As most readers would know my fathers father served in the Great War and survived, luckily or else I would have never arrived. My Dad was in World War 2 in New Guinea and Darwin and was bombed in both places. Once again fortuitous for me.
I was conscripted around the time of the Vietnam War and was at the time a reservist in the CMF. Unfortunately I failed my medical examination due to a tear in my foot but it also meant the doctor was obliged to report it to the CMF and I was medically discharged from that service.
My brother and my brother in law were both conscripted but both missed out on Vietnam. My brother in law Dennis was actually desperate to go as he was already a gun club member and looked forward to the challenge.
Amongst all that was the fact that my father was too young to join up in World War 2 but after 3 attempts finally got in. Did you know that you actually needed a referral to join, and he got that from a local cop who knew him quite well???That was in the days when a kick up the bum was a standard punishment for juvenile behaviour, like when he and a mate took the local mines’ draft horses into town for a night out.
As I say, it slows me down and while I may have a few juvenile tales, including my “defence” of the Nuclear power station at Lucas heights (which is still operating) and the patrols of the Chichester dam (newcastles water supply) for a whole weekend (footnote. I cut my hand trying to open one of those spam type tins and still have the scar) theres nothing much else to report.
The thing that finally occurred to me when the penny dropped, is that Dad and indeed many of the other soldiers in past wars were in the thick of it at an age when I was still in High School.
