20 October 1943 Lieutenant Edward "Ted" Frederick Byrne, NX58832, of the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Squadron, photographed at Bumbum in the Ramu Valley, New Guinea. Ted was born on 23 May 1921 to William and Edith Byrne, in what was still bushland at Campsie, New South Wales. His mother was herself a seventh child, and Ted, as the seventh child of a seventh child, always considered himself lucky. He was a strong student and a keen cricketer, winning trophies as an all-rounder with the Croydon Park Club. He enlisted in July 1940. By the time this photo was taken, he had served with the 2/7th since the Battle of Wau in January and February 1943. He was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Military Cross, recognised for his skill and composure on patrol, his aggressive leadership despite heavy casualties, and his efforts to bring wounded men to safety. Later promoted to captain, Byrne was wounded in action on 12 January 1945 during his second New Guinea campaign. After the war he was seconded to the Royal Sussex Regiment and served in Malaya before returning to civilian life in Australia. In 1946 he married his wartime sweetheart, Betty Reta Chamberlain, in Sydney. They had three children: Garry, Gail and Teddy. Though they later divorced, Ted and Betty stayed close, and both treasured time with their grandsons Christopher and Luke, along with Ted's beloved dog, Jason. Ted worked for a time at the stockbroking firm Joseph Palmer and Sons before starting his own business as Sydney agent for several of Melbourne's top fashion manufacturers. From his office in Culwulla Chambers, he built it into one of the most respected agencies in the city. A natural builder, Ted put up three houses before finding what he called his "spot in life," a steep, rugged block at Northbridge overlooking Sailor's Bay. There he built the family home and kept adding to and reshaping it for the rest of his life. He spent his final years on a property in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, still building. Ted Byrne died on 8 August 2017, aged 96, after a long and full life.