anzac newsletter - RAAMC Association

Transcription

5fld autumn 2015 cvr:Layout 1 8/04/15 3:30 PM Page 1
ANZAC NEWSLETTER
AUTUMN ISSUE 2015
www.raamc.org.au/associations
5 FIELD AMBULANCE RAAMC ASSOCIATION
PATRON: COL Ray Hyslop OAM RFD
OFFICE BEARERS
PRESIDENT:
LTCOL Derek Cannon RFD ~ 31 Southee Road, RICHMOND NSW 2753 ~ (M) 0415 128 908
HON. SECT:
Alan Curry OAM ~ 35/1a Gordon Close, ANNA BAY NSW 2316 ~ (H) (02) 4919 0432
Mobile: 0427 824 646. Email: [email protected]
HON TREASURER:
Brian Tams ~ 453/1 Scaysbrook Drive., KINCUMBER NSW 2251 ~ (H) (02) 4368 .6161
HON CHAPLAIN:
Brian Hogan ~ 1 Cook Road, LONGWARRY VIC 3816 ~ (H) (03) 5629 9548 (M) 0405 443 771
COMMITTEE:
Warren BARNES
Fred BELL (ASM)
Barry COLLINS OAM
Ron FOLEY
Mobile: 0409 909 439
Mobile: 0410 939 583
Phone: (02) 9398 6448
Mobile: 0422 376 541
CONTENTS
Vale: Bob Leech, Alf Fitzsimmons....................................................................................................................................................................... 1
The Late Don Ainsworth Story ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Dates for Your Diary 2015...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Message from the President ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Life Members ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Centenary T-shirt ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Anzac Day March Details / Happy Birthday.................................................................................................................................................... 10
Message from the Secretary / Poems: A Place of Known Repose / Silent Battlefield ...................................................................... 11
Centenary Parade..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Chaplain’s Corner ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
5 CSSB Health Company News............................................................................................................................................................................ 17
New Members ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Sick Parade.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 26
Items of Interest........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 27
Messages from Members ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Kind Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Fund Raiser 2015 ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Henry Harry Strong ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38
RAAMC Application for Membership................................................................................................................................................................ 39
Anzac Day Menu....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Activity Sheet............................................................................................................................................................................................................. IBC
5th Fld Amb Application for Membership Form...........................................................................................................................................OBC
DISCLAIMER:
Opinions expressed in our quarterly newsletters are not necessarily those of our Patron, Executive or Committee. We welcome
any input as long as it is not offensive or abusive but if any member has a problem with a printed article we would like to be
informed in order that the author may be contacted. We do encourage your opinion.
5 FIELD
AMBULANCE
RAAMC
ASSOCIATION
Official Publishers: Statewide Publishing P/L
ABN 65 116 985 187
C/- Alan Curry OAM, 35/1a Gordon Close, ANNA BAY NSW 2316
Phone: (02) 4919 0432 • Mobile: 0427 824 646 • Email: [email protected]
Printed by Galloping Press
Unit 29, 398 The Boulevarde, Kirrawee NSW 2232 • Phone: 9521 3371
5FldAmb Mar15:Layout 1 8/04/15 3:20 PM Page 1
VALE
(Bob LEECH, Alf FITZSIMMONS) — LEST WE FORGET
Robert (Bob) LEECH OAM JP
passed away on the
23rd December 2014 with his family by his side. He was 77
years of age.
Bob joined our Association in March 2005 and was always
in our company until early 2009 when his health started to
deteriorate. He would always write back to apologise to say
he could not be present at our events, or his son, John, would
always respond on his dad’s behalf.
He joined the CMF on the 6th March 1961 until 12th
December 1968. He also served with HQ 1 Division and 3
Battalion of the Royal NSW Regiment until July 1963 and then
with 4 Battalion of the Royal NSW Regiment until July 1965
and finally with 9 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment from 22nd June
1967 until his discharge, as a bombardier, on the 12th
September 1968.
Without access to all of Bob’s records it has been
established he was in the RAAMC. It would seem that Bob
was in the medical side of the units he served in. I think Bob
must have been on a medic course, run by 5 Field
Ambulance, hence him joining us. In any event he sought us
out and became a respected member of our Association.
Bob was awarded the Australian Defence Medal.
Bob’s son, John, presented the below eulogy on behalf of
his mum, Sue, and his sister, Sue. We thank John for sending
it to us…
Eulogy for Robert Leslie (Bob) Leech
30 December 2014
Read at the service by his son John on behalf of the family
A message from mum to start:
My much loved friend,
It matters to have trodden the earth proudly, not
arrogantly, on feet that are not afraid to stand their ground.
To move quickly when the need arises.
It matter that your eyes have been on the object, always
aware of its drift but not caught up in it.
It matters that we were young together and that you
never lost the instincts of a pioneer.
It matters that you were brave when retreat would have
been easier.
It matters that in many places and times you have made a
difference.
Your laugh matters,
Your love has mattered;
Above all… it matters that you have been loved. Nothing
else matters.
-------------------------------Dad was not a religious person but I have just added a
short piece from James 4:6 as I believe it is appropriate for
Dad…
“… God opposes the proud but shows favour to the
humble”
Thank you. Thanks for being:A devoted husband,
A loving father,
A wonderful grandfather and Pop,
A big brother,
A son,
An uncle,
And a friend.
Thanks, from all those that have encountered you in
your life.
You have waged a long hard battle for 16 years. Barely a
complaint to be heard.
You took all in your stride. Yes, there were moments when
we asked why… but you kept moving ahead for as long as
you could.
No matter how long you have known dad everyone here
has been enriched in at least some way through your
relationship with him. He will be missed.
Sixteen years ago dad was diagnosed with a brain
tumour. He was given about 6 months to live… what was his
reaction?
“Go to buggery”! And he proved everyone wrong.
During the last 16 years we have watched as the shine
faded from his eyes. We watched as dad raged a silent battle
within himself to keep going.
When things became too difficult to care for dad at home,
the hard decision had to be made, so five years ago, dad
became a resident at Lansdowne Nursing Home.
Although this was a hard transition for the family, dad was
receiving the best of care. Over time, the staff became more
than just carers, they treated dad with respect and ensured
that his dignity was never compromised.
Mum became attached to the place through dad and it
wasn’t long before she was like a part of the furniture in her
capacity as a Resident Representative.
Mum, my sister Sue and I will always hold the staff at
Lansdowne in a special place in our hearts for all you did for
dad. Thank you.
Dad was a person with strong beliefs and values. He didn’t
compromise too often… some may call this stubborn… yep,
at times that was correct but it was more than blind
stubbornness. Dad’s resolve was supported by strong
convictions and equally strong personal values.
Let’s take a glimpse back at some of the things we will
remember about dad…
If you pick your nails your fingers may fall off.
You never know when a flash flood may happen, even in
Busby!
There is nothing better than the sound of a goods train
shunting in the railway yards, even if it is played on a cassette
player in the back shed.
Having three fingers missing is not a disability.
Always vote Liberal.
Never read the Telegraph.
Nothing gets in the way of family.
Camping, fishing and reading are the best leisure
activities.
Counting is special with the grandkids… 1, 2, 6!
You all have memories of dad. Hold onto them and smile.
When you think back about him, did you realise….
He had a distinguished service record with the CMF which
went on to be called the Army reserve. He served in the 5th
Field Ambulance. Thanks to Alan Curry from the Association
1
for maintaining contact with the family throughout dad’s
illness.
He was housing officer for the army at Holsworthy during
the Vietnam conflict.
He was a member of the Civil Defence and State
Emergency Services for more than 25 years.
He was a scout, a scout leader and a senior scout leader.
He was in the Air Force Cadets.
He has been the manager of a newspaper, a boat yard, a
cinema, a book store and many more.
Dad had a flair for visual communication… advertising,
and he told a story about how he once had to fly to Alice
Springs to film Ayers Rock, as it was known then, for a
cigarette advertisement that had to be in the theatres and
drive-ins later that week.
He had a great passion and desire to serve his community,
from P and C to State politics, he threw his hat into the ring.
He loved helping others.
He developed flood and earthquake plans for our local
region as part of SES. He went to Victoria as part of a Disaster
Planning Course and was happy to let us all know that while
everyone else had to use calculators to work out details, he
did it all in his head and on paper.
Dad kept a private journal during many of his trips around
NSW as a sales rep. We didn’t know about this until a few
years ago. He wrote for himself, not to share but upon
reading through some of his travel memories, I began to
appreciate his ability to write vivid, clear descriptions that
evoke amazing imagery for the reader. Dad was very talented
creatively.
He also knew where all of the best Chinese restaurants
were around the State and he generally ensured his runs
would wind up in a town with one of these fine eating
establishments. Or his!
Dad was good at his work. Unfortunately too often his
efforts were undervalued, but not by his family. Humble,
selfless and gentlemanly, these words describe dad to a tee.
Did you know he was awarded an Order of the British
Empire (OBE) and the National Medal for the service he gave
to his communities? Why did he get these?
Organising food drives for victims of floods in western
NSW.
Flying harnessed in an Air Force Hercules aircraft to
distribute hay to stranded livestock.
Searching for lost children.
Attaching tarps to roofs in storms.
Running the communications rooms at SES.
And much, much more.
To cut it short, dad was just doing what dad did – nothing
more, nothing less.
Yes, he was proud and humbled to receive these awards
and he deserved them.
Even more than everything that has been mentioned so
far about what he did for others… he was dad.
Working two or three jobs at times, walking to Liverpool
to get the weekly shopping because there wasn’t always
enough money for bus fare too… but always ensuring there
was enough.
Dance concerts, tennis matches and later Sue’s singing
were very important to dad, because we did them.
I remember dad saying he hated clubs, but when he knew
Sue was singing somewhere, he found out where it was and
soon he knew where most of the clubs around Sydney were.
He also loved telling everyone how she sang the night before.
2
He was equally proud of the things I did but his heart
swelled to new dimensions when the grandkids came along.
Dad and Sam had a very special relationship. Sam is the only
grandchild that knew pop before he became sick. He lived
with Nan and Pop for a while and during this time the two of
them became very close. Pop taught Sam lots of interesting
things, how to make things and today, Pop’s tools are an
important part of Sam’s life and memories. There is a photo of
Sam dressed in one of Pop’s SES uniforms, it was always a
favourite of dad’s.
One of the many things Sam will remember about Pop is
his sayings or words of advice. Sam’s favourite being… Never
give up, always try. Have a go and do your best.
Nick, James and Connor only got to know Pop during his
illness but they too have many wonderful and positive
memories like his special counting, 1, 2, 6. They knew Pop’s
special chair and how he enjoyed watching them play in the
backyard, especially on the rope swing he made.
All three together with Sam displayed great love and
tenderness with Pop as he became weaker. It was generally a
race to see who would push Pop in his wheelchair. You all
have a great deal to be proud of. Ruby only got to meet her
pop this year but she will remember him as she grows up with
photos and stories about him.
Pop’s gallery of photos on his wall proudly showed the
world his grandchildren.
My wife Joyce, who cannot be here today, found a special
place in her heart for dad, and he for her. She would sit and
pray with him while he slept and just hold his hand.
She wanted to come and sleep on the floor next to him at
the nursing home. Although Joyce only knew dad for a short
time, she will miss him too.
So, what did I learn from dad? Heaps. Too much to
remember, but you know how you know you have been
taught well because when it is time for you to do something,
you just know how to do it??? That’s what happened to me…
dad taught me stuff that to this day I just remember. Why?
