There will be some 2000 military and World War Two memorabilia items from guest exhibitors.

The exhibition will aim to encourage pupils and students from Bathurst and district schools to visit.

For further details, to supply a photo or to book in to participate, contact Alan McRae ASAP on 6331 5404 or amcrae@lisp.com.au

John was born in Melbourne on October 29, 1915 and enlisted on April 29, 1940, aged 24. He was sent to train at Puckapunyal Army Camp in Victoria. When the 7th Division was formed, John was transferred to the 21st Anti-Tank Company, 21st Australian Infantry Brigade and shipped overseas.

After disembarking, the men were trucked about 95 miles and let out to march the last five miles with fixed bayonets to tented Colaba Camp, around 100 miles north-east of Mumbai in India. This transit camp was well known to all Australians who passed through Bombay.

After two weeks, they boarded the Dutch merchant vessel Slamat to sail to Elkantara in Egypt on the Suez Canal. Then it was by troop train to Julis, near Ascalon in Palestine. After days of sightseeing, John rejoined his 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment at Helwan, near Cairo. At Mersa Matrutt, John rejoined the 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment. The water ration was one gallon a day and one washed with saltwater soap in the Mediterranean.

For Christmas 1940, at Bsarma in Lebanon, the men were served bully beef.

From June 1941, John fought the Vichy French, who had sided with the Germans in the Syrian campaign.

They left Fort Khiam for Jezzide with the 7th Artillery Battery, the first to enter Jezzide. John had volunteered to become a dispatch rider and was given a Norton 350, which he soon found wasn't going to be easy, especially over the "mad mile". The French artillery already had the ranges for the road. He carried a captured French rifle and bayonet and a .45 Webley pistol.

Suddenly, orders came to catch the train to Egypt and then onto the ship Mauretania to Bombay, on the way to help the 8th Division in Malaya. Then it was on to the HMT Egra, where John was on the ship's stern gun. They were six weeks at sea, but were too late to help.

Another British warship warned them of the loss of Java and Malaya and the convoy scattered, John's ship heading to Ceylon, and then it was off to Fremantle the next day.

The men were sent east, John back home to Oberon via Albury for three weeks before entraining for Tenterfield, then Woodford Army Camp. Then it was off to Queensland to the Sellheim camp and on to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea on the Katoomba.

Then it was on to Milne Bay on a Dutch ship. From here, the troops went to Oro Bay. The Japanese had their first defeat at Milne Bay. John recalls the Japanese ship on its side surrounded by wooden Japanese landing barges.

At Oro Bay, he proceeded to the RAAF Airfield where Australian Kitty Hawks were based. It was also a supply base for the Australians and Americans. Of a Sunday, there were dogfights with the Japanese and the Kitty Hawks and the American Lockheed Lightnings, a twin body plane with two tails and a large turning circle. The Japanese Zeros were very manoeuvrable.