People Australia

Patrick Primrose, 194?

Australian war Memorial, P12424.023

Patrick Stephen Jocelyn O'Connell Primrose (1900-1968) bookkeeper, storekeeper and airman

Birth: 31 May 1900 or 25 August 1899 in Hong Kong, son of Spencer Philip Primrose (1866-1917) and Alice Rosamond Smith. Marriage: (1) 11 March 1938 in the Registrar General’s Office, Sydney, to Barbara Eaton Carnegie, stenographer. The Marriage was dissolved. (2) 6 April 1942 in St Michael and all Angels Anglican Church, New Farm, Queensland, to Nancy Gilbee Brown, a radiographer. They had two children. Death: 2 November 1968 at Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. 

• Educated in England and Belgium, and left school aged 14 to enter the Mercantile Marine.
• Enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service from 16 September 1917, transferred to Royal Air Force in April 1918. Relinquished commission on 1 September 1921.
• Four years rubber planting in Federated Malay States with Dunlop Plantations Ltd. Worked in Fiji with Vatukaisia Mining Co. Limited.
• Described himself as a prospector on his first marriage certificate.
• Transferred from the Reserve to active force in the Royal Australian Air Force on 23 September 1939. Served in the Middle East from November 1940 to March 1942. Served overseas again in July 1943 and September 1944.
• Served in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) from 11 December 1944 to 3 April 1945. As Wing Commander, was discharged at his own request on 23 July 1945.
• In 1949 opened a miniature golf course at Surfers Paradise, Queensland.