Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Photograph  required

Ronald Stanley George

Born 10 March 1925 to Stanley Arthur George and Maude Symons. Stanley Arthur was a veteran of the First World War who joined up at 18 in 1915. He served in France and was wounded in action twice in 1916 and served for over three years.(See National Archives file NAA B2455 George SA)\

Ron had one younger brother, Keith. Ron attended Glenelg Primary School and not sure which High School. He played the cornet is a school band.

Ron joined the Navy in 1942 and served on the Westralia, an armed merchant cruiser (see NAA A6770 George RS) He trained at HMAS Cerberus in Melbourne. He then trained in Queensland where he was allocated to a LCV – Landing Craft Vehicle, number W11. He was assigned to the Westralia which worked with the Manoora and Kanimbla working with the American Seventh Fleet mostly landing troops. His first real landing experience was at Arawe in New Britain, 15 December 1943. He also landed at Hollandia in New Guinea (April 1944). Other happenings of interest

• Broken jaw after fight with American serviceman
• Kamikaze attack on way to the Philippines
• Further kamikaze attack witnessed at Lingayen Gulf in Jan 1945
• Stealing Japanese swords at Ambon
• Pinching American beer
• Surfing behind a landing barge

Many other stories to be told both funny and poignant.

Returned to Australia in 1945. Applied to train as a soldier settler. Trained in Waikerie where he met Beryl Tindale who was teaching at the High School.  They married on 27 December 1949.

Granted Block 536 at Loxton East in 1951. Lived in a Nissen Hut and slowly established a fruit block on 30 acres. From a piece of dry land , Ron converted it to one of the highest producing citrus blocks in the settlement.

Of the original 270 settlers, there are only five left.

Ron worked at other jobs to assist with income as block established such as selling insurance and encyclopedias. Beryl continued to work as teacher of English, History and Drama at Loxton Area School. They both joined the Loxton Drama Group and acted in many plays including a two person play as man and wife called “Drought”. Many cast parties at their house after plays.

Ron also joined the Apex Club and was a great basketballer. Played and coached and won state matches. He was President of the Loxton Apex Club and District Governor of the Riverland Apex Clubs.

Had three children – Sanya, Karen and Gary.

Ron also worked as a horticultural consultant for Cresco Fertilisers which became Top and then HiFert.

In the mid 1970s, Ron established Australia’s first commercial mass rearing the small  1mm parasitic wasp, Aphytis melinus, to control Red Scale in citrus orchards, replacing toxic chemicals and saving the health of hundreds of growers in teh process! He won a Churchill Fellowship in the USA in 1974/5 spending three months at the University of California at Riverside and working in the large Insectary Rincon Vitova at Ventura, studying their ways of mass producing parasites.

Ron learned to fly a small aircraft so that he could deliver the parasitic wasps, Aphytis Melinus, interstate.

Ron and Beryl bought a property at New Residence and built their dream home overlooking the Murray River. Moved there in the 1980s.  Planted a block of purely citrus – navel and Valencia oranges and Tangelos. Ron looking for high quality.

Ron eventually excised the house from the block and lived in the House until about 8 years ago.  Sold the property and moved to Hahndorf all three children settled in Adelaide.

For many years Ron was a dedicated carer of Beryl who had advanced Alzhmiers Disease at Hahndorf Residential Care. Beryl, passed away on the 27th May 2019 age 93 years. Wherever he saw he could do something to help he would care for others

Ron has 4 grandchildren – Ryan, Jarad, Jake and Anisha .

From a daughter’s perspective he is an amazing man, husband and father. Always thinks of others first.

Karen George

More information about Ron’s service and time at Loxton can be found in Karen George, A Place of their own: the men and women of War Service Land Settlement after the Second World War (Wakefield Press 1999)