Hobart wrote the following in June 1996.
I was born in Hobart on 17th August 1923, at home, at 128 Harrington St. I was the youngest of 5 children, 3 male and 2 female. I only spent a short time there before moving to Woodbridge because of Dad's work. After six months I returned to live in Hobart at 344 Macquarie St. We later moved to the house behind No 346. When time came to attend school we had moved to 137 Davey St. I started my education at Albeura St. State School, a short walk away. I was there a few years before moving to 9 Browne St Hobart, there I attended the Elizabeth Practicing School. I finished my education there aged 14. Arithmetic was my best subject. My first job was at a News agency in Collins St. Hobart. From there I went to Vernon’s Delicatessen in Liverpool St. then an Office job for a Mrs. Cramp in Elizabeth St. Hobart.
At 16 I was too old for the Office Junior work, so I went to work at John Bailey McGregor in Lower Collins St, a grocery and clothing wholesaler. I worked there until called up for service in the Citizens Military Forces in 1942, aged 18.
I started military service on January 20, 1942. I started my training at the Brighton Military Camp and later at the Conara Camp. I was in the Citizen Military Forces until October 28, 1942. I transferred to the Australian Imperial Force October 29 after further training at Royal Park, Melbourne. Many of our company were allocated the 8th Australian Army Troops Coy (Engineers), with the Rank of Sapper - my service no. TX 12339.
It wasn't long before we left Sydney by ship for service in New Guinea. After an uneventful journey we landed at Port Moresby at night and disembarked in pouring rain, which seemed to be the usual nightly weather there, we didn't see any front line service here. The unit was mostly involved in bridge and roadwork. Recreation was mostly Australian Rules football played against other units in the area. I don't know if I was lucky or not, but I spent most of my time in the cookhouse and on Batman Duty, although I couldn't drive. Our C.O. was a Major Martin and I remember a Lieutenant Ware, Lieutenant Nutting, and Lieutenant Paul. While in New Guinea, my sister arranged for me to write to Daphne Tapp (her niece by marriage) on a pen-friend basis, and we corresponded while I was there. Her letters were interesting and kept in touch with what was happening back home. After some 22 months our unit was returned to Australia and sent to the Kapooka Camp near Wagga Wagga
While on leave in August 1945, I travelled to Launceston from Hobart and met Daphne for the first time, at 3.00pm, on the Launceston Railway Station we got on very well and at 11.00pm we became engaged, which didn't seem to please her family very much. After a couple of days I returned to camp, there wasn’t much to do. After a couple of months we were sent to Melbourne, presumably to await discharge. At Christmas Daphne came over to spend Christmas with friends, but decided to stay with her aunt at Ballarat for awhile. I used to spend my weekend leave there and on Sunday, February 24, 1946, we decided to get married. The ceremony was performed at the Salvation Army Quarters Ballarat, by Major Denny, on Saturday, March 2, 1946. On the Monday Daphne started work at the Ballarat Potato factory. After spending 866 days in the services in Australia and 681 days overseas, I was discharged from the Army at Royal Park Melbourne, on July 8, 1946. On my return to civilian life my first job was at Ingles P/L, a well known Grocery starting with a bicycle round collecting orders 3 mornings a week.
Then after almost 15 years, the firm was forced to close owing to the big growth in self service supermarkets. Other big names in the grocery trade - Moran & Cato, Crabtrees, Beck's - met the same fate.