‘Cause dad taught meI know that you can never have too much rope.
I know what a flathead hook looks like.
I know I didn’t play trumpet well… but dad encouraged
me.
I learned that you can achieve without being aggressive
or threatening.
I learned to love books.
I learned many things.
Dad was a huge conversationalist, he enjoyed reading,
a lot. He would read book after book… he had a thirst
for learning. He loved war stories, science fiction, and
factual reference books. He loved books about birds and
gardening.
As time went on, dad kept reading for as long as he could
and when he could no longer read himself, mum and Sue
would read to him. His eyes would reflect the pleasure of
hearing someone else’s story.
But now it is time to sit back and relax and allow us to
remember your story dad.
A story of a man who loved his family, loved his work and
loved helping others.
His story has many more chapters than those we have
heard about today and you all will take away with you your
own special limited edition of his story as you remember it.
It has been difficult for our family to see a lively, creative
and vibrant person begin to fade.
Dad was a strong man in many ways, he was unique…
what you saw is what you got.
His beliefs may have differed from yours but judge him
not by that, but on his conviction to stand by his beliefs. He
was a man of great integrity.
Ready to help others… rarely himself.
Dad we are truly saddened by your passing but we are all
so much better as people for having you in our lives.
You are a loving husband, father, grandfather, son,
brother, uncle and friend.
You will remain with us always and we say goodbye to
you with all our love.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Alf FITZSIMMONS passed away in the afternoon of the
13th January 2015 at the North
Shore Private Hospital.
His wife, Phyl, and her niece’s
husband, Graham Mason, had not
long left his side.
Alf had been in hospital for the
past few months and Phyl noticed
the difference in him. She and her
niece, Cheryl, and Graham were
actually in the process of
arranging to have Alf moved to a
Respite Centre nearby but
received the sad news that Alf had
just died.
Alf and Phyl were not blessed with children of their own
but they had loving and caring relatives, neighbours and
friends, as attested by the 60 or so people who came to pay
their final respects to Alf and to offer Phyl much comfort.
We sincerely thank Mr Barney Flanagan of the
Chatswood RSL Sub Branch for presenting the RSL Tribute
to Alf.
Barney is their Welfare Officer, Pensions Officer and their
President. He informed the gathering of Alf’s war service:Service Numbers Q99454, QX60495 and 1909. Alfred
Stanley FITZSIMMONS served in the CMF (22/5/1941 and
called up for Full Time service 21/6/1941), AIF (transferred
on 14/3/1944), Interim Army (1/7/1947), Regular Army
Special Reserve (10/12/1948) and the Australian Regular
Army (8/4/1949). He discharged on 24th March 1972 with
the rank of Sergeant—over 30 years of military service.
Alf had Operational Service in Japan from 25th May
1946 to 27th September 1949. Korea from 5th March 1953
to 17th April 1954. Malaya from 8th October 1955 to 31st
October 1957.
Alf served in the following units:- 102 Australian
Convalescence Depot, 5 Australian Ambulance Train, 4
Australian Ambulance Train, 116 Australian General
Hospital, 130 Australian General Hospital, HQ BCOF, 2
Australian Field Ambulance, 2 RAR, 2 BOD and ECPD.
Alf was awarded the following:- War Medal 1939-45,
ASM 1939-45, AASM 1945-75 with Clasps Korea and
Malaya, Korea Medal, UN Service Medal (Korea), GSM with
Clasp Malaya, ASM with Clasps Japan and Korea,
Australian Defence Medal, Long Service and Good
Conduct Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
I thank the following members of our Association who
were able to be present and take part in the RSL Tribute:Theo Dechaufepie, Stuart Jones, Ann Jackson, Alan Curry
and Alan Beckerleg. (Alan Beckerleg and his wife Cynthia
drove down from Queensland. Alan and Alf served together,
for a short time, prior to Alf’s discharge).
EULOGIES were given by Graham and a friend, Dr.
Geoffrey Aldis.
We heard from Graham that Alf was one of nature’s
gentlemen. Graham said he had never heard a bad word,
from Alf, about anybody.
Alf was born in Proserpine, Queensland, on the 24th
March 1913. He loved his sport and would talk for hours on
any sporting topic. He was also a very keen badminton
player. Graham thought that Alf, being a Queenslander,
would be a mad “Cane Toad” supporter – but no, he was a
‘True Blue’ NSW RL supporter.
Graham said that the Army was a big part of Alf’s life and
whenever they were in each other’s company, Alf would
always have an army topic to tell him about.
We heard that when Alf moved to Sydney he met the
love of his life, Phyl. They met, fell in love and had been
happily together since 1958. A beautiful relationship of 57
years.
When Alf retired, he and Phyl took to their garden in a
very caring and attentive manner. Their garden was the talk
of all their neighbours and friends.
Graham said Alf was a most humble and compassionate
man whether it was in treating those involved in conflict or
in his loving marriage to Phyl.
Dr. Geoff Aldis was a dear friend to Alf and Phyl and we
listened as he spoke about a man who was always full of
good humour. A man who could tell a story and have
everybody laughing heartily at the end. Alf would always
look on the funny side of a situation.
We heard of a man who had a determined nature.
Everything Alf did he always put his best efforts into it,
whether it was DIY chores around their home or in their
garden.
Geoff said Alf loved to read and talk about books. When
Alf turned 100 years of age Geoff gave Alf a book called “The
hundred year old man who climbed out a window and ran
away”. Alf told Geoff that he enjoyed it. (Geoff suspected that
Alf would have liked to climb out a few hospital windows
and run away also.)
Geoff remembered when Alf started a vegie patch, on a
vacant block of ground behind the “Pigeon Racing Club”. Alf
loved growing all types of vegetables and his friends and
neighbours loved getting his fresh produce.
He loved the physical side of the digging and planting.
He was always active.
He said Alf’s other love was music. He loved the classical
music of the ABC FM. Geoff said Alf epitomises the terms
‘grateful’ and ‘kind’ and these words often came from Alf.
Geoff said Alf did not live to impress or to conform to
what society thought he should do. Alf had that unique
ability to brighten people’s lives and try and make the world
a better place. Those of us who knew Alf were very fortunate.
Alf was a positive person which became apparent when in
his company.
Alf and Phyl shared a very strong bond of love and
affection for each other. This never faltered – ever.
Geoff said the photo on the Order Of Service (above)
captured a man who was celebrating his 100th birthday at a
luncheon. He was relaxed and happy, content and grateful
and full of kind and generous thoughts and words.
3
The Late Don Ainsworth’s Story
(A proud member of the 2/5th Australian Field Ambulance)
This is a Tribute to Don’s family. Don passed away on the 1st June 2014 and it was recorded in our “Battle For Australia” Newsletter –
SPRING issue 2014, page 5. It was missed in our last two issues for which I humbly apologise. )
Good day everybody,
My name is Don Ainsworth. I entered the world 2nd
February 1925. Some of you older blokes might remember
the year. With my birth I helped Australia reach the grand
total of 6 million people crowded onto this Great Southern
Land.
I’ve always considered 1925 to be a great year.
King George V was on the throne.
Some great people were born in that year. Shirley
Strickland, athlete (died 2004). Bill Neilson, Premier of
Tasmania (1975–1977) (died 1989). (I met Bill Nielson during
my time in Hobart.)
This was the year that Victoria won the Sheffield
shield, Windbag won the Melbourne Cup and Geelong
became the VFL winners.
As you can see none of this meant a thing to me at that
early stage of my life.
MY EARLY YEARS
I was born in Brunswick Melbourne in 1925. In those
days mum and dad lived at 66 Rose Street, Brunswick. Our
house was very basic as was most family homes at that
time. Sadly, like a lot of things that happened that long ago
I have forgotten. I can’t recall the names of our neighbours
nor on which night the night man came to collect the ‘soil’!
In my early years, life was easy for me because I was the
second youngest of our large family.
My family consisted of three brothers and four sisters.
This meant that I had plenty of older siblings to take care of
me and maybe get me into boyish mischief. But our family
was very loving and caring.
I do remember that as kids we slept two in a bed.
My dad was a typical hard working man. He worked on
the Railways as a guard on the goods trains. In those days,
most young women went from school and then worked
around the family home until some ‘unsuspecting’ came
on the scene and married them, then they went to his
home and repeated the same process and started a family.
My mum met dad, and they made their home together and
soon had a family to care for.
Our parents were not rich, but dad was a keen gardener
and that helped us to have enough food on the table.
When the depression commenced in 1929 I was only 4
years of age, but that didn’t mean much to me back then.
It was only later in life that I realised just how hard life
was for my parents. While I played they struggled to see
that, as a family, we didn’t go without. We understood in
later years how much we all loved our parents and their
sacrifice for us.
The depression did affect us. As a full time employee of
the Railways, dad had limited days of employment, but the
veggie garden helped us through. One thing I can say is
that I was never hungry or cold, thanks to the sacrifice of
my parents.
Then one day dad came home with the news that he
could get a full time job by relocating to the bush. Dad and
mum made their decision. We’d go where the Railways
4
wanted to send us. So at the tender age of 11, along with
most of my siblings, we shifted to Orbost. Dad’s full time
employment got us back on our feet.
In his spare time he re-established the family garden.
We had a cow so mum churned the milk and made our
butter. The cream was exquisite.
My two elder sisters stayed in Melbourne as they had
found some employment.
All in all we had a happy contented family life, the older
siblings caring and looking after us younger ones.
We loved our parents, their caring nature and their
sacrifices for us were instilled in us.
I was born with a faulty eye. It was thought that as I got
older then it would rectify itself. But it didn’t happen. One
of our family doctors suggested that I wear an eye patch to
see if that would cure it. So for a while I was like the pirate
in the story books, but no change occurred. It would be
with me for the rest of my life.
MY SCHOOLING
I am pleased to admit that I thought I was a model
student. Not brilliant but average. I was punctual and never
shirked doing what was expected of me.
Was I an angel, or a mischievous little devil in disguise,
who knows? But I did enjoy my school experience.
I started school when I was 5 years of age. I attended
school from Grade1 – Grade 8. That was when I received
my Merit Certificate, which I guess is equivalent to the
Intermediate Certificate in N.S.W.
I was just under the age of 14 when I left school. I was
pretty good at most sports but I was average in other
subjects. I never had a favourite teacher, because all my
teachers were nuns.
In 1936 dad got a transfer to Bairnsdale with the
Railways as a guard, and I changed schools once again.
Regrettably, dad was later killed in a tragic railway
accident at Wiseleigh (between Bruthen and Bairnsdale).
Being a boy of the ripe old age of 11, I spied a young
lady (girl), and said that is the girl I’m going to marry. In
typical fashion she didn’t want to know me.
Bairnsdale was a typical country town. Just as Orbost
was a timber cutting town, so Bairnsdale was a dairy
community.
MY WORKING LIFE
On leaving school I got a job in a Bairnsdale men’s wear
shop. I was responsible for cleaning and doing the small
purchases for customers. Someone else did all the tailoring
and fitting. When I turned 16 I secured a job with an
expanding company known as G.J. Coles.
This company took me under its wing and began to
train me in the art of retail trading. This was 1941.
Incidentally, Coles celebrates its 100th year in retailing
this year.
When I returned after the war, I was able to get my old
job back with G. J. Coles. They continued to train me in the
retail aspects of their business. Over time I was moved from
one store to another to gain further experience.
Fortunately I progressed through the company in store
management.
In their service, I had several positions around the
Victoria and also worked in Burnie, Launceston and
Hobart branches. We also spent a few years in Geelong.
