THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN pictured above on ANZAC Day in Sydney in March of 2019, with three generations of his loving family members is Mr Neville Hall, a 96-year-old Royal Australian Air Force veteran from WW2.

Born in Milperra in south-west Sydney, he grew up on the family poultry farm. In the very early days Milperra was commonly known as Thorns Bush, becoming officially known as Bankstown Soldier Settlement in 1917. While Milperra has grown to population of over 4,000, back then the population was only a few hundred. Mr.Hall’s story is one of a small town Australian farm boy leaving to make his contribution to the greater good at a pivotal time in history.

After joining the Air Cadets in his teens, when 18 he patriotically signed up for active service in the RAAF in 1943. He undertook initial training in Australia before sailing to the United Kingdom, via the United States. Assigned to the freshly composed RAF 622 Squadron based in Mildenhall Suffolk as a radio operator, he originally flew in Wellington bombers, but his main service was spent in Lancaster bombers.

Apart from undertaking many bombing raids towards the end of WW2, 622 Squadron delivered food-drops over Holland. 622 was also one of the squadrons that contributed to tin-foil drops to the north of the D-Day landing locations in an effort to baffle enemy radar and make the Germans think that the landing would be further north - an ingenious tactic to confuse German fighter planes away from the actual landing spot.

After the war Neville’s safe return to Australia was also his safe return to his childhood sweetheart, Sonia Ellitt. They married and built a home in Mt Lewis, Punchbowl, in Sydney, and raised their three beautiful children, Lyn, Malcolm and Barbara. The family has been further blessed with four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Despite the heartfelt loss of his beloved Sonia in 2009, Mr. Hall’s spirit ‘soldiers on’, which is an inspiration to all., taking pleasure in having his home full of family and friends, especially for birthdays, Easter and Christmas. Holding a full driver’s licence, he keeps active playing social and Pennants bowls at Mt Lewis Bowling Club, and mows his, his neighbour’s, and until recently, the local church’s lawns. His roses are a local ‘treasure’, while his backyard vegetable patch has supplied his family and neighbours with a variety of vegetables for decades.

Barbara and Lauren give him an uplifting visit on Tuesdays., bringing shopping, helping with housework, his paperwork, and some of the ‘heavy’ work in the garden. They are often assisted by other family members, notably daughter-in-law, Liz and son-in-law, Peter. Depending on the season, he sends his family helpers home with gems from his garden such as roses, orchids, spinach, potatoes or tomatoes. And don’t forget the chillies!

Geoff’s parents also actively participated in WW2. His mother, Margery, was a WAAF Operations Officer working out of North Queensland in a headquarters occasionally used by General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur also met Geoff’s father, Captain Frank Hoddinott in conference in the jungles of New Guinea. Frank served in North Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. In 1941 he was awarded the DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal) in Syria, and the MC (Military Cross) at Eora Creek on the Kokoda Trail in 1942.

Mr and Mrs Hoddinott moved to Mount Colah in 1997 to share a house with Geoff, Barbara and Lauren. Mr Hoddinott passed away that same year. Mrs Hoddinott was cared for at home for twenty-three years, finally passing away at age 101.