Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

I was born during the war and really do not know anything about my father's employment, etc, until after the war. When he came back into civilian life, Alex worked on the night cart for many years. It was apparently the only job he could get when he came home. He did not do overseas service but served with a Transport unit which was at one stage stationed in Perth WA or as we often say jokingly "the other side of the planet".

Dad volunteered with and left my mother Elsie Geogina Anderson with one son (Brian Alexander, born 1938) and another Me, Noel George, born October 1940 on the way. I was, and still am, very critical of the RSL that they would not accept his membership because he did not serve overseas. I know RSL means the Returned Serviceman's League, and I feel that my father was very much a RETURNED Serviceman.

If people do not know what a Night Cart was, and I guess there are many who don't, well, these men came one night a week, to take out waste (now we call it sewage) from our outdoor toilet (dunny).

Years later, Alex worked for Cummins and Campbell General Merchants as a Clerk, I would say a much more pleasant occupation than the one he previously performed.

8 years down the track from when I was born, we were pleased to welcome a sister, Leenore Mary into our family. We lived for most of these years at No. 1 Hannam
Street, Bungalow in a house my father and mother helped build.

We were poor in some thought, but very rich in our life as our parents gave us everything we needed. We did not own a car, Mum and Dad would head off on their bicycles to Bowls, while my brother and myself (using the same mode of
transportation) headed off to our sporting pursuits. That being BL (before Lee).

As noted, dad passed away aged 55 from Cancer. Very young.