Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Annie Grayson and her family, Ron, Colin, Stan & Connie moved from the Killarney district, a few days before Christmas 1940, to West Wooroolin where they purchased a 160 acre property for £1500. Annies husband had died in 1932 when she was just 39 years old and her children aged between 16 and 9 years! The family worked hard to improve their property and enjoyed their new home and lifestyle.
I am very lucky to have been given a copy of a story written by Ron Grayson about his life and have used some of his words about life during the war years.
Colin joined the Australian Army on 29 May 1941 at Kingaroy. His army records are available on the NAA website and show that he actually served in a few different regiments – 2ACRC, 13APSC around Townsville and Darwin before being sent to New Guinea where he joined the 2/15th Battalion, the same battalion as Leslie Campbell Pedersen! Colin returned to Qld in Mar 1944 and his files show he had many cases of Malaria. Rons story states: Col and Stan were both posted up to New Guinea on active service and at times were able to see each other. Col contracted malaria in New Guinea and was hospitalized in Port Moresby for a time. On 2 Aug 1944 Col was finally discharged as unfit to serve any longer. How pleased we were to see him home. Col returned to the home farm where he lived until his death in 1995.
His Army files tell us that his home at Wooroolin was destroyed by fire in 1952 and he wrote asking for his Active Service Badge to be replaced.
Stan was called into National Service about the same time in 1941 and then joined the Australian Army 4 Vehicle Park Workshops in July 1943 and served until Jun 1946, a total of 1744 days! At time of joining he was working Stanthorpe as a Shop Assistant. His army records are also available on the NAA website and show that he served in New Guinea from 18 Dec 1942 to 18 Feb 1944. He was a Motor Mechanic graded “Fitter”.
Stan was discharged from the Army on 26 Jun 1946. Rons story states: After the war Stan bought a 1 Ton Army disposal Ford V8 Truck and used in in his job as a Watkins Traveller, seeling their products around Wondai, Wooroolin & Durong. Later Stan went to Brisbane and worked for many years for Allan Starks.
Stan married Dorothy Parker in 1949 at Eastside Trinity Methodist Church, Camp Hill and lived in Brisbane until his death in 2002.
Ron had to stay behind and look after the farm. In 1945 the family bought the neighbouring farm of 1000 acres for £3,500.
Col & Ron never married and lived with their mother until her death in 1978. In 1985 Ron and Col surveyed off 10 acres of land around the house to be sold separately. The remainder of the farm was sold to Syd Cheetham and Ron and Col remained on the home block retired from farming and did some travelling.
Col passed away in 1995 and Ron moved into live with his sister, Connie. Ron died in 2011 and both are buried at Taabinga Cemetery.
The following words from Rons story: Times were hard during the war. We were only allowed one light on at any time in the house. All car headlights had to be half blocked out and a lot of food items were rationed. Butter, tea, petrol, clothing and many other things were included in the rationed goods. We were issued with special ration tickets for each item. Fortunately we were able to get extra petrol tickets from the Peanut Board to harvest the peanuts. There was not much entertainment during the war but we did have dances a on a Saturday at Tingoora and Wooroolin alternatively and sometimes at Memerambi. Mum, Con & I used to go each time and always had a good time. These dances were mostly for the war effort, for comforts for the troops. It was at these dances where every soldier was given a send-off on leaving for camp and also a welcome home when discharged. The names of all the men who served at the war from Wooroolin and district are on the honour roll board which hangs in the Wooroolin Memorial Hall to be there for all time. They will always be remembered.
Lest We Forget