Fred joined the A.I.F. at Paddington with Slop Arnott in 1940.He trained with the 2/5th Field Regiment( Gunners ) wheras Slop joined the Cavalry.Dad did his training at Holdsworthy and Bathurst.They were sent to Syria to fight the French.
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He and Slop spent their leave in Tel Aviv drinking beer and talking.
Because a gunners life was pretty tough ,digging trenches and being bombed by an opposition airforce ,so at 42 years of age he transferred to the Australian Canteen Service ,when he returned to Australia.
He was sent to Rockhampton Queensland to manage the depot there.
discharge cert.
In 1945 Mum took Lindsey and me to Rockhampton by train, a distance of 1,300 kilometres It was a three day trip,requiring we change trains in Brisbane,.as the Queensland rail guage is narrower than NSW for the trip to Rockhampton.
We stayed at Yeppoon beside the beach about 30 k's from Rockhampton,living in a house next door to the Far West home run by Matron Jacobson,the next town was Emu Park.
Dad had some friends from the American Canteen Service called Scoff and Hovey who would call occasionally.
I spent my time digging tunnels under the lawn in the backyard,when the ground caved in I think I was unpopular.Dad collected us after the holiday in a Army truck,and was driving back to Rockhampton when we were stopped by the Military Police.Mum was in the front cabin and Lin and I were in the back with the spare wheel.
This may have ended Dad's career in the Army.
When he was discharged from the Army he used his defered pay to buy an X Army disposal International truck,probably over a ton, metal cabin and canvas top over a timber back,with dual back wheels.
This was to be his work horse for the next 7 years.
Because of his prewar experience in the motor trade and his connections with Charlie Price,a spare parts traveller,he established a auto spare parts supply in the north of the state of NSW.
Travelling north on the Pacific Highway he established customers in garages,and motor repair organisations up to Murwillumbah in the north of the state.Because auto spare parts were in short supply at this time he had eager customers along the way.His return journey was down the New England Highway commencing at Tenterfield.
On one trip he took me along a 14 year old. At Taree he was serving a customer,and asked me to park the truck,which was old and cantankerous.
The ring gear on the starter motor was worn and damaged,if the motor started with the first depression of the starter pedal,fine. But if the ring gear didn't engage, you had to put your toe under the starter pedal,lift the lever and start again.
This day I started the motor, engaged 1st gear,after a double shuffell,this was not a synchromesh gear box,let out the clutch,edging forward to a parking spot a few meters ahead.
The town at the time had veranda posts supporting street awnings,customary in old Australian towns.
Because of inexperience,as I edged the truck into the parking spot,because of the camber of the road,the front left mudguard hit an upright post,damaging it.
What was I to say to my father ?
I found him down the street,and said " Are you feeling strong " ?
He took it well,and instead of bursting into anger,came back to the truck to examine the damage.
When in Sydney Dad stayed at 16 Milson Road Cremorne with his Aunt Scott. This was a solid old two story brick building on the shores of Sydney Harbor,divided into two flats.Upstairs were Bunty and Neil an elderly retired couple,Neil had a thick Scottish accent,its possible he spent time in the navy.
Downstairs lived aunt Scott and uncle Jack,Dad's mum's sister.
The only thing separating the property from the water was a concrete walkway which connected Mosman Bay with Neutral Bay. There was also a swimming pool constructed in the harbor.
There was a sandstone basement incomplete with no electric lighting,where Dad stored his automobile spare parts.
When he was preparing for another trip to the country,I would travel by ferry on Sunday to help load the truck,this involved carrying rolls of brake lining ,cartons of grease nipples and brass fittings up the path,then up the stairs to where the truck was parked in Milson Road.
There were no shelves in the truck, we talked about fitting them as it would make storage and access easier,but it never happened.So cartons were placed on top of one another,you required a good memory to know where parts were located.
I was 15 at the time,my sister never came,sometimes we worked till 7pm without completing the job.
Then aunt Scott would give us dinner,always two courses,main meal meat and two veg.followed by sweets,often with ice cream.
It was Dad's job to wash up,and mine to dry.
This was a very slow process, for some reason Dad would meticulous scrub each piece,spoon, fork, knife,plate and bowl,while I would stand waiting ,flicking the tea towel,and chatting to aunt Scott.
Aunt Scott would sometimes talk about her childhood,living on a farm at Twist creek, Yackandanda
Victoria where they grew tobacco and employed Chinese labor. Dad would then walk me down to the ferry warf for my trip home to Double Bay.
