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Bertram Francis Castellari
1923 - 2024
‘Bert’, as he liked to be known as, was born on the 27th of December 1923, in the city of London. At some point in his childhood, he and his family migrated to Australia where they would make a life for themselves. When war broke out, Bert was still only a teenager, so in January 1942, he enlisted into the Citizens Military Forces (CMF - Militia) until he was old enough to join the regular army. He spent most of his time in the CMF posted to the 1st Australian Armoured Training Battalion.
On the 28th of June 1942, now 19 and a half years old, Bert transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF – Regular Army) and would find himself posted to the famous 1st Australian Armoured Regiment (NSW Lancers). With his new unit, Bert excelled at his duties and was even given a trial run to become an instructor. By early 1943, now a corporal, Bert was offered a position as an instructor at the army school in Liverpool NSW. However, wishing to remain with his own unit and see combat, he declined the offer.
In August 1943, the regiment moved to Milne Bay and then prepared to take part in the 9th Divisions landings at Lae. Supporting the Lae campaign, the unit distinguished itself well. During the campaign, for reasons not entirely known, Bert requested to be reverted to the rank of Trooper. He would serve the remainder of the war at this rank. A personal anecdote from this time described Bert resting in a makeshift hammock outside his tank, when another crewmember somehow detonated a round whilst cleaning. The crew member was badly wounded and the incident left Bert shaken.
In June 1944, the Regiment returned to Australia. They refitted and retrained before moving to Morotai in preparation to take part in the Balikpapan landings. Bert went ashore on the 1st of July 1945. There were three tanks in his section and his was the only one to make it ashore undamaged by enemy fire. Following the battle, the war soon came to a close. As the 1st Armoured regiment prepared to embark for home, Bert instead volunteered for service in Japan and transferred into the newly formed 65th Battalion.
Bert (Third from right) mounted atop a captured Japanese tankette on Balikpapan, 1945 - AWM Collection
He arrived in Kure, Japan on the 13th of April 1946. Not much is known about his time in the occupation force, though the 65th largely provided a military police force for the prefecture of Hiroshima. At one stage he was admitted to hospital with a bout of malaria, though otherwise little of note seems to have occurred. He returned to Australia in February 1947 and was discharged shortly after.
After the war, Bert pursued his passion for writing and became a journalist for the Sydney Daily Telegraph. He developed a keen interest in politics and was rather left leaning, even possibly holding some communist sympathies. In April 1954, he was sent to Korea where he served as a war correspondent for the Daily Telegraph until August that same year.
“Castellari travelled with the Public Relations unit of the 28th British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade; his first story was about himself, surviving a plane crash in "a remote guerilla infested area in south-west Korea". Other reports included "Morals Mean Little in Korea"; "Pusan - City of Creeping Death"; and feel-good stories about the Australians, "They're Ready in Korea - Hard Training, Playing, Sustaining morale".” – Australian War Memorial Canberra
In his later years, Bert maintained his interest in politics, even writing a book on the matter titled “Forged in Fire”. He was also an avid fan of Sci-fi and regularly contributed articles on the matter. Lastly, he remained a NSW Lancer throughout his life, writing articles, volunteering and contributing significantly to the memory of the Units WW2 History. Bert passed away in 2024 at the age of 101. He was the last Lancer of the war.
Bert (Left) as a war correspondent in Korea, 1954 - AWM Collection
Bert in his home on his 100th birthday, receiving a plaque from two current NSW Lancers.
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