© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY

World War 2

Read more about the article The water of remembrance
Jack Parsons in WW1 (left), WW2 (right) and the fountain in Gregson Park

The water of remembrance

In Gregson Park, Hamilton (Newcastle, NSW), a drinking water fountain stands near the large war memorial. On one side is a plaque that reads: Dedicated to the memory of John William Parsons who made the supreme sacrifice on the 12th July 1945 while prisoner of war in Ranau, Borneo. 2/3rd Motor Ambulance Corps 2nd AIF Also member 8th Field Co Engineers AIF 1914-1918. Age 49 years Erected by his wife and daughters.” In truth, the fountain memorialises Jack Parsons and his wife Doris, both profoundly affected by the world wars of the 20th Century. The story…

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Read more about the article Conductresses on the buses – and back off again

Conductresses on the buses – and back off again

IN late 1942, Australia was committed to total war in the Pacific. Its economy was practically 100 per cent geared to war production and "manpower" was a critical problem. A country with a relatively small population, it was isolated from accustomed imports, had large numbers of men fighting or in enemy captivity overseas and was struggling to boost industrial production. More and more men were drawn from their pre-war occupations and put into uniform, leaving big gaps in the industries from which they had been taken. The government turned to Australia's women for part of the…

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Read more about the article The turret ship Mokatam’s long goodbye

The turret ship Mokatam’s long goodbye

For some years after the end of World War II an ungainly hulk of a ship lay moored at Stockton, Newcastle, NSW. It was a battered old rustbucket that ended up in Newcastle as part of the postwar flotsam that drifted around the Pacific in the conflict's confusing aftermath. I'd seen photos of the ship lying there, and was often curious about its extremely odd shape. It's hull was unlike other ships, with a huge bulging section down low, and I wondered what the reason was this peculiar form. In time I learned the ship's name…

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