Frederic N. Bird

Story

As a child Eric (b.1910), second son of John F and Alice Bird, was talented and difficult: he dominated his elder brother, was ‘a handful’ for his mother and, at 13, won the open chess championship during his family\’s 1923 migration voyage. On their Bass farm, with good food, physical work and sport, he had a late growth spurt, became 1.83m and 95 kilos, strong and fit. Although angered by his father\’s decision to leave farming, from 1933 to 1940 he worked at ‘Rookery Nook’ guest house/hotel, Wye River as part-time barman and builder of guest cottages.

On September 9th 1940, Eric, hoping to fight for Britain, enlisted in the RAAF. To qualify for pilot training, he reduced his age by four years. Before he applied, he studied the necessary Maths. Unable to land well, he failed to become a pilot and converted to Navigator/Bomb Aimer. In August 1941, in Malaya he joined Sq. 36 of the RAF, flying Wildebeest Torpedo Bombers. With RAF Sq. 100, ninety-five British, NZ and Australian aircrew began WW2 in the Pacific flying biplanes with open cockpits; their speed, 99 m.p.h. their range only 180 nautical miles; pitted against the modern Japanese ships and Zero fighters, some called them ‘flying coffins’.

The Japanese commenced their assault on December 8th 1941. John Gorton, then a fighter pilot, reported that by the end of February 1942 there were only seven of the 95 alive, and they were in Java trying to escape capture or death. In Singapore the Japanese captured 130,000 POW. Eric was sick and had been flown to Java. Another 4,600 Allied POW\’s were taken in Java yet Eric lucked a hospital ship to Fremantle, arriving on March 2nd. His 95 kilos had dropped away to 57. Of his last sortie in Malaya, he said: ‘nine Wildebeest went out and two came backÉ’

After he recovered, his contribution was to instruct in Navigation and Bomb Aiming, with periods of risky service to expand his skills. In New Guinea the Hudson squadron he joined was in the mountains making food drops to the troops from 300 feet up. He had to ready the sacks and heave them out the open door. Eric also experienced bombing Japanese occupied and heavily defended Rabaul. Following the principle ‘Don\’t do what you did yesterday’, their casualties were not as great as the US crews who followed the same route each day. Besides luck, Eric attributed his survival to assessing his own risks and going against the ‘dominant mind set’.

Eric did not marry. Two women he befriended during the war years died, one killed in action the other in an accident. Post war, appalled by his war experience, he would not father children.

He returned to Rookery Nook in late 1945. Hating drunkenness, he did not relish the role of Barman. With Alice, he set about returning to dairy farming. By November 1947 they had bought a 31 ha farm at Pakenham Upper. Then Alice\’s early death threw him into despair. John announced to Doreen they would form a partnership to use the two properties together and Eric would share Graham\’s bedroom.

Combined with John\’s policy of good stock, well fed, Eric\’s dairy industry overview, ‘expect the terms of trade to deteriorate: not improving is therefore going backwards’, his capital and his skills with machinery, ensured the farms prospered. In 1953 the two Pakenham farms were replaced by a 43 ha fertile property at Jindivick. In 1962 a fertilizer company presented a model of this farm and their methods at the Victorian Royal Show.

Eric became chair of a farmer\’s organization until he negotiated an amalgamation with another. The enlarged Victorian Dairy-farmers Association was then lead for 10 years by Mr. Bill Pyle who greatly valued Eric as a mentor re leadership and rotational grazing.

In 1967 the partnership was forced to move when their farm was resumed for the Tarago River Dam. At Labertouche, they bought an 80 ha farm and increased their milking herd from 70 to 120. While the forced change was resented, the effect was to improve their finances, preparing the way, if healthy, for a comfortable retirement .

They retired to Warragul in early 1977. By mid-year Eric was diagnosed with an inoperable stomach cancer, which may have arisen from drenching in herbicides related to Agent Orange. He died painfully in September that year.

Our loved, overÐdominating, war-damaged Uncle Eric\’s legacy included inspiration and drive when engaged in projects, with an erratic ability to ‘step outside the frame’.

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