WELCOME TO THE HOME
PAGE OF
HUGH WILLIAMS
"A Nasho"

THIS PAGE HAS BEEN GENEROUSLY DONATED BY FUTUREWEB

VISIT THE NATIONAL WEB SITE
of the
National Servicemen's Association of Australia
click here to access

As former President and founder of the Gold Coast Sub Branch, (1995-1998) and former National President (1998-2000) of the National Servicemen's Association of Australia, I have enjoyed the privilege of leading National Servicemen in various activities and functions. I represented the members both here and overseas.
The most important occasions of course were the ANZAC Day Marches. Nashos now march proudly throughout Australia behind their own banners each year..

My first 40 years were spent in Victoria, 22 of them with the Melbourne City Council Electricity Supply Department.
During these years I served as a  Part Time Digger in
The Royal Australian Engineers , (3 Field Engineer Regiment) as a Corporal, 
15th National Service Battalion,
Victorian Scottish Regiment (5th Battalion) and the
Royal Australian Signals ,(3 Divisional Signals Regiment) as a Corporal.
From 1970, I was a senior officer in the Australian Air League, a youth organisation, first as a Drill Instructor with the "Waverley Squadron" and later became the Commanding Officer of "Mayhew Wing". Eventually taking on the position of "Group Lt." looking after the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. I resigned in early 1976 to go to Darwin to help in the reconstruction after Cyclone Tracey.
In June 2003 I returned to the Australian Air League as their Victorian Group Public Relations Officer until illness took me over.
I worked with the Melbourne City Council Electricity Supply Dept, the Northern Territory Electricity Commission and the South West Queensland Electricity Board.

I returned to the Gold Coast in 1980 after spending 5 years in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. On the Gold Coast I worked at several small private enterprise jobs. In 1983 I made the move to Tara, a small rural town 300 kms west of Brisbane in Queensland to take over the responsibility of looking after the Electrical Distribution of power in an area of about 16,000 square Kilometres with a staff of only three.
In 1989 it was time to retire from this position and I returned to the Gold Coast to run a small Electrical Contracting business until my wife took ill and forced me into early retirement.

I was surprised to hear of a fledgling organisation called the National Servicemen's Association and realised I was one of them. I joined up only to find myself embroiled in the formation of the Gold Coast Sub Branch in 1995. The Sub Branch grew and before long we had about 200 members.
We knew the 50 year anniversary of the first call-up was due in July 2001 so the Gold Coast Sub Branch, took on the ambitious job of organising an Australian wide re-union. This they did with great success, somewhere between 3 to 5 thousand Nashos attended and took part in the huge march.
I was honoured to be on the Saluting Base with Lt. Gen. Peter Cosgrove, see the picture above.
In 1999 I was very proud to be nominated and receive the Commonwealth Recognition Award for Senior Australians.

In April and May 1999 I travelled to Turkey, France and London, explored the battle fields of World War One where my father had served and presented Nasho plaques to several French towns.
Villers Bretonneux on 6/5/1999,
Herleville on 7/5/1999 and
Fromelles on 9/5/1999.  It  was an experience I will never forget.

I was a member of the Queensland Naval Brigade and served as a Warrant Officer (Supply) in the Queensland Naval Brigade, Southport Volunteer Company.

I was very proud to have my son Graeme march with me and represent my father in the ANZAC march 2000.  It was a great thrill and new experience for me.

April 2001 there was another major step in my life as after 26 years 'Up North',  due to ill health, I returned to Victoria to be with my family. I am now the Newsletter Editor for the Monash Sub Branch of the Nashos here in Victoria.

In September 2002 I was made a Life Member of the Queensland Branch of the National Servicemen's Association.

December 2005, I was very proud of the fact that I had been asked to edit and compile the Newsletter for the "Rats of Tobruk Association" in Victoria.