Stories

Introduction

Fred’s stories have highlighted what could be described as the ‘good bits’.  Indeed the only story he would tell us growing up was about setting off the air-raid siren when movies were being shown so that the Americans would head for shelter and the Aussies would take the front row.

But there is a dark side to war and in 2000, in order to get an appropriate pension he had to expose stories I’m sure he would have preferred to leave buried.  They are summarised in this Declaration he had to make, I know this was very hard for him to do.

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STATUTORY DECLARATION (July 2000)

I, Frederick Stacy Anthon of 2 East Street, Moss Vale in the state of New South Wales, retired, do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:

I submit the following declaration to support my claim for review of disability pension.

1. In March 1944 at Nadzab a troop transport we were travelling in the driver misjudged a crossing over a five foot deep dry drain. The offside wheels missed the crossing and rolled sideways. Fifteen of our section were on board and it tipped all of us in a heap, in a tangled mess at the bottom of the drain. Every one of us suffered bruising and abrasions. I received abrasions to my shoulders, hips and knees and was off duty for three or four days. I know the names of some of the troops, several have passed away and I have lost contact with others over the years.

2. For six months in Nadzab, with six others working the small sawmill we had to fell logs in the jungle then cut into shorter lengths with axes or hand cross-cut saws. These were hauled to our section with a small D4 Caterpillar tractor, then manhandled with log hooks on to skids to feed into the saw. With only rollers on front and back of the bench we had to push and shove the logs to break them down into working sized pieces of timber. The whole operation was extremely heavy manual work particularly when using the log hooks to roll the logs onto the skids.

3. Having suffered stress for many years I attribute the two following incidents to some of this:

1. A Kittyhawk plane caught fire in our working area. We had to put this fire out. Mates hoisted a fitter onto my shoulders, supporting him I moved into the fire so that the fitter could unscrew the cowling nuts to allow foam into the engine. We were sprayed continuously with foam. Luckily the fitter was a little bloke but we could barely stand due to the weight of the foam but were successful in saving the plane.

3. This incident I have never spoken about until now, but it has often stuck in my mind and it is very difficult to mention. While with a working party digging a pit for refuse. A L.A.C. Baldwin started tormenting a fellow airman about Yanks sleeping with his wife. He was a father of five and suddenly he snapped, picked up a pick handle and crashed it on to Baldwin’s head, killing him instantly. I had never and have since never seen a man murdered. This incident remains very vivid in my memory.

4. During my last 12 months of service in New Guinea I was with a works attachment of about 30 men stationed at Finschhafen, 10 Stores Unit Depot. In May or June 1945 I fell ill and was sent to an American base hospital, I cannot remember which one. For 11 days with impetigo, 12 days with Malaria and 14 days with Dengue fever.  When discharged from hospital my Commanding Officer arranged my posting home in July 1945 as I had lost weight from 13 stone to 10 stone 3 lbs. Unfortunately having been in an American hospital these appear not to be on my medical records and this has caused me considerable problems over the years.

And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Oaths Act 1900.

SUBSCRIBED AND DECLARED at )

)

)

New South Wales )

the     day of July 2000 )

Before me:

Name:

Address:

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