By Luke Voogt
WWII veteran Cec Browning has barely missed a Remembrance Day in 71 years, and would not let a global pandemic or rain stop him on Wednesday.
“I might have missed one or two over the years,” 96-year-old navy veteran said.
Mr Browning joined Torquay RSL members at Point Danger for one of several services across Geelong and the Surf Coast, with limited numbers due to COVID-19 restrictions.
He remembered watching Japanese kamikaze pilots slam their planes into the HMAS Australia and the “poor devils” he would later ferry back to the hospital on his ship.
“Occasionally you think of them – especially on a day like today,” he said.
He watched the hellish scenes aboard the nearby HMAS Manoora during the liberation of the Philippines.
“The planes would explode and the fuel would catch fire,” he said.
“There were a hell of a lot of ships there.”
After joining the navy as 17-year-old from Coburg in 1942, Mr Browning helped ferry Australian soldiers in a landing craft to Pacific islands during the war.
“I made friends for life. As far as I know, there’s only three of us alive from our ship.”
Luke Voogt
