Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Memories of WO2 John William “Jack” Roughley.

Firstly my name is Chris Roughley and Jack Roughley is my Dad and although I am approaching 70 he is still my hero.

Dad was born in Manchester England on 2nd September 1930 the middle son of three boys. His mother Margret had passed away from breast cancer in 1937, in June 1940 “little Jackie” as he was known was put on the ship “Aorangi” and arrived in Sydney via Canada on the 31st of August 1940 and made his way to Fairbridge Farm in Molong NSW where he lived until he was 16. During that time he ran away 4 times and on the last at the age of 16 he was not brought back as he had gained employment at a farm as a farm hand some 40 miles from Fairbridge.

After a variety of jobs he enlisted in the Australian Regular Army Special Reserve (Korea) known as K Force 26th May 1952, he served in Korea and Japan and was discharged on 1st April 1954 and re-enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on 2nd April 1954. He had a variety of postings before being selected in AATTV in 1962 he went to SVN for the first time 23rd July 1963 to replace Sgt Bill Hacking after his death on duty. I asked a mate of Dads (Rick Rooney) who served with him why did they choose him and he told me that he was the best Infantry Minor Tactics SNCO in the Army and a natural choice and volunteered even before the verbal request was finished.

I was 9 years old when dad went to SVN the first time and I missed him dearly, but he told me that he was depending on me to step up and be “the man of the house” and make sure nothing happened to my Mum and my brother and sisters, a job I took very seriously as my dad was depending on me.

Ever since I can remember I was in awe of my Dad to me he was like a god, strong, brave and honest. I came to see these traits for myself when as a 12 year old when Dad was the CSM of Alpha Company 6 RAR that I saw how much of a true soldier he was. I remember sitting in his office waiting for Sgt Jim Miles to come back to Dads office with my babysitters for the day (I was on school holidays and Dad took me to work) looking around his office everything was so neat and extremely tidy. There was arrow of highly polished brass drawing type pins in a line on the floor in front of his desk and on his desk directly in front of whoever was toeing the line was a wooden hand with one finger protruding, I later found out this was called the Fickle Finger of Fate and directly in the soldiers eye line was a perfectly formed Hangman’s noose, just to reinforce the amount of shit you may have been in.

On that day was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting Glenn Willmann who was the lead babysitter much to his disgust although from memory he never let my Dad get that feeling.

I was always going to be a soldier why? Because my Dad was one, but he had other ideas but over the years he got used to the idea and a deal was made that I could join the Army as long as I got a trade and after that I could do what I wanted. That is what happened I joined the Army Apprentices School at Balcombe in January 1970 and we were in the same Army for 4 years although we never served in the same unit. But I do remember him saying that my graduation parade in December 1972 was the best he had ever seen only because he had always been on parades and never before had he been a spectator.

We talked a fair bit in his later years about some of his experiences and the one thing that stuck with me was the love and respect he had for his soldiers. He always talked very fondly of his men and their antics. I can remember one time when the movie Lord Jim was on in a Brisbane Cinema and we were waiting for the session before to come out and guess who should be walking out of the cinema but an group of A company diggers, they saw Dad and went as white as ghosts and he said what are you blokes doing here aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else or are you brushing up on you tactics to which they all replied tactics Sir tactics and beat a hasty retreat out of the place and we went in with Dad having a bit of a giggle to himself.

That’s the type on man he was if you made a mistake big or small and needed to be punished or given a talking to the punishment or talk always fitted the mistake, then it was up to you to follow through and it was never mentioned again unless you were silly enough to do it again.

Not only was he a great soldier but he was a fantastic Dad who loved all his children equally and never favoured any above another, he taught me honesty, forthrightness, compassion and hard work things that I hope I have not disappointed him in.

It is for him that I have never missed an ANZAC day march even this year we donned the rig and went for a march down Dean St in Albury to honour his service.

This year Dad would have been 90years old but sadly he left me 19 January 1984 at the young age of 53years and 139 days a life cut short by his dedication to duty. It is with a feeling deep inside me that is hard to explain and put into words I have a rum on his special days by myself with just Jack Roughley in my heart and my memories.