About...Our Contributors, Friends, Supporters, and Volunteers
The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation

This section is an acknowledgement of the people who are an active part of the Mission and Purpose of our Foundation, and who wish to be included in this section.

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Bernard (Bernie) J. Coombs, Australia

Born - July 24th 1925 in Somerset, right down the South of England. Both Parents were strict Wesleyans, Father being a lay (no pay, He was an engineer) Preacher, (although he was a pacifist, He served throughout the ‘14–18 war as an Ambulance driver – so was in the front line as much or even more than the soldiers.) Mother being a Sunday School Teacher at the local chapel. Their Parents and Grand Parents and G.G.P’s and G.G.G.P’s were Wesleyans right back to John Wesley, so I was taught from the time I was born (and perhaps even before – or so it seemed to me) that the Bible was the infallible word of God - that I should be good, and turn the other cheek.

Mathew 5:38 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, , An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

I did not have happy school years – because of my indwelling beliefs. I was the target of every aspiring bully.

It was 1939 – War was coming. I was 14 – the official school leaving age. I left school. I was really interested in machinery – especially farm machinery, so My Father apprenticed me to the leading Agricultural Engineering Firm of Hawkes and Sons – who were soon to become the leading importers of the tremendous input of American Farm Machinery and other essential war products into Britain over the next four years.

War started! The battle of Britain had begun! Bombs rained down!

We were spared!

In 1945 – the war had ended – everything was in very short supply – I wanted to get out.

In January of 1947, I boarded one of the first flights of B.O.A.C. to Australia, in a Hythe Flying Boat (there were no long distance planes back in those days) and landed in Darwin, Australia, weeks later, in the middle of the monsoon.

Spent three years working my way around Australia (being welcomed with open arms by Station [Ranch] owners because of my agricultural machinery knowledge) until my parents arrived in Adelaide. (They had been waiting for a boat passage because my Mother would not fly). I went to meet them and domiciled in Adelaide.

It was here that I became a Seventh Day Adventist and vegetarian.

We have three children – two boys and one girl scattered around the world. Below are photos of my wife, Coral, and me with our 'puppies'.

After losing many pets over a long lifetime, I decided to really research the Holy Bible to find out the truth about what happened to all these other creatures that died – whether beloved Pets – or abused/tortured other creatures. It took me over twenty years.

You can read the result on:
http://www.all-creatures.org/ach 

It has also been published by Biblio Books in Israel and available from Amazon.

Go on to: Alejandro Cossio
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