Eventually I became the manager of the personnel
department at their head office. Yet all the time our home
remained in Bairnsdale.
I look back at the G.J. Coles company as I knew it, and I
honestly I have to say that it was a brilliant company to
work for. They were a generous company.
All staff who had been employed for ten years was
given an extra week’s holiday. The general staff also would
receive rewards based on the profitability of the company
each year. They did their best to train and keep their
personnel.
Every day I looked forward to coming home to Lurline
and my children. Sadly after 62 years of marriage my dear
wife Lurline died. That was 2010. I miss her terribly.
MY ARMY EXPERIENCE
As most of you would know, every man on attaining the
age of 18 was required for military training. So I enlisted in
Bairnsdale. I was classified as “B” because of my faulty eye.
At this point of time mum and dad were semi-pleased as
this meant that I would never be sent overseas.
Having completed my basic
training at Wangaratta in Victoria I
was sent to Kapooka near Wagga
Wagga in N.S.W.
One of the Doctors in our camp
gave me a thorough medical checkup and reclassified me as an A2
person which allowed me to join the
A I F (Australian Imperial Forces).
Before I knew it I was en route to
the Atherton Tablelands in Northern
Queensland, to join a medical Field Ambulance unit which
had returned from fighting at “Shaggy Ridge” in Papua
New Guinea.
Some of these blokes had seen fighting in every conflict
Australia had been involved since 1940. They were at
Tobruk, Syria, Milne Bay and the beaches at Buna, Gona,
and some other places.
Now they were back home for rest and retraining, for
what would be their next and last campaign.
Having been classified A2 and with the reluctant
approval of my parents I was able to be sent overseas.
In 1944 I was made a corporal, and I was barely 19. It
was here that I met some other Victorians like Neil Barrie,
Matt Hogan and Tom Prichard. I held deep respect for
these men and others like them.
It was May 1945 that we sailed to Borneo, Balikpapan
on the southern side of the island to be exact.
Although I didn’t suffer any form of sea sickness many
of my companions succumbed to this expression of
discomfort. I must admit the sea voyage was certainly
rough.
Borneo was the most productive oil field in the region
held by the Japanese.
On 1st July our invasion took place. Our unit had its
own adventures and this included struggles with the
climate, terrain and the enemy.
One military map shows that we set up near a place
called Stalkudu, just east of Green Beach. Many of the roads
were impassable for our vehicles, so the wounded had to
be carried by stretcher to our aid post.
Later, we were sent to the other side of Balikpapan Bay
to establish a Field Ambulance station for the wounded in
Penajam.
It was such a relief when the 15th of August arrived
with the news that the War was over.
Those blokes with whom I had experienced the
invasion of Borneo were glad that it was all over and the
Army started sending those who had been on the front line
the longest home.
You can sometimes forget the rigors of that campaign,
but I will never forget what happened the week after V J
Day.
Those of us left were to receive our soldiers who were
P.O.Ws from Singapore.
They stepped off the plane as gaunt as could be. Our
job was to help them in their recuperation. Our catering
corps pulled out every stop to provide the best food for our
returning troops.
Our troops had been starved to the point that they
couldn’t stomach such luxurious food, after enduring
about four years of captivity and brutal treatment.
THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
But let me go back to my teenage years and the girl
who was disinterested in me.
Her name was Lurline, and as I had said I
was very keen on her
when I was 11. Although
she didn’t think much of
me it didn’t deter me
from getting to know
her.
So by the time I was in the Army she was starting to
warm to my feelings.
While I was on Borneo I was able to send her a 21st
Birthday telegram, and to my surprise at what was to
become the happiest day of my life, she sent me a reply.
Lurline was also from Bairnsdale. During the war she
worked as a telephonist.
She must have thought that I would be a good catch for
she made it easy for me to propose to her.
We were married in 1948. And while having the
opportunity to live in other places, Bairnsdale was our
home.
Over time we produced one daughter who now lives
in Western Australia. One son lives in Tasmania and two
sons who live in Melbourne.
MY LIFE NOW
I guess I need to answer the question…”what about life
for me now”.
I have heard that one of my friends from 2/5th Field
Ambulance referred to me as the baby of the unit. After all
5
he was 95 and I’m just about to
turn 89.
Today I live in a nursing home
here in Bairnsdale. It is a wonderful
place to be when you have had
pneumonia and can’t look after
yourself. My legs have some difficulty in holding me upright, but
the ‘wheelie walker’ is a great help.
The staff are very caring here
and I couldn’t be in better hands.
One of the benefits of being here is that someone else
has taken on the responsibility of looking after my health.
I don’t have to worry about my security, and the food is
like as if my wife has cooked the meal.
If I could pass on a message to those who are younger I
would tell them:“Care for your wife and your family by showering them
primarily with love. It’s better than money.
Be grateful for what you have. Gratitude is a wonderful
attitude to carry
through in every
aspect of life.
Don’t indulge in
self-pity. Always stick
to the truth, never
say one thing and
mean another, for as
someone wrote…”
"To thine own
self, be true,
And it must follow, as the day the night.
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
One of my favourite verses is from “The Sick Stockrider” by Adam Lindsay Gordon…
“For good undone and gifts misspent and resolutions vain
Tis somewhat late to trouble. This I know –
I should live the same life over, If I had to live again.
And chances are I go where most men go”. 䡲
Dates for your Diary for 2015
RAAMC Association (NSW Branch) Meets at Victoria Barracks, every 2 months, on the FIRST
FRIDAY: FEB, APR, JUN, AUG, OCT, DEC at 10.30am. An “OPEN INVITATION” is extended to you.
Please advise Secretary, Ron Foley, if you are coming. (0422.376.541) NB: April Meeting will be
the 10th (due to Easter Friday being the 3rd)
14th February
NATIONAL SERVICEMEN’S DAY
We have no official involvement but if any member attends
a Ceremony and represents us, please advise me of your
involvement.
25th April
ANZAC DAY
12th MAY
“AHS CENTAUR” SERVICE
Concord Hospital, 113 AGH Memorial Chapel ~ 10.30am
JULY
RESERVE FORCES DAY
First Sunday in Sydney and Saturday prior in Newcastle
15th AUGUST
VP Day
2pm at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway
SEPTEMBER (1st Wednesday)
BATTLE FOR AUSTRALIA COMMEMORATION
Martin Place, Sydney ~ 11am
NOVEMBER
RESERVE FORCES DAY “LAUNCH” for 2016 (TBA)
NOVEMBER (last Saturday – 30th)
ANNUAL “MIXED” REUNION LUNCHEON
TBA due to the RAAMC Harbour Dinner ‘clash’
---------------------------------“Cut-Off dates” for articles in quarterly magazines of 2015 ~
AUTUMN ISSUE 1ST APRIL, WINTER ISSUE 1ST JUNE, SPRING ISSUE 1ST AUGUST, SUMMER 1ST DECEMBER.
6
Message from the President
Welcome to the 2015 autumn (Anzac) issue of the 5
Field Ambulance RAAMC Association Newsletter.
We trust you are well and had a peaceful Festive
Season. Thanks to all members who supported our 2015
Calendar sale and ordered Centenary wines and T-shirt to
help our finances for support of our Centenary Parade and
luncheon.
As I mentioned in the autumn Newsletter of 2014 our
committee met at Coogee/Randwick RSL Club on 29 March
to discuss and lay down a road map for the planning and
execution of 5 Field Ambulance Centenary Parade at
Queens Park Randwick for 15 March 2015.
A year of difficult planning and negotiations resulted in
The Centenary Parade being a wonderful success in the
end, due to the dedication, perseverance and flexibility
shown by our Secretary, Alan Curry OAM, strongly
supported by his wife Ruth, and daughter Julie. I draw your
attention to Alan’s summary report of the Centenary
Parade Day later in this Newsletter.
It would be remiss of me not to personally thank the
following personnel who contributed to make our
Centenary the success that it was:
Guest of Honour, MAJGEN Warren Glenny AO RFD ED
(Ret’d) and his wife Gay, 5 Brigade Commander, BRIG
Katherine Campbell CSC, 5 CSSB Commander LTCOL Dean
Vince and his catering and support staff at 5 CSSB Depot at
Banksmeadow, Officer Commanding 5 CSSB Health Coy
MAJ David Czerkies and his troops on parade, Australian
Army Band led by MAJ Mathew Chilmaid, Cadets from 206
ACU, North Sydney, MC David Cooper OAM, Honorary
Chaplain, Brian Hogan, Stuart Jones, his wife Sue and
daughter Sarah for the morning tea organisation and fine
production and distribution of the day’s program.
Finally to all Association
members, friends and
loved ones who attended
as spectators giving
those on parade a true
Derek Cannon
sense of occasion. Thank
you one and all.
I wish to thank my own family members for assisting
with the wine purchases in relabeling the bottles with
special labels designed by Andrew Bean my granddaughter’s boyfriend and their packing for distribution to
all purchasers including the T-shirts.
We were shocked by the news that our Patron, Col Ray
Hyslop OAM RFD, and his wife Helen could not attend our
Parade due to urgent heart surgery. I am happy to report
Ray is feeling much better, and a little bionic after being
fitted with a pacemaker.
Edna and I had a week touring Tasmania visiting many
of my old climbing regions. We caught up with my old
friend and Association member Scotty Boyd in Launceston
where we had a nice dinner and conversation. I was able to
personally deliver his Centenary wine order.
To all our special members and with constant thought
for our sick, Edna and I wish you all the very best for the
future. Good reading and I hope we can see many of you
joining our ranks on this year’s special Anzac Day. Refer
later in this Newsletter for details.
14th FEBRUARY
National Servicemen’s Anniversary
GET WELL
Our Association sincerely thanks our member,
Richard (John) Smith OAM, for representing our
Association at a Ceremony that was conducted at
the Memorial in Raymond Terrace.
John said 18 Nasho’s were in attendance,
together with Sub Branch members from the
Raymond Terrace RSL Sub Branch. The Ceremony
was conducted by the President of the Port
Stephens NS Sub Branch, Mr. Kevin Jenkins.
Relatives and friends were also present.
John said 5 Field Ambulance had hundreds of
National Servicemen in their ranks over the many
years of National Service, since starting in 1952
and ending in 1973.
He served under LTCOL Wherret and MAJ John
de Witt.
John wryly added that his own dad was a
sergeant in the unit so he ‘copped it’ both at home
and at the unit‼
----------------------------
Derek Cannon
Our publisher, Russell Maddocks of Statewide
Publishing Pty Ltd, has not enjoyed the best of
circumstances in this new year.
Our Executive, Patron, Committee and general
membership send their very good wishes to you,
as do your printers—Galloping Press P/L – for a
speedy recovery to your old self.
Good Luck, Russell, we are all thinking of you.
--------------------------------
After another ‘blazing’ row with
his wife he went into his room and
watched the video of his wedding—
IN REVERSE.
He loved the part where the ring is
taken off her finger and she walks
down the aisle backwards, gets in the
car and drives off!
