A tribute by his son, Earnest Max Chapman, for the father he never knew
I always asked my mother why she did not get married again as I missed having a father. It was always sad for me when someone asked about my father and my reply was always: ‘I don’t have one; he was killed in the war’. The answer she gave me was always the same: ‘No one would ever replace Earnie’.
As far back as I can remember I never missed an ANZAC day service, and was always proud to wear my father’s medals.
As I got older I asked my mother why Dad was in the medical corps. She said he felt that he wanted to do the best he could for the wounded. That was all I know.
I joined the 2nd Battalion Royal New South Wales Regiment in 1961 and served 6 years. I was able during that time to be on the catafalque party at several ANZAC services; I felt that that was honouring my father as best I could.
I always attempted to find someone who had known my father during his service but to no avail until I saw a letter from a woman asking if any one knew of survivors from the 2/12th Field Ambulance. I contacted her, and she gave me her father’s telephone number; his name was Ray Garthon.
I made contact with him and asked him if he knew my father; he said he did and we had a long conversation. I most likely phoned Ray weekly and we met in person for the first time at a ceremony at the AWM for the unveiling of a plaque to the 2/12th Field Ambulance in 2000. I’m a pretty tough old bugger but I was reduced to tears; Ray was the same, so we found a quiet corner and talked.
He said my father was his best mate and that my Dad said Ray was his little ray of sunshine. He filled in all the things I wanted to know, he said: “Your father was a good bloke, honest, and someone you could rely on.”
The plaque in honour of Pte Earnest Chapman was placed in the Hannam Vale hall at the time of his death, but was only unveiled in a moving ceremony during the 80th anniversary celebrations of the hall in 2008 when Max met many people who had known his father.
Over the time we talked he told me about their service at Cowra and in Darwin at the time of the bombing. Ray said “Don’t believe what was said about not many casualties—there were hundreds; I know because we tended them and buried them, and there were heaps.”
One thing I regret was not fulfilling Ray’s wish that he and I march in the Sydney ANZAC Day March under the Centaur Banner. To my great sorrow I left it too late, and ill health prevented it.
Ray got in touch with my mother and she remembered him because he was in Sydney with my father when they were married.
Ray carried a great guilt because when the 2/12th Field Ambulance was recalled from leave to sail on the Centaur he was unable to make it because of flooding; he was to join the ship later. He felt that he let his mates down because he was not with them when disaster struck. He said this many times especially when he was very ill and knew that he did not have much time left.
When my mother passed away her wish was that her ashes be placed over the Centaur. At that time I believed the Centaur lay off the coast at Point Danger on the Tweed. I had a workmate who was in charge of the Water Police in NSW, and he arranged for us to be taken out off Point Danger to carry out my mother’s wish. Ray came with us and he had a memento that his sister had given him when he enlisted. He said he carried it all through the war and asked if I wanted to have it, or would he let it sink with my mother’s ashes. I was most thankful, and it takes pride of place next to my father’s photo at home.
As Ray’s health failed he was placed in a nursing home at Lismore. I still kept in touch by phone and letter. His wife Doris used to tell me that he had the letters beside him, and if she asked did he want to send them home the reply was: “leave them here.” After he passed away I still kept in touch with Doris and it wasn’t until then that she told me his name was Harry not Ray. He would not tell me himself because my father called him Ray.
When the HMAS Sydney was found I wrote to Prime Minister Rudd stating my case and who I was and asked if it would be possible to search for the Centaur. I did not receive a reply, so I wrote again and pointed out that if he felt it was not important for a son to want to know the last resting place of the father he never knew, there was something wrong.
After a long wait I received a reply from some public servant stating that because of the huge cost a search was not practical. But in the end goodwill prevailed, and the Centaur was found off Moreton Island.
I was lucky to be able to attend with my wife the at-Sea Service over the site of the Centaur on board HMAS Manoora on the 24 September 2010.
What a moving service it was over the wreck, and to cast a wreath for my father into the sea. My only regret was that Harry “Ray” Garthon was not with us.
I often think what my life would have been like had my father been alive. Would I have stayed on the property? Would we have remained there? Would he be proud of me and my service in the NSW Police? – and many other thoughts that I do not have an answer to.
I joined the NSW Police in 1967 and worked in various stations in a variety of sections; I started in the Mounted Police then No 21 Special Squad, Special Traffic Patrol which is now Highway Patrol; General Duties; Criminal Investigation Branch; Drug Squad; Surveillance Section; Special Weapons; and Operations. I then went with a Federal Government Section and investigated among other matters Italian Organised Crime. I retired in 1998 and opened a Security Business in NSW, ACT and QLD. Both my daughters worked at various times in the operation.
I carried out this employment in the manner I believed my father would have been proud of because I always believed him to be an honest, trustworthy, hard working man and that is the way I followed in my lifetime.
For most of my life I have thought of my father, and still do. Maybe we should forgive but we should never forget, however I will never forget nor will I ever forgive.
I have been retired for some time but one of my proudest moments now is on each ANZAC day I lead the march at Glass House Mountains on one of my horses carrying the Australian flag and as well as my own medals, I wear my father’s medals.
I thank God for sending Ray Garthon to find me, and for the comfort he gave to me and my family. He was to me a great gentleman, and he confirmed to me what I had always believed my father to be. I wish everyone had a Ray Garthon in their lives.
Max on his trusty steed can be seen leading the Glass House Mountains March on any ANZAC Day.
An earlier letter from Max Chapman (November 2007)….pre Ray
Pte Chnptrnm from the Australian Army Medical Corps was the son of James Alfred and Amclfa Jane Chapman. He was married to Flora Bell Chapman and lived at Upsall’s Creek. His son, Max was born three months after his fa–ther died on Centaur at the age of 29.
Max knows little of his father’s story except that he was born at Hannam Vale where his parents were farmers.
Max writes:
“When he and mother married they lived in a house on part of my grandfather’s grazing property that was known to us as Aunty Tina’s. I believe this part of the property belonged to her, and was left to grandfather on her death.
‘I believe. this was given to Mother and Father to farm, however, on his death Mother moved back to the main homestead with my grandmother. As a boy growing up al-though I had never known father I missed him immensely.
“Mother never married again, and her last wish was that her ashes be scattered over the Centaur. She passed away aged 90 years. Although we were unable to carry out this wish, the Coast Guard took us out of Point Danger where they informed us was what was mostly done for this request.
“On finding Ray Garthon through the Centaur newsletter I was able to fill in some details. Ray told me that he was my father’s best mate and they shared a lot of time together, especially during the bombing of Darwin. Ray said to me: “Don’t worry, he was a good man”, and that was good enough for me.
I‘m sorry I don’t know enough about him to write a story but he has always, and will always, be in my thoughts.”
Lest We Forget.