Page 24 - Living Gems Thrive | April 2023

The signal man

Amber veteran to donate legacy artwork to resort

Amber by Living Gems resident “I’m hoping we can set up a
and veteran, Larry Clifford, has servicemen's area somewhere and
a wonderful surprise for the new commemorate special days like
Country Club once complete. Anzac Day and Remembrance Day,
as it’s such an important part of our
Larry will be donating a very special history.”
print from World War Two, known as
The Signal Man 1939-1945 by Ivor So how did Larry get his hands on
Hele CBE, in a mark of respect for the print?
the resort’s veterans.
“My last posting was at
Hele was an Australian war artist Headquarters 1st Military District,
who exhibited his drawings and Victoria Barracks in Brisbane, and
paintings of the New Guinea war we had a Sergeants Mess there,”
in Melbourne in March 1945 after Larry says. “Due to finance cutbacks
following Australian soldiers into for defence, they were closing the
battle. Some of his works were Mess down and all the memorabilia,
painted just metres away from the prints, and old weapons went to
unfolding bloodshed. auction, so I purchased it.”

Journalist at The Herald newspaper, Although Larry enlisted in 1972 as
Clive Turnball, in 1945 called the a young man, he was too late for
exhibition “a war of rain and blood National Service and overseas tours “I volunteered for National Service
– a triumph of the human spirit over due to Government changes, but still in 1972 and passed all the medicals
appalling conditions”. Hele left an made his mark in an important role. and quit my job ready to enlist. But
extraordinary legacy of artwork Gough Whitlam was elected and
behind from a significant chapter in “I was in the Royal Australian abolished the National Service, and
Australian history. Signal Corps, responsible for a telegram arrived telling me not to
communications, and ended
In addition to his donation, Larry, up in charge of Civil Military bother coming,” Larry says. “So, I
who organises several events and Communications in my last post, went into the army recruitment in
get togethers at the Amber resort, where I issued radio frequencies for Melbourne in February 1973 instead.”
says he plans to put together a use so that no crossovers occurred Due to the timing of his enlistment,
special group for veterans at the in communications for the state of he did pass some Vietnam veterans
community. Queensland,” Larry says.
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