Former WWII commando Jack Mackay of Wynnum credits his wife, Audrey, for helping him recover from the trauma of war

Jack Mackay, a former commando stationed in New Guinea during WWII, said many of his friends never came home and those who did were changed forever.

QST_WRH_ANZACPROFILE

A DECORATED WWII veteran who survived behind enemy lines for more than two years thanks his wife of 65 years with helping him overcome the trauma.

Jack Mackay, 90, of Wynnum, struggled to cope with life after he returned home at the end of the war in 1945.

“Out of all the blokes, the 11 I knew (from growing up) in Norman Park who enlisted, I was the only one who returned,” Mr Mackay said.

“And as others came back they were all changed – they weren’t the loud mouth, hilarious fellows they were when they went away.”

He credits his long-time marriage to wife, Audrey, for his recovery.

“I had a bad time getting out of that period mentally,” Mr Mackay said.

“It was a difficult period to readjust but Audrey was there and she was a lot of strength.”

Mr Mackay enlisted in the Navy in 1942 when he was 17 with his best mate, Fred Marsh.

“He called me ‘pinhead’ and I called him ‘boofhead’ because he had a big head and I had a small head,” he said.

“Freddie and I went down to Cerberus (Royal Australian Navy training base) in Melbourne.

“A few people came around asking for volunteers to do a special job (in the Coastwatchers).”

The pair trained together to take part in Operation Jaywick that involved sinking seven Japanese ships in 1943 in Singapore Harbour.

Illness forced Mr Mackay out of Operation Jaywick and prevented him from taking part in a second attack, Operation Rimau, which saw Mr Marsh captured.

He later died of malaria while a prisoner of war.

“Nothing was heard from him for over 12 months,” Mr Mackay said.

“I was able to go back and visit his grave in 1993 at a cemetery in Singapore.

“I put a flower down for him and all the others from Operation Rimau.”

In January, Mr Mackay received an Order of Australia for services to veterans and their families as a member of the Queensland and Australian Commando associations.

Originally published as Former WWII commando Jack Mackay of Wynnum credits his wife, Audrey, for helping him recover from the trauma of war