Stan Dabovetherest
Juniors
- Messages
- 203
Hi guys,
I have decided to start this thread to commemorate and honour all the wonderful brave men and women that have served our great country over the years. This will also extend to those like Pommy, who may not have served Australia as such but fought to defend the values that we hold so dear. Whilst this thread is created for Souths members on here, I would also appreciate input from any fans of other teams that would like to share their experiences or stories of loved ones as well. DKOR, I know this may be a little off topic, but as I've specifically created it to share about a great man who died as a Souths fan, I am hoping you can keep it in this forum.
I have nothing but the utmost respect for anyone who has stepped up in a time of need and done their duty to help protect this wonderful country, and the freedoms and liberties that we all too often take for granted.
Tomorrow will be a very special and emotional day for myself. For the first time I will have the dual honour of not only being a participant in an Anzac Day March, but also wearing my Grandfather's medals and representing him.
My Grandfather, Sapper Laurence William John Roche (NX18050), or Pip as I knew him passed away on 12th July last year at the grand old age of 101 years old. Three months later, I had the honour of fulfilling a promise that I made to him on his very last day, by wearing replicas of his medals and laying a wreath at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at El Alamein, Egypt in October last year as part of the 75th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of this very significant battle.
That was an extremely emotional day and journey for myself, but I think tomorrow, being my first Anzac Day without him, and wearing his actual medals, whilst marching to honour Him and all those who have served, may well eclipse that day last October.
Pip, was and always will be my hero. It is a given that he was a war hero, but to me he was much much more than that. He was my principal mentor, a humble man of integrity grace, patience and undying faith. He was the most incredible storyteller, and always found time for everyone he encountered, no matter how young or how old, regardless of the colour of their skin or the God that they worshipped. He had an incredible capacity for forgiveness, no matter how badly someone had wronged him. He possessed a remarkable ability that not many of us have to challenge himself to grow and improve himself as a person, even in his final years when his brain was still sharp but strokes had taken his words away.
Pip enlisted in May 1940 and after training embarked for the Middle East in June 1941, arriving a month later. Once there he joined up with the famed Australian 9th Division which also encompassed the surviving Rats of Tobruk (although at this stage they were still under siege). From July-November 1942, The Australian 9th Division served as part of the British 8th Army, initially under General Auchinleck and later under Lieutenant-General Montgomery. There they took on the might of the Panzer Army Africa and the at that stage undefeated Field Marshal Rommel in the First and Second Battles of El Alamein.
On a battlefield tour in October our guide informed me that the Australian 9th Division fired the opening volleys and also the closing shots of the decisive 2nd Battle of El Alamein, which in my opinion was the battle that changed the tide of WWII. Even Churchill was quoted as saying "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. ".
This Battle was the Allies first major victory on land, and after it they never suffered a major defeat on the ground. The Australian 9th played a crucial part in all of this.
Pip and his mates departed Egypt in January 1943, landing in Sydney a month later. They immediately commenced jungle training on arrival.
After completing this training they left Australia in August 1943, landing at Milne Bay, PNG, three days later.They arrived after the Battle of Milne Bay, as reinforcements to strengthen the Allied base that was being built there.
Pip returned to Australia at the end of May 1944 and married my Nanna less than two weeks later. He was discharged at the end of August 1945.
However, this was only the beginning of his amazing story, and if people are interested I would love to share more at a later date. Although I am sure I have not done Pip's story justice, I must retire now as I have a big day tomorrow.
I would love to hear others share of their own experiences and/or those of their loved ones, as this is something I am very passionate about.
Lest We Forget.
Stan.
I have decided to start this thread to commemorate and honour all the wonderful brave men and women that have served our great country over the years. This will also extend to those like Pommy, who may not have served Australia as such but fought to defend the values that we hold so dear. Whilst this thread is created for Souths members on here, I would also appreciate input from any fans of other teams that would like to share their experiences or stories of loved ones as well. DKOR, I know this may be a little off topic, but as I've specifically created it to share about a great man who died as a Souths fan, I am hoping you can keep it in this forum.
I have nothing but the utmost respect for anyone who has stepped up in a time of need and done their duty to help protect this wonderful country, and the freedoms and liberties that we all too often take for granted.
Tomorrow will be a very special and emotional day for myself. For the first time I will have the dual honour of not only being a participant in an Anzac Day March, but also wearing my Grandfather's medals and representing him.
My Grandfather, Sapper Laurence William John Roche (NX18050), or Pip as I knew him passed away on 12th July last year at the grand old age of 101 years old. Three months later, I had the honour of fulfilling a promise that I made to him on his very last day, by wearing replicas of his medals and laying a wreath at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at El Alamein, Egypt in October last year as part of the 75th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of this very significant battle.
That was an extremely emotional day and journey for myself, but I think tomorrow, being my first Anzac Day without him, and wearing his actual medals, whilst marching to honour Him and all those who have served, may well eclipse that day last October.
Pip, was and always will be my hero. It is a given that he was a war hero, but to me he was much much more than that. He was my principal mentor, a humble man of integrity grace, patience and undying faith. He was the most incredible storyteller, and always found time for everyone he encountered, no matter how young or how old, regardless of the colour of their skin or the God that they worshipped. He had an incredible capacity for forgiveness, no matter how badly someone had wronged him. He possessed a remarkable ability that not many of us have to challenge himself to grow and improve himself as a person, even in his final years when his brain was still sharp but strokes had taken his words away.
Pip enlisted in May 1940 and after training embarked for the Middle East in June 1941, arriving a month later. Once there he joined up with the famed Australian 9th Division which also encompassed the surviving Rats of Tobruk (although at this stage they were still under siege). From July-November 1942, The Australian 9th Division served as part of the British 8th Army, initially under General Auchinleck and later under Lieutenant-General Montgomery. There they took on the might of the Panzer Army Africa and the at that stage undefeated Field Marshal Rommel in the First and Second Battles of El Alamein.
On a battlefield tour in October our guide informed me that the Australian 9th Division fired the opening volleys and also the closing shots of the decisive 2nd Battle of El Alamein, which in my opinion was the battle that changed the tide of WWII. Even Churchill was quoted as saying "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. ".
This Battle was the Allies first major victory on land, and after it they never suffered a major defeat on the ground. The Australian 9th played a crucial part in all of this.
Pip and his mates departed Egypt in January 1943, landing in Sydney a month later. They immediately commenced jungle training on arrival.
After completing this training they left Australia in August 1943, landing at Milne Bay, PNG, three days later.They arrived after the Battle of Milne Bay, as reinforcements to strengthen the Allied base that was being built there.
Pip returned to Australia at the end of May 1944 and married my Nanna less than two weeks later. He was discharged at the end of August 1945.
However, this was only the beginning of his amazing story, and if people are interested I would love to share more at a later date. Although I am sure I have not done Pip's story justice, I must retire now as I have a big day tomorrow.
I would love to hear others share of their own experiences and/or those of their loved ones, as this is something I am very passionate about.
Lest We Forget.
Stan.