Ezzy’s military memories

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By Daisy Baker
December 09, 2020

North Scottsdale’s David Ezzy says a military pathway was one that came naturally to him, with several members of his family involved in the forces.
He was born in 1933 in King Island and spent his childhood in St Helens, where his father was the rector.
Mr Ezzy said he has fond memories of the three-bedroom weatherboard rectory his family lived in, which was heated by open fire places in each room and lit by kerosene lamps.
Cooking was done over a wood stove and hot water for a bath came from a chip heater.
“During the war years the school provided an apple each day and during winter a mug of hot cocoa and milk,” he said.
“Air raid trenches were dug by the students along the rear boundary with the Recreation Ground. Air raid practices were timed by the sounding of the Ansons Bay Timber Mill steam whistle.”
He said the Guides and Scouts were led by his parents and his dad ran a Volunteer Defence Corps Unit with the commissioned rank of lieutenant.
“This unit conducted exercises which included use of handmade grenades and range firing of 303 rifle Lewis and Browning machine guns,” he said.
“I had an opportunity to fire the Browning when I was about 11 years old.
“The year of Japanese occupation was heightened when the airfield was spiked with fence posts and shipping mines were found washed onto local coastal beaches.”
In 1945 at age 11, Mr Ezzy left St Helens to go to school as a boarder at Hutchins in Hobart.
He said the trip by bus to St Marys and steam train to Conara followed by joining the steam express to Hobart as an 11-year-old was a long one, departing at 7am and reaching Hobart at 4.30pm.
In late 1945 his family relocated from St Helens to St Leonards and the following year Mr Ezzy started school as a weekly boarder at Launceston Church Grammar School.
“This meant I rode my bicycle to school on Monday morning and returned on Friday,” he said.
His family relocated again to Gretna in early 1950 and then to Scottsdale in 1954.
“During this period I sought to pursue involvement in agriculture and as wool was then achieving world record prices I trained and became a wool classer,” he said.
“As this was seasonal I then became involved in merchandising sales for agricultural products.”
As a young man he said his recreational interests involved bushwalking, road cycling, swimming, football, spearfishing, shooting, skiing, tennis, dancing, movies and reading.
“That’s me in 1951,” he said pointing to a young man sitting atop a craggy peak at Cradle Mountain.
“I enjoyed bushwalking immensely and did a lot down in the South West.”
Pointing to an old red military coat, which belonged to his grandfather, Mr Ezzy said the military pathway was one that came naturally.
He said while at Grammar he was part of the cadet corps and it just grew from there.
“In 1951 National Service was introduced and my name came up in a draw and I was then called up to join 18 National Service Training Battalion at Brighton Army Barracks,” he said.
“I fulfilled the role of being the Battalion right hand marker for the Ceremonial Parade at Anglesea Barracks to conclude our continuous training schedule.
“In September 1951 I returned to Launceston and joined P Battery 6 Field Regiment which had been formed as a Citizen Military Force after WWII.”
He was promoted to Bombardier in Brighton Camp and later rose through the ranks to Sergeant, Warrant Officer Class II and then Lieutenant in September 1958.
In 1953 he was one of five Tasmanians chosen to join the 145 military officers around the nation to represent the Australian Army Contingent at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953 in London.
They travelled up the Gulf to Suez Canal and through to the Mediterranean, stopping at Alexandria and went ashore at Tobruk to hold an ANZAC Day service, before continuing onto Malta, Gibraltar then to England.
At Pirbright in Surrey, they trained alongside hundreds of troops from around the Commonwealth countries ahead of the Coronation.
“This was followed by mounting guard at Buckingham and St James Palace, the Coronation March, recreation to Scotland, followed by the Spithead Revue of ships from all nations by Queen Elizabeth II.”
After returning to Launceston, Mr Ezzy rejoined the 6 Field Regiment in Launceston.
During his time in the CMF P Battery 6 Field Regiment, he witnessed two visits by Queen Elizabeth II as the second in charge in the honour guard at Beaconsfield and ceremonial guard for the opening of Tasmanian Parliament.
In the late 50s Mr Ezzy met a wonderful young lady who he said very quickly changed his perspective on life.
He proposed to Jo on New Year’s Day in 1960 and they were married on May 14 that year.
“Our wedding was held in the Grammar Chapel with military connotation, an honour guard with swords forming an arch,” he said.
After a honeymoon on the East Coast they returned to their new home in Trevallyn.
In 1968 Mr Ezzy was posted in Phouc Tuy Providence in South Vietnam, where he experienced first-hand combat action.
After returning to Launceston, he continued serving with 16 Battery before applying to join the regular army for full time duty.
Following several postings around Australia, Mr Ezzy returned to Blackmans Bay, where his wife and son Steven had relocated to.
He retired from the army in 1976 after 25 years of service.
That year the Ezzys relocated to Scottsdale where they bought the Newsagency and Beulah from Jo’s aunt, Win Rose.
Mr Ezzy said the historic home built in 1878 was in disrepair and it took several years for him to restore it.
Meanwhile a major shop fit out was completed at the newsagency, with the inclusion of the milk bar next door and the vacant block behind the newsagency was purchased and with Council, a sealed carpark was developed.
The Ezzys ran the newsagency for 18 years and then with the demise of industries in the municipality and sold the business, but Mrs Ezzy continued to run Roses Travel Agency until 1997.
The couple left Beulah in 1994 and built their current home in North Scottsdale which overlooks the town’s rolling hills.
“Our new residence design was based on “Somercotes” homestead on the Midland Highway near Mona Vale,” he said.
“We designed the homestead to provide adequate space and compliment the natural surrounds and elements.”
They named the new residence Strathnairn meaning ‘near the valley’.
In their retirement, the Ezzys have enjoyed caravanning holidays around Australia and regular winter breaks at Moore Park Beach Holiday Park.
In 2001, Mr Ezzy joined the Australian War Memorial’s Battlefield Tour of Gallipoli, Turkey and Western Front in France and Belgium.
Mr Ezzy has been an active member of the community, involved in the North-Eastern Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Scottsdale Golf Club and now the Bowls Club.
These days he enjoys gardening and seeing daily photos of their two great grandchildren.