7
5 Field Ambulance RAAMC Association
(Please contact me if I have omitted your name or corrections are needed)
LIFE MEMBERS
WO 11 Michael
COL Suresh
WO I Warren
Mr. Alan
Mr. Fred
Dr. Harding
Mr. Bob
LTCOL Derek
# Mrs Edna
Mr. Greg
WO1 Mick
Mr. Kevin
Mr. George
Mr. Ben
LTCOL David
CMDR James
Mr. John
Mr. John
Mr. K.B. (Barry)
Mr. Roy
# Mr. Joe
Mr. Gordon
Mr. Alan
Mr. Greg
Mr. John
Mr. Patrick
MAJ David
MAJ Peter
WO 11 Theo
Mr. George
Dr. Ken
LTCOL Marie
Mr. Gavin
LTCOL Andrew
# M/s Brittany
# M/s Felicity
# Mr. Joshua
MAJ Madeline
Mr. Phillip
Mr. Laurie
Mr. Brett
Mr. Nelson
Mr. Garry
# Mrs. Adrienne
Mr. Ron
Mrs. Frances
LTCOL Paul
Mr. Richard
MAJ John
Mr. Joe
CAP John
Mrs. Margaret
Victoria
Mr. Gordon
Mr. Barry (Bob)
Mr. George
8
ALI
BADAMI OAM RFD
BARNES
BECKERLEG
BELL
BURNS OAM
BUTLER
CANNON RFD
CANNON
CANT
CARLSON NM RFM ANSM ADM
(Rtd)
CARTER
CARUANA
CASTLE
CAVANAUGH RFD ED (Rtd)
CHAPMAN (Rtd)
CHARTER
CLEGG
COLLINS OAM
CROSSLEY
CRUMLIN
CURTIS
CURRY OAM
CURRY
CURRY
CURRY
CZERKIES
DALGLEISH RFD
DECHAUFEPIE
DONNELLY
DOUST OAM
DOYLE
DRISCOLL
ELLIS OAM
EVANS
EVANS
EVANS
EVES RFD
FAGUE
FARRUGIA JP
FERRARI
FIORENTINO
FLOOD
FOLEY
FOLEY
FOOKES (nee Henderson)
FOOKES (Rtd)
FORD
GALLAGHER
GATTY
GORRELL RFD (Rtd)
GORRELL
GORRIE
GRANT
GRIEVES
HARRIS
MAJ Eileen
LTCOL Kym
MAJ James
Mr. Ed
# Mrs. Norma
COL Ray
CAP Jim
CAP Natalie
Mr. Terry
Mrs. Ann
MAJGEN William ‘Digger’
# Mr. Don
Mr. Ernest
Mr. Richard
# Mrs. Sue
LTCOL Stuart
Mr. Anthony
MAJ Robert (Bob)
# Mr. Doug
Mr. Colin
LTCOL Edward (“Ted”)
COL Frank
# Mr. Terry
Mr. John
Mr. John
LT Igor
# Mr. Bryan
# Mr. Geoffrey
# Mrs. Maureen
MAJ Kathleen
Mr. Robert
Mr. Edwin
Mr. Alen
Mr. Robert (Bob)
Mr. Huss
Mr. Nick
Dr. Helena
# Mr. Don
Mr. Gordon
Mr. Paul
COL Bill
Mr. Michael
# Mr. Charles
# Dr. William (Bill)
Mr. John
Mr. Hugh
COL G.R.W. (“Roy”)
# Mrs. Trish
LTCOL John
CAP Tom
# Mrs. Yvonne
Mr. Ken
# Mrs. Marion
CAP Richard
# Mrs. Rayda
MAJ John
# Mr. Peter
HENDERSON RFD (nee Anderson)
HENDERSON RFD
HOOLAN Jr. USMC (Rtd)
HUNG
HUTTON
HYSLOP OAM RFD
ILIOPOULOS
ILIOPOULOS (nee Polydoropoulos)
IRVINE
JACKSON (nee Williams)
JAMES AC AO MBE CStJ
JARMAN
JOHNSON
JONES
JONES
JONES RFD
JORDAN
KENYON
KERSEY
KLINE
KREMER OAM
LANG OAM RFD ED (Rtd)
LANGWORTHY
LASTOVICKA
LAYHE
LEMECH
LINDSAY
LINDSAY
LIVINGSTON
LOADSMAN
LOVE
LOWERY
LUCIC
LYNCH
MAHOMET
MARSHALL
MARTIN
MELVILLE
MILLS
MISTO
MOLLOY RFD ED
MORONEY
MURRAY
McBRIDE AO CBE
McCARTHY
McCARTY
McDONALD (Rtd)
McGRATH
McKEOWN RFD (Rtd)
McLANDERS (Rtd)
McLEAN
McNUFF
NEWMAN
NG
NOBLE (nee Prain)
O’BRIEN (Rtd)
O’GRADY
Mr. Barry
WO 1 E. (Bill)
Mr. Charles
COL John
MAJ Peter
WO 2 Steve
MAJGEN John
MAJ Robert
Mr. Barry
# Mrs. Heather
Mr. Peter
LTCOL David
Mrs. Karen
WO 1 Ken
Mr. Robert (Bob)
Mr. Maurice
Mr. John
Dr. F.G. (Geoff.)
+Mr. Thomas (Tom)
COL Robert (Bob)
CAP Alan
CAP James
MAJ John
Mr. Michael
Mr. Bill
Mrs. Cathy
LT Susan
Mr. Paul
Mr. Robert
Mr. George
Mr. Ross
Mr. Stephen
O’KEEFE
O’KEEFE (Rtd))
O’MEALLY
OVERTON AM RFD
PAISLEY (Rtd)
PARIS (Rtd)
PEARN AO RFD CStJ
PEARSON (Rtd)
PERRIGO
PERIGO
PETHER
PHILLIPS RFD
PHILLIPS (nee Stead)
PHILLIPS OAM
PINK OAM
PORTER
PRICE
PRIOR
PRITCHARD
REID ED (Rtd)
ROBINSON (Rtd)
ROCHE OAM
ROCHE OAM
ROWLEY
RYLANDS
SALMON
SALVI
SHERGOLD
SHILLINGSWORTH
SIP
SMITH
STANSFIELD
CAP Stephen
Mr. Robert
Mr. Chris
Mr. Peter
Mr. Noel
Mr. Brian
Mr. Bill
Sr. F.E.W. (“Sue”)
Mr. Peter
Dr. Peter
Mr. Ian
Mr. Keverell
Dr. Michael
Mrs. Ruth
Mrs. Kate
Mr. Matthew
# Mr. Kim
LTCOL Darren
Mr John
Mr. Ronald
Mr. Ian
MAJ Bruce
CAP Don
# Mr. David
COL Warwick
MAJ Alex
Mr. David
Mr. John
Dr. Phillip
Mr. Jim
STEIGRAD (Rtd)
STEWART
STRODE
SULLIVAN
TAME
TAMS
THOMPSON
THOMPSON (nee Shaw)
THOMPSON
TRALAGGAN
TUCKER
TURNBULL
TYQUIN
VAUDIN (nee Corbett)
VERCOE (nee Rose)
VERCOE
WARNOCK
WATERSON
WEAVER
WEBB
WHITE
WHITTET (Rtd)
WIKNER ED JP
WILKINSON
WILKINSON AO RFD ED CLJ
WILLIAMS
WILLIAMS
WILSON
YUILE
ZORBAS
+ 2/5th Australian Field Ambulance # Associate
CENTENARY “T” SHIRT
These proved very popular with our members/friends who purchased one. If you missed out and would
like to purchase one (or more) this is your last chance. We will not be producing any more after this notice.
They will cost $50 each (Incl postage). We need your name and size/s. Payment may be made by Cheque
or EFT.
Cheque to be made out to: ‘5 Field Ambulance Association’ and posted to either:Brian Tams
Hon Treasurer
5 Field Ambulance Association
453/1 Scaysbrook Road
KINCUMBER NSW 2251
OR
Alan Curry OAM
Hon Secretary
5 Field Ambulance Association
35/1a Gordon Close
ANNA BAY NSW 2316
EFT details are:BSB: 637000, A/C No: 717253825
A/C Name: 5 Field Ambulance Association
BANK: Greater Building Society.
(Please identify yourself).
9
ANZAC DAY MARCH DETAILS
You are most welcome to join other members of our
Association in the ANZAC Day March in this Centenary
year.
The march will be honoured and remembered right
around Australia.
If you are in Sydney and served in the medical corps
in any capacity and do not have an Association Banner
to march behind you are most welcome to march
behind our Banner or the Corps Banner.
The Medical Associations will march behind the main
RAAMC Banner in ‘Order of Battle’ i.e. The RAAMC
Banner will lead the medical units, followed by 1 Field
Ambulance Association behind their Banner, 5 Field
Ambulance Association behind their Banner and so on.
FORM UP PLACE: Hunter Street near Phillip Street.
TIME: 9.30am
DRESS: Serving members-Ceremonial (less sword),
Cadets-DPCU, Gents-Lounge suit, Ladies-As
appropriate. Medals, Name Badge and Beret.
EYES RIGHT (or left): As we pass the Cenotaph, To
Legacy (As we wheel onto George Street), At the Town
Hall.
At the conclusion of the March you are cordially
invited to join us for lunch.
LUNCH & REFRESHMENTS: will be at your own expense.
We have a room ‘booked’ and pre-paid at the Sanctuary
Hotel, their address is 545 Kent Street (cnr. Liverpool St.,
in ‘China Town’) from 1pm. (See page 40 for menu.)
RSVP if you are going to be present (Alan Curry
0427824646, Ron Foley 0422376541, Stuart Jones
0412410019)
Happy
(Autumn)
Birthday
Our Association wishes each of you “All the very best” on your “special” day.
10
MARCH:
Tony ARMSTRONG, Warren BARNES, Barry COLLINS OAM, Gordon DODD,
Dr. Ken DOUST OAM, Debbie FANIA, Ron FOLEY, Kevin HURRELL, Paul MISTO,
Charles MURRAY, Dr. "Roy" McDONALD, Yvonne McLEAN, Ken McNUFF, John O'BRIEN,
Peter O'GRADY, Charles O'MEALLY, MAJGEN John PEARN AO, Reg PERRY,
Dr. Ian PFENNIGWERTH, Dr. John ROCHE OAM, Diana ROTHFIELD, Ross SMITH,
Harry STRONG, Sr. Francis"Sue" THOMPSON, Alex WILLIAMS.
APRIL:
Scotty BOYD, Kevin CARTER, David COOPER OAM, Joshua EVANS, Richard FORD,
David FRANCIS, Ray GREENFIELD, Brian HARTLEY, James HOOLAN Jr., Greg HUBBARD,
Vic INESON, Stuart JONES, Anthony JORDAN, John LASTOVICKA, Igor LEMECH,
Greg LEWIS-PHILLIPS, Don MELVILLE, Maurice PORTER, Karen PHILLIPS, John PRICE,
Dr. Bob REID, Bill RYLANDS, Ian TUCKER, Dr. Michael TYQUIN, Thomas VELLA,
Kimberley WARNOCK
MAY:
Rosemarie ALLEN, Alan BECKERLEG, George CARUANA, John CHARTER, Pat CURRY,
Gordon CURTIS, Theo DECHAUFEPIE, Madeline EVES, Doreen FORD, Joe GATTY,
Victoria GORRIE, Ken ILES, Brian INMAN, Terry IRVINE, MAJGEN 'Digger JAMES AC AO MBE
CStJ, Colin LEE, Kathleen LOADSMAN, Dr. Richard NG, Robert PEARSON, Dr. Geoff. PRIOR,
Matthew VERCOE, Don WIKNER
Message from the Secretary
Greetings members,
My first message, and hopefully always, is to our sick
members. We are glad you are in good hands and hope
you have managed to stay cool in the long, hot spells we
have had.
You will obviously read that a great many New
Members have joined our ranks and we are most grateful
that they have. I hope you enjoy reading their introductions.
