By George Bellinger
Important stories from war veteran are being preserved through Jeff Hughes’ This Story project.
Mr Hughes visited Tamborine Mountain on October 4 to interview World War two veterans Ian Hart and Allan Rosser.
The project intends to preserve important personal stories, insights and experiences of veterans, and it provides a platform for them to share their memories of their experiences.
“Ian’s story was quite amazing,” Mr Hughes said.
“He was deployed and was heading up to Papua New Guinea in the war.”
“There was someone sick on the boat, and so he took his place, and because of that, he wasn’t awarded his original medals because he wasn’t on the original manifest for that boat, so they didn’t believe he had been deployed.”
He explained that his project aims to preserve their stories in their own words in a comfortable environment, making it unique in comparison to previous preservation efforts.
“The minute you take someone of a particular age into a studio for an interview, they’re on their guard,” he said.
“They’re not sharing things as comfortably as they would if you interviewed them in their home, or in an RSL sub-branch that they attend weekly.”
“It’s a different level of interview when they can sit in their favourite chair and they’ve got, perhaps, a framed photo of their spouse who’s passed on beside them.”
He has interviewed approximately 134 veterans in every Australian state and territory except Tasmania, with each veteran sharing their own unique stories.
“Even if you’re talking to veterans in the same service, they all have very, very different stories,” he said.
“Some of the interviews can get very emotional.”
The project documents the diversity of individual experiences while revealing the similarities that everyone shares.
“I think it’s about connection, and fostering empathy, and creating a better understanding between people,” he said.
“We all have the same emotions, even though we have different experiences in our life.”
Mr Hughes said volunteers are always welcome to help continue the project.
For more information and to view Ian Hart and Allan Rosser’s interview, visit www.thisstory.com.au.
