Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Jack (John) Walsh was born in Kyneton to a hardworking farming and labouring family. Unfortunately his father died when Jack was only three years old.

In his early 20s he left Kerang and joined the Army at Royal Park Melbourne. He married his sweetheart, young Emily Archibald from Rochester in 1942. His war service saw him travel overseas, including Papua New Guinea.

After his discharge in 1946, he with his wife Emily, son Edgar and daughter Nancy moved to Gippsland. They first settled in Rosedale where they became popular cafe proprietors and then moved to Traralgon.  Tragedy struck when in 1955 Emily passed away, leaving Jack (a shift worker at the Australian Paper Mills) to raise two young children alone.

When his children were grown, Jack married Jean (Hazel Jean Innocent) and they lived happily in their home in Traralgon until there final years. Jack and Jean loved to cheer on their local football team and Jack was a keen golfer.  Jack was also well known for his ability to invent, fix and create; his workshop was ful of bits and pieces and he built his own battery operated golf buggy. He was jolly and liked to make others laugh.

In his final years Jack suffered from glaucoma and a condition which wasted his muscles. I don't remember Jack talking about his war service and he did not particpate in reunions or commemorations. While he lived through much hardship in his life, his war service is the only one that must have been too difficult to talk about.  Jack died in June 1998; survived by his daughter Nancy, his step-daughter Sharon and grandchildren.