Victoria where they grew tobacco and employed Chinese labor. Dad would then walk me down to the ferry warf for my trip home to Double Bay.
These were not joyful times for my father,he was going through a divorce,had very little social life,few friends,and his job took him away to the country for months at a time,staying in third rate hotels, the only thing that kept him going was he was starting to make money,a commodity that had eluded him for years.He also made friends with some of his customers who were probably returned service men and they would share a bond over a beer at the local hotel or RSL after work.
On Anzac day the 2/5th Field regiment held its reunion in the basement of the Town Hall.There beer would be drunk stories rekindled,including how the unit repaired Dad piles by turning him upside down to do the job.
Photo of Dad escorting Lindsey down the isle at St Marks Church Darling Point, at her marriage to
Warren Wright
Probably his proudest moment..He is wearing a new suit purchased for the occasion.
On Anzac day the 2/5th Field regiment held its reunion in the basement of the Town Hall.There beer would be drunk stories rekindled,including how the unit repaired Dad piles by turning him upside down to do the job.
Photo of Dad escorting Lindsey down the isle at St Marks Church Darling Point, at her marriage to
Warren Wright
When Aunt Scott died in 1959,Dad had to find somewhere to live.and he choose where he spent his weekends as a youth,HARBORD
Hey presto 31 Hill street,possibley the oldest timber house in the suburb,very decrepid,very cheap.
Hey presto 31 Hill street,possibley the oldest timber house in the suburb,very decrepid,very cheap.
Photo of Dad's Peaugot 202 car. The original owner was the Gillette company. The car was sold to me by John Cunningham a sales representative. I had the car for several years when working in shearing sheds. It had a fourth gear or overdrive which allowed the car to maintain a high speed on long trips to and from the country. Because of its suspension it also allowed one to take sharp corners at speed. The car developed rust and was in need of maintenance when I sold it to Don McLarty a grazier. He had the car extensively repaired including its universal, differential and the rust problem. So when Dad bought the car's its condition was vastly improved, except for the exhaust system which sounded raucous.
Once while driving home to Harbord, Dad noticed a Police officer following him, he was heading downhill to the Spit Bridge so very little acceleration, once he got on to lever road and then up the hill on the other side he had to accelerate, with the result the exhaust sound began to crackle
The Police officer pulled him over, and pointed to the exhaust, Dad played deaf, the officer asked what he had been doing and Dad responded with showing his pick and shovel in the back of the car.
Not satisfied that Dad understood the problem he got down on the roadway and pointed up at the exhaust, indicating it needed repairing. Not only did Dad not get a ticket (infringement notice ) but he had a chuckle on his way home.
Stuart Wright and Fred Williams . Middle grandchild.
Round 1984 after my divorce I thought it a good idea to take all the family,Josh,Guy,sister Lin and father Fred to see New Zealand utilising a camper van to travel the North and South island,during the school summer holidays as a way of forging closer relations.
Round 1965 I bought a house in Foam st Harbord and Fred sold his Hill street house and bought at auction 3/5 Morrell street Woollahra another timber ruin. The family helped him demolish these two houses and have Peter Hall design an attractive 3 bedroom courtyard house. He attempted to build it himself but realised the task was too great and had it built by a builder after some difficulties.
The final result was a glassed walled interior looking into grassed courtyard,white painted brickwork,polished timber floors,open fireplace and tiled roof.With a double garage on to the street and brick wall along the front boundary.A design all the family liked.Some time later Fred bought a private company Camera reproductions,to use as an investment vehicles.One of their investments was The Beef Machine.
Round 1984 after my divorce I thought it a good idea to take all the family,Josh,Guy,sister Lin and father Fred to see New Zealand utilising a camper van to travel the North and South island,during the school summer holidays as a way of forging closer relations.
We hired the van in Auckland and set off north for Russell and the bay of Islands,finally reaching Cape Reanger,turning south we called at most big cities. Including Invercargill in the south of the South Island.
At age 85,1987,he and his close neighbour in Spicer street, Mrs Mardi Tarlinton took a flight to London and visited all his previous old haunts,they visited Europe and used the trains as their hotel,boarding late evening and travelling sleeper class overnight,next day disembarking in a different city,and repeating the exercise for several weeks.
The following year Fred came to Hawkesbury Agricultural College on open day,where I was retraining taking a Horticulture certificate,which he enjoyed.
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