A soldier’s spirit

In Hall & Prior aged care homes, we proudly care for over 100 veterans of wars around the world. In a special feature marking ANZAC Day 2023, we share the stories of three veterans who call Hall & Prior home in New South Wales. By Gabi Mills.

Uncle Rob, Grafton Aged Care Home, NSW

Clive Joseph Robin Bryant - or Uncle Rob as he is known - was born on 5 July 1947 in Bellingen, NSW on Gumbaynggir country, the country of his mother’s people. His father was a Walbanga man from the south coast of NSW. As a child, he grew up in Bellwood, Nambucca Heads, and was educated at Bellwood Public School. In 1959, he was taken to Darlington, Sydney, along with his younger sister for further education and employment opportunities. He is currently a resident at Grafton Aged Care Home.

Uncle Rob’s sister had married a member of the RAAF. Uncle Rob would often take trips out to RAAF Base Richmond just to look at the aircraft. In 1967, he decided to join the RAAF, doing his recruit training at RAAF Bases Edinburgh and Wagga, where he learned engineering and qualified as an airframe fitter. It was a period of his life during which he made some lifelong friends and the legendary

ANZAC spirit of mateship was very much in evidence.

“Mateship for me began when I signed on the dotted line and joined up,” said Uncle Rob, 76.

“It really came to the fore during our physical education training which involved a 10km run. Not all the recruits could manage it so some of us stayed behind to make sure we all crossed the finishing line. We didn’t leave anybody behind.”

As an airframes mechanic, he was posted to No 5 Squadron, RAAF Base Fairbairn, Canberra, to work on Iroquois helicopters. He ended up attaining the rank of Leading Aircraftman and took great pride in wearing the uniform of the RAAF.

“When I put the uniform on, I represented Australia and I represented my contribution to Australia,” he said.

“When I first joined up and first put on my Airforce cap, I was so proud. I was proud to wear the uniform along with my mates who I had signed up with too.”

In April 1970, he was posted to No 9 Squadron at Vung Tau in Vietnam and was one of three First Nations RAAF members posted there at the time. He completed a 12-month tour of duty in Vietnam, and was then posted to No 36 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond. He was discharged from the RAAF as a leading aircraftman in 1973.

“I was ground crew and made friends with one of the aircrew was a gunner.

“He was from Rockhampton and would hang out the side of the Iroquois chopper,” he remembered.

Serving alongside his fellow Indigenous servicemen was also a source of pride.

“You saw them, and gave them a wave,” he said. “I was happy to see another black fella.”

Uncle Rob’s experience of serving in Vietnam alongside his fellow white Australians was a positive one, and he recalls feeling respectedperhaps especially so because his role and skills ensured that the officers would fly wellmaintained helicopters.

“The officers knew that we were spot on with maintaining their choppers,” he said. “When they landed at the end of each day, they would tell us what was wrong with the choppers and we would fix it that night, ready for them to take off again at 7am the next morning.

“They trusted me to get the aircraft shipshape.”

One particular memory stays with Uncle Rob and involved a flying visit to the huge US base at Da Nang.

“We were down two Iroquois choppers so I was selected to go and pick up two replacements from Da Nang,” he said.

It was a big US airbase and the most northerly major air base in the Republic of Vietnam. The base was located in the northeast coastal area, 85 miles (137 km) south of the Demilitarized Zone where the 17th parallel separated the two Vietnams.

Da Nang became the world’s busiest airport in the single runway category.

In the mid-1960s, 1,500 landings and take-offs were recorded on peak days, besides having two extra traffic patterns for helicopters at the edge of the airstrip. When a parallel runway was added in 1966, Da Nang rivalled Tan Son Nhut as the world’s busiest airport. By 1968, an average month saw the number of take-offs and landings of fixed-wing aircraft exceeding 55,000. With helicopter activities added, the figure approached 67,000. During the winter monsoon at least 4,500 of these landings were normally groundcontrolled approaches.

“I had to change the main rotor blade on one of the helicopters and then we flew them both out five miles over the South China Sea to avoid being shot down over land. We had to get them home safely.”

On the way back, Uncle Rob and the crew landed at another base near Phan Rang, and a few beers were drunk after servicemen heard ‘on the grapevine’ that they were there.

“I met friends at the boozer and had a few drinks,” laughed Uncle Rob.

“In the morning, we headed out to sea again and down

High Stakes

It was Uncle Rob’s role during his tour of duty to maintain the Iroquois helicopters, left, for sorties. Above, Uncle Rob with Hall & Prior CEO, Graeme Prior.

the coast, back to our own base.”After he came home to Australia and left the Air Force, Uncle Rob completed a Bachelor of Business at Kuring-gal College in 1988.

He has been involved in several Indigenous businesses, ranging from rehabilitation centres to the performing arts. Active in the economic development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in small business, he is also involved in Native Title and on the board of Gaagal Wanggan South Beach National Park.

He attended the welcome home march in Sydney when he first arrived in Australia, but said he felt ‘left out’ as a Vietnam veteran until he was invited to join a Reconciliation event a few years later at Hyde Park.

