I am very grateful to Jim Beech for the following, written in June 2004:
Bert was my sister Olive’s boy friend, and together with his best mate from schooldays Jack Sidley, they were always together as a threesome and they all shared a love of motor bikes. Jack had a bad leg injury which kept him out of the services, and when Bert joined the Navy at Ganges Olive and Jack were very upset to say the least. Bert loved the service though, I believe he was button boy when the mast was dressed. After he was killed, Olive and Jack comforted each other and eventually married. My sister died almost six years ago, and sadly she won’t see any of this, but Jack at 81 is still plodding on, and very often reminisces about Bert and the old days.