Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I often get the chance to wish someone a happy birthday, but very rarely do I get to talk on behalf of someone who I think is a giant of the Australian people. Mr Dudley Marrows will turn 100 on 8 December this year. Mr Dudley Marrows flew in No. 461 Squadron in the Second World War. The squadron flew flying boats that could land on the sea, and they were supporting the attack on U-boats that were essentially stopping the food supply into Britain. Incidentally, whilst flying one of the planes, Mr Dudley Marrows sank the U-boat U-461:

Machine-gun fire from Marrows' Sunderland silenced the gunners of U-461. He skimmed in so low over the wave-tops that the other two boats did not have a clear shot past U-461. Marrows released his depth-charges and zoomed over the conning tower—

and sank the U-boat. But, after sinking the U-boat, he came back and dropped a life raft for the 25 to 30 people from the U-boat, saving the lives of 15. He sank a U-boat and then saved the lives of the crew. Later on in life, he went on to meet the captain of the U-boat that he had sunk. Happy birthday. You are a giant of our country. On 8 December, your birthday, we'll remember your service, and we value everything you've done for our country.