Whitcher, Theodore “Joe” NX79765
NX79765 Theodore Felix “Joe” Whitcher never forgot the years of the Great Dpresion. Like many children his age he left school at the age of 14 to help support his family. He was lucky enough to get a job as a telegram boy with the P.M.G. in central Sydney.
Although born in Sutherland on November 20, 1922, he did his brief secondary schooling at St Mary’s Cathedral School, where he was also an altar boy.
Before enlisting in the Army he worked for a short time on a poultry farm owned by his sister, Dolly. Joe was 19 when he volunteered in December, 1941, two weeks after Pearl Harbour.
He served in Papua, New Guinea and Borneo. Joe wasn’t discharged until November, 1948.
He was stationed for a time at the Proof Range, a weapons and ammunition testing centre at Fern Bay, in Newcastle. While working there he met his wife, Thelma, on a blind date. They had four children.
Joe Whitcher.
As well as being lucky to survive in battle he survived malaria and the potentially deadly scrub typhus, although recurring attacks of malaria made the early years of marriage difficult for Thelma. Joe had to make frequent visits to Concord Hospital, leaving Thelma with two small children to look after.
One of Joe’s duties at Fern Bay was to supervise Italian prisoners who were still in Australia when the war ended.
Joe Whitcher – 1941.
After moving from Fern Bay he and Thelma lived at Stockton for 63 years.
As well as getting the treatment he needed the other positive of Joe’s regular visits to hospital was that he learnt basket-making as part of his rehabilitation, and spent countless hours in a shed at the back of his home making shopping and clothes baskets for women, and prawn baskets for local fishermen. The baskets were of such high quality, many were still being used 50 years after he made them.
Fishing was his favourite hobby, one he shared with Thelma. Joe also ran the Stockton RSL table tennis competition for more than 30 years, for which he was granted life membership of the Stockton RSL.
Joe died in July, 2014. At his funeral his daughter Christine shared one of her fondest memories of her father.
It was during an Anzac Day dawn service in Sydney which Joe attended most years. Christine, remembered the year a little girl came up and asked Joe if he had fought in the war.
When he replied “yes” the child presented him with a bunch of flowers, saying: “Thank you for being so brave and fighting for our country.”
“This gesture made me realise what a hero dad was,” Christine said Joe laid the flowers on the Cenotaph in honour of all his mates, saying a quiet prayer and ending with “Rest in