Next reunion 25-27 April 2003 |
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Trevor served with the Royal Australian Air Force for over 20 years from the 12th of January 1965
I first met Trevor or Tea Leaves as he was known to his friends about September of 1964, I had boarded the "Bundaberg mail" train in Gympie to go down to Brisbane for the second round of the selection process for apprenticeships in the RAAF. Sitting opposite me in the compartment was another teenager, my father who was seeing me off said to Trev "he's off to join the Army ", I replied no it's the RAAF. We then discovered that we were heading for exactly the same place.
The next time I saw Trevor was January 1965, we had both scored apprenticeships as Radio Technicians and were on our way to Melbourne by train. This was the pattern for the next two years as we Queenslanders made the return journey Melbourne to Brisbane by train, two nights cooped up in antique train carriages.
I suspect we were the conductor's worst nightmare on those trips, and then we had a day stop over in Sydney which was spent at such places as, Bondi beach, Sydney Harbour and the bridge.
The first two years were spent at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology where lecturers attempted to teach us the workings of Valves, Transistors and other bits and pieces, with varying results. Lunch hour was a rush to the "PX" or postal exchange for lunch and then off to see what could be seen and done in central Melbourne.
Meanwhile the RAAF drill instructors tried to teach us the military skills they thought we would need while attempting to keep a bunch of teenagers under some control, outwitting the DI's was a challenge for everyone, pranks and mischief were the order of the day. I seem to remember that Trevor was a year or so older than most of us and a little bit wiser, therefore managing to keep out of trouble, at least I don't remember him having to paint garden edge rocks white etc on Saturdays for punishment as was the custom.
For relaxation Trevor enjoyed his sport, tennis athletics and football which he played hard, probably joining the Monday walking wounded on many occasions. Model radio control airplanes were constructed and crashed on the oval too. Leave was restricted at first to Sunday after Church so leave time was to be made the most of. Second year leave was more relaxed and at last we could wear "Civvies" so the scope for adventure began to widen.
Third year began with Trevor arriving back from Xmas leave with a new car, a white Cortina driven from Queensland with no number plates and a preliminary label on the windscreen. He did tell us once how many times he was stopped by the NSW or VIC police and had to smooth talk his way out of it.
Eight months of RAAF training on real equipment followed and then in August of 1967 we were ready to graduate, 27 of us by then firm friends, a friendship that has endured the test of time.
After graduation Trevor's first posting was to Richmond outside Sydney, such were the turbulent times of the late sixties Vietnam era that this was followed up shortly later by a posting to Pearce outside Perth.
This was again followed up by another posting back to Amberley in January of 1970 for training prior to being sent to Vietnam. While stationed in Perth, Trevor continued a passion for fast cars, a Mazda R100 he owned was small red and fast, trips to the Gold Coast were done in record time.
Both of us served the 12 months at Amberley and were posted to Phan Rang, Vietnam in Jan and Feb of 1971. On one rare occasion our day off coincided, the only place we could go was the beach compound a few kilometres away, Trevor decided he would teach me to sail, a quick five minute lesson and we were off to circle a fuel tanker unloading some distance out. The strong wind had other ideas and blew us straight toward the side of the ship, getting within a few meters was just a bit scary for me but I think Trevor enjoyed it. I doubt that we should have been near it in the first place.
With the closure of Phan Rang in June of 1971 Trevor transferred to Vung Tau to serve the rest of his 12 months.
After Vietnam he was posted to Williamtown outside of Newcastle until 1974 when he followed the natural progression of the time with a posting to Butterworth, Malaysia. It was probably here that his passion for motorbikes really surfaced and in particular motorcross racing, there are photo's somewhere of his bike flashing through the mud.
He returned from Butterworth in 1976 again posted to Williamtown just in time to be my best man, and it was here that we first met Bettine to be followed not long after by Trevor and Bettine's wedding in Rockhampton new years eve 1976
Yet another posting followed in 1978 back to Amberley where Jacob was born in 1979, I suspect that this is where the responsibilities of fatherhood possibly slowed Trevor's passion for motorcycles, although I do remember a motorcycle and sidecar outfit that survived for some time, I did ride in it once.
Another posting back to Williamtown and then the 20 years were up, time to give it up and plan a new career and life in civvy street.
I am proud to say that Trevor William Lee was a true and loyal friend for 38 years to me personally and fellow members of Number 19 Apprentice Radio Technician Course and also to his many other friends from his RAAF service,
He will be sadly missed
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