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David Andary (140428), of ‘dark complexion’, born in 1924 in Abadia, Syria, was a student and a distinguished member of the Druze community in South Australia. David Andary OBE, before he joined the RAAF, as a student, was involved in the local scout movement. When a district Scout Commissioner was leaving to join the RAAF, on behalf of the scouts in Berri, David Andary, a troop leader, presented the gift of an engraved silver cake dish, with all the good wishes of the troop to the Commissioner, a token of appreciation for his work and interest in the Scout movement. This social evening commenced with the ‘Song of Australia’.

David enlisted in 1943 in Adelaide, joining his friends from South Australia. A reference of him for his enlistment said, “He was a person of very good character’. He served in the RAAF; holding the rank of Leading Aircraftman. Local newspapers wrote about ‘old scholars on service’, mentioning the school being proud of David and his classmates enlisted in the RAAF. He completed a six weeks nursing orderlies’ course No. 42, at the Medical Training Unit, Preston, studying anatomy and psychology, medical and surgical nursing, ward management, patient hygiene, first aid, theatre instruments and RAAF organisation. David desired to enlist in the medical corps.

David was posted as a medical orderly in No. 3 ACS, and served overseas with the squadron in Morotai in the Maluku Islands, Leyte and Mindoro Island in the Philippines and Balikpapan, the seaport in Borneo. During his service, the fighting on the island of Mindoro in central Philippines was especially intense, but the Japanese military was eliminated despite its deadly practice of the Japanese kamikaze (Divine wind), the Japanese aircrafts loaded with explosives, making a ‘deliberate suicidal crash on an enemy target’, or similarly hari-kari, ‘disembowelling themselves’. During the battle, David helped injured and sick victims working day and night. After a few weeks, being exhausted, he also became seriously ill, and soon was evacuated to an American hospital. While in hospital the attending physician was unable to diagnose his illness, David took matters into ‘his own hands and arranged his own blood test’. When the results came in, the doctor diagnosed David, telling him that he would be evacuated to San Francisco for further treatment.

Unsatisfied with the thought of being evacuated to the United States, David, firm in his resolve, once again ‘took matters into his own hands and found his way back to his squadron’. Hitchhiking to the airfield, he managed to arrange ‘transport back to his squadron on a DC3 loaded with timber’. Being loyal to his squadron, David’s determination to look after others and get the job done was his great virtue. Back at the squadron on the island of Mindoro, a determined David returned to his position as a medical orderly and devotedly continued to help treat his sick comrades in the squadron. It was particularly rewarding when he knew that he had helped his comrades. Then, in July 1945, he was deployed with the squadron to Balikpapan where he remained until the conclusion of the war.

He was discharged 19 June 1946, received medals, including the 1939-45 and the Pacific Star. After the war, David became a leader in the fruit-growing industry in South Australia establishing the Riverland Fruit Product Ltd and the Berri Fruit Juice Cooperative. David served as Director and Chairman of the Berri Cooperative Packing Union and as Chairman of the Nissshin–Berri Pty Ltd. a non-profit joint venture with the largest flour mill in Japan, formed to develop trade between Japan and Australia. David led a number of Federal Government trade missions globally in the 1970s and 1980s and received an OBE for his services to the fruit industry in 1978.



From the book:

Dzavid Haveric, 'A History of Muslims in the Australian Military from 1885 to 1945: Loyalty, Patriotism, Contribution', Cambridge Scholars Publishing, London, 2025.

DAVID ANDARY OBE Fruit-growing industry leader

Born: December 11, 1924, Lebanon
Died: February 27, 2022, Beaumont

DAVID Andary was a captain of the Riverland fruit industry, an Australian World War II veteran and a lawn bowls club champion.


Five-year-old David arrived in South Australia with his mother, Latifa, and sister Sheila in 1930, having travelled from Lebanon.

 They were reunited with David’s father, Solomon, who was running a store in Berri.


A keen student, David completed his leaving certificate riding his bike from Berri to Renmark and back daily to attend school.

 In 1943, he was offered a place to study medicine at the University of Adelaide the following year.


In the meantime, he enlisted in the RAAF as a medical orderly in the 3rd air force Construction Squadron and went on to serve his adopted country for three-and-a-half years in New Guinea, the Philippines and Indonesia.


In 2015, aged 90, he was one of seven veterans invited by the Australian Government to travel to Papua New Guinea for the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific.


He never took his place in medical school. Instead, at the end of the war, he returned to the Riverland to work with his father on the fruit property.


In 1948, on a trip to Lebanon, he met, courted and married Wahiba and brought her back to Berri.


He joined his first fruit industry committee in 1953 at the encouragement of his father and in seven years was instrumental in establishing the cannery co-operative.

Through his initiative, Berri Fruit Juices Co-operative also came into being in 1961. He was the inaugural chair of both.


The co-operative philosophy, as practised on the river, illustrated the truth of his philosophy of helping others.


David held some of the highest positions in numerous other organisations, including Berri Co-operative Packing Union, Riv-Sam, which was at one time the largest exporter of Australian citrus, the Australian Dried Fruits Association, Nisshin-Berri and Murray River Holdings.


Travelling to more than 50 countries on every continent and countless cities, his commitment to the co-operative movement, and in the support of his fellow growers, led him on many trade missions to secure sales and new markets.


In 1978, he was appointed an Officer in the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the fruit industry.


David and Wahiba were supporters of the local Lebanese community, helping to build the Druze foundations in the Riverland and Adelaide.


After retiring to Adelaide, David joined the Beaumont Bowling Club.

 He was a club champion, past president and life member and, allegedly, bought his home on Devereux Rd because it was opposite the club.


He is survived by sister Sheila, brother Dean, sons William and Neil, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Adelaide Advertiser Obituaries
21st May 2022