In 1917, Jack Behan was a 21 year old single packer living in Brisbane Queensland. His father Patrick Joseph had already enlisted and was serving overseas. He stated that he had spent 4 years in the senior cadets and then 8 months with the District Guard at Brisbane. This was not his first attempt at enlisting having been rejected on account of a hernia, but with a father on active service, he may have felt compelled to try again.
While it would appear that during his period of military service he was neither wounded or ill, clearly his service would impact on his later life.
Following his discharge from the Army, Jack Behan worked for Greater Union Theatres and was the manager of Hobart’s Strand Theatre for six years during the period of the Second World War.
He was acknowledged for his enormous efforts to raise funds for the Australian War Comfort Fund on retirement from the theatre with an Austerity Dinner, put on for him by the Hobart Chamber of Commerce and was attended by many of Hobart’s leaders including the Lord Mayor Mr Soundy MHA.
Sadly late in life, Jack was admitted to the Royal Derwent Hospital at New Norfolk suffering from what would now be called Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. He passed away there on 10th August 1963 aged 66.
Jack did not have any children of his own, however he and his wife raised his niece Joan Brewster who married Roy Dobson of Hobart. Tragically she only survived him by three weeks leaving Roy and three children to mourn the loss of their mother and a much loved uncle.
Notes compiled by Jack’s great nephew Stephen Dobson
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