I sincerely thank all the members and friends who
purchased our Limited Edition Centenary Calendar. We
have had a fantastic ‘feedback’ on the presentation of it.
(Although it is now April, those who did not order one but
would now like to purchase one, we can still sell you one
(or more) for $7, until our stock runs out. You won’t be
disappointed.)
The other Centenary purchases (wines and or ”T” shirts)
were also a big hit and a ‘surprise’ to all the recipients. To
all those who purchased any of these items we most
sincerely thank you. It is through your support that our
Parade and Luncheon was able to be paid for. We have no
more wine left but can arrange a Centenary “T” for you to
buy or a Centenary Program (see our ACTIVITY SHEET at the
end).
"A PLACE OF KNOWN REPOSE"
(aka...."THE BROKEN BOYS, THE SHATTERED MEN")
Verse 1
One hundred years have passed and still we weep
For those destroyed by war, and deeply sleep
In fields so far and foreign from their own,
And the century of grief they left at home.
Refrain:
Oh find the broken boys
The shattered men,
And lead them to a place
Of known repose,
Inscribe their names upon
A simple cross
And to their honour plant
A blood-red rose.
Health Company of 5
CSSB, together with the
contingent of cadets from
206 ACU North Sydney
made our Centenary Parade
a memorable event.
I pray that those who are
able, will continue to organise
and support a similar, suitable
Centenary, in 2040, in honour and remember the 2/5th
Australian Field Ambulance.
5 Field Ambulance has a very proud history. See our
Centenary Summary in this Newsletter.
The army units from north Queensland are sincerely
congratulated for the work they did in assisting the QLD
SES during that devastating Cyclone Marcia.
Take care of each other and hopefully we will ‘catch up’
with some of you, in Sydney, on ANZAC Day.
-----------------------------
ALAN CURRY
POEM
(Kindly sent by our friend, Mrs. Delma Drummond
and kind thanks to Laurieton War Widows Social Club)
(With kind thanks to Mrs. Kristi Neale who wrote in to “Vetaffairs”
newspaper. Kristi’s husband is an Australian soldier and has been
diagnosed with PTSD, after completing two tours of Iraq.
The poem is about the struggles of sufferers of PTSD
and the impact it has on his/her loved ones.)
“SILENT BATTLEFIELD”
The Australian soldier returned, he made it home to me;
Beyond the joy, the twinkling in his eyes I could not see.
Verse 2
As the silent sacred dawn is drawn once more
We gather still to honour as before,
The years and lives they gave, that fatal cost,
To secure our peace, restoring freedoms lost.
Refrain:
Verse 3
For those who lost their minds upon those fields,
Bringing nothing home but grief and mental weals
Condemning them to the shadows of dark places;
Remember them, their names, forgotten faces.
Refrain:
CBenjaminMurray
His eyes were full of darkness, twinkling there was no more;
The man I loved had not returned, it was only the soldier that I saw.
So confident and brave, but something had gone wrong;
He left himself behind in that battlefield all alone.
Where is the man that I adore, for it is he I need;
Silent prayers have gone unanswered, please return to me.
I hold my breath and make a wish, for I know that he is trying,
trying to leave his battlefield, a battlefield for the dying.
Waiting is what I will do, for eternity if need be;
Waiting for my love to return, return once more to me.
--------------------------------
11
CENTENARY PARADE
SUNDAY 15TH MARCH 2015 (Summary)
What a memorable and “once in a lifetime” occasion to
be present at.
From the moment the 5 Brigade Commander, BRIG
Katherine Campbell CSC, issued an instruction (in January
this year) to the CO of 5 CSSB to support our Association
with the 5 Field Ambulance Remembrance Centenary, all
the pre-planning and forthcoming logistics started to fall
into place and come to fruition.
Two preliminary meetings, at the 5 CSSB Depot, took
place between us (our Association and 5 CSSB) to discuss
and sort out various problems before agreeing on the
Parade and Luncheon format.
LTCOL Dean Vince, the Commanding Officer of 5 CSSB,
put out the necessary admin instructions for his RSM, WO 1
Darryl Holzhauser, MAJ David Czerkies, OC Health
Company, and Health Company Training Warrant Officer,
WO 11 Jim Scott, that Health Company would be the main
group of soldiers to march behind the Band, with the
addition of about 15 army cadets from 206 ACU, North
Sydney.
On the weekend of the Parade, 14 “out-of-town”
members stayed at the Randwick Barracks on Saturday
night. They were picked up by the ‘courtesy bus’ from the
Randwick Club, about 6pm, and taken back to a private
room, for a meal at the Club, courtesy of the President of
the Club, Mr. Ken Murray (who happens to be an old Tally
Clerk workmate of yours truly – Alan Curry). A very
convivial night was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
The next day (Sunday), about 70 members and invited
guests arrived at Randwick Barracks to park their cars. It
was an overcast morning but, thankfully, no rain occurred.
Gate Security checked all credentials and showed them
where to park, until our bus arrived.
Our President, Derek Cannon, had brought with him all
the Centenary wines and “T” shirts for those members who
had ordered them previously from our past newsletters.
These were distributed and placed in member’s cars, prior
to boarding the bus for Queens Park.
THE PARADE:
When the bus dropped us off at the ‘Park’ (about
8.40am), our members, Stuart and Sue Jones and their
daughter, Sarah, had the morning tea table organised with
light snacks/tea/coffee, with invited members obtaining a
‘token’ to avail themselves of a ‘hot cuppa’. They had also
made sure everyone present received their program. The
‘morning tea’ gesture was much appreciated by about 90
attendees.
Everyone had a seat—and it was ‘under cover’!
12
Whilst awaiting the arrival of our Guest of Honour,
MAJGEN Warren Glenny AO RFD ED (Ret’d) and his wife,
Gay, we had arranged for interviews to be filmed and
recorded.
Our President, Derek Cannon, and his wife, Edna, met
MAJGEN Glenny and his wife, Gay, and escorted them to
their seats.
Our MC, Mr. David Cooper OAM, opened the Ceremony
and gave everyone a warm ‘Welcome’.
He introduced MAJGEN Glenny and wife, Gay, and
called on our President to address the gathering.
Derek explained the significance of why we were all
gathered here, on this day, and in this park.
When he resumed his seat, the Australian Army Band –
Sydney, led by MAJ Matthew Chilmaid and WO 11 Hemi
Anning was given the order to “Quick March” by the CSM
of the Health Company, WO 11 Kylie Harris.
What a wonderful spectacle it was to see the Band,
troops and cadets, and our 5 Field Ambulance Banner,
come marching into view to the strains of some wellknown WW1 tunes.
Their marching and bearing was excellent. I think
everyone felt proud to be present.
The troops halted, faced us and stood “At Ease”.
Our MC called on our Honorary Chaplain, Brian Hogan,
to offer a prayer of thanks and remembrance to our troops
and the gathering.
Our MC announced that the Reviewing Officer, LTCOL
Dean Vince, would inspect the troops and the Band.
At the completion of the Review, our MC invited
MAJGEN Warren Glenny to ‘Address’ the gathering and
troops.
MAJGEN Glenny gave a well-received speech about the
importance of keeping traditions alive and the importance
of Associations’ in maintaining their links with their present
units.
In this particular case of the ‘raising’ of 5 Australian Field
Ambulance, within 5 Brigade, in March 1915, and its
current link to 5 CSSB.
Our MC then called upon the Training Warrant Officer
of Health Company, WO 11 Jim Scott, to recite “THE ODE”.
After a short pause, the Bugler, CPL Luke Glasson,
sounded THE LAST POST.
There was a Minute’s Silence followed by the sounding
of REVEILLE.
(The bugler sounded the original WW 1 bugle which has
been handed to our Association, for safe keeping, by the 2/5th
Australian Field Ambulance Association. They had it
presented to them in 1940.)
The Band then played the Australian National Anthem.
Our MC invited LTCOL Vince to “Take the Salute” as the
troops and Band ‘Marched Past in Review Order’.
All stood whilst this occurred. The guests clapped
spontaneously as the troops marched past the saluting
dias to their dismissal point.
Our MC called on our President to thank everyone
present, for their attendance and their acclamation was
most heartening to hear.
Our MC then invited all the guests who were attending
our luncheon to board the bus.
We witnessed a great event.
THE LUNCHEON:
A full bus took everyone to the 5 CSSB depot in
Banksmeadow and arrived about 11.45am. All the guests
were ushered into the large Mess Room where everyone
relaxed, had refreshments and mingled before the lunch
was served. The lunch was a ‘serve yourself’ smorgasbord.
Our MC, David Cooper OAM, took charge of proceedings again.
He called on our Honorary Chaplain, Brian Hogan, to say
GRACE and then invited MAJGEN Glenny and his wife Gay
and ALL the ladies to enter the dining room, followed by
the remaining guests and all the troops.
The dining room was setup with very long tables,
covered with white table cloths. The food was placed on
both sides of the table so that guests could move down
both sides and help themselves.
What a feast the caterers (under the guidance of SGT
Stewart Page) had prepared.
It consisted of Moroccan chicken and yoghurt dressing,
beef stroganoff and rice, lasagne, satay chicken kebabs,
roast pork with roast potatoes and apple sauce, the salads
were garden, Greek, pasta and Caesar and Italian dressing.
There was also assorted breads.
Sweets – there was an array of ‘mouth-watering’ sweets
to please any palate.
There was plenty of food and drink and it was a credit
to all involved.
Our MC announced there was to be a number of
“Toasts”. These would be given consecutively due to the
fact that some of the unit had more ‘duties’ to attend to.
The first Toast was the “LOYAL TOAST”, to be given by
the Commanding Officer, LTCOL Dean Vince, but before
doing so he honoured one of his troops with a
presentation.
He called upon PTE Rebekah Watene, a member of his
unit’s Transport Section, to be the recipient of the Unit’s
“Soldier of the Year Award”.
LTCOL Vince said PTE Watene was chosen for a number
of reasons, not the least being dedication to her duties,
high morale, conducting every field activity throughout
the year, assisting with the civilian volunteer organisation –
Polynesian Pathways. She was given much applause.
After the Loyal Toast was given, the MC called upon our
Guest of Honour, MAJGEN Warren Glenny AO to speak.
He thanked our Association and 5 CSSB for the
invitation to be with us on our special occasion and he said
it was an honour to be here with us. He told us he was a
past 5 Brigade Commander and said was pleased that old
comrades had come up to him to say they had the pleasure
of serving with him. He praised the soldiers of 5 CSSB and
the caterers for the wonderful ‘spread’ they had prepared.
At the conclusion of his speech he was given warm
applause.
The MC then called on the OC of the Health Company,
MAJ David Czerkies, to propose a “TOAST” to “Departed
Comrades”.
The MC then called on LTCOL Stuart Jones RFD (Ret’d)
to propose a “TOAST” to the Royal Australian Army Medical
Corps.
Before he proposed the Toast he read two messages of
sincere good wishes for the success of our Centenary; one
was from Mr Paul Terawski, President of the RAAMC
Association (Victorian Branch) and the other was from Mrs
13
Glenda Garde, Hon Secretary of the 2/5th Australian Field
Ambulance Affiliates.
The MC called on LTCOL Marie Doyle RFD (Ret’d), who
was the last OC of 5 Field Ambulance Med Company, 5
BASB, to propose the Toast to 5 Field Ambulance.
