War buddies Tom Gummersall and Jim Rapley have been reunited at Hillview Bunyip Aged Care.By Sarah Thompson
Hillview Bunyip Aged Care residents Tom Gummersall and Jim Rapley may have only known each other for a few weeks but a lifetime of memories bond the two together.
Their paths first crossed during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, and a lifetime of near misses has finally brought the two together living happily in retirement.
Both men have differing memories of the war. Jim, originally from England, was a regimental major with England’s medical corps. He migrated to Australia in 1956 with his wife and son, and settled in numerous locations around Melbourne while he worked as chiropractor.
Tom, born and raised in Victoria, flew with the Australian Airforce during the war, before continuing an apprenticeship with The Age newspaper, where he worked for 45 years.
Incredibly the two lived for some time in the same town of Upwey and still they had never met.
“The good Lord directs your life to what’s happened,” says Jim of their remarkable fate, that has seen them brought together more then 60 years after World War II ended.
The two learnt of their uncanny coincidence through an article Tom wrote for the Hillview Standard.
After being asked by his family to recall his war time memories, Tom wrote 13 chapters of his recollections that are now being printed in the retirement village magazine.
It was the chapter on the Battle of the Bulge that Jim read soon after arriving at the village.
“Reading this article I thought hello. And when I finished he was sitting right next to me,” Jim said.
Despite their reminiscing about the battle, and their lives in the war, they both agree that they are not good memories.
“Tom and I talk together of the past but they’re not memories we relish,” Jim said.
Both suffered immense losses that they were reluctant to discuss.
“Tom lost over a third of his squadron.
“There were 210 in my unit, and 12 when we arrived in Egypt, but many of that number were injured,” Jim said.
Both are now happy at Hillview Bunyip Aged Care, where they say that the staff pay attention to the finest detail, and do everything to make their days happy.
“After the war years it’s like living in a fivestar hotel,” the two agree.
