CAPT Arnold Roy Blashki (1918-1998) BA, LLB, MBE, European Cross

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 the affairs of war veterans, Arnold was an active Freemason and in the Grand Team, a past-President of Mount Scopus College Parents Association and the Secretary of the Jewish Board of Deputies (Vic) for a record 18 years. He stood for election in the electorate of St Kilda and like many ‘tall poppies’ was brought down by journalists.

A recipient of numerous honours, Blashki was most proud of his MBE and the European Cross, awarded by the European community for his service to war veterans and their settlement in Australia. In 1979, VAJEX Parade magazine announced he had received their Medal of Merit. Blashki was elected President of the Australian Legion of Ex-servicemen and Women for some 40 Years. It was a voluntary passion, taking him around the country making friends and offering pro-bono legal advice to needy veterans. He was a President at both State and Federal level. He was also a VAJEX President for two years. He received an MBE in 1970 for his commitment to the Legion combined with a record 18 years as secretary of the Jewish Board of Deputies.

The WWII wedding of Eugenia (Una) Taft and Arnold Roy Blashki took place at St Kilda Hebrew Congregation and was followed by a huge family reception at Tudor Court. Una was also a student at the University of Melbourne, a pianist in the Conservatorium of Music. The Jewish Chronicle described it as a wedding between two of Australia’s biggest Jewish families. Notable guests who met at this wedding for the first time included Una’s cousin, Anna Wittner, and Arnold’s law-student colleague, Zelman Cowen, in his navy uniform. This instant attraction led to Zelman becoming one of Australia’s most loved and respected Governor Generals.

The marriage gave birth to Nerrida Blashki Pohl, Sharman Lichtenstein, Adrian Blashki and eight grandchildren.

Nerrida remembers, “One long weekend in the 60’s, I accompanied my father on a drive to Puckapunyal. As a lawyer, often working from Victoria Barracks on St Kilda Rd, dad was preparing a Court Martial for a soldier who had gone AWOL. That weekend I understood that ‘defence’ did not only mean armed combat and that he would be committed to service forever.”

Shortly before he passed away, I helped him arrange for a replacement of his Chairmanship of the Victorian State Advisory Council of The Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council “AVADSC” that was under the Patronage of the Rt Hon Sir Ninian Stephen, 20th Governor General of Australia. AVADSC represented about 120,000 war veterans and their common concern was the erosion of Veteran Affairs benefits.

I can recall listening, snuggly in bed, to the noisy establishment of new Legion Branches being formalised in boozy, smoky meetings in our Caulfield family home in the 50s. In the 1951 Legion magazine dad writes of the conundrum of Japanese rearmament, and later he writes of VP Day commemorations and Legion fears of communism, ‘Reds Under the Bed’. As newspapers come online I know my late father as an ex-serviceman better."

By 1979 the Legion Journal describes a more refined Presidents Reception ‘where the leaders of all ex-service associations, together with their wives, gathered at the Toorak home of our President, Mr Arnold Blashki, to welcome and congratulate the Ruxtons on Bruce’s succession as State President of the Returned Services League’. For Arnold Blashki of the Legion and Bruce Ruxton of the RSL this was a long hoped for reconciliation between all ex-service organisations and a hoped-for genesis of a Victorian Ex-service Council. AVADSC was eventually absorbed into the RSL.

Sergeant Albert (Bill) Abromwich
55774 RAAF

While reading the Obituary of our late member Air Commodore Phil Opas OBE QC, Bill Abromwich, a sprightly ‘youngster’ of 88, had a clear memory from 1942 rekindled. The group of 200 RAAF men, including Bill, standing on parade in Townsville, Qld, were addressed by a young Flight Lieutenant Phillip Opas, who was at that time Embarkation Officer. Flanked by two hefty airmen he bellowed: “You are a rotten bunch of ‘so-and-sos’.You pinched my revolver and you are all under arrest!”

“Townsville was a staging point for departing to the islands and was a real ‘wild west’ town full of Aussies and Yanks,” recalls Bill. And, it must be said, “more dangerous than a combat zone. Finally we got rounded up to board the RAAF ship “WINETKA” which was loaded with bombs and other stuff.”

Many years after the war, Bill met up with Phillip Opas and recalled that ‘incident’ in 1942. Phillip’s reply was “Correct.”

Horne Island, situated at the top of Australia, was a hellish place, and everyone there walked around showing the evidence of having been bitten by some of the scores of mosquitos.

