Tale of a WW2 Naval Sailor as told by someone who knew him well. Den was a sailor who served at sea with both the Royal Navy and the Royal Naval Patrol Service. He survived WW2 and lived a full life passing away in 2007 in Adelaide, South Australia. Far from the area of this tale. He was a hell of a man.
He lived 83 years and left a mark on this world in the people he touched and the things he accomplished. His war was, like so many others not marked with medals of valour but nevertheless took real courage to live. That courage he took with him throughout his life and in the months before his death he lost none of it. He faced the end to his life in the same manner he faced life itself.
When death came it was swift but I am sure his last breath was as brave as any. He had joked with his brother a few weeks before that a recent heart attack showed him there was just blackness after life and while in no hurry, it did not scare him
When he died, he wasted little time and as final gift to his community he gave his body to Adelaide University. This was to help future surgeons can hone their skills. Dennis was a child of the depression, a teenage warrior and a man of his times. He raised a family and taught them to give of themselves and Carol and Peter have done so in their own ways. He raised a family, protected and nurtured a mate and defended his community to the best of his ability. Above all else Dennis was a Man.