Back in April, several Association members enjoyed a delightful afternoon with the family and friends of veteran, Max Caldwell, when he celebrated his 100th birthday.
Dept of Veterans Affairs acknowledged Max’s centenary
Max enlisted in the Australian Army in May 1943 and served in the 2/14th Battalion, seeing action at Balikpapan, Borneo, during the Second World War. Back in 2010, Max returned to Balikpapan with the Battalion tour group, sharing many stories of his experiences with the rest of us.
After the war, Max was promoted to Corporal and guarded Japanese prisoners of war on Morotai, the island from which the Balikpapan attack force had launched.
In an interview with The Age for his centenary, Max said the best thing about his time in the Army was the opportunity to serve with fellow Australian soldiers. His advice to younger serving ADF members is ‘if you get to go overseas, use it as an opportunity to see and experience other countries.’
Max was discharged from the Army in November 1946 and returned to his pre-war job as a clerk at City Mutual. He had started in the mail room, later became an accountant, and retired as the deputy manager! He and wife, Betty, raised four children together, but sadly, Betty passed away last year.
The Battalion Association conferred life membership on Max back in 2018, in recognition of his commitment to representing the 2/14 Battalion Association as the veteran face of the Association over many years. During these events, many school students were thrilled to meet Max and were inspired by him.
Max has been a lifelong supporter of Collingwood, the Magpies, who presented Max with a black and white birthday cake for his 100th. Those of us with other allegiances forgive him for this lapse of judgement.
Elaine and Michael Ralston share a laugh with Max at his celebration.