No wonder – they celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary on September 21. 

Now 96 and 95 respectively, Claude and Dot now live at Sunrise Supported Living, Tuncurry, and still love each other’s company. 

“People think we never have rows, but we do of course,” Claude said. 

“But before I would leave for work, I would always give her a kiss and say ‘happy days’ and we would forget about it. The same thing at night before bed. We always kissed and made friends again.

“It doesn’t take much – just a little kiss and you forget about it,” Claude laughed. 

The pair met through Claude’s brother Tom, who was taking out Dot’s girlfriend Jean, and wanted a double date. They hit it off and starting going together, and spent their Sunday afternoons at the beach at Stanwell Park until Dot, a machinist, was offered a job in New Zealand. 

Claude, a bricklayer by trade, decided to make the move too, and they both found themselves in Wellington in 1939, with Claude paying back his 10 pound ticket at a pound a week. 

They were not destined to stay in New Zealand long. With the outbreak of war just six months later, they returned to Australia and Claude joined the armed forces, serving in the Royal Air Force No 4 Squadron, where he remained until 1945. 

The couple were married in 1940 at St Andrew’s Church of England Church in Summer Hill, Sydney, by the very Reverend Bidwell. The wedding party was made up of Dot’s sister Edna Higgins and her girlfriend May Gregor, Claude’s brother Jack and his friend Jimmy McGregor. The flower girl was May Grimley. 

Claude always knew they were destined to be married for one simply reason – he was a favourite with Dot’s mum. 

“I was at Dot’s place nearly every night and her mum liked me – she would always open the door and welcome me,” he said. 

Eleven months later their first child Coral arrived. The couple initially lived with Dot’s parents in Campsue before moving to their own home in the same suburb. 

Claude’s service saw him sent to Papua New Guinea and then on to Borneo and he said he felt lucky to have come home in relatively good shape, apart from a shrapnel wound to the scalp that never quite seemed to heal.

On his return to Australia, Claude left the armed forces and returned to brick-laying. He worked as a bricklayer all his working life, travelling around working for Peters icecream all over Sydney. 

Five years after the birth of their first child, Coral, the couple welcomed a son Warren. They now have five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. 

Claude became active in the Returned Services League (RSL), earning the organisation’s highest honour for his 57 years of service. The criterion for the RSL Meritorious Medal is 30 continuous years of service with 25 years of outstanding service.

Also a keen golfer, Claude kept playing until the age of 90, even potting a hole-in-one during his final year of play, and wowing his fellow vets. 

Recommended to move away from Sydney for Dot’s health, the couple decided to move to the Great Lakes about six months ago to be closer to family members. They are now valued members of the Sunrise Supported Living community. 

And the pair still have adventures together, even making headlines together when a trip to Taree to visit Dot’s brother went awry several months ago. Taking a wrong turn to Old Bar, the couple decided to take a road trip towards Nambucca Heads, spending the night at Kempsey before returning to Tuncurry the following morning. 

Claude was shocked to find the following day that their extended road trip had their loved ones worried about their safety, and concern for their welfare had sprung up on social media sites. Their road trip even got a mention in the newspaper after police called off a search for them. 

The couple celebrated their recent anniversary together quietly. 

“Dot and I have always been the best of good companions and good mates,” Claude said.