John W Lees

John W Lees was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, England, on the 23rd of September 1938, the son of Joe and Amelia Lees. He attended the Plodder Lane Primary School. At the age of 11, he moved over to Harper Green Secondary Modern School. Though not a brilliant scholar, he constantly improved until at 15, he secured an Apprenticeship in Sheet Metal Work, a trade that his father and his grandfather had made their occupation and living from. John wanted to join the Royal Marines at the tender age of 18; however, his father, Joe, persuaded him to complete his apprenticeship, first to gain the much-prized City & Guilds of London Diploma and with it, the Tradesman’s status. John did exactly as his father had requested. (Later on in life, he would value this advice.)

At the age of 21, he carried out his boyhood dream and joined the Royal Marines in 1960. Tough training would be encountered during his 11-month basic training, but John took to it like a duck to water. He would journey halfway around the world, serving in places such as East Africa, Muscat, Aden, Yemen, Karachi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Southeast Asia, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong, Perth, Normandy, Norway, Narvik and Budo. He was in 42 Commando RM to stop a war between Iraq and Kuwait during 1961-62. He travelled up the spine of Malaya ending at Grik on the Thai border in pursuit of the remaining communist terrorists. He was in 45 Cdo RM during the dissident uprising in Aden Protectorate during 1964-65, mainly in the Radfan Mountains near the Yemen Border.

John was married in 1963 in a whirlwind romance to Phyllis Wigston, formerly from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They have now been married for 55 years and have six children. John, Phyllis and family migrated to Australia in 1979. Having the qualifications as a tradesman, he quickly found work at de-Havilland constructing All Aluminum Coastal vessels for the Burmese Navy. Unfortunately in 2011, they lost Rachael to cancer, it was a great shock to Phyllis, who loved her so much. She also loves each and every one of her children. John has tried to tell his story in this book in an adventurous spirit and with love and passion.

“We’ll see you on the Beaches.”