OFFICIAL Commando News Magazine Edition 15 2023

WW2 COASTWATCHER JIM BURROWES
CELEBRATES HIS 100 TH YEAR
By Dick Pelling
The Australian Commando Association passed on its congratulations to World War 2 Coastwatcher, Jim
Burrowes OAM, on achieving his 100 th Birthday.
There was a good chance the fire sprinklers
would activate at the Box Hill RSL on Saturday,
25 th March when 100 candles were lit for his
100 th birthday celebration. When the last candle was lit
the first was about to expire, just in time for Jim to blow
them out with the careful use of a compressed air
canister, directed to snuff out the candles and filling the
room with smoke.
Jim’s official birthday was a few days later on the
29 th . Jim was born in 1923, the year that Mount Etna
erupted and Adolf Hitler lead the Nazi Party in a failed
coup attempt in Germany, which at the time would
have made no difference to Jim.
Jim and his wife Beryl have been happily married for
over 70 years, and Beryl, like Jim, enlisted for service in
WW2.
Jim is that special someone who has rendered out -
standing service to his country in war and in peace,
fastidiously documenting the activities of the Coast -
watchers and devoting years of his precious time to the
Royal Life Saving Society, resulting him being awarded
an OAM for his services.
The Australian Commando Association was formed,
in part, by a group of men that included Jim. He
explained, “Once the curtain had come down on
World War 2 and following their discharge from the
Services, a small group of former Coastwatchers of ‘M’
Special Unit met regularly on each Saturday morning to
crack a few beers and to ‘chew the fat’ at the Cathedral
Hotel in Swanston Street, Melbourne”.
“It was at such a gathering that the idea came up
that we should incorporate an Association of the
Beryl and Jim Burrows and extended family at his 100 th birthday
celebration. Photo Rob Burrowes
Celebrating a milestone.
From left, Glenn MacDonald, Pauline Lovell, Jim Burrowes,
Sandy Pelling, Robin Lovell and Dick Pelling. Pauline and Robin
from the UK are friends of Dick and Sandy.
Photo Rob Burrowes
Commando Companies (originally the Independent
Companies but who had been redesignated as Cavalry
Commando Squadrons in 1943 and then altered to just
Commando Squadrons in 1944) and the members of
Special Operations Australia (SOA) under its wartime
cover name of Services Reconnaissance Department
(SRD) and the administrative units ‘M’ Special Unit (for
Coastwatchers) and ‘Z’ Special Unit (for SRD operations
and training support).”
“The purpose of the Association was to document
their wartime missions and operations so that their
history was not lost. The Association also set up a
Patriotic Welfare Fund to provide financial assistance to
any struggling veterans.”
“In 1946, when we had each kicked in a 10 shilling
note to get the Association started, I became the
Treasurer and we developed a recruiting strategy. I can
no longer remember the processes but a quarterly
Double Diamond magazine certainly helped the cause,
and over the following years, we reached a staggering
membership, peaking at over 700. We rotated the
presidency every two years and in 1969, during my
own term as president, I led the members to the Shrine
on Anzac Day, when we were thoroughly drenched in
the pouring rain”, Jim said.
Congratulations Jim, and best wishes to you and
Beryl, from all members of the Australian Commando
Association.
52 COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 15 I 2023