The MC then called on LT Alan Curry OAM (Ret’d) to
propose a Toast to 5 CSSB caterers. Alan requested that all
the caterers come forward. He formally acknowledged the
wonderful contribution they had made to this afternoon’s
successful outcome.
The MC then called on our President, LTCOL Derek
Cannon RFD (Ret’d), to thank everyone and conclude the
Centenary Celebration.
Derek thanked all the Association committee who had
a hand in making sure our Centenary was a success and
this very much included LTCOL Dean Vince and his entire
staff and unit. He sincerely thanked the presence of 206
ACU, including the Banner bearers. He also thanked the
Australian Army Band – Sydney. He was grateful that our
Guest of Honour, MAJGEN Glenny and his wife Gay,
accepted our invitation.
He lastly thanked all our Association members, some
from overseas (Mrs. Ruth Vaudin) and some from interstate
(John and Margaret Gorrell) for their much needed support
14
and also to the friends and relatives who were present. He
kindly thanked our bus driver, Trevor, and Geoff Hendy for
‘looking after’ MAJGEN Warren and Gay Glenny.
Derek’s closing speech was applauded.
The MC announced that this now closes the Centenary
Celebrations and the bus would depart the depot at
2.30pm, for Randwick Barracks.
Our Association sincerely thanks the following
members and friends for being present on this Centenary
Event:
Thomas, David and Sophie, Nabiel and Sarah AOUARD,
Warren BARNES, Fred BELL, Derek CANNON, Edna
CANNON, Michael CARLSON, George CARUANA, Barry
COLLINS OAM, David COOPER OAM, Ruth and Alan CURRY
OAM, Margaret DOUGHERTY, Brian and Marie DOYLE,
Brittany EVANS, Felicity EVANS, Josh EVANS, Julie EVANS,
Brett and Jaqui FERRARI, Nelson and Margaret
FIORENTINO, Ron and Adrienne FOLEY, Rory FOYLE, Alison
FRASER, Joe and Judy GATTY, MAJGEN Warren GLENNY AO
and Gay GLENNY, John and Margaret GORRELL, John
HEAD, Brian and Sandra HOGAN, Ann JACKSON, Barbara
JAKEMAN, Thomas JAMES, Lisa JAMES, Patrick JONES,
Sarah JONES, Stuart JONES, Sue JONES, Robert LOVE, Alen
LUCIC, Conor, Emma, Aengus, James and Lucy MAGUIRE,
Claire MANNING, Robert MANNING, Paul MISTO, Michael
MORONEY, Hugh McCARTY, John McKEOWN, Diane
PASTUSZAK, Victor PASTUSZAK, Barry and Heather PERIGO,
Don and Margaret PHILLIPS, Dr. John ROCHE OAM, Bill
RYLANDS, Ray STANLEY, Dr. Stephen and Ann STEIGRAD,
Brian and Gail TAMS, Ruth VAUDIN, Matthew and Kate
VERCOE, Mrs Amanda VINCE with daughters Hannah and
Lucy, John and Maureen WEAVER, Ron and Rosemary
WEBB, Jenny WEIR, Bruce WHITTET, Col Warwick
WILKINSON AO (Ret’d), David WILLIAMS, Margaret
WOODHEAD and Alan YEUNG.
We received APOLOGIES from:Michael ALI, COL Suresh BADAMI OAM, Alan
BECKERLEG, Robert (Scotty) BOYD, Dr. Harding BURNS,
Greg CANT, Ben CASTLE, David CAVANAUGH, John
CHARTER, Roy CROSSLEY, Gordon CURTIS, Theo
DECHAUFEPIE, Gordon DODD, Ken DOUST OAM, Laurie
FARRUGIA, Paul and Fran FOOKES, Richard FORD, Gordon
GRANT, Bob GRIEVES, George HARRIS, Ken HELSBY, James
HOOLAN Jr, Ed HUNG, Dr. Ray HYSLOP OAM, Don JARMAN,
Bill LAIDLAW, Frank LANG OAM, Bryan LINDSAY, Edwin
LOWERY, Huss MAHOMET, Marguerite MAXWELL, Dr. Bill
MOLLOY, Tom McLANDERS, ‘Bill’ O’KEEFE, Prof. John
OVERTON AM, Steve PARIS, Maurice PORTER, Tom
PRITCHARD, Dr. Robert (Bob) REID, Michael ROWLEY,
George SIP, Richard (John) SMITH, Stephen STANSFIELD,
Rob STEWART, Peter SULLIVAN, Noel TAME, Sr. Francis
“Sue” THOMPSON, Darren WATERSON, Don WIKNER, Alex
WILLIAMS and Jim ZORBAS.
The following soldiers from 5 CSSB Health Company
who paraded, with our very thankful appreciation to the
Commanding Officer of 5 CSSB, LTCOL Dean VINCE, his
RSM, WO 1 Darryl HOLZHAUSER and his staff, are:5 HLTH COY: MAJ Dave CZERKIES OC, LT Katerine
CHARLTON, LT Ming ZANG, WO2 Kylie HARRIS CSM,
WO2 James SCOTT ARA TRG WO, CPL Tina CARR, LCPL Nic
COLEMAN HICKS, LCPL Cath SALMON, LCPL AU VU, PTE
Rene BOS, PTE Samantha CANTLE, PTE Mard DOLMAN,
PTE Glen EAST, PTE Mitch PICKETT, PTE Donna RAMIRO,
PTE Steven ROSS, PTE Tristan SCOTT and PTE Tyrone
SUTTON.
3 TPT SQN: SGT SEARLE, SGT SPINKS, CPL COTTLE, CPL
GRACE, LCPL MCDOWELL, LCPL PELTIER, GNR KUKOR, PTE
ATKINS, PTE ELIOTT, LCPL HUNG, PTE LEOW, LCPL MORT
and PTE PACE.
5 CSSB Caterers:- SGT Stewart PAGE, CPL W. COTTLE,
PTE’s C. CLARK, S. GELLERT, B. KIM and A. SIMPSON.
Australian Army Band – SYDNEY: who were first to
answer our call for their presence. They were excellent.
Officer Commanding MAJ Matt CHILMAID, WO 11 Hemi
ANNING, SGT’s Rick BARNETT, Peter BELL, Bec WIGGINS,
CPL’s Andrea CLIFFORD, Mal FAWCETT, Luke GLASSON,
Aaron MADDEN, Matthew WALSH, LCPL’s Alastair
MAGAREY, Scott McCORMICK, Dave SAUNDERS, James
STANSFIELD, Dave WOOD, MUSN’s Jeff CAMILLERI, Aangie
CURRINGTON, Mansell LAIDLER, Ben MILNE, Alex O’NEILL,
Stella SKINNER and Darron TANNOCK.
(Continued on page 16)
You don’t stop having fun when you get old. You get old when you stop having fun.
15
CHAPLAIN’S CORNER
The Passing Parade
Not long ago a group of mainly young men and a
couple of medical sisters marched down from their drill hall
to parade on the grass at Queen’s Park, where they were
inspected, talked to, and prayed for. But behind the main
dais, sat a group of older men inspecting these young folk
on parade.
Unfortunately there was no communication between
these two groups, for at the close of the parade, the
younger men were marched back to their drill hall.
Although it doesn’t seem all that long ago, it has been 50
years. If we didn’t realise it then, we ought to realise it now,
for we were in the presence of the original WW1 5th Field
Ambulance unit.
Our unit’s WW1 history briefly states:
5th Field Ambulance was raised one hundred years ago
on the 16th March 1915, and eventually it moved to
Queen’s Park.
The main body of the unit embarked for Egypt on the
25th of June 1915. They arrived at Gallipoli on the nights of
the 19/20/21 August 1915 to be the medical team to
support of the 17th and 18th Battalions’ unsuccessful
attack on Hill 60, where 50% of our assault force was
decimated.
After leaving Gallipoli, they went to Europe to serve in
all the major campaigns, until that war’s end.
During WW1, our unit won the following Honours and
Decorations:- 1 DSO, 2 DCM, 1 MM and Bar, 37 MM’s.
The story of our 2/5th Field Ambulance Unit awaits
another day. (At the time of writing I only know of 4
remaining members.)
So a hundred years ago, through the engagement of
our medical forebears, 5th Field Ambulance affirmed its
place in our national history, with many of them giving
their lives sacrificially to save someone else’s life. They saw
it as their duty.
Now it is we who sit on the sideline of events which
covers 100 years. We are the remnants of our unit.
Hopefully we are still proud of our unit with all its
instructions, training, and its faults. And yet as an
association our unit still has members who are active in
other forms of community service. Yes we are now an
association, but the Medical Corp although under a
different name with its modern equipment and new
techniques, still serves in the great tradition of our unit. Our
unit motto, “Semper Paratus” meaning “Always Prepared”,
along with the R.A.A.M.C motto, “Paulatim” meaning “Little
by Little” still sums up the struggle and the ongoing duty
of the A.D.F’s medical work.
The older men who watched us on parade in Queen’s
Park 50 years ago knew only full well the meaning of the
word Sacrifice. They knew the futility of war, and yet they
were willing to risk all. Yes, risk their lives, and hopefully
they knew that what they were doing was for our benefit.
From my Christian perspective, sacrifice is a vital part of
the story of Jesus, who saw a world being ripped apart by
human hatred of God and others. Jesus came to take the
guess work out of the false assumptions we so often have
concerning God. Jesus came to display what the actual
character of God is like. Jesus also came to reveal to us, just
how much we were destroying God’s original intention for
us. It is as if we had a death wish.
The long and the short of the story is that people hated
Jesus and so they murdered him. And yet from God’s
perspective Jesus willingly suffered and died sacrificially
for us. There is a universal truth which says “the innocent
always suffer for the guilty”. God knew that the sacrificial
death of Jesus would accomplish far more than the credit
we would give Him. The secret behind His sacrifice is his
Love for all mankind.
We are all part of the passing parade. Passing before
others, and more importantly passing before God. So as we
pass by God, I wonder what will be His assessment of us?
Brian Hogan
Honorary Chaplain
5 Field Ambulance Association.
CENTENARY PARADE…
(Continued from page 15)
206 ACU North Sydney, who paraded, with gratitude
to OC CAP Tim WARK and the Instructor of Cadets, Cadet
CPL Alan YEUNG and Adjutant, Alison Fraser:Cadet Under Officer Luke UHRIG, Cadet CPL’s Sam
JAMES, Dylan SHARP and Ben WATTS, Cadet LCPL Chris
MAGEE, Cadet’s Jesse LANGFORD, Oliver MANNING,
Samantha ORCHARD, Robert SLATER, Emily THOMPSON
and Angela ZHOU.
A special ‘Thank You’ to our 5 Field Ambulance Banner
Bearers, in a very stiff breeze-Cadet Sam HODSON and
Cadet Callum PASTUSZAK.
Happiness comes through doors you didn’t even know you left open.
16
5 CSSB Health Company News
Dear Serving and Association members,
2015 is a significant year for all military members
whether serving or for those who are no longer in uniform,
as we celebrate the Centenary of the Anzacs, our military
history and the formation of 5 Field Ambulance, what a busy
year for celebrations.
The year started in February with the unit completing
our compulsory training lecturers, Basic Fitness Assessment
and meeting the new Commanding Officer LTCOL Dean
Vince. During the CO’s presentation he outlined his vision
and mission statement for the Unit.
