NOW & THEN – TOGETHER TO REMEMBER

NOW & THEN

TOGETHER TO REMEMBER

Now and Then will every now and then relate something from the Club Archives to current events and activities.

ANZAC DAY 25 APRIL 2022 was once again acknowledged at dawn in front of the flagpole on the lawns of the Club. After two years of COVID-related home-based dawn services, it was reassuring to return to the Club to continue this tradition.

The sombre occasion contrasted with the stunning sunrise as a kaleidoscope of pinks and oranges spread across the distant Darling Range and was reflected in the calm waters of the Swan River.

The skirl of the bagpiper, PLC Pipe Major Saskia Boquest, keened out across Freshwater Bay as the Australian flag was hoisted and then lowered to half-mast by the Junior Club Committee and the St Hilda’s Cadets.

Club members Susan Parker and Natasha Williams read letters from family archives. Natasha’s grandfather was Major Alfred Lipman Rogers. He was with the AIF and served in the Battle of El Alamein in November 1942 following which he wrote to the mother of one of his fellow servicemen to notify her of the details of the death of her beloved son.

A truly remarkable letter was received by Major Rogers from the mother of this brave young man (image top left, facing page). She wrote

“I cannot thank you enough for your letter, so full of all I wished to know of my beloved son’s death, and l mourn with mingled feelings of pain and pride. I read your letter telling me how bravely he died and how unselfishly they all fought, through these desperate 8 days”.

Hubert Parker, Susan’s grandfather, wrote many letters to his father and sisters throughout his service in WW1. Excerpts from these letters painted a picture of life at war from landing at Gallipoli to an imminent home coming.

The Wreath Laying that followed recognised the Services of the Australian Navy, Airforce and Army, as well as Women in the Forces, the New Zealand Forces, RFBYC participation and our Sovereign. Vice Patrons John Barron-Hay, Geoff Totterdell, Tony Parker, Vice Commodore Peter Chalmers, member Julie Herron and Past Commodore Basil Twine laid the wreaths. Pauline Foster recited the soul-stirring Ode:

They went with songs to battle, they were young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end, against odds uncounted. They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.

Age will not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning.

We Will Remember Them

As PLC Bugler Amelia Corbett played the Last Post, the Junior Committee and the St Hilda’s Cadets performed the solemn duty of hoisting the flag to the masthead and then lowering to half-mast.

NOW & THEN CONTINUED

After the minute of silence, Amelia Corbett signalled the start of the day by playing Reveille as the flag was hoisted slowly to the masthead.

Rory Argyle recited In Flanders Fields, written in 1915 by Major John McCrae, bringing attention to the many red poppies being worn by the audience. The Junior Captain George Elms read We Shall Keep the Faith, a poem written by Moina Michael in 1918 as a response to In Flanders Fields, and which conceived the idea of using the red poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

At the end of the National Anthem, sung in full voice by the Club members, the flag was lowered to half mast for the remainder of the morning.

As members and guests warmed up with a light breakfast, many were able to share the story of their own service medals, or ones they were wearing that had been awarded to parents and grandparents. Delphine Anderson, aged 95, was one of these, wearing her father Hubert Parker’s medals received for service in WW1 and WW2.

HUBERT PARKER AS PREPARED AND READ BY SUSAN PARKER

Hubert Parker was my grandfather. Hubert had a long association with RFBYC prior to the first world war, between the wars, and fortunately, for many years after the second world war. He was Vice Commodore of the Mosman Bay Yacht Club and served on the RFBYC General Committee. He is recognised on the Club’s Honour Boards in the Club foyer. Possibly his most significant contribution was to be instrumental in the Club obtaining its liquor licence in 1936/37.

Hubert was among the original group of enlistments in the AIF in 1914, he landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 aged 32, serving as ADC to Lieutenant General Talbot Hobbs. His postings included Egypt, Turkey, France and Belgium. He held the rank of Major and was awarded the DSO. In WW2 at the age of 57 Hubert served in the Sea Transport division of the AIF accompanying soldiers from Fremantle to their military postings. Many of these young men had connections with RFBYC and were the sons of friends and family. He was granted the military title of Honorary Lieutenant Colonel. He was one of few who served in both World Wars.

His letters home to his father and sisters in WW1 began as very formal and divulged little, he maintained a pragmatic view, belying the realities of his awarded service. These are just a few extracts.

Capt. Hubert Parker on left and Lieut. Gen. Talbot Hobbs at Gallipoli

January 1915 – Egypt Dear sister Nora, the natives are selling all sorts of cheap and poisonous liquors – it is not surprising that there is a little trouble in town sometimes. We are sending back to Australia men who have not behaved themselves.