“I met other Indigenous returned servicemen there and one of them suggested we had a Coloured Diggers’ March in Redfern,” he said. “We marched from Redfern Railway to Redfern Park in 2006 and in the following few years, word got out and Aboriginal families from all over NSW came along to celebrate together, if their son, father or uncle had served.

“For me, being part of the Coloured Diggers March was a badge of honour.”

Joan Gray, Grafton Aged Care Home, NSW

Towing a Lancaster bomber at a snail’s pace to its new home at the Australian War Memorial was just one of the memorable acts Joan Gray, 87, resident of Grafton Aged Care Home and RAAF veteran, achieved during her service career.

The Avro Lancaster MK I Bomber, with callsign ‘G for George’ was built in 1942, and was delivered to 460 Squadron RAAF on 27 October 1942. While in service with the squadron, it flew some 90 operations with 27 crews. Its last operation was a raid on Cologne, Germany on 20 April 1944.

These days, Uncle Rob has returned to living on the land of his mother and is writing a memoir to tell his story and help the next generations of his family learn about their culture and heritage.

He lives at Grafton Aged Care home and takes great pride in acting as a dignitary on ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day at Grafton.

“It’s important to know who you are and where you come from,” he said.

”I feel this is the work I need to complete to honour my elders and the Gumbaynggirr people.”

When G for George retired from service after this raid, it had completed more operations than almost any other aircraft in RAF Bomber Command. In June 1944, the Department of Air made it available for war museum purposes and after an extensive overhaul, it left for Australia on 11 October 1944, flown by an all-Australian crew captained by Flight Lieutenant E A Hudson, DFC and Bar. It arrived in Brisbane, Queensland on 8 November 1944 and the following day was received by 3 Aircraft Depot, Amberley where it was given RAAF registration number A66-2.

Proud To Be Of Service

It was during this period she was given the important task of transporting the Lancaster bomber - with its huge wings detached - to the Australian War Memorial.

Later on, she brought a car to the Airforce base in Richmond and met a young diesel mechanic - Peter - who would go on to propose just six weeks later.

Kerry Hamilton-Gray, Joan’s daughter and also an exmember of the RAAF, takes up the story.

“Dad got posted to Darwin and mum had to make the choice of whether she would stay in the RAAF or marry Dad as you weren’t allowed to be married and stay in service,” said Kerry.

In 1945 the aircraft toured the eastern states of Australia in connection with the Third Victory Loan until finally declared surplus and transferred to the Australian War Memorial.

Joan enlisted in 1955 and after her six weeks training was completed in Point Cook in Victoria, she carried out a number of duties including switchboard operator and supply organisation before finally training as a driver.

Joan would pick people up from the aircraft tarmac and take them to stations, a role she really enjoyed.

“It was a great time,” she said. “I had lots of friends.”

“It was a hard decision because she wasn’t long off being promoted to Sergeant, but in the end she decided to marry my Dad.”

As a result, Joan was discharged in 1961, the very proud recipient of the Australian Defence Medal and two stripes for the rank of Corporal.

Kerry is the third generation of her family to join the RAAF and is the custodian of her late father and grandfather’s medals.

“Mum proudly joins in ANZAC Day at Grafton, where she has lived for the past five years,” she said. “We are very proud to be ex-servicewomen.”

Kim Tran, Fairfield Aged Care Home, NSW

TAt just 18 years old, Kim Tran enlisted in the South Vietnam army and for the next 14 years, fought to preserve the way of life he loved in the south east Asian country.

Born in Soc’Trang in South Vietnam, Kim, now 79, fought against the North Vietnamese army and against the Communist North on behalf of his people, attaining two stars in the South Vietnamese army, in charge of 200 soldiers.

“I fought alongside Americans, Australians and New Zealand soldiers as well as those from the Philippines,” he said.

“They came to help the people of South Vietnam to stop the rise of Communism from taking over our country.”

There was a strong feeling among South Vietnamese people like Kim to fight back against the North’s army.

“When the war started, I enlisted straight away,” he said.

“My family were very upsetthey did not want me to. But I wanted to fight for my country as I did not believe in Communism. I was proud to fight with all of the solders and with the Americans and Australians.

“They were a great help to us; they taught us things and how to fight. If the war started again, I would be there. I felt very proud, fighting for my country.”

Unfortunately, the North’s army was very strong and they had powerful weapons, according to Kim.

“When the North took over in 1975, I left the country in 1989 because the North were

A Fierce Patriot

Above, Kim Tran, with staff member Kim Voung would fight on behalf of his country again, given the chance.

threatening to kill all those who had fought against them. So I came to Australia with my two eldest children before bringing the rest of my family eventually.”

He now lives at Fairfield Aged Care Home in Sydney and feels proud of his contribution to his country’s efforts. In fact he says if Vietnam was under threat again, he would want to fight for the country once again.

“I thank Australia and how they helped the Vietnamese people,” he said.