Jozef Imrich, name worthy of Kafka, has his finger on the pulse of any irony of interest and shares his findings to keep you in-the-know with the savviest trend setters and infomaniacs.
''I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.''
-Kurt Vonnegut
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.We will remember them.
The lack of consensus about Australia Day may help extend Anzac Day’s revival as it evolves into the unofficial national day. As ethicist Dr Simon Longstaff wrote in Wednesday’s The Australian Financial Review, amid the concerning outbreak in Australia of imported ancient hatreds triggered by the conflict in the Middle East, unifying national tradition can help maintain the social cohesion of one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world.
“Once morespring is donning her mantle of green andwalking with a smile down road and hedge, whilst the skylarks pours forth his song of happiness even in the shell-torn land which has so lately been ploughed
and sown by the French farmer, who, owing to the late German push, has had to leave in a hurry, leaving almost every thing behind." Gunner J. Wilson wrote on the 24th of April to give his address. Barney Bromley is in hospital in France sick and hopes he may be sent to " Blighty." G. H. Elliott asks me to hold his money for the present. He is keeping well. J. M. Ferriter sent a field card to say that he is well and will write later. Sergeant Jack Higgins, who is at Le Havre, wrote to ask for any information I could give him about Harold Hunter's death. I wrote to the chaplain, who could give no particulars beyond the fact that he was killed while carrying up rations to the front line. He says that Harold had the respect of both officers and men, and they were all sorry to lose him…
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns for her dead across the sea. Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres, There is music in the midst of desolation, And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted; They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables of home; They have no lot in our labour of the day-time; They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain; As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end, they remain.
Nearly one million Australians served in WWII. Now fewer than 3000 are alive. The Herald this week spoke to three veterans who were in the Australian Army, the Australian Navy and the RAF.
WWII veteran Norman Waterson celebrated for Mackay Anzac Day
A then-plucky 18-year-old who lied on his enlistment form to appear older, one of Mackay’s last WWII veterans has reached his centenary and is only now sharing his experiences in war.
“He was young, he was only 18 or 19 at the time, but this Japanese enemy looked like he was 12 or 14.
“They were both scared to do anything, they didn’t want to shoot each other (so) he held up his hand and gave a bit of a wave to say ‘go back’ and this Japanese enemy turned around and ran off into the distance.”
Norman Waterson’s grandson Ross said he had heard the story “many times”, but it was only about a few years ago that the Mackay veteran began talking about World War II.
Born in 1923, Norman signed up in 1942 at the age of 18 – despite saying he was 20 on his enlistment form – and served as a forward scout in Papua New Guinea for the majority of his four year deployment.
He celebrated his 100th birthday among his extensive family on December 11 last year and is now one of only two surviving WWII veterans in the region.
Norman’s beloved wife Joy passed after 74 years of marriage but on his birthday he was surrounded by his four children, nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and is awaiting the birth of his first great-great-grandchild in June.
But not everyone knows the war stories.
My father said he’s never heard Granddad speak of the war back in the day ever, they never spoke of it,” Ross said.
“He only started opening up about it in the last five years and I’m not sure why.
“I think its important that it’s never forgotten, Granddad can understand the importance of that and he shares it with my son and others around him
“He wants the younger generation to have a bit of an understanding of what he went through, … so hopefully that no one ever has to go through that again.”
Norman Waterson and extended family celebrate his 100th birthday on December 11, 2023. Photo: Contributed
Norman shared the horrific details of war in that sweltering jungle with Ross: the incessant leeches, feet so wet “the skin would peel off”, running for his life with “bullets going past like fast bees” and seeing them shoot off his platoon-mate’s jaw.
The small moments of triumph were shared too, with Norman successfully guiding his platoon back to base camp after their commanding officer’s compass broke.
