War Veteran Finds Home in Aged Care at 104

One of Australia’s oldest living World War II veterans has moved into aged care – at 104 years. Joffre Bell recently joined the Carinity Brownesholme community in Highfields.

He was born in 1920 and, apart from going to boarding on the Gold Coast and five years in the air force, has spent all his years living in Clifton, a small community south of Toowoomba.

He graduated from The Southport School in 1937 and is the school’s oldest living former student. In recent years Joffre took a helicopter to attend ANZAC Day events hosted by the school’s alumni organisation.

Following in the footsteps of his father Overton Benjamin Bell, who served at Gallipoli during World War I, Joffre joined the armed forces.

He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1943. During World War II he spent time with Canada and Britain’s air forces in roles such as observer, navigator and bomb aimer, and flew missions across France, Germany and Italy.

Following the war, Joffre returned to his position at the family business, O.B. Bell & Co. in Clifton. His roles included selling agricultural machinery and, after studying accounting, overseeing the business’s finances. The business operated from 1918 until closing in 1989, at which time Joffre retired.

Joffre married Althea Rhyl Tomlinson in Toowoomba in 1959. The couple had three children, followed by three grandchildren.

A gifted mechanic, Joffre loved working with his hands, from making furniture, kitchen benches and cupboards for the family home, to book binding. He helped anyone with a damaged book, including local church congregations.

Joffre was a member of Clifton Lions Club, Toowoomba Field Naturalist Club, Clifton Masonic Lodge, Jaycees, Darling Downs 4WD Club, and Clifton RSL, emceeing ANZAC Day ceremonies for decades. The keen photographer was an early member of the Australian Cinematographers Society and made many 16mm home movies.

He also enjoyed boating, fishing, camping and travelling, once driving a four-wheel drive vehicle solo around Australia. Joffre also taught himself the inclusive international language Esperanto and enjoyed having non-English speaking pen-pals.

Along with Olive Crawford (Carinity Hilltop, Brisbane) and Cecil Sempf (Carinity Karinya Place, Laidley), Joffre is the third centenarian to move into a Carinity aged care community this year.

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Pictured: Joffre Bell pictured in Clifton on his 104th birthday in April 2024. Photo by The Southport School.