Paul Lavallee wanted to do his country proud in WWII, just like his father Leon did during World War I for the French army.
Initially his family told him not to enlist, his father arguing they were of French background so the new war had "nothing to do with them".
It was when the Germans invaded France in 1940 that Mr Lavallee finally got his dad’s blessing to enrol in the Australian Infantry Force age 23.
He and best friend Norm enlisted together, and were packed off on the Queen Mary bound for Egypt. It was there he was captured by the Germans and held as a prisoner of war.
Mr Lavallee now 98, grew up in Hurstville and lived for 40 years with his wife of 60 years Doreen, of Penshurst, and their children at Sylvania. They also spent time living on a farm in the 70s.
They now live at Anglicare Chesalon at Woonona.
Despite the hardships he must have endured - especially being away from his beloved for so many years - he still recalls many of his wartime memories with a smile.
"Word came through that I’d been promoted to corporal, but it was never confirmed because I never got back to Tobruk. [Field Marshal Erwin] Rommel caught me, and I became a POW. But I always consider myself a corporal," he said.
"[Rommel] had a German dressed as an Allied MP who diverted part of [our] convoy. I remember that night, where all these officers were trying to bury their maps and information in the sand. He was a very good general. I have a lot of time for Rommel, even though he captured me."
The next four years and one month were spent being moved about various prison camps - mainly in Italy.
"They took us in trucks further north to Tripoli. We were in a camp there, and a few of us would go through the garbage tins because we weren’t getting much tucker."
Mr Lavallee could not recall how many camps he was moved to, but said the biggest "hellhole" was near Pompeii where thousands of men were held captive.
"We had a very torrid time there. It wasn’t that we were maltreated or weren’t fed properly. We used to be put on parade, and didn’t matter whether it was day or the middle of the night, they used to put on a search of the barracks and all that while we stood on parade out in the cold. They did those niggly things that used to bug you."
A chance to escape didn’t occur until they were in Vercelli, when the Italians surrendered and fled the camp.
Mr Lavallee headed for the Swiss border with around 14 men, the details sounding like a Hollywood film.
"The Italians cleared out and left the prison open. My mate and I decided we’d try and get into Switzerland. Being the [Italian] interpreter of the camp, [other POWs] used to catch up with us and say ’Oh Paul will get us through, he knows the language’. I used to tell the boys to lie low while I went into the town and spoke to the head man."
The group had to walk through freezing rivers, rain, and were lucky Italian peasants gave them shelter and food. Finally they reached the tiny village of Macugnaga, and waited until nightfall before crossing a bridge to head into the mountains.
It was here the enemy was waiting for them on the other side, recapturing most of them and taking them to Klagenfurt, Austria.
The rest of the war was spent here, until being liberated and repatriated to England, then back home to his beloved sweetheart Doreen Ashe whom he would marry less than a year later.
"It was a great sight to see the heads of Sydney, and the harbour bridge. It’s very emotional," he said as tears began to roll down his face.
He still loves to be a part of Anzac Day commemorations, and participate in the Wollongong march, not only wearing his own war medals, but his father’s too.
