This is just an AI generated image of something like the scene that changed the lives of everyone in our family back in 1964. The car was actually a Morris 1100 and the innovation of front wheel drive, quite new in the 60s, and the inexperience of the driver coupled with inclement weather and poor road conditions were were all collectively assigned as the cause of the crash. And the surprise additonal contributing factor that I never knew of till now.

The DeMolay members go to visit a distant Lodge Meeting for fellowship

My brother Bob, being a year and a half older than me, which is a lot when you are just 15, was assigned to a different group for induction into the Order of DeMolay, the youth component of the Masonic Lodge that our father was a member of, although I never did know how involved he was. I don’t remember seeing much of Bob at those lodge meetings even though we were both at the same venue for the meetings.

It was no big deal then that the group of older boys was going to go on a visiting trip to another DeMolay lodge in Nambour and me being younger was not invited along. Nambour is a beautiful town about 140km drive to the north. I don’t remember the specific function that they were going to attend, but it was on a Saturday night, and Bob was going to catch a ride with two other guys from the local lodge, all of them were just 17 years of age but all were trusted to be sensible, responsible young men, so what could go wrong?

Sunday Morning when it all started

On the Sunday morning I was woken up by my father at around seven a.m., and he had such a serious look on his face that I just knew something really bad had happened. Then, with great difficulty, he said “Bob went up to Nambour last night with the lodge and has not come back home yet.” I felt like I had just been punched in the gut. The question “Is he dead?” went through my mind but I just couldn’t bring myself to ask it. I just sat there waiting for what was going to come next and braced for the worst.

I felt great relief when he then said “The police had called to tell us that last night he was in an accident on the way home, and is in the Royal Brisbane Hospital, and we are going to see him right now.” I didn't say it, but my first reaction was... "At least he is not dead, we can't fix dead, but we can help with injured."

I don’t think I said a word but just shot out of bed, was fully dressed within about one minute, and looked at Dad and said “Lets go.” Dad actually flashed a brief kinda worried smile and said “Okay.” I don’t know if he was thinking of taking me along for this first visit to see Bob in the hospital, and maybe that was because he knew that Bob was in a pretty bad way. But my reaction was such that he knew there was no way that I was not going to be there.

It is all just a fading memory, but here is the story

As I was pondering on the memory of this event in our lives I realized that I only had a memory of it from my viewpoint and that was probably missing a lot of the details. So I contacted Bob about it and discussed how I remembered all that happened and asked him if he would put the story in his words for me. On November 19, 2011 Bob emailed me back with his recounting of the events of that fateful night 47 years ago at that time. The following is his essay about that chapter in our lives...

Bob tells the story

"We travelled to Nambour and took part in the lodge meeting which was very respectful and quite good, and then had a few drinks at the hotel across the road. I remember that they were called "screwdrivers" and were a mix of vodka and orange juice. As there were 3 or 4 of us we took turns to shout and after I had had just two, I was full. Vodka has no taste or smell and it was just orange juice to me but I was full. Anyhow we had the whole round each and so I was really full. I did not feel any effects of the alcohol but as I was not used to it, it probably was a big effect even though I did not notice it. We started the drive home, with me in the back seat. The day was sunny but as the night came on it start to storm and heavy rain.

I was feeling drowsy (the drinks?) and so I lay down sideways in the back seat and was soon fast asleep. I remember it was pitch black outside so I was not missing much as we drove along on the narrow bitumen road back to Brisbane."

Waking up under a fence

"The next thing I remember was waking up under a fence. It was an old 3 strand wire fence - I am not sure if it was barbed wire or straight wire but it was an old fence nearly falling down.

Anyway I thought that the boys I was with were playing a trick on me and had put me under the fence while I was sleeping. The rascals. The problem was that I was in my best (one and only) suit and it was raining softly and the ground was probably muddy and so I was a bit annoyed that they had put me under the fence in my good suit and so I called out to them to come and get me out from under the fence. Then I saw the face of a man who was (I think) a road construction worker from a nearby camp by the way he was dressed. He looked at me as if I was waking up from the dead and in ever so gently terms he said "Just lie still. You will be OK." I thought he was being dramatic and a bit silly. He was a stranger and I started to look for others but I could not raise my head up off the ground to look around and I could not move or get up. I could not see my feet but I knew my legs were kind of one on top of the other. I felt no pain, but seeing this guy with a totally white face scared me a little as I had no idea what was going on. I did not know we had had an accident and that the car was nearby and the others were somewhere - I think getting help.

I had blood caked down my face from a deep cut on my forehead and so I later realised I must have looked a sight."

Ambulance dash

"I drifted off back to sleep as I was still drowsy and the next thing was I woke up in an ambulance travelling to Brisbane fast. Every bump on the road caused a lot of pain in my back and it was not good and I even asked the driver to slow down a bit. I think it made him go faster because I am not sure they had a live or dead person on board. I must have looked bad. But the pain in my back was bad.

