Victorian Association of Jewish Ex & Servicemen & Women Australia Incorporated

Founding Member General Sir John Monash GCMG KCB VD

Members Stories

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  • Blashki Dynasty

    Blashki Dynasty

    by Nerrida Blashki Pohl One long weekend in the 60’s, I accompanied my father, the late Arnold Roy Blashki (1918-1998), on a drive to Puckapunyal, an army training facility near Seymour in Central Victoria. As a lawyer, often working from Victoria Barracks on St Kilda Rosd, Captain Blashki was working on a Court Martial for...

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  • CAPT Arnold Roy Blashki

    CAPT Arnold Roy Blashki

    On 11th July 1945 Arnold Roy Blashki wrote on Southern Command Australian Military Forces letterhead a poem, The Flame, in iambic pentameter. Such was life as a uniformed Law/Arts student during WWII. Until his death at the age of 80, he remained an active campaigner for ex-service veterans. On top of his lifetime commitment to...

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  • Woolfe ‘Gunner’ Lewis

    Woolfe ‘Gunner’ Lewis

    Visiting Woolfe 'Gunner' Lewis, aged 100, was a precious moment, and Gunner came well prepared. He is popular as a guest speaker, recites The Ode on Commemorative occasions, exudes warmth, wit and energy and has a lively memory of the days of WWII. Gunner shared a 1931 photo of the West Australian Sir John Monash...

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  • Sergeant Albert (Bill) Abromwich

    Sergeant Albert (Bill) Abromwich

    ...after 14 months on the island, I got friendly with the Adjutant. There was an opening  to  re-muster  for  PTI  –  Physical  Training  Instructor  –  which  suited  me  as  I  was interested in sports. Sent to Point Cook in Victoria, I became a PTI and then to Somers for nearly  six  months;  followed  by ...

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  • Mr Joseph Hayat

    Mr Joseph Hayat

    To the Memory of
    V395188 PTE
    Joseph Hayat
    16 Bn, Volunteer Defence Corps
    28th June 1942 ~ 1st Oct 1945
    Passed Away 10th August 2010
    Dedicated by  daughters
    Judy Marer & Shirley Randles

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  • Stephen Hirsh

    Stephen Hirsh

    I decided  to  face  this  sergeant and  asked  him  why  he  made  that remark.  His  answer  was  ‘physical’  and  I  retaliated by  knocking  him  unconscious.  Unknown to me, this fight was witnessed by my Company Officers and the late Chaplain Rabbi  L  M  Goldman.  No  mention  was  ever  made  of  this incident  and  the ...

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  • Zygmunt (Israel) Mos

    Zygmunt (Israel) Mos

    During  a  brief  train  stop  near  a  forest  on  this  journey,  my  friends  and  I  managed  to escape through a slightly opened door. I was then 16 years old as were my friends. It was from then on that my struggle for survival commenced...

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  • Henry Barclay

    Henry Barclay

    The Varied and Colourful Life of Henry Barclay (Z′′L)
    There are VAJEX members who can tell intriguing tales about their life and experiences, but very few can top the varied and unusual twists and turns of life compared to Henry Barclay. His optimistic and positive outlook on life is like a breath of fresh air,...

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  • Herbert Bloustein

    Herbert Bloustein

    Herbert Bloustein, who was born in Ballarat, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 19thAugust 1914, aged 21 years. He later served in Europe, where he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. On 25thApril 1915, Herbert Bloustein landed on the shores of Gallipoli, Turkey with the 3rd Brigade. He sent a letter to his father in...

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  • Harold Karpin

    Harold Karpin

    A JEW IN NATIONAL SERVICE by Squadron Leader Harold Karpin, RAAF (Retd) Let me tell you about Mannie. Mannie was older than the rest of our National Service intake by at least seven years, having received a deferment until he had finished his University studies. He was as thin as a rake, with a jaw like Joe...

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  • Leo Max

    Leo Max

    LEO MAX a Dunera Boy (written by his Son Dennis Max) The ship HMT Dunera (hired military transport) has been the subject of at least three books and one full length feature film and I do not intend to provide a summarized version of them in this brief article. For specific references I have relied on...

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