Having moved to the small town in 1953, he spent many years serving the hospital, swimming pool and RSL sub-branch committees.
On Anzac Day, his son Lou remembered his dedication to the RSL sub-branch and service to Australia.
John ‘J.B.’ O'Connor was a teller at a bank before the outbreak of war.
A read through J.B. O'Connor's wartime log books paints a chilling but blunt picture of combat.
One entry reads that a fellow pilot had been shot down; half an hour later the log records that the pilot died from his wounds.
His logs mention the amount of mud and whether a bombing was terrible.
Lou said his father had an affectionate side.
During his training in Tocumwal, J.B. flew a little to the east where his wife, Margaret, was working as a hairdresser.
“Dad wiggled his wings and dropped a handkerchief down at Mum. She picked it up and waved it back to him from the ground.”
Soon after leaving the navy, J.B. O'Connor returned to banking, where he worked with the Bank of Australasia.
In 1953 he moved to Tongala to work as the paymaster for the Tongala Milk Factory.
During that time he served on many committees, including the Tongala RSL sub-branch.
Eventually J.B. O'Connor left Tongala for Perth, where he lived until his death in 2001.
His son Lou is a member of the RSL sub-branch and Lou's wife, Kate, is the treasurer.
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