Yes, well... Grandpa the war hero
Or so we all thought, especially my uncle and cousins who proudly wore his medals and marched on ANZAC day ever since grandpa died.
He fought in New Guinea and was there when the Japanese surrendered, there are even pics to prove it.
Then a couple of years ago I was surfing the web and came across the Australian army's records request page. I dutifully filled out the form, paid my fee and waited for his war records to show up.
Interesting stuff it was. It seems Grandpa didn't leave Australia at all, driving trucks and generally causing trouble at various Australian army bases during WWII instead. There's a few drunk and disorderly charges on his record and even an AWOL one time, after which he was eventually found (predictably) pissed and was once again thrown in the clink.
No idea AT ALL where he got those jungle pics my relatives have been showing off.
Speaking of which, they still think I photoshopped the whole lot for some reason and choose to believe the hero story.
From the record of ratbaggery he left, I think Grandpa's probably laughing from the grave at their gullibility.
( difficultchild, Fri 3 Jun 2011, 1:25, Reply)