AustLit

Fred Mallard was told by his parents that his grandfather was a convict sent to Australia from England. His mother's father was also a convict sent to Australia. After Fred was married he had seven sons and two daughters. At the begging of the Second World War, Fred attempted to enlist in the army and was rejected. As the war continued and Australia's enlistment dropped, Fred was accepted and transported to British North Borneo for eight months of service. He fought Japanese soldiers in the jungle. Fred had five brothers who served in the war and one of them died in New Guinea. Fred's experiences during the war made him feel that no conditions could be worse when he returned to work shearing and bullocking.