By Mark Tanzer
A TOUR of the Army’s Ross Island Barracks in south Townsville recently brought back a sea of memories for WW2 landing craft veteran and visitor to Townsville, Jack Wood.

Jack, 78, of Mylestom, near Coffs Harbour, was treated to a guided tour of the barracks, including 35 Water Tpt Sqn and the LCM8 landing craft of today.

He served in the 41st, 43rd and 49th Landing Craft Companies during the war, and saw action in New Guinea as a young soldier aboard ‘40 footers.’

“They were nothing at all like they are today – we had petrol engines, not diesel, and no creature comforts, not even a compass,” he said.

“We had very rough charts and no navigation lights to go from Cairns to New Guinea, plus only a week’s navigation training when we joined up. We had to cook our bully beef on a little Primus stove on the deck and rig up our own shade from the sun.

“It’s good to see conditions have improved and the soldiers are comfortable at sea.”

Jack saw action during the landing at Dove Bay in New Guinea and also on the Sepik River when his landing craft was hit by heavy enemy fire.

“I didn’t know what it was. There was a hell of an explosion and I was knocked about a fair bit.

“We were going up the river to pick up some Indian soldiers who had been prisoners of the Japanese. They later got out by plane, but it crashed and they were all killed.”

Jack initially served in the Navy Reserve until he turned 18 and joined the Army in Sydney in 1942.

“My father was wounded at Gallipoli – he was in the Light Horse. He joined up again in WW2 and served in the Army in small ships, mostly on the Francis Pete, a converted car ferry.”

.