Bacchus Marsh resident Ray Carlton was made a life member of the RSL. 88007 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By VANESSA VALENZUELA
RAY Carlton knows a thing or two about giving back to the community.
The 90-year-old World War II veteran was recently named a life member of the national RSL for his outstanding dedication and service to the League after being nominated by the Sunshine sub-branch.
Mr Carlton lived in Sunshine for more than 70 years before moving to Bacchus Marsh in August to live closer to his daughter.
At the age of 14, he left school to work for his father at the Sunshine Advocate as a linotype machine operator.
Mr Carlton enlisted in the service with his brother in 1941 and he served in the army for eight months before transferring to the air force where he trained as a navigator.
“We went and enlisted because we thought it was going to be a bloody great adventure,” Mr Carlton said.
The great-grandfather said he had been fortunate to work with a great crew of dedicated servicemen during his time in the air force.
“I had a great rapport with my crew. We were very strong and had to be because that unless you got on, you couldn’t operate,” he said.
After working in the air force for more than three years, Mr Carlton returned to work for his father at the printing press and became a member of the RSL in 1946.
Mr Carlton also became a founding member of the Sunshine Lions Club in 1953 but found it difficult to attend meetings so he joined the Sunshine Rotary Club instead when it started three years later and has been a member of the club ever since.
“It gave me the opportunity to make a difference. I wanted to make a positive influence on just one person’s life and make their life better and rotary has enabled me to do that,” he said.
“You’ve got to have compassion for those people who are less fortunate than you.”
