A Poem by a WW2 Veteran
No unsightly wounds to show,
No limbs are missing of these men,
But inward pain and thoughts crowding on,
The mind of ageing veterans
Only memories floating by.
As pain does grip the hidden inward parts
Which he will have to company him
Till time has come to lie at rest neath coffin and a flower
In the appointed God named hour.
.
This poem was written by Sgt Malcolm Frederick Dell (QX767) we believe in the latter part of his life. It was found by one of his grandsons many years after his death. He was extremely proud to be an early volunteer to serve and protect his country.
Sergeant Malcolm Dell served in the 2/2 Anti Tank Battery in Syria and beyond during World War 2 and he suffered from what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
He returned to Australia with the battery but we believe he had fallen off the back of an army truck injuring his leg and so did not continue with the 2/2 when it was later deployed to Papua New Guinea.
He enthusiastically joined his mates every Anzac Day in Brisbane until his health prevented him from doing so.
To me, the poem gives us a glimpse into the turmoil he was experiencing over many years after the war.
I am proud to be one of Sergeant Dell’s sons-in-law,
Sergeant Frank Cordingley,
Educational Instructor, Murray Barracks,
Port Moresby during 1967-68
