Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Allen John ('Jack') HURST (b 1923)

Allen's bio as related to Paul Spencer

Allen was born at McLaren Vale in South Australia on born on the 21st of August 1923 to John & Vivienne Hurst. Allen was to become the eldest of three boys. John was a blacksmith by trade, and Vivienne had been born and raised in Orroroo and the family shifted there 1929 where John started farming. However severe droughts soon forced him to Blyth, also in the Mid-North, where he reverted back to blacksmithing.

Allen went to primary school, first at Orroroo and later at Blyth. With no high schools in the area Allen moved to Adelaide and lived with his grandparents and attended Norwood High School, returning to Blyth in 1941.

War had been going for nearly two years by then but Allen had to wait for his 18th birthday to enlist. He had set his mind on the glamour of being a pilot but after enlisting was found to be colour blind! So that was the end of that. Instead he joined the Air Corps as a fitter.

Basic training was conducted in the Exhibition Building on North Terrace in Adelaide, and after this he was transferred to Ascot Vale in Melbourne to complete the training process. On completion Allen was sent as a Fitter 2A to the 12th Squadron in Darwin where most of the Australian planes were Wirraways. This was late December 1941. Allen travelled by train from Adelaide northwards and remembers that some of his female cousins waited at Orroroo Station and handed him his Christmas presents.

Bombing of Darwin 19 Feb 42

The Japanese attacked Darwin on the 19th of February 1942 so Allen didn’t have much time to enjoy the sights. In his own words “all hell broke loose” and hundreds ran down the Adelaide Road to get away from the town. Allen suspects that some might have made it all the way to Adelaide! On several occasions the 12th Squadron went into the town to assist in the clearing up process.

The decision was made to shift the Air Crews to Batchelor, about 124 Kms south to provide some safety from the Japanese attacks that had persisted for some time. This was on the 12th and 13th of March.

The squadron was retrained on American Vultee Vengeance dive bombers.  Allen reckons they were flying death traps.  In collaboration with the Americans, the 12th Squadron helped build four air strips on the Adelaide Road.

In April 1943 the Squadron was transferred to Canberra. Allen has no idea why, but can remember the freezing nights. After a few weeks it was off to Sale in Victoria for training on the so called Boomerangs, which were to supplement the Wirraways. Allen stayed at Sale until December 1944 when his three years were up.

He went blacksmithing with his Uncle at McLaren Vale for a few weeks but returned to the Mid-north again in 1945 where he joined with his father and younger brother in an engineering business, JH Hurst & Sons at Crystal Brook. They soon were known throughout the north as efficient and reliable and Allen stayed there for 38 years.

Soon after arriving he started squiring a young good looking girl in the town called Shirley Close. They were married in September 1948, and had three children, Barry, Desmond and Robyn.

Allen and Shirley retired to Warradale in Adelaide in July 1984, before shifting within Warradale to Pine Avenue were they are today. Both joined the RSL at Brighton immediately, and played for the Sub-Branch’s Bowling teams for many years. Allen had a short transfer to Somerton Bowling Club before returning.

Allen’s list of achievements in his life is a testament to his willingly giving of his time for the benefit of others, although he has said that first and foremost it was in choosing a tolerant wife and children! He soon became involved with many activities in the township of Crystal Brook, but most especially with the CFS, Golf Club, Tennis Club, Church and Lodge. He was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1968, a position he still holds today.

List of Achievements:

CRYSTAL BROOK LODGE No. 70 – Worshipful Master, Secretary and Director.

CRYSTAL BROOK GOLF CLUB – Captain 9 years, President 2 years, Life Member 1979

NORTHERN GROUP GOLF ASSOCIATION – President 1962-63, Secretary 1968-1972 and 1976-1982. Life Member 1982.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION – Country Councillor 1982 till present, Executive Committee, Junior Committee.

CRYSTAL BROOK COUNTRY FIRE SERVICE (Formerly EFS)- Joined 1947, Officer in Charge from 1948, Long Service Award June 1969, Life Membership 1972, Commendable District Service Award April 1979, National Medal with Bar 1981.

CRYSTAL BROOK CITIZEN OF THE YEAR – January 1982

WILLOCHRA HOME FOR THE AGED – From opening until 1983

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH – Certificate of Appreciation Warradale 2 Zone Leader and Co-ordinator

AUSTRALIAN MEDAL – Sporting Achievement 2000 (Nominated by the NGGA)

BRIGHTON RSL – Life Member 2005 (Joined 8.7.1983)

BRIGHTON RSL BOWLING CLUB – President, Secretary, and Greens Manager. Life Member 2002

ST. SILAS CHURCH – People’s Warden

OAM – awarded June 2006