Lieutenant Edward 'Ted' Frederick Byrne, NX58832, from the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Squadron at Bumbum in the Ramu Valley, New Guinea, 20 October 1943.
Born on 23 May 1921, to William and Edith Byrne in what was then bushland at Campsie in New South Wales, Ted was the seventh child of a seventh child - his mother - and looked upon this unusual circumstance as being lucky. He did well academically at school, and was a keen cricketer at his local Croyden Park Club where he won trophies as an all rounder.
Ted enlisted in July 1940, and at the time this photograph was taken, he been with the 2/7th since the Battle of Wau (New Guinea), in January-February 1943.
He was mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Military Cross for his 'skill and coolness' in patrolling, is 'great offensive spirit in the face of heavy casualities' and for trying to rescue wounded men.
Promoted to captain, Byrne was wounded in action during his second campaign in New Guinea on 12 January 1945.
After the War and his service in Malaya with the Royal Sussex Regiment to which he had been seconded, Ted returned to Australia and civilian life again.
He married his wartime sweetheart, Betty Reta Chamberlain, at Sydney in 1946 and they went on to have three children, Garry, Gail and Teddy. Although Ted and Betty later divorced they remained close and especially loved being together with their grandsons Christopher and Ted's beloved dog, Jason, and later with Luke.
Ted worked for some time at the stockbrokers Joseph Palmer and Sons. Ted set up his business as the Sydney agent for some of Melbourne's finest fashion manufacturers and built it up in Culwulla Chambers to being one of the most respected in Sydney.
Being a man who loved building, Ted built himself three homes before finding his "spot in life", a rugged steep block of land at Northbridge on Sailor's Bay. He then proceeded to build the home for his family which he continued to add to or change through the rest of his life. He spent his last years happily living on a property in the Northern Rivers of NSW where he still indulged his love of building.
Aged 96, after a long and full life, Ted Byrne passed away on the 8 August 2017
Text: Karl James &
http://www.26cavcommando.org.au/
Photographer: Norman Bradford Stuckey
Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial
Colour by Benjamin Thomas