LETTER TO THE EDITOR 39 years since Ash Wednesday

Memories 39 years on since Ash Wednesday. 157262_03

On Wednesday 16 February it will be exactly 39 years since the Ash Wednesday fires.

I was called to bring the bus out to Coorinda School Camp that night to help evacuate the Bayswater South Primary School children to the Gembrook oval.

The camp was owned by Chris and Gwen Wale.

When I arrived, Gwen had the teachers and children ready to board the bus, each with their pillows.

Gwen counted the children on the bus to see they had the right number of children and stayed with us when we got to the oval.

The kids all fell asleep on the bus that night.

The next morning at around 8am Gwen got the children and teachers out of the bus for breakfast, a play and a stretch.

When we left the oval to go back to their school, Gwen was still with us.

When we arrived back at the school, Gwen counted them all again and made sure every child’s parent was there to pick them up.

The parents all thanked the both of us.

The teachers, parents and myself reckon she was some sort of an angel.

Writing this there was tears in my eyes.

Vale Gwen Wale 21.2.22.

Norm Smith,

US bus driver

Gembrook