Harold's War: Mates

Mates

Frank, Allen and I did our Intermediate Certificate in 1937 and left school in 1938. We all started school at Scots Prep School (at different times, I think) and knew each other for a lot of years. We all started Uni (Sydney) together doing the Diploma in Commerce (which was an non-matriculant course).

Frank

Frank left in the first year and joined the Air Force and that was the last we saw of him. I have an idea that he was lost (very early in the war) over the North Sea somewhere but I am not sure. (Sgt Frank Richardson: 104 Sqd RAF. Died 8 September 1941 over Germany.) He was survived by two sisters (both older): Treasure, the elder, who as far as I know never married, and Peg, who married and had children and who I lost contact with. I do not know her married name. Frank's father had a milk delivery business (which was big enough to send all three kids to private schools) and also a week-ender down at Woy Woy where the three of us and others used to go for breaks.

Squirty, Pat and Gavin

The others included: Phil "Squirty" Rose who completed his schooling and passed the Leaving Certificate. He then went, as a trainee, to BHP in Newcastle and was not allowed to join up; Pat O'Carroll (from Waverley College) who I lost contact with; and Gavin Reilly. He was the son of Virgil Reilly, who, at that time, was a well known artist. He (Virgil) was divorced and remarried, which was a big deal in those days. I remember Gavin used to upset the prim young ladies (who we used to take out) by describing going to his father's wedding. He was indulged by his father and at the age of (I think ) 17 was presented with a convertible Chevrolet in which we used to drive like mad up to Woy Woy with five in the car and a five gallon keg between us for the weekend. Remembering all this I do not think we were the safest car on the road. Going to Woy Woy was not easy as we had to go over the Hawkesbury River by Peats Ferry, with waits of up to two hours in the busy periods. Gavin joined the army and went to the Middle East, returned to Australia, and then went to New Guinea where he was killed in action in a tank, one of the few that were used in New Guinea where the terrain was not conducive to motorised transport. (Trp Gavin J Reilly: AIF 2/7 Cav Regiment, died 19 December 1942 in Papua New Guinea.)

Allen

Frank, Allen and I all had the use of our fathers' cars on occasions, but Frank used to work on the milk runs which commenced at about 2 am and quite often he would come home from a dance in evening dress and change at that hour, go straight up to the dairy and go out on a milk run, finishing at about 6 am. During summer, Frank (on most days), when he had the use of the car, would pick up Allen and myself to go to Bondi for an early morning swim. On occasions we would pick up a girl named Gwenda who we knew. I don't think any of us took her out to dances. On one occasion she was mucking about when we picked her up. To get her down to the beach from her home in Old South Head Road, near Curlewis Street (a matter of about a mile or two), we put her in the boot, and shut it. (Kids wouldn't do that today!)

After Frank joined up, we spent a lot of time at Allen's place, with some other blokes including Bill Berkman and Dick Christian (neither of whom joined up).

Allen Wright joined the 2nd AIF and did his basic training near Wollongong and then some sort of course in entomology at an unnamed university (I think Brisbane) and then joined a malaria control unit which was a Queensland unit. He was all over New Guinea trying to control mosquitoes, and thus malaria. I don't know what he was doing in Port Moresby, or how he found out that I was in hospital. Allan had a brother, Ken, who joined the permanent Air Force just as war was declared and was killed in a flying accident while training out of Evans Head on the north coast. Two planes collided in mid-air.

Of all these mates who survived the war, Allen was the only one with whom I maintained contact. (Allen's brother: FO Thomas Kenneth Wright, RAAF, died 16 January 1941 in an accident near Terrigal.) (

return to War

up to Contents


	Mates Frank, Allen and I did our Intermediate Certificate in 1937 and left school in 1938. We all started school at Scots Prep School (at different times, I think) and knew each other for a lot of years. We all started Uni (Sydney) together doing the Diploma in Commerce (which was an non-matriculant course).
	Frank Frank left in the first year and joined the Air Force and that was the last we saw of him. I have an idea that he was lost (very early in the war) over the North Sea somewhere but I am not sure. (Sgt Frank Richardson: 104 Sqd RAF. Died 8 September 1941 over Germany.) He was survived by two sisters (both older): Treasure, the elder, who as far as I know never married, and Peg, who married and had children and who I lost contact with. I do not know her married name. Frank's father had a milk delivery business (which was big enough to send all three kids to private schools) and also a week-ender down at Woy Woy where the three of us and others used to go for breaks. Squirty, Pat and Gavin The others included: Phil "Squirty" Rose who completed his schooling and passed the Leaving Certificate. He then went, as a trainee, to BHP in Newcastle and was not allowed to join up; Pat O'Carroll (from Waverley College) who I lost contact with; and Gavin Reilly. He was the son of Virgil Reilly, who, at that time, was a well known artist. He (Virgil) was divorced and remarried, which was a big deal in those days. I remember Gavin used to upset the prim young ladies (who we used to take out) by describing going to his father's wedding. He was indulged by his father and at the age of (I think ) 17 was presented with a convertible Chevrolet in which we used to drive like mad up to Woy Woy with five in the car and a five gallon keg between us for the weekend. Remembering all this I do not think we were the safest car on the road. Going to Woy Woy was not easy as we had to go over the Hawkesbury River by Peats Ferry, with waits of up to two hours in the busy periods. Gavin joined the army and went to the Middle East, returned to Australia, and then went to New Guinea where he was killed in action in a tank, one of the few that were used in New Guinea where the terrain was not conducive to motorised transport. (Trp Gavin J Reilly: AIF 2/7 Cav Regiment, died 19 December 1942 in Papua New Guinea.)				Allen Frank, Allen and I all had the use of our fathers' cars on occasions, but Frank used to work on the milk runs which commenced at about 2 am and quite often he would come home from a dance in evening dress and change at that hour, go straight up to the dairy and go out on a milk run, finishing at about 6 am. During summer, Frank (on most days), when he had the use of the car, would pick up Allen and myself to go to Bondi for an early morning swim. On occasions we would pick up a girl named Gwenda who we knew. I don't think any of us took her out to dances. On one occasion she was mucking about when we picked her up. To get her down to the beach from her home in Old South Head Road, near Curlewis Street (a matter of about a mile or two), we put her in the boot, and shut it. (Kids wouldn't do that today!) After Frank joined up, we spent a lot of time at Allen's place, with some other blokes including Bill Berkman and Dick Christian (neither of whom joined up). Allen Wright joined the 2nd AIF and did his basic training near Wollongong and then some sort of course in entomology at an unnamed university (I think Brisbane) and then joined a malaria control unit which was a Queensland unit. He was all over New Guinea trying to control mosquitoes, and thus malaria. I don't know what he was doing in Port Moresby, or how he found out that I was in hospital. Allan had a brother, Ken, who joined the permanent Air Force just as war was declared and was killed in a flying accident while training out of Evans Head on the north coast. Two planes collided in mid-air. Of all these mates who survived the war, Allen was the only one with whom I maintained contact. (Allen's brother: FO Thomas Kenneth Wright, RAAF, died 16 January 1941 in an accident near Terrigal.) (
	return to War				up to Contents