14 April 1915 on his way to Gallipoli he again wrote to Nora: Happy birthday. I trust for your next one I will be there with you. We are not allowed to say anything about where we are only that we are either well or ill. Brother Harold and self are both as fit as fiddles. We were heartily glad to leave Egypt and I don’t ever want to go there again.

September 1915 – Gallipoli My dear Father, we have been treated to very heavy bombardment by the Turks. But I think as usual their bark is a lot worse than their bite. We have lately had a plague of flees which rather reminded me of the early days in Perth.

July 1916 – France My dear Sister Rose, Except for the war this is a beautiful place. My Battery is in an apple orchard under nice big apple trees unfortunately the apples are not ripe. The farmhouse is of course in ruins. We have fired our guns for as long as 18 hours at a stretch. My ‘home’ is a former cowhouse. The brick floor saves me from the mud and wet feet. The roof is of heavy beams and some galvanised iron preventing any curious shells coming through the top. No doubt I will require much disinfectant before long. As they say here ‘you must not expect flowers on your grave’.

October 1916 – France Dear sister Dolly, The French peasants are reaping a great harvest from the troops here as every house is a ‘restaurant’ where you can purchase champagne at 5 francs a bottle. Gramophones are always playing, and the places are never empty as they are the refuges for the troops out of the firing line.

Dear Father, what will happen to the Slackers if Conscription comes in? I can’t understand how some of the Conscio’s can stay at home. I wouldn’t miss this. You always have the prospect of a bang at someone on the other side of no man’s land. All the better to lob a few shells into Fritz’s tunnels. One’s chance of going out – here or at the Somme, is very small.

NOW & THEN CONTINUED

What we all hope for is a nice clean wound which will take us to England for a long convalescence.

October 1916 – France Dear Father, it is not all uncommon to see a shell lob in a field where there are a couple of ploughs working or for the peasants to go on tilling the soil around your Battery while you are firing away as hard as you can. But the homes are very soon vacated when a shell falls on a village near by – which is somewhat frequent. With love and wishing you very many happy returns for your birthday, your loving son Hubert.

August 1917 – France Dear Dolly, we’d just cleaned up our living quarters after a shell burst in it – and 2 days later a very heavy shell landed on the top. I was standing in the doorway. Saved from falling bricks. None the worse. 30 yards away we found a man with a piece of shell right through the heart. I’m looking forward to a short spell away from Fritzy’s Fury.

Sept 1917 – Hospital, London My dear sister Mildred, Allowed in a chair today for the first time. I feel very fit. Legs of course will not permit me to walk more than a few steps. My skin turns a dark olive and then peels away to my natural colour before darkening again. Being gassed is not pleasant. But it is better than being blown to pieces or minus a leg. We had a raid here the other night. A bomb dropped in Piccadilly Circus and in Regent Street.

April 1918 - France My dear Dolly, many thanks for your letter with the boronia which arrived with perfume complete. I have seen some ghastly sights recently. Men blown to pieces and lying dead everywhere and poor German boys crawling into holes and ditches to die. All I could do was give them a drink of water. It’s very difficult to get odds and ends including tucker and toothpaste however I managed to get some of the latter from a dead man’s kit. A not uncommon way of getting things. Recently we occupied a cottage. The garden contained excellent vegetables and several horse corpses. A poor old couple had been killed and 2 German soldiers were lying dead. All killed by one shell. In the village a girl had been run over by a tank. More poor wretches shell shocked and gassed.

September 1918 My dear sister Nora, we have been very lucky in this Battery I have had only 2 men killed and two wounded – one my groom as he was holding my horse. We are quite close to the Hindenberg Line and if that falls Fritz will get back to his Fatherland with us on his tail. A few days ago we sent some officers and troops on leave to Australia. All are hoping that it is the first of many but personally I’d not want to leave until Peace is declared. And that will be soon. I hope that before your summers is over, we will be back in Perth.

Hubert was gassed on four occasions, and he was twice hospitalised with pneumonia and battle injuries. Awarded the DSO he was cited as “being a fearless officer… frequently in enemy fire with a coolness and disregard for personal risk, which has the best effect on his personnel.”

He returned to Perth and made a significant contribution – as crown prosecutor, as the Attorney General and as a popular politician and Minister before and after service in WW2.

His children, Delphine and Stephen, grew up on Mosman foreshore mucking about in boats. Stephen became a noted yachtsman, RFBYC Commodore and Vice Patron, and Hubert’s seven grandchildren all sailed at RFBYC with four still being members today.

I remember him – he was 83 and I was five. A smallish man with a frosting of white hair and the Parker pate. He had the cheeriest of smiles and a jar of jellybeans on his desk.

He, and we, were the fortunate ones. We will remember him – mostly for obtaining the Club’s liquor licence!