Anzac Day this year was like no other Anzac Day due to COVID 19. However, community members did different things in order to honour those who fought in WW1, WW2, along with other conflicts that Australia has been involved in. We paid tribute to the men, women and horses who have served our nation. Current service men and women were acknowledged.
Some people watched the televised service at 530am from the War Memorial in Canberra; others lit a candle and stood on their driveways at 6am, and some returned service men laid a wreath on the local cenotaph.
I would like to acknowledge my late father, Ron Field’s war service. My father joined the CMF (Civilian Military Force) in Newcastle on February 21 1941. He remained in the CMF until August 9 1942. Then he joined the AIF on August 10 1942 and was discharged from the Army on November 2 1945. He left Darwin on October 7 1945 for Cairns, arriving on October 14 1945.( The war in Asia had formally ended on September 2 1945.)
My father attended the Cooking School in Liverpool on a number of occasions from October 28 1941. He was a cook in the Officers Mess at Fort Scratchley, Newcastle for some years.
On August 29 1944, my father left for Darwin, arriving on September 27 1944 to join the 2nd Australian Coastal Artillery Training Battery. I recall him telling me he travelled to Townsville by train, and went overland in a convoy of Army trucks to the centre of Australia, and then headed north to Darwin. Darwin was protected by the Dudley Battery, East Battery and Emery Battery.
Darwin was bombed first on February 19 1942 and the last bombing was in late 1943.
I am fortunate to still have my father’s photos from his time in Darwin.
Anne Field
Kogarah, Sydney
April 29 2020
