The Rose Connection

The Rose Connection

This month’s STAR STORY comes from Australia, from Colin Rose, who has managed to trace none other than his former wife through the site!

Colin, now 64, explains:

“Anne and I met at a dance at RAF Spitalgate (near Grantham); she was a nursing sister and I was stationed at RAF College Cranwell as an electrician, this was in the early 60s.

I was 20 and very shy so I was amazed that she accepted me. Shortly after we became engaged but within a couple of months I was posted to Borneo on active service in the Indonesian Confrontation episode for some 13 months.

Anne and I corresponded at least daily and eventually I was posted to RAAF Butterworth in Malaysia. Anne joined me and we were married in Penang.

Then in the late 60s I was posted to Limassol in Cyprus with the Air Sea Rescue unit when tensions were present and UN peace keepers were on the ground.

We migrated to Australia in 1970 and I joined the NSW Police Department but I left after a couple of years. It was also around this time that Anne and I divorced.

I then became a Training/Management Consultant. I spent a little time at Stanford University and with NASA helping to develop their staff training, before returning to Australia to set up a Consulting Practice.

I am now in semi retirement and to keep my mind active I make jewellery boxes out of Tasmanian timbers.

Anne resides in Tamworth NSW and I in Tasmania which is the most southern state in Australia.

I Joined WRM about 18 months ago and was amazed when a couple of months ago Anne contacted me. After some 35 years you can imagine the history to be explored!

I'm now 64 and am planning a trip to Tawau in East Borneo to reconnect with the people we tried to protect from the Indonesian Confrontation in the mid 60s.

Isn't the internet wonderful? Thank you to WRM for providing the connecting tools!”