Inspiring: Region’s veterans share war tales on Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a time to reflect and pay respect to the brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
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Some of Toowoomba’s most inspiring veterans recently sat down with us and shared their stories of triumph, heartache and resilience.
Lindsay Morrison:
While all veterans are considered heroes for their selfless sacrifices, Lindsay Morrison is one of a kind.
Not only did the Toowoomba veteran serve in Vietnam, but his role as the infantry medic involved treating ill and injured soldiers.
On operations, Mr Morrison would carry his small first-aid kit and gun, for the sole purpose of protecting patients around, but fortunately he never had to fire it while in the field.
Joining the army just shy of 20 years old in 1963, the medic was sent to Vietnam three years later.
During his time in the field, Mr Morrison attended to just about everything from severe bee stings and snake bites to landmine and gun shot wounds.
And while some soldiers were devastatingly killed immediately, every person he treated survived.
Always humble, Mr Morrison doesn’t consider himself to be a hero.
When he and the other serving Australians returned on home soil, they were not accepted or recognised for their service by the public until many years later.
“When I came home I did struggle, and it was very noticeable … I never told people I went to Vietnam, and we all just tried to forget about it and move on with our lives,” Mr Morrison said.
“People called me all sorts of terrible names when I first got off the plane, and when I got off the train in my hometown I was wearing one single ribbon medal, and an older man at the station told me to take it off immediately or he would call the police.
“I did 20 years with the army before I discharged in 1983, and I did that because they accepted me, but the civilians didn’t.”
During his time in the war, Mr Morrison wrote letters to his then girlfriend regularly, but she broke it off on his first day home.
Looking back, he said it was all for the best though, because he soon met the love of his life who would later become his wife.
Close to his grandfather who had served in World War I, Mr Morrison said they shared a special bond that not many others could understand.
“He went to France and got wounded very badly, so he recuperated in England and then came home to Australia,” he said.
“We got on very well, and the two of us were pretty much alone at the time, so we talked to each other often … I think the rest of our family might have thought we were a bit mad.”
And while at times it was more than challenging, Mr Morrison said if he had his time over, he would do it all again.
“I would say 10% of the time in Vietnam was made up of the horrible stuff, but the other 90% was all about the friendships and camaraderie.”
The inspiring veteran who has seven medals joined the RSL in 2005 and later became the Toowoomba sub-branch president, before taking on his current role of research officer.
Every year Mr Morrison attends the Remembrance Day ceremony in Toowoomba and takes pride in handing the torch to the defence force’s next generation.
He was also behind the recent World War I veteran grave marking project at the Drayton Toowoomba Cemetary.
Mr Morrison went on to marry his wife Mandy, who sadly passed away after more than 50 years of marriage.
The father-of-four, grandfather and great grandfather’s youngest great grandchild will celebrate their first birthday next weekend.
Scott May:
Veteran Scott May was just 24 when he decided to join the army, but the reasons behind the decision may surprise you.
After he completed his plumbing apprenticeship, it was his love of camping and four-wheel driving that enticed him to sign up.
In 2004, three years after the devastating September 11 attacks, Mr May (pictured) joined the army and was later deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
But it wasn’t until he hung up his boots in 2009 that it really dawned on him just how dangerous the situation was.
“My two deployments had two very different undertones and for me, I had only two weeks off after coming from Iraq before I started training for Afghanistan,” Mr May said.
“But when I returned back to Australia from Afghanistan, I realised I needed a rest, I was tired and wasn’t adjusting well to life back in Australia, and it actually eventually led to me discharging.
“I masked a lot of the issues I was experiencing, and it wasn’t until 10 years later that it all came to a head, and I started thinking about my mental health on a more meaningful level.”
Now the Toowoomba RSL sub-branch president, Mr May is passionate about helping other young veterans and families.
Mr May said it was important to pay respect on Remembrance Day to anyone who had served their country.
“It’s not about the number of medals you have,” he said.
“I think the most important one is the red and white four years service medal, because it recognises everyone who has volunteered years of their life to represent their country.”
Joe Treers
Remembrance Day brings mixed emotions for many who lost loved ones in combat or since returning home.
And for the loved ones of Toowoomba’s own World War II veteran Joe Treers, who sadly died in September, it will be no exception.
The veteran served in the navy for two decades, seeing action in the North Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans during the World War II.
His first ship was the HMAS Nepal, which escorted other vessels to Northern Russia.
An inspiration in his own right, Mr Treers was one of the many veterans who faced Nazi U-boats as they targeted convoys across the Atlantic, many of which were lost in the process.
His final years of service were spent stationed in New Guinea and sailing between Port Moresby and Townsville.
Last year, the then 98-year-old veteran opened up about life in the war and shared some of his most treasured moments with RSL Queensland.
“(When I wasn’t on watch, I’d) see them coming way ahead of the ship, always two of them – porpoises or something like that,” he said.
“And then suddenly, they’d turn and head for the ship, and they’d come down past the side of the bow and then turn around and come back – they’d surf in the bow wave, just like you see them at the beach.”
Joining the RSL 80 years ago in Bondi, Mr Treers later became the stalwart member of the Toowoomba sub-branch.
Known by many in the community, the late veteran attended Toowoomba’s Dawn Service every year for the past decade and would man his post at the bus interchange, serving tea, coffee and sometimes even rum to the masses.
Mr Treers sadly passed away on September 17, at the age of 99.
Toowoomba RSL sub-branch research officer and former president Lindsay Morrison said his friend would be missed at this year’s service.