February was also the start of the Centenary celebrations, with Headquarters 5 Brigade hosting dining in night
at the new Holsworthy Officer’s Mess. The dinner was
attended by officers, WO’s and SNCO’s of 5 Brigade with
present and previous Commanders both Brigade and 2nd
Division present, with a total of 240 guests attending the
dinner. During the dinner speeches were dedicated not only
to those who are still serving, but dedication to the soldiers
who served in the formation of 5 Brigade during World War
One. A good night had by all, with good company, good
food and a chance to catch up with old faces of the past.
On 15 March 15, 5 Health Company supported by
Australian Army Band marched on to Queens Park, Waverley
to celebrate the Centenary of the 5 Field Ambulance. The
morning weather did not look like the parade would go
ahead with ominous looking clouds of rain. But with the
help of the padre the weather held off, except for the strong
wind, which almost saw two Army cadets holding the 5 Field
Ambulance Banner marching onto the parade almost being
carried away like Mary Poppins. Well done to the cadets who
persisted with the conditions. Though Queens Park was the
Unit’s stepping off point and training location, the location
where 5 Field Ambulance originally established was
Liverpool. More will be mentioned later.
After the parade, association members, guests and
current serving members returned to 5 CSSB for the
afternoon function where we celebrated the Centenary with
current serving and previous serving members of the unit.
During the afternoon, there were some tall stories shared
and association members being refreshed of today’s
soldiering. No function is without food, and the unit
catering staff provided a lavish spread of food that was
enjoyed by all. A big thanks to the Cooks for there skill in
making the afternoon function successful.
The afternoon function did not go astray without the
opportunity to reflect on the history of 5 Field Ambulance.
With short speeches, toasts - to fallen comrades, to the
Corps and 5 Field Ambulance, plus messages from the
national RAAMC secretary and Association colleagues. All
provide an opportunity to reflect on the rich history of 5
Field Ambulance. What a good day had by all, both the
serving soldiers and association members.
In early to mid April, 5 CSSB will move to its new home
at Holsworthy Barracks, with 5 Health Company being one
of the last two Companies to move into the new residence.
Once Health Company has moved in, this would then be a
milestone for 5 Health Company, as this completes the
circle. Returning home to where 5 Field Ambulance
originally commenced its formation in the Liverpool area.
The April training weekend has been dedicated to Anzac
Day preparations and as such, officers and soldiers of 5
Health Company will conduct preparations for the
attendance at the Anzac Day march with 5 Field Ambulance
Association as part of it Centenary celebrations.
Since our last magazine editions, we have seen the
return of LCPL Cam Armstrong who was deployed with OP
Resolute. He mentions that though he did not get out to sea,
he was kept busy providing health support to the soldiers
who were on board the Navy patrol boats.
In January, Health Company also saw the march in of a
new nursing officer, LT Kate Charlton. LT Charlton was
previously an officer in Engineers, where she saw the light
and Corps transferred to Nursing Corps. Her previous
posting have been engineer related postings as GSO officer
and 8 CSSB (sister Health Company) as nursing officer. We
welcome her into 5 Health Company where she would be an
asset to the Company, especially her previous background
as a GSO officer.
Until the next edition, keep well and we look forward to
seeing everyone on Anzac Day. Good soldiering to all.
MAJ David Czerkies
OC Health Company, 5 CSSB
Below: 5 Health Company with 206 Army Cadets on parade
at Queens Park, Waverley.
17
NEW MEMBERS
Henry (Harry) STRONG is welcomed
into our Association. He was one of the
National Servicemen who carried our
Banner in the Newcastle RF Day Parade a
couple of years back. He kindly accepted
our invitation to join us and, on my
request, he sent me his story. I will have
great pleasure in presenting him to you in
this, or a future, Newsletter. I enjoyed
reading it, and thank you Harry.
----------------------------------Peter KROGER is welcomed into our
Association as an Associate Member. He is
a previous neighbour and good friend of
Ruth and myself when we lived in Lemon
Tree Passage. We all get together every so
often for a “Neighbour’s Night Out”.
Peter has always taken an interest in
our newsletter and its content and
responded to our request to join us.
Peter and his wife, Carol, enjoy travelling, whether it’s overseas to the US to visit
one of their sons and his family, or to
Sydney to visit another son and his family.
Carol is a very keen gardener and also
loves seeing her grandchildren whenever
the opportunity arises.
Peter’s spare time is taken up with
‘home DIY jobs’ together with his other
great pastime love – fishing. He tries to get
out in his boat as often as time and
weather permits.
He recently told me that he was out on
the ocean (beyond Port Stephens) and it
was mid-morning and not a ripple on the
water when all of a sudden, and ever so
quiet, this huge whale broke the water
about 50 feet from him and then let out
this huge expulsion of air! He said it was
majestic. He just watched it slowly
disappear without a trace!
--------------------------------John CURRY is my mate and my cousin.
He is my first cousin, in fact, because my
mum and John’s mum were sisters and my
dad and John’s dad were brothers. We
have always been in each other’s company
down through the years.
Shortly after John left school he joined
his father’s gang on the Sydney waterfront, as a wharf labourer, and he stayed a
“Wharfie” all his working life until he
retired at age 60.
It was interrupted in the mid-1950
when he did his National Service in 13 NS
Bn at Ingleburn.
He eventually transferred into the
mechanical branch of the WWF and drove
all types of mechanised wharf vehicles
until the era of containerisation started. He
then learned to drive and handle all the
heavy machinery that came with onset of
container shipping operations.
18
John married his sweetheart, Dorothy,
and they had two children, Susanne and
David. Unfortunately, their marriage did
not last and they parted company.
Dorothy sadly passed away two years ago.
John has a partner, Chris, and they are
happy. They have no children but Susanne
and David have their families and John is a
happy grandfather.
I am pleased he joined us but more so
because he also became a Life Member.
Thank you, Cuz!)
------------------------------John HEAD is made most welcome into
our Association. He is a friend and fellow
member of our Tilligerry RSL Sub Branch.
John is a very keen photographer and
has, on many occasions, met me or
accompanied me to our Association’s
meetings, whether they be army related or
socially. He seems to be quite ‘at home’
when he has a camera in his hand.
I am hopeful of getting a bit more of
John’s life, more so because he is a
Vietnam Veteran.
--------------------------------John VASSAROTTI answered our
request to join us as an Associate Member.
John is a good former workmate and we
enjoy each other’s company whenever we
meet up. We were both tally clerks on the
Sydney waterfront.
John was 12 when WW2 broke out and
he remembers he was in the ARP and part
of his job, along with other friends the
same age, was to cycle their allotted
streets in the Bondi area to see that air raid
precautions were being carried out.
He told me of the time when the
Japanese midget submarines were busy
and they shelled various places in the
eastern suburbs.
The ARP were called out to do their
duty but many of the mothers would not
allow their sons to leave the home! John
said his section of the ARP was disbanded
after this!
Sadly, John lost his wife a few years
ago but he has loving daughters and their
families who visit him very regularly. He
enjoys the company of his grandchildren
and they enjoy being with him.
----------------------------------Gordon GRANT is warmly welcomed
into our Association. A
‘chance’ introduction to
us, from his fellow 1 Field
Ambulance soldier mate,
Mick Carlson, was enough
for Gordon to apply to
join us—and as a Life
Member. Gordon was the
RSM of 1 Field Ambulance in the 1970’s.
Gordon was born in Wales and when
WW2 ended he was ‘shipped out’ to
Australia. He was 12 years of age when he
landed in Fremantle, Western Australia.
He remembered being herded into a
large shed on the wharf, after being
segregated into Catholics and Non
Catholics. He was Catholic and remembers
lining up with all the other Catholics and
being fingerprinted by a policeman.
Gordon was sent to a ‘home’ with
other boys and they were taught by the
Christian Brothers. He did not find out until
the late 1950’s that his mum had been
killed in 1940 in the London blitz. He never
heard what happened to his dad until the
1980’s when he found out that he had also
died.
Gordon joined the army, first in
National Service in 1952 and discharged as
a WO1 in February 1979. He had overseas
service in Borneo and Vietnam.
Gordon said the Army life cost him his
marriage but he has no regrets. He retains
many memories—some good and some
not good. He is busy in his retirement and
he has good friends.
At my request, Gordon sent me quite a
lot his history. This will take me some time
to ‘edit’ and send back and forth to
Gordon until he is completely happy with
the final outcome.
Included in his mail was a cheque for
$250. He apologised for not being well
enough to attend our Parade and
Luncheon in March and asked that the
money be used to make 3 ‘Toasts’; To the
RAAMC, To Departed Comrades and, To
5 Field Ambulance.
---------------------------------Victor INESON made contact with me
some months ago to say he was a member
of our unit in the 1960’s. He subsequently
sent me some personal information and
photos of his father and grandfather (see
Christmas Newsletter-SUMMER Issue 2012,
p35). We now welcome Vic back as a
member and hope to write a little more of
Vic’s life since leaving the unit.
------------------------------------
NSW NATIONAL SERVICEMEN’S
ASSOCIATION & AFFILIATES Inc. very
kindly accepted our invitation to join our
Association. Their executive officers,
George Sasche and Ron Brown, said our
quarterly Newsletter is a welcome addition to their library and is available to read
by any visitor to their office. Thank you,
George and Ron, I am also a member of
the Port Stephens Sub Branch.
---------------------------------Mike O’KEEFFE is the brother-in-law of
one of our good members, and my old
workmate and dear friend, Charles
O’Meally.
Mike gladly accepted our request to
join our Association as an Associate
Member. He and his wife, Madeline, and
their two girls, Meg and Sue, are very good
to Charles.
Mike won a scholarship to the Maritime College in Warsash in the UK. He was
about 16 at the time, and this set him on
his course for life — being involved in
shipping. He became a ship’s master. Mike
was the Harbour Master for Port Botany.
He and Madeline live in Eastwood and
would be proud of their daughters’
achievements in life. Meg has earned her
degree in medical science and happily
working in her field of expertise. Sue is a
very caring and successful veterinary
surgeon.
---------------------------------MAJGEN (Dr.) William ‘Digger’ JAMES
AC AO MBE CStJ very kindly accepted an
invitation from us, to join our Association.
He also joined us as a Life Member for
which we are most grateful.
Some of our members have met
Digger personally, unfortunately I am not
one but whenever his
name is mentioned, it is
with utmost respect
and admiration.
He is seen as a much
loved and respected
man and held in high
regard. It was a pleasure to ‘phone him
and speak to both he and his wife, Barbara.
‘Digger’ (and I hope that MAJGEN
James does not take offence at me using
his renowned ‘nickname’) was born in
Shepparton, Victoria, on the 14th May
1930.
On leaving high school he entered the
Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1948
and graduated in 1951. He was a Platoon
Commander, first with 2 RAR and then the
RAR Depot Battalion (4 RAR).
‘Digger’ was posted to Japan in
September 1952 to await the call to a
posting, as a reinforcement, to a battalion
in Korea. He arrived in Korea on the 30th
October 1952 and joined “A” Company,
1 RAR and was greeted by his CO, Major
David Thompson MC.
He was instructed to take command of
2 Platoon, which was then commanded by
Sergeant L.S. (‘Squizzy’) Taylor MM,
whom ‘Digger’ described as…”A magnificent soldier” .
Unfortunately, on the 7th November
1952, whilst on his second patrol, he was
badly wounded. He was leading a 12-man
patrol, to capture an enemy-held outpost,
in front of Hill 355.
In the act of the final assault on the
objective, he stepped on a land mine. One
of his men was killed instantly and he and
two others were wounded.
‘Digger’s’ wounds were very serious.
He had his left leg blown off below the
knee, he had multiple complicated
compound fractures of his right leg and
foot and gunshot wounds to his hands,
arms and head.
