'Joseph Tennant, a former South African diplomat, resigned from the diplomatic service to live in Australia after postings in America, Europe and Africa. He served for five years during World War II in the South African Navy in sub chasers and minesweepers in the South Atlantic and Mediterranean. His service included the escort of supply convoys in support of the Australian Division besieged in Tobruk, and magnetic minesweeping ahead of supply convoys in support of the advance of the 8th Army along the coast of North Africa to El Alamein westward.'
'Joseph's first efforts at story writing commenced in the mid 1990's, when he learned of the Department of Veterans Affairs Story Writing and Art Competition (SWAC) through his local library at Inverloch. He says, "I thought people of another generation might be interested in my experiences."'
Tennant won 1st prize in SWAC's True Wartime Experience category and the Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop Memorial Award in 2007 for his story 'Young Love in War'.
- Source: Department of Veterans Affairs (website), http://www.dva.gov.au/, accessed 15/05/08.
