The Top Ender Magazine August September 2022 Edition

CELEBRATING 101 YEARS WITH
FREDDY CULLEN
OAM
We recently caught up with Freddy Cullen OAM, a WW2 veteran who celebrated his 101st birthday in
June this year! Freddy is an incredible gentleman, with a sharp mind and quick wit, so we are honoured to
share his story!
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR MILITARY BACKGROUND:
I enlisted into the Royal Australian Artillery on 3rd November 1942.
Before I enlisted, I was a Student Teacher in Ascot Vale West, but I wasn’t getting paid
very much once my student rent was deducted, so joining the Army was a good financial
decision for me. When I joined, I was getting paid more and had clothing given to me - it
was a gold mine for me back then! We had a canteen, cheap beers and I still managed to
save some money.
After initial training in Seymour (Victoria), I travelled on the troop train to Brisbane. Then
we transferred to a camp near Maryborough (QLD) on the coast. Training was pretty
arduous, but we often went swimming in the nearby river to cool off and have fun. We
knew nothing about proper hygiene in those days, so we struggled with maggots in our
food and terrible living conditions. We learned lessons about poor hygiene very quickly.
The Queensland coast was under a very real threat from the Japanese at that time. It was
our job to track the Japanese near the coast, but nothing eventuated. In 1942, we
embarked from Townsville to New Guinea on HMAS Katoomba. We had undertaken lots
of training in amphibious landings, which was arduous and very demanding, but we were
all extremely fit!
Once we arrived in New Guinea, we followed the Japanese along various rivers and
gullies. We had three batteries in the Regiment with a couple of hundred people and eight
guns in every battery - I was a Bombardier at the time. We used translators to help set
the guns and we needed to be very knowledgeable about which ammunition to use.
A few months into this campaign, I was looking for a clearing to set up a new gun position
at about 7:00am in the morning. Because of the dense forest and canopy, the vegetation
was too thick to effectively fire rounds, so I ventured a short distance from camp by
myself.
When I came to a cleared area without much vegetation, I was shot straight into the top
of my head by a Japanese sniper at Shaggy Ridge. It has been a long-standing joke for a
number of years that “I was shagged at Shaggy Ridge”. I was very lucky - the sniper had
climbed up a tree on the edge of the clearing and
had an open shot at me.
After I was hit, I was picked up an hour later by the
field ambulance. I was a jumbled mess, but I was still
alive. I was taken to a field hospital, then evacuated by air to the Army General Hospital. They patched
me up there, then flew me to Port Moresby where I waited for departure on the hospital ship heading
back to Australia. Coincidently, that was D-Day – 6 June 1944. I don’t remember anything until I got to
Australia... I must have been in a coma or still in shock. Amazingly, I still have the slouch hat that I was
wearing when I was shot, which has a bullet hole right through the top of it.
After I had healed from my wounds, one of my tasks was the Welfare Officer and helping other
servicemen with their pensions, entitlements and housing, until I retired from the military on 5 Feb
1947. At one stage, I had a caseload of over 100 widows, but I had a very good track record of
supporting them through the process. My advocacy work continued post-service as I commenced
working with the RSL in advocacy and welfare, which has been an important part of my life for 50
years. I was the President of the Ivanhoe RSL for 40 years.
After separating from the Army, I caught the ‘study bug’ and focused on my education and career
progression, which led to my appointment as the Head of the Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme. At
one stage, I had 6000 students under my wing. I had made a lot of great friends, including the future
Governor of Victoria, Hon Sir James ‘Jim’ Gobbo AC CVO QC.
WHAT SKILLS/LESSONS HAVE YOU
LEARNED IN THE MILITARY THAT YOU
USED THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE?
I have learned a lot about weather systems and
became a specialist in ballistic science. I also
learned the importance of having colleagues you
can rely on. Everyone needs a mate and it can
be pretty lonely existence without them. I had a
lot of close friends and it’s a wonderful aspect of
Army service. I am now the last living member
from my Regiment - my last mate recently
passed away. Mateship is something that has
endured right throughout my life. Remarkably,
the Medic who patched me up in New Guinea
in 1944 came to my 100th birthday celebration
last June.
FAVOURITE MEMORY FROM THE
MILITARY?
The Orderly Officer would come along in the
morning and check that we had shaved. I didn’t
have much facial hair back then, so I didn’t put
much effort into shaving. The orderly officer
came along and asked “Have you shaved this
morning, Gunner?”.
I confidently replied “Yes, Sir!” and he
responded, “You need to stand closer to the
razor!”
That officer was a terrific leader and he was
awarded a Military Cross in Guinea.
BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED?
Not to volunteer too readily for anything
(laughs).
Our sincere gratitude to Michael Marsh
(RAA) for organising this interview - we are
honoured to interview Freddy Cullen OAM
and hear about his incredible life journey!
Interviewed by Deb Herring
Committee Member
The Top Ender Magazine
In July 2020, Fred Cullen OAM was recognised in the Governor-General’s Kindness in
the Community Awards.
Mr Fred Cullen OAM from the Weary Dunlop Foundation is a terrific example of
kindness in our community.
A veteran of the Second World War, Fred has been doing good works for most of his
From there, I went on to become the Director of Staff Training in Government, which focused on
life (and that’s a long time). At 99 years old, he still exudes kindness in his relationships,
management training for Government executives. During that time, I met with Digger James (head of
but never in a self-seeking way. His is an energetic and altruistic kindness that both
Veterans Affairs in Canberra at the time), who was a Military Cross winner after losing his leg. He
recognises the worth of people and works to improve their welfare. This shines through
supported me through my training role and his father was a WW1 veteran.
in his advocating for Veterans’ and war widows’ benefits, and in his tireless tin-rattling for
the Weary Dunlop Foundation and RSL over many decades. His genuine kindness and
thoughtfulness serve as an inspiration to all, encouraging us to examine our own
4 The Top Ender | Tri-Services Magazine Incorporated behaviours. Perhaps his kindness gives a clue to his longevity AUGUST/SEPTEMBER and contentedness. 2022 5