“During my stay on Horne Island I ferried supplies from island to island, servicing aircraft and was a jack-of-all-trades” says Bill. “There was no way of getting off that island unless you were dead. I was also part of a crew of 400 on a ship for five weeks which ferried petrol in drums and bombs to Milne Bay.”  Bill continues, “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 pre-flight training.  There were two postings: to Warburton Rehabilitation Centre and RAAF Base, Richmond, NSW.I chose the latter which meant I was to undergo a complete parachute course in six weeks. I made seven jumps towards the end of the war. The intended part of my duties – not just to train commandoes and Z Force personnel and saboteurs to drop behind enemy lines, but also doctors who were dropped into POW camps to give medical aid to the prisoners of the Japanese.”

“As well as RAAF Richmond, we conducted training near Cairns, Qld. As far as my memory serves me, no other Jewish serviceman was involved in the same work as me, for which I was suitable because of my background as a Phys Ed teacher for nearly 40 years, training AJAX-MACCABI, and running classes for children as well as businessmen.”

Bill concludes his story by admitting that his mental and physical well-being is due to his lifelong interest in keeping fit and helping others to achieve this.

POSTSCRIPT. Bill was in Sydney waiting for a train when a siren sounded. It was the day a Japanese submarine came into Sydney Harbour.

Stephen Hirsh, NX139053 (N26436)
My Memories Of War And Peace

Stephen Hirsh was born in July, 1921 in Lodz, Poland and immigrated to Australia with his family in 1927.  Settling in Melbourne with him were his parents, the late Morris and Gitl Hirsh, his two brothers, Philip* and Jack, and his sister Rose (Boltin).  Stephen left school at the age of 14 to work in a ladies clothing factory.  He was particularly interested in art, and left for Sydney to find work.  When war came, he joined the AIF, and was soon stationed in Darwin as part of a protection force against a feared imminent invasion by the Japanese.

I was privileged to read Stephen’s ‘scrap book’ and his letters to his sister Rose written during the war years, in which he recounted his joy at receiving letters from home, and his thoughts of them all being together ‘for Passover’.  In one of his letters, he relates an incident.  “One night I woke up to feel something crawling on my feet.  My first thought was that this is a snake made me feel uneasy.  It turned out to be our pet wallaby looking for food.  It frightened three years out of my life.”

Of a more serious nature, Stephen recalls: “During one of the bombing raids on Darwin in 1942, on returning from patrol duties, I was approached by a sergeant whose comments were far from friendly.  ‘Well, Jew-boy,’ he said, ‘they didn’t get you this time – next time, eh?’ My fellow-Diggers who heard this, advised me to report this to my superiors.”

Stephen continues, “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 sergeant in question was transferred, and the Army hushed up the whole affair.”

“I returned to Melbourne for duty until my discharge in 1945, enrolling at Melbourne ‘Tech’ in an art course with noted artist Percy White; as well as in a fashion design course which gave me the training to set up my own fashion business which lasted quite a few years.”
Stephen concludes that, “looking back as a retiree after moving to Sydney, I now live in Rose Bay and my interests are: my daughter, the art world and positive thinking.”

Stephen enlisted in the Army 28th July 1942 and was discharged 11th Sep 1945 as a Private in 11th Supply Depot Company, Australian Army Service Corps.  His brothers Philip and Jack also served in the Army:

Philip enlisted 30th Nov 1942 and was discharged 7th Jan 1946 as a Sergeant, Q Aust.
Heavy Battery, Royal Australian Artillery

Jack enlisted 26th Feb 1942 and was discharged 6th Dec 1944 as a Private, 1 Aust
Heavy Anti-Aircraft Training Regiment.

* Philip passed away on 3rd May 2009

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, and when talking to him, the enthusiasm he radiates is like a strong life force, illuminating the room he sits in.

Born in Lwow, Poland on 11th September 1914 as Henry Burzynka, he grew up in a traditional, secular Jewish home.  Finishing his studies in a gymnasium in his home town, he was very aware of anti-Semitism and prejudice through his school years.  “Insults and physical threats were part and parcel of my school years, being both short in stature and Jewish, but I was a fast runner, so usually got away before anything too unpleasant happened to me,” Henry says to me with a grin.

As the situation because more unpleasant, he decided that enough was enough, and it was time to leave Poland, and he left in 1935, emigrating to France.  “As I did not speak French when I arrived, I set out to learn as quickly as possible.” Enrolling in the Insitut de Chimie in Caen, he graduated with a Diploma in Chemical Engineering in 1939.