At the hospital I was rushed in and given immediate attention as I guess they were fore warned I was coming. I did not want to make such a fuss and I felt I was being a problem to everyone. But one thing came clear. I desperately had to take a leak. (Apparently with spinal damage this is normal). Anyway I remember asking the nurse for something. I actually sat up in desperation and I remember sitting up on this trolley in the side of the corridor with my back straight as an arrow. No pain, just needing to go for a leak. The nurse brought some thing and I relaxed and woke up in the rota-bed next day."

A rota-bed used to flip patients with spinal injuries from face up to face down. When face up you get a top bed part with a hole for your face clamped on top, then a quick flip and you were lying face down. Patients are flipped every 4 hours or so to avoid developing bed ulcers and also allow bed washing and bodily hygene.

The list of injuries was grim

"Then it was explained to me by doctors and nurses what my injuries were and it was not good. I waited for ages for you to come in - I had been told you were all outside waiting to come in (I think). Then I saw Mother's face in shock as she first saw me and I felt really bad that I would cause anyone so much sorrow. I could not bear to look at Dad. I know how he was. I know how loved me totally. I think even now how wonderful it is that you all made it every night to drive down from Ipswich to see me. I love you all."

The memories

"Anyhow it was huge experience. I remember I was operated on and I remember the guy in the rota bed next to me who went under a tree on a horse and did not see a large branch and so damaged his spine. He had a similar operation and mine. The doctor for me was Dr Pozzi and many people are having a better life now because of his skill. He has passed on now and I remember going to see his brother in Chermside for something else years later and his brother was also a doctor but not in the same class and the one who operated on me.

"Eventually I was sent to Chermside hospital in a spiker cast and had to learn to use crutches and do some therapy such as walking over steps etc. I was told that if I can walk up over the stairs in one go I can go home. I jumped up, did it in one go, and the arrangements were made for me to go home. Wow! I remember Dad ever so carefully helping me into the front seat of the car - there was not enough room in the back when you are stiff and straight out in a plaster cast. He was ever so careful and wonderful. he ignored all people looking at me lying back like a king or something because I could not sit up. Dad was terrific. I loved him then and I love him now."

How thankful we are that it ended almost as if it never happened

That really does bring back so many memories for me also and recalling it all now, it just does not seem like that long ago. I remember especially the effect on dad, how he reacted and coped with many of the situations that came up.

I do remember, one evening when we were coming home from the hospital..... maybe the first night?... that he said to mum, I guess, but maybe to no one in particular, that it pained him so much to see you there like that. He said that it was impossible, but if he could change places with you and bear the pain for you, he wished he could do that. He was some guy, and I still feel sadness that he passed on before I really got to actually know him man to man.

Really interesting also.... until I read this account by your hand, I never knew that there was any alcohol involved on the day of the accident. I thought that the lodge guys were not really into having drinks, especially since we were all so young and it was a 21 years drinking age back then. I started to get into that lodge a bit, and was really in awe of those guys who put up such a great front of being righteous men of the community. Then I heard them outside later, talking and bragging of the really smutty things that they did, and realized that they were not such great guys after all, and many of them were just louts in suits playing a game. I never attended another lodge meeting again, and dad never pressed me to do so.

Living with that spiker cast

I do remember about your coming home with that body cast on, chest to hips and then ran down your left leg to the knee. I remember how awkward it was and how quickly you figured out lots of ways of doing things in spite of the cast. In particular, much to the worry of our parents, you figured out how to sit on the Vespa motor scooter, and go touring around. Dad said he couldn't figure how you could stand the vibration of the motor through the cast, but I don't remember him actually trying to stop you, as much as mum wanted him to. I don't think he could have and he sure was not going to come into having a confrontation with you about it.

You also went off and climbed Pine Mountain while still wearing the cast. When you went off to do that, mum was flat out going to forbid it, but dad, in his usual wisdom, knew that you were not showing off to anyone, or just taking stupid risks (although maybe it was a pretty crazy risk given that a fall would have been even more disastrous than the first accident), but that you were actually out to prove to yourself that you were still as good as ever you were no matter of this thing happening. He gently explained to mum why you were doing it, why you had to do it, and mum finally had to grudgingly stay out of the discussion. Dad was righ, and you were fine, so it all worked out okay much the amazement of many people. I do have to say though, we were all very relieved when you returned from that little excursion without further damage. You had conquered more than the mountain that day, and we all shared in your victory to some extent.

EPILOGUE

I guess most people might read this story now and say that it is not so unusual. Young guy goes out with a group, all inexperienced, tempted into a few drinks (what harm could it do?) then pile into the car and get home, weather is looking bad. (What could possibly go wrong?).

But it happened to us. It happened to me, my only brother, and how it shattered our parents emotionally for so long. The story fades so gets an entry into the "Bits of my Dash", the only place that it is rememered and recorded for the future.