BYRNES, Robert Paul
| Service Number: | 27628 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales Australia , 3 September 1933 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
Korean War Service
| 12 Feb 1954: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 27628 |
|---|
Help us honour Robert Paul Byrnes's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Ball
MEET A MEMBER: BOB BYRNES by CLIVE BAKER
An article from the Shire Military History Club journal ‘Action Report’ No.18 - 2020
Robert Paul Byrnes was born in the suburb of Pyrmont, in Sydney on 3 September 1933 and was educated at various schools in the area.
An early driving licence holder at 17, he was able to find a job driving transport haulage vehicles.
He was called up to do National Service and went into camp Ingleburn and that’s when army life became his future. He transferred to the Regular Army in 1953 and was a driver with 101 Transport Company, based in Randwick.
In 1953, aged 20, he volunteered for Korea and was sent to the infantry and had to retrain in the basics. Eventually, his group of trainees was flown to Kure in Japan as reinforcements. They had another period of training at the Hara Mura battle school where realistic, potentially dangerous, training was undertaken. On one occasion, an exercise was conducted with tanks firing a ‘creeping barrage’ – using live ammunition!
Private Bob Byrnes (27628), c 1954
The idea was, that infantry advanced behind the shelling to a ‘stop line’ where they fired off their rifle ammunition at a pretend enemy.
They climbed the ridge, and all went as planned but, when a flare signal to withdraw was supposed to be fired, it did not happen. Suddenly the tanks opened up again and Bob and other attackers were by then, very close to the impact point.
Shrapnel was flying as the men scrambled back down the hill to a safer area, where Bob realised, he was unscathed.
His mate thought he had wet himself in fright but then realised that his water bottle was leaking down his leg. When the bottle was shaken, it was empty, but it rattled. A piece of spent shrapnel was trapped inside – a close call.
Finally, Bob moved to Korea in February 1954 and joined 3RAR on the Imjin river cease fire-line.
He was there until November that year, with occasional leave periods in Japan.
The Battalion was finally returned to Australia by ship and Bob decided to stay in the Regular Army. He went back to 101 Transport Company and stayed until his 12 years of service was up. He left in 1965 with the rank of sergeant.
The 3RAR return from Korea, homecoming parade in Sydney – Bob under the black dot.
By then he was married and moved to Loftus in the 1960s. He found employment with PMG Department as a telegraphist until retirement.
These days he keeps fit by regular walks and also paddles his kayak to the head of the Woronora river more than once a week.
Bob can always be relied on to give a hand whenever the Club has a function, and he rarely misses a field trip. He just turned 86.
Click images to start slideshow.