Lester After the Second World War

This is the type of glass Lily Canet saw and, liking the name Ulva, called her firstborn son by that name. Lily, a teetotaller, did not realise the letters stood for United Licensed Victualler's Association

Lester, Tom and Diana during a holiday to Tasmania.

Lester's sister Valerie with her sons, John and Ivan, and with nephew Dale in front.

Tom took this photograph of Lester, Diana and Merl on the boat ride to Tasmania. No signs of holiday happiness due to incipient sea-sickness.

Lester, Diana and Tom on the way to Tasmania.

Lester in Tallygaroopna

Lester in Shepparton

Melbourne

Peace

On 13 April 1946 Lester moved, with the Meat Control Accounts Section, to the 7th Floor, 401 Little Collins Street. He continued to have close ties with his sisters and made regular visits to Tallygaroopna where he noted the continuing physical and mental decline of his mother and father, the increasing chaos in the house, and the general state of disrepair.

In July that year Lester received a letter from the Central Repository Kit Store, West Melbourne, to tell him the personal effects of his brother Flying Officer Ulva Neil Dudley were being forwarded to him. After they arrived he unpacked the suitcase, made a careful inventory and sent the items to his parents. The family never ceased to hope Ulva would be found. Fifty-five years after his disappearance Lester still pondered that perhaps he was alive somewhere.

A Kittyhawk similar to that flown by Ulva. For the last few months of his life he was based at Milne Bay in New Guinea.

Lester continued his visits to the cinema and theatre, continued with his criticisms and fiction writing, and became increasingly saddened by repeated rejections of his short stories. He was mortally embarrassed by the thought Mrs Niddrie, his landlady, might see an envelope with the name of a magazine on it and become aware he had been rejected.

In 1947 he spent time at Clematis where Merl and Tom had bought a block of land and built a small house. The ground was hilly, uneven and rocky, but Lester roamed at will on his crutches. Close by was a paddock filled with daffodils run wild, a glorious sight. He also travelled to Tasmania with Merl, Tom and the toddler Diana, and there are a few mentions of problems with stairs.

On 1 August 1947 he was admitted as an Associate to the Chartered Institute of Secretaries, member number 28266. Although he mentioned exams in passing he never wrote of his successes in his diary and he often passed 6 June each year with never a mention of his birthday. He continually ignored his personal successes while always commenting on his supposed failures. He often mentioned specific anniversaries including the date Ulva went missing, the day he caught polio, and the date he went to Melbourne to be hospitalised. Return to Top

Notes

The diaries tail off in December 1949 although he continued with a bird diary from 12 June 1951 to 10 January 1958. There is a gap of some twenty years and then he writes an overseas diary for the first part of 1979. In April 1980 he once again wrote daily diary entries and he continued this until June 1999, the year before his death.

By 1950 Lester was working for the Repatriation Department and remained in that section until his retirement. Numerous aunts and uncles on both sides of his family died and in April 1950 Lester’s father, Charlie, died following a long illness, he had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for many years.

On 1 January 1953 Lester was admitted as an Associate of the Australian Society of Accountants, member number 1496.

There were many events which happened during the missing years. His sister, Valerie, married George Carnegie, always called Doug, whose brother, Ivan, had been killed during the war. They lived in Shepparton and had three children, Judy born April 13 1952, John born May 7 1953, and Ivan born October 8 1954. Merl and Tom had a son, Dale, born March 27, 1952. Lester now had seven nieces and nephews and was always a part of their lives.

Lily becomes Demented

As his mother descended further into dementia, the family affliction, she was taken to live with her three daughters. She would spend several weeks with Merlyn and Tom in Melbourne then Lester, driving a specially equipped car, would take her to stay with Daisy in Wunghnu. After a few more weeks she would be taken to Valerie and Doug in Shepparton. Lily didn’t recognise any of her children nor her grandchildren, her memories were all of her youth. Return to Top

In 1955 Lester took Diana to her first live theatre performance, the Borovansky Ballet production of Nutcracker Suite with Peggy Sager. During the following eight years he took her to see performances by the Kirov Ballet, Maly, New York City Ballet, the Royal Ballet and to every season of the Australian Ballet.

Deaths

On July 8, 1955 Lester, driving his Hillman Minx, collected Lily from Merl’s and began the long drive north. Near Seymour he began to overtake a truck which pulled out to overtake the truck in front catapulting Lester’s car into a tree. Lily was thrown through the windscreen and died instantly. Lester was in hospital in Melbourne for many months. His right/left leg was amputated and although he was offered a prosthesis he declined. He spent weeks recuperating with Merl and Tom before returning to work. He never drove again but returned to train travel for his numerous holidays at Wunghnu with Daisy.

Lester’s nephew, Maurice, married Betty Graham, and their first child, Suzanne Joy Roughsedge, was born. Sidney married Doris Latham on November 24 1956 and their first child, also a daughter, Janet Kaye Roughsedge, was born two years later. Return to Top

Diana with mother Merl, cousins Maurice and Betty, and with brother Dale in front.

Lester thought frequently of his brother Ulva but the tragedy which really touched him was the death of Suzanne Joy, on January 18 1959, aged 9 months. He found it difficult to come to terms with such a young death and it was the turning point for him, his dislike of organised religion intensified and he turned his back on any thoughts of the existence of God.

Veteran's Affairs

Lester remained with Veteran's Affairs in Melbourne, in the position of Internal Auditor, until his retirement in 1981 when he turned 60. He spent 19 active years of retirement during which he undertook many Council of Adult Education classes ranging from poetry and literature to travel and art. He was so knowledgeable that, after his death, many of his tutors said he could have run the classes. Following his death his tutors and fellow students banded together and bought a number of books, in his name, which were placed in the CAE library in Melbourne. Lester read widely, gardened, attended dozens of plays, concerts and ballets and was in constant contact with family, friends and former workmates. With the help of three friends he travelled extensively overseas for almost six months visiting major art galleries and places of interest. Return to Top

Tom Mann, waiting to win from a five shilling bet. Lester and his brother-in-law, Tom, had a close relationship for many years. Photograph by Dale Mann.

The diaries I have made into .pdfs are the edited version of 4000 closely written pages. The editing took me three years on and off, quite often an emotional time. I have edited his overseas diary and the first few years of the 80's but have a further 8000 pages to go to the end in July 1999, the year before Lester died. As I am now working and also completing a university degree, it is likely the editing process will not be completed for quite some years yet. When I update this website next, probably in two years time, I will have more edited diary entries to add. I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Lester Dudley. I am so very glad he was part of my life - Diana.

Lester's gravestone, his brother Ulva has a commemoration plaque above

If you would like to read the next section of Lester's diaries please click here They include ordinary daily diary entries from October 1 1945 to December 31 1949; bird diary entries from July 12 1951 to 10 January 1958 and a pictorial diary with sparse notes which covers the period 29 December 1975 to December 1976.

If you would like to comment on any of Lester's diaries or life I would love to hear from you. Return to Top