After completing his Diploma, he obtained a position managing a sugar factory for a few months, and later volunteered for the French army, but not being a French citizen, finished up in the Foreign Legion.  The possible option was to serve in Northern France or Indo-China, but he found himself shipped to Morocco.  While his ambition was to drive tanks, in good old army fashion was assigned to the cavalry instead.  Assigned a horse, Henry says, “I don’t know who got the bigger fright, the horse or me.”

After serving three years, at the fall of continental France to the Germans, his unit was demobilised and he was assigned to work on the Trans-Sahara Railway where he learnt a new skill using a pneumatic drill to break up rocks.  Several months later he was sent back to Vichy France, but as a returned French soldier, his Jewishness did not pose any serious problems.

He obtained a position as an industrial chemist masking beauty products, including hair creams, and even black boot polish that was sold to the German army. As the war progressed and Vichy France came increasingly under Nazi influence, Henry decided it was prudent to move on, and escaped across the Pyrenees to Spain.  Caught crossing the border, he was arrested and sent to the Miranda de Ebro Concentration Camp.  Never one to take things lying down, he staged a seven day hunger strike protesting against the poor living conditions.

Released in May 1943, he went to Madrid where he learned Spanish and worked in a dry cleaning plant.  A few months later he was sent to Portugal, then Gibraltar and a few months later was shipped to England.

Arriving in Scotland, it was suggested that it would be beneficial to change his name to one that would blend in the new environment.  This led to his transformation to Henry Barclay.  Resuming his military career, he joined the Free Polish Army, but through a series of misadventures, was arrested as a suspect spy.  Taken to London for intensive interrogation, his innocence was established and he left the army in October 1943, joining the work force once again in his field as an industrial chemist.

He met his future wife, Charlotte, they married and his son Michael was born in 1945.  In his spare time he became involved in the Scouting movement, a connection that would last for many decades.

Another chapter was opened in Henry’s life in 1956 when he decided to pull up stakes and emigrate “Down Under”.  On arrival he found a position with Fibre makers in Bayswater, initially as an industrial chemist, and later manager of the nylon plant.  In 1975 he retired after 19 years.  Not one to sit idly around, he joined a family firm of Roger David as a salesman, also became a Mason joining the Lodge of Tradition.

But his many other activities have kept him fully occupied over the years and brought him many accolades for selfless service.

Back in 1959, he and Harold Nathan formed the 24th Camberwell Scout Group, under the auspices of the Leo Baeck Centre, the first Jewish Scout Group in the Eastern suburbs.  One interesting sidelight was the ecumenical spirit at its opening, when Rabbis Jacob Danglow and Herman Sanger jointly officially participated at the formal opening.  This was the first time such a ceremony was performed jointly by a Liberal and Orthodox Rabbi.

Henry served as Group Scout Master for 15 years and on retiring was given the singular honour of being presented with a Medal of Merit by the then Victorian Governor, Sir Rohan Delacombe.  Adding to his multi-faceted talents, Henry began oil painting as a hobby and joined the Malvern Arts Society.  As well as this, he took up the hobby of collecting clocks.

Sadly, in the year of his and Charlotte’s Golden Wedding Anniversary, Charlotte died, leaving Henry devastated.  A few years later he met Bella Szmerling and they married in 1994, starting a new and happy chapter of his eventful life.

He took up further education learning new languages and skills, and he now speaks Polish, English, French, Spanish and Hebrew.

Henry is a born optimist and takes life’s hurdles in his stride.  His philosophy can be encapsulated by one of his quotes: “Digging the Trans-Sahara Railway, while everyone around me was complaining, I saw it as an experience.  I always try to make the most of any situation that I find and make life enjoyable.

A committee member of VAJEX since 1996, Henry is a true inspiration to everyone around him, and at 90 years young, continues to make travelling through life a positive and enjoyable journey.

(This article was written in 2004.  Henry passed away 22nd February 2009.  May his dear soul rest in peace.)

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 Palooka and glasses like Woody Allen. Mannie was an Orthodox Jew complete with a constant heavy stubble and an army beret that became his coppola. Even without his uniform, which always looked two sizes too big for him, or his boots, which were so big that his spindly legs seemed to have trouble dragging them, he stood out from the crowd - any crowd. He was obviously out of place and enjoyed being so.

