116 April• 2018
PARTISAN PROMISE
he suffered from PTSD. He tells me
about a time on a train to Melbourne
when he attacked a man who had
tried to scrounge the last of his to-
bacco. It took four other men to re-
strain him. He was also plagued by
nightmares and one time woke to ind
himself trying to throttle his beloved
wife, Edna May.
Puks wrote to Ern several times
and was interested in emigrating to
Australia, but Puks was a commu-
nist, so the authorities kept an eye
on the letters Ern received, placing
him under surveillance for six years.
Anti-communist sentiment was strong
at the time. When Ern discovered his
movements were being monitored, he
was outraged but realised it was safer
to end their correspondence.A PROMISE FULFILLED
Ever aware of my promise, I call the
Australian War Memorial in Canberra
to ask about donating the cap to its
collection. hey are keenly interested
in Ern’s story – and the rare artefact –
so decide to ly Ern and Lizzie to Can-
berra and appropriately recognise his
donation.Below: Sergeant Ernest Brough presents the cap to Brendan Nelson, the director
of the Australian War Memorial. Right: Ern with young Australian soldiersPHOTOS: AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL