GILLESPIE, Laurence Kingston
| Service Numbers: | S45047, SX29595 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 January 1942, Hindmarsh, SA Laurie like many other men his age, was drafted into the militia, which was restricted to Homeland Defence duties only. . Like many other young men he subsequently transferred to the AIF for overseas service. |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Ordnance Stores Companies |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 20 December 1923 |
| Home Town: | Hilton, City of West Torrens, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | City of West Torrens WW2 Boulevard of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 6 Jan 1942: | Transferred Private, Army Ordnance Corps AIF | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Jan 1942: | Involvement Private, S45047, Homeland Defence - Militia and non deployed forces | |
| 6 Jan 1942: | Enlisted Private, S45047, Army Training Units, Hindmarsh, SA Laurie like many other men his age, was drafted into the militia, which was restricted to Homeland Defence duties only. . Like many other young men he subsequently transferred to the AIF for overseas service. | |
| 6 Jan 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Sergeant, SX29595 | |
| 19 Sep 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Sergeant, SX29595, Ordnance Stores Companies | |
| 19 Sep 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Sergeant, SX29595 |
UNITED IN RESPECT FOR ANZAC HEROES
Riley Walter
THE Last Post sounded through the darkness as thousands of people returned to the streets of Adelaide for the city’s first public Dawn Service since the start of the pandemic.
Adelaide Crows AFLW star Ebony Marinoff was among those supporting family, attending the march with her grandfather Laurie Gillespie.
“It’s very special,” Marinoff said. “The whole family comes out every year.”
Mr Gillespie served in the army in Papua New Guinea during World War II.
Extracted Article from Adelaide Advertiser
26th March 2022
Submitted 26 April 2022 by Trevor Thomas
A Recital of the Ode at a Ceremony Like No Other
By: PAUL ASHENDEN
WORLD War II veteran John Hooper is an old hand at reciting the Ode Of Remembrance .
He reckons he’s done it about 100 times over the past 70-odd years.
Initially, it was at Anzac Day reunions with his old wartime mates. In the past few years, it has been to farewell many of these same men.
This week, however, Mr Hooper has been preparing to recite the Ode at a ceremony the likes of which he has never experienced before.
With dawn services around the nation cancelled because of the coronavirus, Mr Hooper was called on to lead this morning’s driveway tribute at Life Care’s Parkrose aged-care village in Everard Park.
The 92-year-old former navy able seaman was set to be joined by fellow ex-service personnel , other residents and staff as part of the RSL’s national Light Up The Dawn initiative .....................
He is one of several returned servicemen who live at the Life Care village.
Also looking forward to today’s 6am service were Laurie Gillespie , 96, who fought at Kokoda , pilot Leslie Diercks, 102, who flew Catalina flying boats in World War II, and David Kidd, 71, who did two tours of Vietnam as a tank driver.
Other village residents and staff also planned to take part in the tribute, and neighbours said they would stand silently in their driveways to pay their respects.
“We have staged Anzac Day services every year since Parkrose Village opened in the 1950s,” village manager Ann-Marie Hogan said. “Due to coronavirus, our residents can’t leave the facility and there are limitations on who can visit from outside.
“We thought it was important to hold this year’s service differently to honour the day and pay our respects to our residents who are ex-service personnel , those who have fallen, and those who continue to serve our country. It is testament to the resilience of our staff and residents that we’ve found a way to adapt and overcome this challenge to ensure we continue to observe the Anzac Day tradition.
“We hope it will provide comfort for our residents, many whom have not missed a service for decades. This year’s commemoration will certainly be one to remember.”
Copyright © 2020 News Pty Limited
Submitted 20 August 2020 by Trevor Thomas
Audio
This interview was recorded as part of a combined oral history project conducted by Veterans SA, the Returned & Services League of Australia, the Vietnam Veterans’ Association, the Vietnam Veterans’ Federation, and the University of South Australia (UniSA). The project’s executive director was Lieutenant Colonel Bill Denny AM BM; the interviewer was Dr Nigel Starck (UniSA honorary senior research fellow). The narrative contains personal recollections and is not presented as an official statement of service.
Duration 12hr 07min 18sec. Recorded by Nigel Starck on 24 Oct 2018
Click images to start slideshow.