Alex Reid was born in 1891 and began work on the Victorian Railways in 1907. He enlisted with the A.I.F in 1915. He served in Egypt and the Suez Canal but was discharged on medical grounds having contracted typhoid and dysentery. In 1917 he re-enlisted in the Anzac Light Horse. On his return to England, he survived the torpedoing of HMAT Ballarat and then served in France. On discharge from the army, Alex returned to the Victorian Railways and transferred to Wodonga. He was employed driving the “Spirit of Progress” and remained as “Driver in Charge” until his retirement in 1956. Alex was awarded the MBE in 1951 and the OBE in 1963 for his tireless efforts on behalf of Returned Servicemen and their families. He continued to work as a welfare officer for the RSL. As well as continued service to the RSL, Alex served as a member of the Wodonga High School advisory committee for 35 years and sat on the bench in the Wodonga Court for 15 years in his capacity as Justice of the Peace. Alexander Frederick Reid O.B.E died in Wodonga on 7 January 1979.This image represents a farewell work function for an outstanding member of the Wodonga community.A large black and white framed photo of a group of men attending a send off function in Wodonga in 1956.Alex Reid send off 1955 Back Row L to R Stan Warnock, F. Fulford, W. McEachern, S. Egan, P. Doolan, K. Moore, A. Smyth, M. Seymour, W. McAnanly, M. Flanagan, L. Gregson, L. Snow, H. Fraser, R. Cooper, W. Squires Second Back Row L to R K. Williams, W. Toomey, K. Coleman, F. Thistleton, K. Ziebell, P. Gough (S.M), C. Hughes, F. Dempsey, C. Craig, W. Baldock, J. Robinson, W. Odgers, C. Whitehead, G. Taylor, J. Muir, P. McDonald, W. Riley, A. Thompson, K. Robinson, B. Strachan, W. Walsh, T. Willoughby Seated second Row L to R J. Schmidt, A. Wagner, J. O’Donnell, J. Dawe, F. Leitch, J. Anderson, T. Brown, A. Elvish, F. Boadle, A. Reid, J. Draper (Police). N. Davey, F. Caine (P), A. Padgett, L. Burroughs (P), B. Saul, F. Weatherall, H. Binder, D. Sutton, T. Cosgriff, C. Clancy, ? , M. Nowadice, J. Karugan Front Row Seated L to R D. Shannon, S. Cuper, L. Cheesley. C. Williams, L. Madgeric, V. Snow. ?, A. Beach, L. Cross, C. McNamara, ? , Don Shepard.alexander frederick reid, eminent wodonga residents, ww1 veterans wodonga, hmat ballarat