National Service Australia

My father Peter undertook compulsory National Service for three years from 1954, aged 18 to 21.

There is a pleasing new focus on National Servicemen in Australia, and rightly so. Most had their lives disrupted while they completed their duty.

I recently discovered the website of the National Servicemen’s Association and had Dad’s name added to the honour roll.

Dad didn’t talk much about his military service. I got the impression he didn’t really want to do it.

In fact, here are his brief notes on three years of his life:

“My sporting life was interrupted and I was called up for National Service duty in the Army.
One of my first memories of initial training was when my battalion (the 14th Artillery) marched through the CBD of Melbourne to line the route of the cavalcade of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on their first visit to Australia in 1954.
Although I was contemptuous of the reasons behind National Service I made the best of it and served out my three years.
I trained as a radio operator for the officer in charge of the observation post, directing the guns onto their targets.
Although not seeking it, I received promotions in rank and finished up being offered the rank of sergeant at the end of my training.”

I never knew Dad formed part of the cavalcade for the Queen’s first visit to Melbourne until reading that.

I’ll add to this post if I can discover more information about the 14 NST Battalion. If anyone can assist, please comment here or contact me.

National Service and conscription have always been controversial subjects in Australia.

Allen Callaghan writes in his brief history:

Under the National Service Act 1951, all young men turning 18 on or after November 1, 1950 were required to undertake 176 days standard recruit training in the Navy, Army and Air Force, followed by five years in their respective Reserves. The first call-up notices were issued on April 12, 1951 and the first National Servicemen marched in during July.

The Army was allocated the largest proportion of men – about 198,000 – and formed 10 National Service Training Battalions. The locations of the Battalions were: Queensland, 11 Battalion at Wacol; New South Wales, 12 Battalion at Singleton and Holsworthy, 13 Battalion at Ingleburn and 19 Battalion at Old Holsworthy and Holsworthy; Victoria, 14, 15 and 20 Battalions at Puckapunyal and Watsonia; South Australia, 16 Battalion at Woodside; Western Australia, 17 Battalion at Swanbourne; Tasmania, 18 Battalion at Brighton.

Here is a copy of the certificate I gratefully received from the National Servicemen’s Association: