Siegfried FISCHER

Story

Born in Stettin, Germany. Apprenticeship in Dessau/Anhalt 1943 Junkers Aircraft Factory from there into the War via Dresden bombings. Wounded 1 May 1945 (one week before the War ended). Reached the hospital in Magdeburg where I surrendered to American Forces who promised we were their prisoners. However, only 4 weeks later, the Russians arrived and put us into one of their Prison Camps in Furstenwalde near Berlin. We starved there (weighed 98 lbs) undernourished, and were released 6 months later. I trampled along by foot to Bavaria, South Germany finding my mother as a refugee at my grandpa’s house and reunited later with the rest of the family. They were lousy times, but we survived! I had to put on weight and did light work for some years as a waiter etc for the US Occupation Forces.

In Bavaria I met my girlfriend Lieselotte, and wanted to marry her when she fell pregnant, but was not given consent by the Court due to my age. So I was once again very bitter. We waited till our baby was born in Germany before I migrated to Venezuela, South America, to see if we could build a new future there. Lieselotte and our baby daughter joined me 10 months later in 1951, by then I had secured a job and sent for them. In 1953 we married in Venezuela and in 1954 we had a son, born in the Andes, Venezuela. We later moved to Maracaibo, where our 2nd daughter was born.

A few years later, 1957, we returned to Germany and tried to resettle there. My wife became pregnant again and our 3rd daughter was born in Germany in 1959. We had just made up our minds to leave Germany again to try our luck in Australia. This had to be delayed due to this birth because a child had to be 2 years old before it could board the Ship. So we left Germany in 1961 on the M.S. Castel Felice from Bremen to Melbourne, Australia and from there, by train to Bonegilla Migrant Camp. My wife and I were finished with life in Europe. We wanted to give our children a better future. Europe was involved in Wars of some sort every 25 years. Population density too drastic to build yourself up in your job or position. To earn money was too competitive. To ever own a house very problematic. My parents lost everything and we wanted our children to succeed and have a good education. In Australia this was possible, we all succeeded. We love Australia. We love the climate. We were even blessed with another child, our 2nd son born in Sydney in 1967. All our 5 children received a good education, all have their own homes and make me proud to be their father. Unfortunately my wife Lieselotte passed away 5 years ago in 2004. She worked just as hard to make this life of ours, in a new country, possible.

My personal thank you to Australia is as follows: I was employed as a Public Servant for 28 years as a Senior Technician for PMG Ð Postmaster Generals Dept during the time when the country converted from magnetic to automatic phone service. Firstly though I had to repeat my Technician exams, as qualifications I had attained in Germany were not recognised here. I joined the CMF for 5 years from 1962-1968 (during the time of the Vietnam War) in case I had to defend our country. I was discharged as a Corporal and received the Australian Defence Medal. I became a Justice of the Peace on 7.10.1980. I retired from Telecom voluntarily in 1989 and since then have kept on working as a Volunteer in many capacities in an effort to give something back to this land of opportunity. Eg. Honorary Park Ranger, Parramatta Council in 1994 for some years; on the Community Aid Panel (CAP, Parramatta Police) 22.7.95 for 5 years; as a teacher for AMES (Home Tutor Scheme for Migrants to learn English) from 1990-1995; as the President of the German Seniors Community Inc, Parramatta Group 1993-2006; Member of the National Seniors of Australia since 1992; Volunteer to take placebo or the real thing? for Fenofibrate Field Study (Diabetes) 1993 for over 8 years; and the Heart Research Honour Roll 2008 stated that I was one of its most generous supporters (Director’s Circle).

I love this country for the opportunity it has given my family, the chance to work hard and expand, to enjoy life and explore all that it has to offer. Just about anything you can do all around the world, you can do right here, from boating, fishing and BBQ’s to enjoying mountain views and snowfields. It certainly is the lucky country!

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