7 February 1920 – 31 August 2023 (Aged 103 years 7 months)

Charlie Parrott was the Club President of the Darwin Rural Rotary Club for the Charter Presentation, Club # 17724 by District Governor 955's Special Representative, Doug Cooper, on 23 June 1982 at the Humpty Doo Hotel. The toast to the new Club and Rotary International was by Cecilia Noel Padgham-Purich, Member for Nelson in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. The Club's name changed to Rotary Club of Litchfield/Palmerston in 1987.

Charlie was an active member of Rotary for 14 years and both Charlie and Kay attended the Club’s 20th Anniversary in 2002 and the Club was honoured to have them cut the anniversary cake.

“An Aussie Nobody” is Charlie’s story of an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances launched in Darwin on 23 June 1996 by then Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, the Hon Shane Stone.

Born in Albury, one of nine children, “Cheeky Charlie” grew up in a world marred by the shadow of two world wars. When war broke out in 1939 Charlie answered the call to serve his country and joined the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) Service Number: VX6586 and sent to Greece. During the Battle of Crete in May 1941, fighting alongside Greek and British allies against the German invasion, he was captured by the Germans and held a Prisoner of War (POW) for four years. His Battalion’s losses in the Crete campaign were: 6 killed, 22 wounded and of the 96 taken prisoner were Charlie and his brother Laurence (Service Number: VX6587). Ninety percent of his active service was spent as a POW before being discharged on 26 October 1945.

Charlie survived the war, but was a prisoner of war twice throughout, initially in Crete. He was sent from Crete to Stalag 17 (Moosburg), then sent to work in coal mines in Poland.

He escaped, and in extremely poor health, eventually ended up in Odessa where he was repatriated by the British to England.

Charlie was a sub-machine gunner with the 2/8th Australian Infantry Battalion. When recovering in hospital in England Charlie met the love of his life, a lovely WAAF member called Kay.

Charlie and Kathleen (Kay) were married for almost 70 years before her passing in 2015.

In May 2023, Charlie, an Australian survivor of the Battle of Crete, was presented with a commemorative award on behalf of the Armed Forces of Greece in honour of his heroic contribution at the ANZAC Battle of Crete Remembrance Commemorative service in Melbourne.