Friendship forged from the Anzac spirit for Hervey Bay veterans

The ANZAC tradition of mateship is continuing for a group of Hervey Bay veterans living in aged care at Bolton Clarke Baycrest.

While Baycrest residents Ken, 99, and Alan, 102, have only been friends for the last year, it’s a bond that spans back to their shared experiences serving during World War II.

For Ken, he started his service in the Royal Australian Navy at 17 as a volunteer before joining officially at 18 working in the engine room of the ships.

“I started my training on D-Day and went all over the place because I was on the landing craft throughout Indonesia and Singapore that picked all the soldiers up,” Ken said.

“When the war ended, I joined the Royal New Zealand Navy until 1955.”

Both Alan and Ken met at Bolton Clarke Baycrest and are a part of a group of veterans within the home who look out for one another and are preparing to commemorate this Anzac Day together.

“I left school when I was 15 and always wanted to be a mechanic, so I did three years with Sydney Technical College,” Alan said.

“I went into camp on New Years Day during World War II and because of my automotive certificate they put me in the 15^th Motor Regiment which was the only armoured division Australia had.

“I was in the jungle of New Guinea for training when the war ended – it started off as rumours that it may have ended.

“For me, Anzac Day is still really important because my dad fought in World War I in France, so it’s always been a day I commemorate from when I was young.”

The Bolton Clarke Baycrest community will hold a service of commemoration with residents and veterans set to attend at 9:30am on Saturday 25 April.