Being Orthodox, Mannie used to lay tefillin and daven when he arose. On our first morning at Puckapunyal, I remember the sight of Mannie standing on the duck boards beside his bed wearing his tallit and teffilin shockling away to his hearts delight.

One of the boys came up to me and whispered, “What’s he doing?”

I looked at the marquee beside us and saw a man, who later was to become known to me as Patrick, kneeling beside his bed, head bowed with hands posed in supplication.

I pointed at Patrick and said, “Mannie is doing the same as him. He is praying.”

From then on, Mannie’s davening was accepted by all as being “the same sort of thing” as Patrick’s praying. In fact, from then on Mannie became the unelected leader of the Jews in our intake....all seven of us. He was to go on and stubbornly fight many religious battles on our behalf, the first of which was to have kosher food delivered for us on a regular basis, and a table set aside in the Mess Hall for our use.

A little secret.....the normal salads were better than the kosher tinned beef!

“Church Parade! Attention!

Catholics! To your left! Fall out! Quick march!

Church of England! To your right! Fall out! Quick march!

Other Protestant Denominations! To the front! Fall out! Quick march!

Remainder! Stand at Ease!

Attention! Jews! Form up to the rear! About turn! Quick march!

Remainder! Dismissed! Right turn! Quick march!

Right you are! Jews will report for kitchen duties in a half hour!  Dismissed!”

Mannie did what looked like a right turn with pike,broke ranks, and shuffled purposefully toward the officer, who was at least three years younger than him. Casually coming to a halt and touching his hat, Mannie asked in his soft University manner, “Why are we Jews being punished for our religion? Kitchen duties are for those who have done wrong! What have we done wrong?Why should we be punished whilst all of the others are marching to church or have been dismissed?”

“Gunner, (the lowest rank in the Artillery) there is nothing else I can do with you lot. Now fall out!”

“Sir, we are not a lot, but seven, and I repeat, what have we done wrong?”

“Gunner, Nothing!  What do you suggest I do with you seven?”

“Sir, you had those who had no religion dismissed!  Perhaps, that is the answer to our problem.”

“Gunner, Return to your ranks!”

Back dragged Mannie to consider another form of attack if this one failed.

The young officer waited until Mannie had settled in with the rest of us.

“Jews! Dismissed! To your barrack, right turn! Quick march!”

To our barracks we marched. How could we fill in the time until church service was over? Seven was just the right number for a (friendly) game of poker! From then on poker became our church of choice!

“O.K let's go and see him.”

The young officer kept us waiting for what he thought was the required time to have us think he was busy with top security information. When he had finished shuffling his papers into a neat heap, his eyes met Mannie’s witha look of disdainful acceptance. “Do you know that the three of you could be classedas a mutiny? However, what’s on your mind this time?”

“Excuse me Sir, but we have our Passover coming up soon and there are a few things we will need.”

“Oh, yes, it’s your Easter isn’t it?” he said with a look of all knowing satisfaction. “What is it you want?”

“Well Sir, we will need special food and wine for the duration.”

“Oh right, like Lent. No problem.”

“We will need a special space in the kitchen to store the food.”

“No problem.”

“We will need pots and pans in which to cook the food.”

“No problem, see the cooks and just take what you want from the kitchen.”

“No Sir, they will need to be brand new pots and pans that haven’t been used before.”

“OK anything else?”

“A new stove on which to cook the food.”

“Hey. Hey, are you joking?”

“No, Sir, ask our Rabbi.”

“Now wait a minute. How long does your Easter last?”

“Eight days, Sir.”

“I can't give you an immediate answer. Let me think it over and I’ll give you my decision tomorrow.”

Think it over!  We knew that the young officer was way out of his depth and that he would have to seek guidance from a higher authority.

The next day, we marched into the young officer’s tent, standing to attention while Mannie did his impression of saluting ... up two three, away.

“Gunner, having giving the matter a lot of thought”, (which in truth meant I have asked someone who has given me the answer to the problem), I suggest that you give me the names of the Jewish soldiers who want to do their Passover and I will arrange to have the orderly room issue you all with an eight day pass. You see, we in the Army don’t want to interfere with your right during National Service to celebrate your religious beliefs. Enjoy your Passover!”

National Service ended not long after we completed our service.

Sometimes I wonder if Mannie and his “lot” had anything to do with it!

Harold Karpin has recently joined VAJEX, and honoured us by reciting Psalm 23 at the 2009 ANZAC Commemoration Service.

