What is a Spotlight On: “With this page I hope to be able to encourage family members and friends to submit comments, stories and pictures to help shape an outline of a person’s life. If you would like to contribute to the information after reading over the brief below, please email, post comments or submit a worksheet or photo for inclusion. All information no matter how small will help build a personal biography that will be included in the family tree to give more history of this person.”
William Frederick BRADY
31 Dec 1925 – 25 May 2013
“Bill”
William Frederick Brady was born on 31 December 1925 in Midland, Western Australia, Australia (the sixth child of William George Brady and Hannah Maud Brandis). He had ten siblings, namely: Alfred George, Ernest Joseph, Gladys May, Neil Kenneth, Mary Maud, Roy Desmond, Sidney Charles, Ronald Leonard, Shirley June, and Betty Jean.
Would like to get information on his school life.
When he was 20, He married Stella Ruby Watters, daughter of James Ernest Watters and Ruby Florence Trew, on 30 November 1946 in Midland, Western Australia, Australia (Church of Ascension).
He worked in the Midland Railway Workshops
Would like to get more information on his work life.
Between 1942 – 1946 he served first in the Australian Army then in the Royal Australian Air Force
Service Medals
Shown with 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II for Service to Australia coin above.
1939-45 Star
Minimum of 180 days operational service between the 3rd of September 1939 and the 2nd of September 1945. (60 days for Airforce crews in an operational unit engaged in operations against the enemy.)
Ribbon colours symbolize the Royal and Merchant Navies, dark blue, the Army, red, and the Airforce, pale blue.
Pacific Star
This medal was awarded for service in the Pacific theatre of operations in the period 8 December 1941 to 2 September 1945, both dates inclusive.
Royal, Australian, and Merchant Navy service in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea and the Indian Ocean east of a line running approximately south of Singapore qualified for this medal, providing that the 6 months service for the 1939-45 had already been earned. The restriction of previously earning the 1939-45 star did not apply for those who service started in the Pacific region after 2 March 1945. Naval personnel ashore had the same qualification requirements as the Army.
Army personnel had to serve in those territories which had been subjected to enemy or allied invasions. Service in Burma was excluded, as this area had its own star: The Burma Star. Service in China and Malaya between 8 December 1941 and 15 February 1942 was included. The Army had no prior time qualification.
RAF crews had to complete at least 1 operational sortie over the appropriate sea or land area.
If a serviceman qualified for both the “Pacific” and “Burma” Stars, they would be awarded the first gained star, with a clasp (or rosette on ribbon-alone) for the other earned Star.
Ribbon colours, depicting the jungles of the Pacific, green, its beaches, yellow, dark blue, red, and pale blue for the Navy, Army and Airforce.
War Medal 1939-1945
A minimum of 28 days service required, awarded to both operational and non-operational members in the Armed Services, including the Merchant Navy when serving at sea.
Ribbon represents the Union Jack, if a Mention in Dispatches was awarded; it is worn on this medal ribbon.
Australian Service Medal 1939-45
Awarded to members of the Australian Armed Forces and Merchant Navy, plus civilians who served overseas for at least 18 months between the 3rd. of September 1939 and the 2nd. of September 1945.
Ribbon, khaki for the Army, with narrow red edge stripes, dark blue edge for the Navy, and light blue edge for the Airforce.
Australian Service Medal 1945-1975, with Japan Clasp
Awarded for 30 days service in prescribed peacekeeping or non-warlike operations during period 1945-1975, where recognition had not been extended previously through an award. Issued with one of these clasps:
•Berlin/FESR/Germany/Indonesia/Japan/Kashmir/Korea/
•Middle East/PNG/SEA/SW Pacific/Special Operations/Thailand/WNG.
Ribbon, bands of dark and light blue, khaki, green and gold.
Bill and Stella lived at 42 Loton Ave, Midland, Western Australia and raised a family in this home.
Would like to get more information about life in Loton Ave.
When he was 56, He married Joan Margaret Selkirk, daughter of Henry Shuttleworth and Marie Constance Somerset, on 21 March 1982 in Kalamunda, Western Australia, Australia.
Bill and Joan lived at 545 Jacoby Street, Mahogany Creek, Western Australia
He died just before 6pm on 25 May 2013 in Middle Swan, Western Australia, Australia (Swan District Hospital).
William Frederick Brady
If you think you have more pictures of Bill his family would be very grateful to receive copies them.
An Amazing Garden
Most of my memories of Pop are at his home in Mahogany Creek, Western Australia where he lived with Joan, his second wife. From an early age I remember going with my Dad up the hill to Pop’s place. His garden seemed to go on for ever down the back of his large block. A haven for bees and birds, surrounded by trees, with little paths and a long turn around driveway. Over the last 18 years or so with Joan’s passing and Pop’s increasing age and declining mobility the garden enjoyed the heavy handed pruning of my father. This slowly removed all the plants that needed more tlc and made it more maintenance free for Pop. Not the explosion of colour that it once was.
Sitting out the back of Pop’s place and having coffee, chatting and doing little sneaky trips inside to raid his lollie jars that always had violet crumble squares… yum. Having to yell your comments because he didn’t have his hearing aid in… HEY POP, HOW ARE YOU?
Even up until my last visit a few weeks before he passed away, he was sharp witted and always had something to say. Sometimes you would get little gems of replies because he didn’t hear what you asked and would start his own conversations about something completely different… We just pretended that was what we asked and let him talk.
Recently we showed him old pictures of the Midland Railway Workshops on the internet. His ability to recall the names of the workers that worked in each department and telling us stories of how the machines ran was clear and with a recall I hope to retain in my old age… But ask him about the fines he got for street betting and he would get a huge grin on his face and go into the story of how he wasn’t the main ringleader… YER POP, SURE, sounds just like the stories my Dad tells.. Never the Ringleader!
Before he passed, he was surrounded by family at his bed side for the last few days. As he slept more and family gathered more to be with him at the end, the stories started getting passed around the room. Everyone had a funny little story of this mischievous devil. The one thing I got out of being there was that even with his life’s ups and downs, his family all loved him and cherished the memories made throughout his life.
“Through Good Times and Bad
Brady’s Stay Together”
