Suitcased Memorabilia: Don Charlwood

In my late teens I worked in the paperback section at the rear of Hall’s Bookstore (now demolished) in Bourke Street. I can’t exactly remember what year this was, but one day the Australian author/Air traffic controller — D. E. (‘Don’) Charlwood called into the store.

I recall him being very chuffed indeed with the my request to sign his book — the Australian coming-of-age classic of ‘All The Green Year’. I still have this signed copy — and every time I look at it — I’m so chuffed that I have the fortune to meet Don. Not only was Don a writer he was also worked as a farm hand, an air traffic controller, and most notably as an RAAF navigator in Bomber Command during World War II. While best known for ‘All The Green Year’ Don wrote a number of other biographical, fiction and non-fiction works.

Following his return to Australia he was invalided out of the RAAF in July 1945, and commenced work with the Department of Civil Aviation, initially as an Air Traffic Controller and later in training and recruitment. It was while working at the DCA that he wrote ‘No Moon Tonight’ his memoir, relying heavily on diaries he kept during training and operational flying. In 1992, Don was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to literature and passed away in 2012 at the age of 96. ‘All The Green Year’ is a 1965 novel about three boys growing up on the eve of the Great Depression. The book sold over 100,000 copies and has come to be regarded as an Australian classic.