W.E. West

This book is an autobiography but more importantly it is a Social History of the Orange district in the words of one of its residents. Willie Edwin West (1886-1974) was a well-known resident of Orange during its formative years and was a Canobolas orchardist. Two of his many skills were as a horseman in his younger years and a raconteur in his later years. In the mid-1960s he sat down and recorded reminisces of his life. The tapes laid idle for 55 years and have now been brought back to life. Did all the events recorded take place? Probably! Did all of the conversations take place as recorded? All most certainly not! W E West had five sons and one daughter: Jim, Russell, Bruce, Brian, Howard and Winifred. As his recollections focused on his adventures there have been two important additions in this book. Firstly, two documents prepared by Winifred in 1999 have been included. There is a brief outline of the family and her recollections of family life in Orange until her marriage in 1945. The book concludes with an Honour Roll as each of his sons served in various capacities during World War II. Russell and Brian both paid the supreme sacrifice. This section includes details of their war service and a brief history of the units in which they all served.