Veteran Syd celebrates turning 100

World War 2 veteran Sydney Benton will celebrate his 100th birthday on October 11 surrounded by family and friends at his Glengara Village home at Tumbi Umbi.

Syd, who only gave up driving a year ago, frequently visits the village café, loves walking, is a member of the Friday coffee and chat group and has played the ukelele for many years.

“My brother, sister and I are very proud of our father,” his eldest son Michael Benton said.

“He has demonstrated a great work ethic all his life, remembered his time in the RAAF with passion and has delighted in his growing family of nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.”

Syd grew up in a coal mining community in Catherine Hill Bay where he attended Catherine Hill Bay Primary School and Swansea High School.

He remembers that during the Depression when there was very little money, children made their own fun.

He rode an old bike or walked five miles to and from school until he turned 16 and could get a job in the local mine with his father and two brothers.   

In 1942, after turning 18, he joined the RAAF where basic training began with bombing and gunnery school, where recruits were trained for air crew.

He worked in the aircraft salvage section and in 1943 was posted to Townsville, where he became a driver delivering mail to the docks.

In 1943 his group was sent to New Guinea as transport support to two bomber squadrons – Beaufort Bombers and Beaufort Fighters No.7 and 100 Squadrons.

They landed at Milne Bay and then onto Goodenough Island, a very small island at the southern tip of New Guinea.

They handled everything that came in from sea and air – people, food, drinks, petrol, spare parts and vehicles.

In 1945 Syd’s 18 months away came to an end and his posting home came through.

When he was discharged from the RAAF, his mother handed him a bank book with all the money he sent home to her.

Coal miners’ wives got very little money in those days, however, for three and a half years she saved the money for him.

After getting over the shock, he found he could buy a new car – a Ford Anglia for 450 pounds.

He then joined his brothers in their shop window display and signage business.

After the war, Syd married Norma in 1949 and had three children, Michael, Wendy and David.

Eventually, the couple set up their own display and signage businesses in Tamworth and later in Hobart.

They were a great team and worked side by side until they retired and relocated to Sydney in 1963 and later retired to Warners Bay where sadly, Norma passed away in 2000 aged 71.