General News
7 May, 2026
Bravery, mateship and gratitude
ANZAC Day was special day to remember and honour those who made the supreme sacrifice defending the nation, Peter Bool told Saturday’s Dawn Service in Tarnagulla.
ANZAC Day was special day to remember and honour those who made the supreme sacrifice defending the nation, Peter Bool told Saturday’s Dawn Service in Tarnagulla.
The former army officer spoke on his career and his own father Alf who lived in the town and was awarded the Military Cross in World War One.
“We honour and recognise those who bravely served through the horror of war and made it home. Some with missing limbs, others with life altering injuries, and some with trauma and injuries that although are not visible are just as life altering.
“Anzac day is about support and mateship and gives diggers and veterans a chance to catch up and talk to others that understand.”
Mr Bool said the day was special to him because of his father who returned home to Tarnagulla in 1921.
“He earned the Military Cross for extreme bravery in France and was invested with the medal by King George V at Buckingham Palace.
“His father Frederick Bool was the mayor of Tarnagulla on three occasions and had nine daughters and 3 sons here. I remember as a young boy coming to visit.”
Mr Bool said he had been at school in Rupanyup when World War Two broke out and “I remember the headmaster coming in to tell us we were at war. For a teenage boy not understanding what war was all about it was quite exciting with planes overhead, soldiers around town and lots of thing happening with recuiting drives.”
Mr Bool joined the army in 1953, graduating as an officer. “I was allotted to artillery and sent to the school of artillery in Manly Sydney.
“On completion of the training I went to 18 National Service Training Battalion in Tasmania for a two year posting.
“It was here I met my wife Kath who being a captain outranked me. She was an army nurse and had just returned from service in Japan and Korea where she nursed servicemen as well as POWs.”
He spoke of being trained in advanced jungle warfare in preparation of being deployed to Malaya.
“In September 1957 we departed as a family from Sydney on the troop ship the New Australia with 3 Batallion Royal Australia Regiment.
“It was an eventful trip as after five days at sea we were passing through the Torres Strait and despite having a pilot on board we collided with a Norwegian Tanker the France Stove.
“There was damage to both ships and the escaping oil from the tanker caught fire.
“We were given the okay to limp to Singapore and after anchoring for five days for limited repairs we were again underway and arrived in Penang safely where we lived for the next two years.
“Our job during the Malayan Emergency was to help the British defend Malaya against the communist regime of China, and being in artillery it was my job to deploy the guns.”
Mr Bool later had charge of jungle warfare training at Canungra of troops headed for the Vietnam War where he also had a tour of duty.
“After having such a strong military background Anzac day is very important to me,” Mr Bool said.
“For me it means tradition, respect for service and country, remembrance for sacrifice, and acknowledgement for bravery and hardships faced.
“It’s a day of gratitude for the lives we can now lead in freedom, and pride for what we have achieved.”
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