EPISODE · Jul 27, 2025 · 1H 3M
REG CHARD || Australia’s last surviving Kokoda Trail veteran, 101yrs *His Final Interview*
from Diving Deep With Sam Fricker
At 101 years old, Reg Chard sits down for what he declares “the last interview I’ll ever do.” This powerful and poignant conversation takes us on a journey through his extraordinary life and it’s unlike any other episode we’ve recorded.We begin before the war: a young baker’s apprentice, the youngest of ten children in Dulwich Hill, NSW, whose heart guided him to leave civilian safety and enlist at just 18 despite bakers being exempt. We travel next to the brutal jungles of New Guinea, where Reg endured malaria, scrub typhus, and unimaginable hardship along the Kokoda Trail. He shares vivid stories from Milne Bay and Imita Ridge, recalls the airstrip built under fire, and recounts losing mates at Sanananda all while recounting the sheer endurance he found in the harshest conditions .Then the challenge of returning to civilian life. With his homeland’s baker offering his old role, Reg chose instead to work in iron foundries and the trucking industry, building a life alongside his sweetheart Betty, whom he married in October 1945 .Now, in this stirring final interview, Reg reflects on courage, loss, survival and community. At 101, he’s not just a veteran; he’s an educator, a guide at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway, and a custodian of a legacy that he believes should be remembered not by him, but by those who never came home .This episode is a rare and intimate tribute Reg’s swan song as one of Australia’s last surviving Kokoda soldiers. Don’t miss this final testament of bravery, resilience, and the quiet dignity of a Digger’s life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
At 101 years old, Reg Chard sits down for what he declares “the last interview I’ll ever do.” This powerful and poignant conversation takes us on a journey through his extraordinary life and it’s unlike any other episode we’ve recorded.We begin before the war: a young baker’s apprentice, the youngest of ten children in Dulwich Hill, NSW, whose heart guided him to leave civilian safety and enlist at just 18 despite bakers being exempt. We travel next to the brutal jungles of New Guinea, where Reg endured malaria, scrub typhus, and unimaginable hardship along the Kokoda Trail. He shares vivid stories from Milne Bay and Imita Ridge, recalls the airstrip built under fire, and recounts losing mates at Sanananda all while recounting the sheer endurance he found in the harshest conditions .Then the challenge of returning to civilian life. With his homeland’s baker offering his old role, Reg chose instead to work in iron foundries and the trucking industry, building a life alongside his sweetheart Betty, whom he married in October 1945 .Now, in this stirring final interview, Reg reflects on courage, loss, survival and community. At 101, he’s not just a veteran; he’s an educator, a guide at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway, and a custodian of a legacy that he believes should be remembered not by him, but by those who never came home .This episode is a rare and intimate tribute Reg’s swan song as one of Australia’s last surviving Kokoda soldiers. Don’t miss this final testament of bravery, resilience, and the quiet dignity of a Digger’s life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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REG CHARD || Australia’s last surviving Kokoda Trail veteran, 101yrs *His Final Interview*
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