Jack grew up in Shenton Park, where the local boys used to cross the railway line to get to the sand hills and slide down the sand cliffs on old metal mudguards. At school, the milk bottles were warmed by the fire, to take the chill off.
Jack left school at 14 and delivered telegrams before joining Customs in Fremantle.
Despite being told Customs was a restricted occupation, Jack signed up in WWII. He was 18. He trained as a RAAF Wireless Air Gunner, before leaving for the US on the Mariposa. They then crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary, which wasn’t at all luxurious with so many onboard. They didn’t have an escort, because the Queen Mary was faster than any escorts.
Jack joined the 511 Bomber Squadron. Finding their crew once they arrived was a hotchpotch. The men were gathered in a building and left to themselves to find a crew to join.
On their first sortie over Germany, a night raid, Jack felt as though they were the only ones left, with explosions going off all around them. There was constant fear.
On a night off, Jack attended a local dance and met Stella, who worked at Bletchley Park. They married six months later, Stella using coupons to buy an outfit.
After the war, Stella came out to Australia on a Bride Ship, the Athlone Castle. Conditions on the ship were harsh, troop conditions.
Jack and Stella eventually built their own home in Wembley and had four daughters. Jack returned to his role in Customs, a role that took them to England, Europe and Canberra.
Happy 99th Birthday Jack!
Follow The Old Plank Road 