 Karl was born on 15th June 1933 in Freiburg- Breisgam (Black Forrest) Germany to Wilhelm and Margaretha Doehrmann. His father was the Director of the Southwest German Philharmonic Orchestra, which led to Karl’s love of classical music, which remained with him for the rest of his life.
Karl graduated as a Chemical engineer from Isny-allga University in Bavaria. He then worked for an American Oil Company in Libya and other Middle Eastern countries between 1954 and 1958. Upon his return to Germany he took up employment with American Express in Munich.
He immigrated to Australia in 1962 and following problems in having his qualification recognised - he actually refused to do the test which were based on the text of a book he had written, he crossed the road and enlisted in the Army in October 1963. The chemical engineering loss was the Army’s gain. Karl was trained as an Artillery Surveyor with 131st Divisional Locating Battery and on his first tour in Vietnam was selected with one other to study the American meteorological system which provided meteorology for the Australian guns. At that time there was no such component in the Australian Artillery.
In August 1966 he was wounded when Nui Dat base was mortared the night before the Battle of Long Tan. It was a light wound but caused much humour to others, but an annoyance to Karl, over the years as they would ask him to show them he wound. The area was that part upon which one sits.
Upon his return to Australia he was sent to the Australian Meteorlogy Bureau in Melbourne. The aim was to establish a Meteorology Section in the RAA. In 1970 Karl returned to Vietnam as the Survey/Sound Ranging Sergeant. Upon his return to Australia he was commissioned.
Karl‘s postings included the School of Artillery at North Head as an Instructor and in Development Wing, battery captain of 130th Gun Locating Battery, staff officer in Papua New Guinea from November 1970 till February 1974. Karl’s last posting was Officer Commanding District Support Unit Randwick NSW. Upon retirement Karl was offered the position as the ‘Corrective Services Commissioner’ for NSW. There would be a lot of prisoners letting out a sigh of relief that he didn’t take on this role.
Karl did not tolerate fools lightly and always expressed his views. Those who knew him will often recall the times when he would question your intelligence in that wonderful German accent ‘What you got ‘S--T’ for brains?’
Karl died on 10 August 2009. He is survived by his wife Joan, children Bianca, Michael and Margrit and their families. At Karl’s request there was no funeral service. |
