me in between. 
 
Johnny (his eldest brother) also went to war and was shell shocked. Johnny was born in Ireland.  He married Clarrie (she died after Clarence was born) and had sons Mark, Bill, Arthur, and Clarence (Clarence was adopted out and lived in Melbourne).  His brothers didn’t know he existed until only Mark was alive and he was 70.