A Downlands postscript to last weekend's post on the 75th anniversary of the end of the war in the Pacific.

In the post last weekend we noted the impact of the war in the Pacific on MSC missions in China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Kiribati, PNG and Australia, Another impact was the use of Downlands requisitioned by the army.

The Australian Army  requisitioned Downlands College in Toowoomba and established the Medical Division for its 117th Australian General Hospital. The primary boys from Downlands College were evacuated to the Grande Hotel in Dalby. The sub-juniors were located in a Dalby boarding house, the junior boys were in a former maternity hospital and the sub-seniors, seniors and teaching staff were housed at the Queens Hotel.

The school was able to return to Toowoomba in 1944.

And a PS to the postscript - we received two photos of the Downlands students celebrating the end of the War, August 15th 1945.

And the drummer is, in fact, Gerard Brennan, Sir Gerard Brennan, appointed the 10th Chief Justice of Australia in 1981. And, as we know, his son is Frank Brennan SJ, himself a former student of Downlands.