Australian Veterans celebrate 100th birthdays March 1, 2023

Happy birthday to Owen Geoffrey ‘Geoff’ McClements, who is celebrating his 100th birthday today.

Geoff was born in Perth, Western Australia (WA). His father and an uncle were both First World War veterans. Geoff’s father died in February 1935, nine days before his 12th birthday, leaving him and his siblings to work and care for their mother.

Geoff was only 18 when he enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in May 1941 during the Second World War. He undertook initial training at HMAS Leeuwin and HMAS Cerberus during 1941–42, then qualified in gunnery and seamanship at HMAS Penguin at Mosman on Sydney Harbour in April 1942.

Shortly after, Geoff had a front row seat to one of the most significant moments of Australia’s war on the mainland, when on the night of 31 May 1942, several Japanese midget submarines slipped into Sydney Harbour and one fired a torpedo which sank HMAS Kuttabul. In a twist of fate, Geoff had originally been posted to Kuttabul, but shortly before the attack he was posted to HMAS Poyang, a requisitioned merchant ship. Geoff still remembers the Japanese attack as ‘one hell of a bloody night’ when the Kuttabul sank, taking 21 people with her.

Although HMAS Poyang kept her civilian merchant navy crew, she had a four-inch gun fitted which was manned by ten RAN gunners from the Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (DEMS) section, one of whom was Geoff. He undertook sea service on this vessel from early May 1942 to 30 September 1943 off Australia’s east coast and New Guinea and New Caledonia providing vital rearmament stores to Allied ships.

Geoff was demobilised from the RAN in March 1946, but over the years has stayed deeply connected to the veteran community. In 1982 he was elected the president of the Claremont RSL, a position he would hold for more than 30 years. Geoff has received several honours in recognition of his community work, including being awarded Freeman status in the city of Claremont and being named WA Anzac of the Year in 2016.

But without question, the thing which has brought Geoff the most joy in his life has been his family. He married Gwenllian in 1950, and together they raised three children. The family has since grown to include seven grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Geoff’s life has been one of selflessness, carried out in the true Anzac spirit of quiet humility. Happy birthday, Geoff.

Happy birthday to Joan Sullivan (nee Symons) who is celebrating her 100th birthday today.

Joan was born in 1923 in St Albans in Hertfordshire, England, but she and her family emigrated to Australia when she was just 18 months old. Her father, William Joseph Symons, was a First World War veteran who served in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force and later enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1925 and served during the Second World War. Joan also had two brothers who enlisted and served in the RAAF during the war.

Joan felt that she too wanted to make a contribution to the war effort, so like her father and brothers, enlisted in the RAAF in Sydney in September 1942. She was only 19, and became part of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF). Joan completed her WAAAF training at Robertson in the Southern Highlands of NSW, before being transferred to No. 5 Service Flying Training School at RAAF Uranquinty in the Riverina region of NSW. Later she would serve at RAAF Base Garbutt at Townsville in north Queensland, and finally at the RAAF Legal Branch in Sydney, before being discharged in May 1946.

While with the RAAF Legal Branch, Joan had a close encounter with an unusual piece of Australian military history. Joan was present at the court martial of Group Captain Clive Caldwell DSO DFC. Throughout the war, Caldwell became a household name as one of Australia’s leading fighter aces. He served in the Middle East, northern Australia and the South West Pacific. But in 1945 Caldwell was charged for involvement in an alcohol selling racket. Joan was the stenographer at the trial in January 1946, where she took evidence at a rate of 200 words per minute throughout the hearings. Caldwell was eventually found guilty and demoted.

After the war, Joan married Leslie Sullivan in January 1957. During the war, Leslie had also served in the RAAF, re-enlisted in 1952 and retired in 1974. Joan and the family joined Leslie on numerous RAAF postings, one even back to the United Kingdom for two years.

Joan and Leslie recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary together. For Joan, her family has been the centre of her world.

Happy birthday, Joan.

Information courtesy of Minister for Veterans Affairs and Defence Personnel, Matt Keogh.