‘‘All my mates were doing it,’’ he said. 

‘‘I thought I might as well, too. 

‘‘I figured it was better than sitting on a tractor all day and getting no money.’’

Bob said his training took place at the region’s watering holes, a depot at Natimuk and further afield at Bendigo, Hamilton, Coleraine and Geelong.

Bob was stationed at the Winnellie camp in Darwin and attached to the 19th Machine Gunners on February 17, 1942.

‘‘I was silly enough to go,’’ he said.

He had no idea what was in store.

Two days later, at 9.58am, Darwin was devastated by an attack of Japanese aircraft.

It was the first attack on Australia by enemy forces. 

Bob said he remembered the day Darwin was bombed. 

‘‘Darwin was a pretty nice place until the Japs messed it up,’’ he said.

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The administration of the day said 243 people were killed, but the Army estimated the number could be as high as 1100.

The raids continued from February until November 12, 1943. 

Bob’s nephew David Sudholz – an active Warrant Officer Class 2 in the Army Reserve – said Bob and the 19th machine-gunners were tasked with coastal defence.

‘‘There were quite a few blokes from Nati up there,’’ he said. 

‘‘The squads were situated at vantage points around Darwin harbour. 

‘‘Bob’s job was to pass messages between the soldiers at the different beaches. He was well known by the others as ‘the man who could get you things’.’’

Bob transferred to the Northern Territory ambulance train on July 6, 1943.

He discharged from the Army on March 23, 1944 and returned to farming in the Wimmera. 

‘‘Bob has been back to Darwin a couple of times, including the big commemoration for the 50th anniversary in the ’90s,’’ David said.

‘‘A number of people from the Wimmera came up for that.’’ 

David said Bob, 94, lived at Stawell for most of his life. 

He now lives at the Natimuk Nursing Home with his brother Peter, ‘after outliving his friends’.

David returns to Darwin today to join his unit at Larrakeyah Barracks. 

He said his family’s link to Darwin was strong and that he appreciated the opportunity to pay tribute to the Darwin Defenders each year. 

David and Bob attended yesterday’s service at Horsham College. 

‘‘As it is every year, the service was well put together,’’ he said. 

‘‘It was well attended by students and members of the public and the guest speaker was very informative.’’

David led a short wreath-laying ceremony at the college’s Lone Pine following the main service.