Veteran enriched life of those dearest to him
Family man had a strong work ethic
GEOFFREY McGregor was born in 1923 in Toowoomba.
He was an only child and tragically, by the time he was one, his father had died.
From that time on, he lived with his grandmother.
He moved to New Zealand in 1928 and lived on both the north and south islands.
When he was 12 years old, he returned to Toowoomba where he lived until the war began in 1939.
Geoffrey went to Toowoomba East State School.
He remembered his headmaster, Mr Lister, who he said was a “wonderful person”.
In the days when Geoffrey was at school, the teachers were very strict.
Geoffrey was in trouble on the first day of school.
He often walked to school barefoot, as his grandmother had no money to purchase shoes.
Geoffrey’s school uniform was just a shirt and pants – there wasn’t a uniform police while he was at school.
He learnt his times tables then started to teach them to younger students so they wouldn’t get into trouble.
Geoffrey was a person who didn’t usually do his homework, but occasionally he would try.
Every day after school, Geoffrey’s job was to collect firewood so his grandmother could cook dinner.
Once Geoffrey had finished his chores, he would play football with his mates.
He loved playing sport, especially rugby union.
Geoffrey’s first job was as a delivery boy at a company called Vicki Electrical in New Zealand.
He remembered being paid about one pound ($2 in today’s currency) for his first pay.
Vicki Electrical had no uniform when he was working there and his grandmother made his clothes while he was living with her.
In 1939 Geoffrey applied to join the army and was accepted.
In 1940 Geoffrey was sent to Brisbane for training and after four months left Australia and was shipped to India on the Queen Mary, a ship used to transport military men during the war.
Geoffrey’s first posting was in Poona, India, where he underwent training in the chemical infantry.
Geoffrey was sent to Israel for further training and then posted to Egypt.
He found Israel and Egypt most fascinating. He was meant to go to Greece, but unfortunately the Germans had already invaded.
While Geoffrey was in Israel, he was taken to Jesus’ birthplace and tomb, but wasn’t allowed to visit the place where Jesus was crucified.
While in Egypt, Geoffrey visited the pyramids and The Valley of the Kings.
He was introduced to Queen Faridah, the Queen of Egypt, on two different occasions.
He was also introduced to Mohamed Rashdan when he went to Cairo.
Following Egypt, Geoffrey went to Libya and then Sudan.
He then temporarily returned to Australia, before being posted to Eritrea and Ethiopia for five months.
While Geoffrey was in Ethiopia, he met the Empress of Ethiopia on a parade full of marshals.
After several months in Ethiopia, he was shipped to Singapore for two days, then to Sri Lanka for a week.
Geoffrey returned to Australia, then four months later he was sent to New Guinea for two-and-a-half years and served in Port Moresby.
He returned to Australia again before being sent to Beake Island and then Moratai Island.
After being posted on Moratai for two months, the army said he was medically unfit and for the last time he returned to Australia.
By this time, he had served five years and nine months in the Australian Army during the Second World War.
He was rewarded with the 1939-45 Star, the Africa Star, the Pacific Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-45, the Australia Service Medal 1939-45 and the Returned from Active Service badge.
During the war, Geoffrey met a lovely woman in Armidale.
They were married in 1942 and had three children, two boys and one girl.
Geoffrey was deeply in love until tragedy struck in 1989 when his wife died.
He remarried in 1991, to Carol.
AS a child he didn’t really have any favourite things, apart from rugby union.
With his own family, he developed a love for Asian food, which continued for all of his life.
After returning from the war, he decided to move to Toowoomba.
He started working at Baillie Henderson Hospital and was there for many years.
When he retired, he and Carol occasionally returned to have a look around.
Geoffrey did mental training before he went to the Dalby Hospital, where he opened a hospital for Age Inform Incurable.
Life following the war was hard.
Geoffrey suffered from flashbacks and recollections of the horrible events that went on during the war and thought he would never survive.
Lifestyle in the army during the war was different from being at home – he didn’t have a bed to sleep in, he slept on the ground with the smell of blood and the sound of bullets firing all day and all night.
He was away from home and family for a very long time and when he came home, it was hard to adjust.
During the war, his wife suffered because she didn’t know if she was going to get a phone call saying, “I’m sorry but your husband has been killed or injured”.
Geoffrey’s lifestyle through the 1960s was great and he developed an interest in motorbikes and camping with his family.
In the 1970s, he preferred to travel the countryside.
In the 1980s, he retired and began travelling overseas.
In the 1990s, he remarried and began travelling with his new wife.
Geoffrey’s friend Dan O’Hara described him as a man with a “very strong work ethic” and said his good nature, generosity and “can do” approach served him well in his dealings with friends and business associates alike.
He said Geoffrey, who he restored a 1942 Police Harley, 1944 Indian Scout Military Police bike, 1925 Indian Prince racing bike, 1942 Harley Military Police bike and a 1944 Excelsior Paratrooper collapsible motorcycle with, was like a grandfather or favourite uncle to himself and drew comparisons with The Karate Kid characters of Mr Myagi and Daniel san.
He said Geoffrey loved the challenge of resurrecting the broken or redesigning or re-purposing the abandoned.
“Rest assured Geoff, not one day you spent on this earth was ever wasted,” he said.
“You enriched the world for all of those around you.
“The world will indeed be a poorer place without you.”
Geoffrey died on August 13, 2017.