Russell Ray Watkins

  General Notes:

More photographs and document images held - available on request.
Copy of WW2 military record (incomplete) held.

War diary of Ray's batallion is recordrd in the book 'The Footsoldiers' by William Collins. The book is the story of the 2/33rd Australian Infantry battalion AIF in the War of 1939 - 1945. The book has a company photograph of Ray as well as sereval metions in the naration.

Ray has generously given permission for the publication of his memories of the 1939-1945 War. Click the AIF badge to view Ray's story.

Click here to view Ray's World War 2 memoirs.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Registered Birth, 31 Jan 1916, Kew, Vic., Australia. ⁴

• Military Service: Joined 2 AIF, 21 Oct 1939, Melbourne, Vic. Australia. ⁵

Russell married Thelma Jean Aston, daughter of Leslie Baynham Aston and Margaret Adams Robertson McNeil, on 15 Nov 1947 in Wesley Church, Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Vic., Australia. (Thelma Jean Aston was born on 17 Dec 1915 in Elsternwick, Vic., Australia, died on 28 Jul 1997 in Mildura, Vic. Australia and was buried in Lilydale Memorial Gardens, Vic., Australia.)

  Marriage Notes:

Ray and Thelma met in 1946 at a dance at the Railway Hall in the Railway Building at Flinders Street station , Melbourne. At the time Thelma was secr etary to the Manager of the State Electricity Commission. Ray remembered that dance night because the organiser of the dance announced that a 'baby' would be presented there for adoption. At 10pm the made the presentation - a little puppy.