By Talitha Organ Fletcher
Part 3 – The War Effort
Injuries were no excuse to not do your part during the war. Everyone had a job to do to ensure the country still functioned successfully and Hilda Fletcher (known as Hilda Morris at the time) was no exception. Read more »
By Talitha Organ Fletcher
Part 2 – The Bombing
“I remember waking myself up screaming.”
Having a well paying job at the Vickers Armstrong Aircraft factory before the war even started, Hilda had her daily routine down pat. Read more »
By Talitha Organ-Fletcher
Part 1 – Growing Up
January 29 1921, Edwin and Emelia Phillips welcomed another baby girl in their family but at the time, no one had any idea of the extraordinary life that she would go on to lead. She would travel the world, join the army, emigrate halfway across the globe and survive a direct bombing by German forces in the second world war. At 97, Hilda May Fletcher, has seen and experienced enough love, loss and adventure for two lifetimes but finds herself with a wonderful legacy and one incredible life story. Read more »
By Caitlin Matticoli Edited by Jake Watson
John ‘Jack’ McMullen was a man of strength and toughness. He joined the Royal Australian Navy in his early 20s as an engineer. As my great-grandmother Margret used to say, “Jack was straight forward. What you saw was what you got”. Read more »
By Madison White
The RMS Orion was, and still is, considered by many as one of the more famous British passenger ships. Even its launch was considered an important moment in maritime history for the British, being one of the first of their ships to be launched wirelessly; the Duke of Gloucester was in Australia, where he pressed a button to launch the ship, while the Orion itself was in the UK. Read more »
By Madison White
Ann and Alan White were married for 35 years before he passed away in September 2002. In that time they raised four sons while Alan had a long and successful career in the Army. Deployed multiple times to places like Malaysia and Vietnam. Alan’s career in the Army lasted decades, and Ann was by his side for the greater part of it.
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Griffith University intern Andrejs Boboks is embarking on a documentary series covering the Latvian and Russian ethnic community of Brisbane. Read more »
Andrejs Boboks chats to 64-year-old Arthur Forrester who has a rich history of war service in his family. Read more »
Griffith University intern Andrejs Boboks is embarking on a documentary series covering the Latvian and Russian ethnic community of Brisbane. Read more »
By Michael Walecki
For the first time in my life, I have spent Remembrance day away from my home in Canada. After my first Remembrance Day experience here in Australia, I have come to the realisation that it was different in many ways. Read more »
Stories to make you smile