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 the excellent work “The Dunera Affair” by Paul Bartrop and Gabrielle Eisen published in 1990. If readers want to learn more they can refer to the abovementioned or a summary entry in Wikepedia.

Leo Max was born in the village of Kobersdorf in southern Austria on 29th October 1910. It was one of seven Jewish communities in Burgenland, Austria, and each had its own synagogue. He was one of seven siblings. After his schooling he went to Vienna to apprentice as a master tailor and lived in an apartment with an aunt in the second district, which had a large Jewish population.

In March 1938 Nazi Germany unified Austria to itself in what is referred to as the Anschluss. Life soon became more difficult for the Jews of Austria. A friend in his apartment building learned that the Jews at their address were to be arrested the following morning, and without any planning they immediately went to the railway station and caught a train in order to escape. They continued to travel by train across Germany with the intention of crossing the border into Belgium.

They left from their rail journey at a station close to the border and proceeded on foot, where they were apprehended by German soldiers and taken back to a guard house. Eventually an officer arrived and asked who they were and where they were going. They admitted that they were Austrian Jews attempting to cross into Belgium. The officer seemed sympathetic and offered to release them at the border that night. At the border they were told to run, and they zig-zagged through the trees fearing they would be used for target practice, but fortunately there was no shooting. They were caught by the Belgian border guards and eventually interned in a refugee camp with other German and Austrian escapees.

After Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939 and Britain declared war, the British recognised they had a shortage of various professions key to the war effort an issued requests for plumbers, carpenters, electricians, medical staff and TAILORS. Leo seized the opportunity and volunteered and was transported to England. He worked in a uniform factory in Slough, west of London.

Once the Low Countries were invaded in early 1940 panic emerged in Britain that some of the refugees might be fifth columnists and on 12th May an order was issued to either have Austrians and Germans report to police weekly, or to round up and intern “enemy aliens” between 16 and 60, depending on how they were categorized according to threat level. About 4000 were interned in Kitchener Camp in Kent. The objective was to transport these people to Canada, but after one of the ships – Arandora Star was torpedoed shortly after leaving Liverpool with the loss of many lives, and some survivors. Australia was then asked, and agreed to take up to 6000 refugees. The Dunera left Liverpool on 10th July. 1940 carrying over 2000 refugees. The conditions were appalling and the treatment meted out by the 141 British crew and guards was cruel, and subsequently senior officers were reprimanded and NCO’s were reduced in rank.

The Dunera arrived in Sydney 0n 6th September 1940 and the refugees were transported by train to two internment camps in Hay, NSW. After their arrival relatives and friends of the refugees still in Britain began to lobby the British Government over the status of the deportees and the Prime Minister Winston Churchill regretted the decision to send them away. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour the prisoners were reclassified as friendly aliens and Released by the Australian Government. About 1000 volunteerd to join the Australian Military forces, and most of the rest went back to Britain to serve in their military.

Leo Max volunteered to remain in Australia, and like many of his colleagues joined the 8th Employment Company at Camp Pell, located on Flemington Road North Melbourne, where the Royal Childrens’ Hospital now stands.

He was a Private and worked in the Tailoring Unit, making uniforms for officers. After having located there for several months he realized that there were other Jews living in the immediate vicinity who had migrated to Australia prior to the war commencing. On his weekends he started offering his tailoring services to some of these people.

On one occasion he was conducting a fitting for one such gentleman and he noticed a young woman there was measuring up the man’s wife for a dress. She was originally from Germany and had arrived in Melbourne 2 years earlier and was living in Flemington Road, almost opposite Camp Pell. They started dating. Her name was Anneliese Meyer.

A couple of months later when he arrived to take her out the noticed he had a new chevron on his sleeve. “What is that?” she asked. He replied “Because I am a good tailor they have promoted me to Lance Corporal”. About two months later when he arrived to take her out and he had 2 chevrons. “And what is that?” she asked. He replied “Because I am a Master Tailor they have promoted me to full Corporal”. And about a month later he had 3 chevrons. “What is that?” she asked. “Because I am their best tailor I have been promoted to Sargeant and I am now in charge of all tailoring at Camp Pell.” He answered.

In 1943 Leo married Anneliese at Melbourne Hebrew Congregation.

Leo was de-mobbed at the beginning of 1946. He and Anne (Anneliese) lived at 205 Flemington Road until 1954 when they purchased a house in McKinnon. They had 2 sons – Dennis and Gary and eventually 5 grand children.

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