The Ex-Service Community has lost a true gentleman! David Presgrave (an original Directing Staff member of OTU) passed away on 14 January 2014 after a long battle with cancer. David Cave Presgrave was born in Adelaide on 31 July 1940 and had an idyllic upbringing spending time in the country and at the beach. During his time at Adelaide Boys High School he enjoyed football, supporting the Henley Football Club, and rifle shooting. David was destined to join the Army as at school he joined the Army Cadets and rose to the rank of Senior Cadet Under Officer.
In his Leaving Honours year he applied for and was accepted into the Royal Military College at Duntroon in Canberra, commencing in 1959. At RMC David excelled in Australian Rules and cricket and was active in the Rifle Club. In his final year David was one of the six Under Officers and was CSM of Kapyong Company. David was commissioned into the Engineers on 12 December 1962 and posted to the School of Survey. David attended the South Australian Institute of Technology for 1963 and transferred to the RAInf with 2 RAR early in 1964. During that year he was attached to the JTC at Canungra for four months.
On 1 April 1965 David joined the fledgling Officer Training Unit at Scheyville then under command of Colonel Ian Geddes. In 1967 at an OTU Dining In Night, David met a young lady, Susan, who would become his wife and life-long companion. In 1976 Susan and David had a daughter, Rebecca. During his Army career, David would have postings to Vietnam (9 RAR, 5 November 68 – 5 December 69),
Singapore with 6 RAR, the Philippines, where he attended Staff College, and PNG. He also attended Staff College at Queenscliff in 1975.
After 25 years as an Infantry Officer in the Royal Australian Regiment and a further 16 years in the Army Reserve, David retired from the Army in 2000. Post Army in 1984, David had taken a Senior Executive position with Australia Post, where he stayed for 20 years until his retirement. Militarily, after leaving the ARA, David was posted as the Commanding Officer of the Melbourne University Regiment in 1989/90 during which time he was awarded a General’s Commendation. In 1987 David had been appointed as Honorary Aide de Camp to His Excellency the Governor of Victoria and served under four Governors before resigning from that role in 2006. At the same time David ran a successful Medal Mounting business, a service that many Scheyvillians have supported. Above: Susan, Rebecca and David Presgrave.
David’s Memorial Service was held at Tobin Brothers, East Burwood, on 21 January 2014. The service was attended by the now Governor General (His Excellency General Sir Peter Cosgrove) (who served in 9 RAR in Vietnam with David) and many members of the Ex Service Community.
David is survived by his wife Susan, daughter Rebecca, son-in-law David and grandchildren Benjamin and Emma