Lest We Forget.
Noel Arthur Pracy. Remembered this ANZAC day. My Fathers best mate. My Dad still talks of Noel, and will always be remembered by our family.
Onya Sapper! ❤
I am one of two proud daughters of Sapper Bryan J Ingram, who survived two tours of Vietnam. Love my Dad with all of my heart. (For the record, my Mum is super awesome as well).
Dedicated to all who have fought and died in all wars.
ANZAC Day 2013.
Ruby
Edit:
After posting this way back when, I sat down with my Dad and asked him to tell me a few stories about Noel. As he spoke I wrote scribbled down some notes, and here is a transcript:
Noel Pracy, at aged 13, was helping bread vendors deliver bread in and around Blacktown NSW. Bryan and Noel got to be friends as Noel was also delivering bread to Dagmar Cres which is where Bryan was living with his parents. Bryan remembers that the first song Noel could play on the guitar was Red River Rock, so after leaving school at 15 he started a band. Noel was lead guitar, John Volman Drummer, Tony Volman Bass and Gary Thompson Guitar.
Noel also worked for his brother in law Hans for a while, before Noel and Bryan decided to start a business as Gyprock fixers. Their first purchase was a 1946 Oldsmobile as their “company car”. They were in business for aprox 6 weeks until returning from a job one afternoon…they were driving through Laylor Park (not sure of the correct spelling) , past the school, when the steering wheel fell off and the car went through the school gate. Well eventually they did make it home that day, and after receiving the bill for the damage to the gate, they decided to put the business into liquidation.
Around one year later after going from job to job they decided that the Army sounded more permanent. Oct 1964, Noel headed off to Kapooka, closely followed by Bryan in January of 1965. Noel marched out in February as an Infantry man and Bryan marched out in April as an Engineer. Noel was posted to 5th Battalion in aprox June 1965 and Bryan was posted to 21 Construction in August 1965 at Puckapunyal.
In November ’65 Bryan was off to Borneo while Noel stayed to continue training to be ready for Veitnam, after completing training Noel left for Vietnam in May ’66. Bryan returned home in August 1966.
Noel went on R&R, one of the choices for R&R was Taipei Taiwan. This is where Noel died, officially from “Accidental Death”.
***So if you are reading this and you knew Noel and want to add a story or three, feel free to email me at sharon@rubycanoe.com
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