Harry Allie was born in Charters Towers in Queensland. Harry’s two uncles served in World War 2 and his aunty served in the Women’s Land Army. Growing up very proud of his family’s history of service, there was always a good chance he too would join up one day and in 1966 Harry and his younger brother David both signed up in Townsville – Harry joined the Air force and David joined the Army and fought in Vietnam. Harry’s Air Force training in Adelaide was hard and he was then posted to Sale in Victoria where he worked in supply and logistics for about six years, and it was here that he met and married his wife Bev. Harry was posted to Amberley Air Base in 1971, and in 1973 he worked in the USA on the testing and procurement of the F1-11 fighter jet. Before leaving the Air Force after some 23 years of service, Harry had many further domestic and international postings including to Butterworth Air Base in Malaysia in the mid 1980s. In this interview, Harry also talks about his life and work after the Air Force, including with ATSIC.

• Listen to Harry’s interview in Sydney;
• Return to the Sydney Yarn Up page.