“When Joe was 90, the sub-branch sent him back to navy recruit training in Melbourne, and he loved it so much and they loved him so much that they said to send him back when he was 100, but he didn’t quite make 100,” he said. “I really miss Joe, and I think everyone here misses Joe very much.”
Arts education expert on teaching history to children:
On the night of Christmas Eve in 1914, World War I soldiers from opposing sides lowered their weapons, exchanged gifts, sung carols, took photographs and played football together.
Referred to as the Christmas Truce, it is one of the many heartwarming tales that the University of Southern Queensland‘s Professor Margaret Baguley believes children should be taught in school.
The arts education expert said teaching young people about the war and Australia’s Anzac history was of high importance and could best be achieved through children’s books.
“Remembrance Day is a time to reflect, remember and be grateful for the service and sacrifice made, which has enabled us to live in a wonderful country like Australia,” she said.
“Children’s books and illustrations are often a child’s first exposure to literature, and they are really influential in helping shape the child’s values and beliefs.”
Professor Baguley said it was a gentle way to help children understand the emotional resilience and stoic sacrifice made, without being too confronting.
The university’s Associate Professor Martin Kerby, senior lecturer Richard Gehrmann, Dr Alison Bedfor and Professor Baguley have also launched an open textbook.
Titled A Possession Forever: A guide to using commemorative memorials and monuments in the classroom, the free textbook can be used as a guide to extend knowledge of historical events through local monuments and memorials.
Alongside cinematographer Dr Daniel Maddock, the team will share the outcomes of their Department of Veterans Affairs Saluting their Service community grant project at The Glennie School Remembrance Day Service on Thursday.
James Mark Kennedy
The body of a once unknown soldier who was enlisted in Miles by the Australian Army has been identified, more than a century after his death.
Originally from Victoria, Lieutenant James Mark Kennedy has been confirmed as the soldier who was buried in an unnamed grave in France.
Lieutenant Kennedy was a member of the 26th battalion and was sadly killed during the First World War.
Enlisted in Miles in February 1915, he was seriously wounded in July, 1916 and spent a short time recovering with his wife and son in Scotland.
Despite urging him to reconsider, the stoic Lieutenant rejoined his battalion just months later and devastatingly, never returned home.
Grandson Mark Kennedy said he had been searching for information on his grandfather’s whereabouts since the late 80s.
“I’d grown up with many stories of him from my father, so I think it’s fair to say he was lost but not forgotten,” he said.
“The love story between my grandfather and grandmother was a great wartime romance … it’s a great shame they weren’t able to be together very long, having only been married nine months.”
Lieutenant Kennedy’s unmarked headstone will now be changed to include his name and service details.
The discovery was a result of detailed research and support from the Office of Australian War Graves, Australian Army, and Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Ben Quirke
Members of the defence force, veterans and the community gathered at the Remembrance Day service in Toowoomba, to pay respect to those who have served.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) Ben Quirke was this year’s guest speaker at the service which took place on Thursday.
After two decades of serving with the RAAF and in the process of completing his final posting, FLTLT Quirke is set to retire later this month.
But it seems to have been a year of milestones for the RAAF, after members of the air force celebrated 100 years of service in Australia.
“Remembrance Day is a time to reflect and remember those who have served in Australia’s armed forces, those who continue to serve and those who have lost their lives,” FLTLT Quirke said.
“For me personally (on Remembrance Day), I like to remember my grandfather Jack Allan Quirk who served in the Second World War and a close personal friend Lieutenant Marcus Sean Case who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2011.
“To my fellow veterans I thank you for your service and I thank you for attending today.”
Following the guest speaker address, attendees laid wreaths including Veteran 7th Signal Regiment (EW) Association President Mr Jim Danski.
Toowoomba region’s Remembrance Day ceremony service locations:
Every year, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Australians pause to remember the brave souls who lost their lives, returned home after the war or served our country.
This year RSL Queensland is hosting several events in the Toowoomba region on Remembrance Day.
Members of the community are invited to stream the ceremony from the Shrine of Remembrance in Brisbane’s Anzac Square, on RSL Queensland’s Facebook page today from 10.15am.
Covid-safe ceremonies will also be held in the following locations:
• Cunnamulla Cenotaph (Jane and John Sts) – 11am to 11.30am
• Toowoomba Mothers’ Memorial (corner of Margaret and Kitchener Sts) – 10.15am to 11.30am
• Highfields Cultural Centre (Community Court, Highfields) – 10.45am to 11.15am
• Ma Ma Creek Cemetery (Gatton-Clifton Rd) – 10.30am to 11.15am
• Goombungee Cenotaph (Hartwig St) – 10.45am to 11.30am
• Crows Nest Memorial (Williams St) – 10.30am to 11.30am
• Helidon Cenotaph (corner of Railway and Turner Sts) – 10.45am to 11.15am
• Pittsworth Town Hall (Yandilla St) – 10.50am to 11.30am
• Weeping Mothers’ Memorial (Littleton Park, Gatton) – 10.35am to 11.15am
• Cenotaph Memorial (corner of Patrick St and White Rd, Laidley) – 10.50am to 11.30am
• RSL Memorial Hall (Mill St, Rosewood) – 10.30am to 11am)
• Memorial Park (McConnell Park, Toogoolawah) – 10.45am to 11.15am.
For more details or to make a donation, visit rslqld.org.
If you are struggling, please phone Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Open Arms veterans and family counselling services on 1800 011 046.
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