Turning back the hands of time
Many years ago, a gold watch belonging to RAAF veteran Bernard Ryan was lost. This was a source of great sadness to Bernard and his wife Jessie because he’d bought the timepiece during the Second World War.
Bernard must have assumed he’d never see it again. But as it happens it come into the possession of Lionel Frankcombe, a Tasmanian watchmaker and veteran. When Lionel passed away, his son Ray, inherited it. Noticing Bernard’s name and service number engraved on the watch, Ray resolved to return it to its rightful owner.
He approached DVA. Megan Vasey in our Nominal Rolls section soon found that while sadly Bernard himself had passed away, his widow Jessie, who had served in the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) was still very much alive in a Gold Coast residential aged care home. So Ray posted the watch to us and, with the very kind cooperation of Jessie’s aged care home and her son Peter, DVA Deputy Secretary Stuart Smith AO DSC visited Jessie in late June and returned the watch to her.
Jessie is 97 and joined the Deputy Secretary in the main dining area in the presence of other staff from the facility. Such was her reaction to seeing the watch again, many staff were in tears. Stuart also took the opportunity to give her a mounted certificate acknowledging Mr Ryan’s service in the war.
‘Mrs Ryan was thrilled to see the watch again,’ says Deputy Secretary Smith. ‘It was obviously a poignant reminder of her late husband and a very specific time in their lives. I think she was touched that Mr Frankcombe had gone to the trouble of returning an object that was of huge sentimental value to Jessie.’
Bernard remained in the RAAF after the war, retiring in 1972 after more than 30 years of service.
‘Your records will show that Dad went on to become a Wing Commander at the time of his retirement,’ says Peter. ‘He was proud to have enjoyed a wonderfully rewarding career in the RAAF … During a posting to the UK from 1963–65, Dad was asked to represent the RAAF at a function at Buckingham Palace. I’m sure Mom [has] wonderful memories of the event as well as her chance to meet the late Queen Mother.’
Accompanying the watch was a note from Mr Frankcombe. It says, ‘It gives me great pleasure to return something belonging to you … My Dad would have been so proud of me and Megan [Vasey at DVA] for tracking Bernard’s belongings back to where they should be.’
Clockwise from below: Bernard and Jessie on their wedding day in 1946; Deputy Secretary Stuart Smith AO DSC returning the watch to Jessie Ryan; Jessie in her WRAAF uniform
