Sunnybank Hills resident Ron Haysom, 90, remembers war time ahead of Anzac Centenary

A BRISBANE veteran is calling for greater recognition of Australia’s brave signalmen ahead of the Anzac Centenary.

WWII veteran Ronald Haysom from Sunnybank Hills has a lot of memories to share. Photo: Paul Guy

SERVING Australia is a matter of pride for the Haysom men.

Ron Haysom, of Sunnybank Hills on Brisbane’s southside, followed in the brave footsteps of five relatives who served in WWI by enlisting in the Australian Army during WWII.

The 90-year-old grandfather-of-four, who will mark Anzac Day by attending a dawn service at RSL Care Cazna Gardens Retirement Community, said he was assigned to the Australian Signal Corps after Darwin was bombed on February 19, 1942.

“I had turned 17 a few weeks earlier and (the event) had a big bearing on my decision to put my age up and join the Australian Imperial Force,” he said.

He transferred to the 22nd line construction company in October, 1942, with primary school friends and was sent to the Northern Territory to rebuild the Overland Telegraph Line.

Mr Haysom was later shipped to Dutch New Guinea, Borneo and Singapore before he was discharged a couple of days shy of his 21st birthday as an Army Signaller 1st class, the equivalent to a corporal.

“I think people are born with an innate desire to fight for their country,” he said.

“We signalmen don’t get too much publicity, but we worked hard and what we did helped the war effort tremendously.”

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THIS story is part of Quest Community Newspaper’s 100 Years, 100 Days, 100 Stories project, which will profile Queensland World War I heroes and families as the nation builds up to the centenary of the Allied landing on Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.

If you have the details and war record of a family member who served during World War I, let us know on our Facebook page or email [e-mail]