ANZAC DAY

Growing up ANZAC Day was a time to wear Dad's Medals at School and hear the stories of Gallipoli and of Simpson and His Donkey over the School Radio.

The Other Kid's had lots of medals and the Stories to go with them. 

Some of the Kids laughed at us because "Your Dad didn't go to War".

All we had were his Service Medals and the funny stories he told us of,  

"When I was Up Darwin".

It wasn't until we took Him on a Holiday, and called in to the Catalina Museum at Lake Boga did I find out what "When I was Up Darwin" ACTUALLY meant.  

When he told the attendant a story I had not heard.

"I remember the Catalinas on Darwin Harbour

 and I remember the day.... 

We were all out on the Parade Ground and we heard the aircraft coming." 

At this point his voice broke and the attendant nodded. 

"We all turned and waved and cheered because, we thought...'The Yanks had come'. 

And then they started firing".

It wasn't the Americans - It was the Japanese.

My Dad didn't Go to War - War came to Dad.

LEST WE FORGET

 19th February 1942.