“Digger’ said it was normal for a small
patrol to not have a medic with them, so
basic first aid was applied to each other.
‘Digger’ quickly applied a tourniquet,
using a boot lace from his right foot boot
that was lying near him, and tying it with a
gold pen his fiancée (and future wife),
Barbara had previously given him.
A stretcher party had been called for,
by radio, but with only one stretcher
being available it was about 90 minutes
before ‘Digger’ was evacuated (even
though in great pain, he insisted on being
the last to be stretchered) back to the
Battalion RAP, via a jeep fitted with a
stretcher frame.
It was here he received his first formal
first aid and resuscitation by the controlling of the pain and haemorrhage.
(‘Digger’ was awarded the Military Cross in
this incident.)
“Digger’ said it was winter and
snowing all the time and he remembered
being very cold but he was made warm
and comfortable with blankets and the fire
at the RAP. Most of his infantry equipment
had been removed and he remained on
the same stretcher for the next phase of
his evacuation.
He was taken, by a road ambulance of
the 60th Indian Field Ambulance, some
15 klms over very bumpy roads to the US
M.A.S.H 8055. He remembered being very
thirsty and the very attentive Indian
medics providing him with a beautiful,
cold drink of water!
‘Digger’ described the 8055 M.A.S.H.
..”just as it looks like on the TV series”. He
recalled one ‘silly’ incident when he
developed a pain in his back during the
jeep trip to the M.A.S.H.
On arrival, the doctors, after being
alerted to the back pain, ordered an
immediate x-ray which revealed a ‘live’ 36
mills grenade lodged under his back!
which he duly made ‘safe’!
‘Digger’ said the care and attention he
received was superb. He gives the doctors
and nurses of 8055 much credit for saving
his life and that he will be forever grateful
to them. He was eventually evacuated to
the US 121 Evacuation Hospital in Seoul,
on a hospital train.
It was about 2 years of constant
treatment and rehabilitation before
‘Digger’ was back to duty.
In 1954, he married his fiancée,
Barbara. He was promoted to Captain and
transferred to the Royal Australian
Armoured Corps. He served as Adjutant at
the Armoured School for 2 years, followed
by a further 12 months, as Adjutant with
the 12/16 Hunter River Lancers, at
Muswellbrook.
‘Digger’ resigned from the army in
1956 to complete a medical degree at
Sydney University. He graduated in
December 1963.
After a hospital residency with the
Ryde District Soldiers Memorial Hospital,
he re-joined the army, as a Captain, in the
RAAMC. He was the Medical Officer with
2 Camp Hospital from 1964 to 1966.
He was then transferred to Duntroon
Hospital (1966-68). ‘Digger’ was given
command of the 8th Field Ambulance
and was Senior Medical Officer, 1st
Australian Task Force Vietnam 1968/9.
(He was awarded the MBE).
‘Digger’ was with the British St John
Ambulance in the Biafran War, Nigeria
(Awarded the Order of St John). He was
Director of Medical Services-Queensland
1971/75, Director of Army Medical
Services 1975/81 and during this time, he
provided Field Hospital and medical
support for Professor Fred Hollows’s
Aboriginal Trachoma Programmes in
Central Australia (1976/77).
He was promoted to Major General
and made Director General of Army
Health Services from 1981-1985. He
retired from Army life in 1985. (‘Digger’
was awarded the AO).
‘Digger’ has been very active in his
retirement, and as well as being a Director
on the Board of Visy Industries-Queensland, he has been heavily involved, over
many years, in the running or overseeing
of many institutions. To name but a few;
National President of the RSL 1993/97,
Chairman of the Australian War
Memorial Council, Active Member of the
following; Queensland Institute for
Medical Research Trust, General MacArthur Trust, Committee of Inquiry into
Defence and Defence related Awards,
Council for the Order of Australia.
He is the Patron of the following; 1
RAR, Amputees and Family Support
Group-Qld, Korean, South East Asian and
Vietnam Veterans Association, Ballina
and Districts since 1997, The International Society Prosthetics & Orthotics
since 1992, The Australian Light Horse
Association 2005, Australian Family
Association since 1996, Australian Flag
Association-Qld since 1995, Australian
Constitution for Monarchy since 1998,
Festival of Light since 2004 and The
RAAMC Association Inc.
As can be read, ‘Digger’ James has
really earned his retirement and our
Association wishes he and Barbara a
most happy many years ahead.
--------------------------------Dr. Ian PFENNIGWERTH is a frequent
contributor to our newsletters and
recently accepted our invitation to join our
Association. He is warmly welcomed.
19
Ian is a well-respected navy man with
over 35 years’ service in the RAN in
seagoing, staff and overseas postings. Ian
commanded the guided missile destroyer
HMAS Perth II.
The last 12 years of his naval life were
mainly in the Intelligence field. He served
as Director of Naval Intelligence for 3
years and was the Defence Attaché in
Beijing for 2 years. Ian retired from the
Navy in 1992 with the rank of Captain.
Ian built a consultancy in Asian
business development for the Australian
ITC sector before turning his attention to
one of his passions—writing and Naval
Histories. He researches, writes and
promotes Australian naval history. In 2005
he was awarded a PhD by the University
of Newcastle.
Ian makes frequent public presentations, presents papers at professional
conferences and seminars and he eagerly
supports and assists other authors in the
genre.
Ian has researched and written many
books; in 2010 he researched an
unpublished work “Tribal Values” - about
the WW2 Tribal Class destroyers built in
Sydney and the Anzac Class frigates built
in Melbourne from 1995, which he won
the inaugural ‘Tenix HMAS Perth Award’.
He was also awarded an Australian
Defence Force Academy Fellowship for
the writing the history of the Academy’s
first 25 years.
Ian’s other memorable books are: “A
Man of Intelligence” – a biography of
Capt Eric Nave, a principal ‘breaker’ of the
Japanese Naval codes from 1925, “The
Australian Cruiser, Perth,1939-42 - about
the exploits of one of the RAN’s best ships,
“The Naval Heritage of Port Stephens”, a
short history of the naval influence in the
Port, “The RAN and General MacArthur”
– what the RAN did to get Douglas
MacArthur back to the Philippines and
beyond, “Tiger Territory: The untold story
of the RAN in South East Asia from 19481971,“Missing Pieces”: The Intelligence
Jigsaw and RAN Operations 1939-1971, “In
Good Hands” - the story of the medical
officer from Perth who spent 3 years saving
the lives of Allied PoWs in Japan and, most
recently, “Under New Management’, the
RAN’s operations in 1914 to remove the
Germans from the Pacific.
-----------------------------------
Colonel (Dr.) Robert LIKEMAN CSM
KCStJ is warmly welcomed to our
Association. He enjoys
reading our newsletters and has commented on and contributed to our past
stories and items.
Robert is an Oxford
University Graduate
where he studied
20
Medicine, Classics and Oriental languages. He is a specialist in Obstetrics and
Gynaecology.
Robert served in the British Territorial
Army for 3 years prior to emigrating to
Australia in 1972 and afterwards worked
for many years in PNG, Vanuatu and New
Zealand.
He holds Fellowships from the
Australian Colleges of Tropical Medicine,
and Rural and Remote Medicine. He met
his wife Julia in New Zealand, and they
have three daughters.
Robert was commissioned in the
RAAMC in 1986 while working in Brisbane
and was first posted to 2 Field Hospital.
He later moved to Townsville where he
served as the RMO of the 31st Bn. He was
promoted to LTCOL in 1992 and
commanded the 9th Field Ambulance
until It was disbanded in 1994.
He is the author of the unit history
“MEN OF THE NINTH”.
Robert was the Senior Medical Officer
of 11th Brigade from 1994-2001, and
during this period he also commanded 11
BASB (as it was then called) for twelve
months. He was awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal in 2001 for his
service to the Australian Army Reserve.
He retired twice from the Army but
answered the call to re-join again – both
times with 3rd Brigade as Senior Medical
Officer.
He was promoted to Colonel in 2011
and posted as Director of Army Health in
Canberra. Robert has seen Active Service
in the Middle East, Rwanda and East
Timor (twice).
Robert is the Author of seven books.
The latest is “Australian Doctors on the
Western Front” (some others are; “From
Law to War” – the Biography of Brigadier
General Lachlan Wilson of the Light Horse,
“Tis but the Time” – the Biography of Lt
Col J. Espie Dods DSO MC, and “Gallipoli
Doctors”).
----------------------------------Jenny WEIR is made most welcome to
our Association. She responded to a
request to join us and I know two
people, if they were still alive, would have
been very proud of her action—her mum
and dad. Jenny’s dad was our much
respected inaugural committee member,
John de Witt. (John passed away in August
2012.)
Jenny served for 9 years in the
CMF/Reserves. Originally she was in the
Psychology Unit and remembers marking
hundreds of National Servicemen’s
Psych. ‘questionnaires’ at Kapooka and
Singleton. She also served in the Sydney
University Regiment. She started as a
Private and discharged as a Lieutenant in
the Womens Royal Australian Army Corps.
Jenny is the Treasurer of the WRAAC
Association.
Jenny’s working life was mainly in the
Commonwealth Public Service – in Sydney
& Canberra. (In Canberra it was with the
Public Service Board.)
Jenny is the mother of three sons and
has two grandchildren. She has retired
from full time paid work and her ‘spare
time’ is now mostly taken up with
voluntary work and welfare visits for her
RSL Sub Branch.
(Whenever our Association is involved
in a ceremony or parade, it would be most
unusual for Jenny not to seek us out and
wish us all well, because her Association
would be present also)
-----------------------------------Greg CURRY is our youngest son and I
am very proud of the fact that he applied
to become a member and a Life Member
of our Association. A warm welcome to
you, Gregory.
Greg served about 2 years in the Army
Reserves with 4 FER in the early 1980’s.
The depot used to be in Gladesville, at the
time.
He was on a 2-week course with his
unit, at Ingleburn, and there he met Niki
(his wife), who was also in the Reserves,
from a depot in the Maitland area.
She was doing a 2-week Catering
Course. They met, fell in love and married.
They have 4 boys who now, at various
times, work with their father in his roofing
business, two are in apprenticeship with
him.
His business is now ‘re-named’…
”Greg Curry Roofing & Sons”. Greg and
his family live in the adjoining township of
Nelson Bay in the Port Stephens area of
Newcastle and they are about 10 minutes
from us.
Greg had a short ‘stint’ working for
Telecom after he left school but soon
found another job in the roofing industry.
He is a good tradesman with an impeccable safety record of over 30 years.
He is well-respected in the insurance
industry. He has completed multiple
insurance jobs in the Sydney, Singleton
and Armidale Hail Storms of the 1990’s,
as well as new roofs and repairs for large
cotton seed sheds, for Namoi Cotton and
Auscott.
I am proud to say he has an honest
business name in the Port Stephens/
Newcastle areas.
---------------------------------Rodney HOGAN is the younger brother
of our Honorary Chaplain, Brian. Brian
wanted to join up Rodney in our Association because he was a past serving
member with 5 Field Ambulance.
We sincerely welcome Rodney and
look forward to him telling a little of his life
for a future newsletter.
We also thank you Brian for your
brotherly love.
---------------------------------
Reg PERRY is a good friend whom I have
gotten to know through being a fellow
member of our Tilligerry RSL Sub Branch.
(Photo on left shows Cpl (Doc) Thomas MM
treating Cpl (“Squizzy”) Taylor MM in Korea.)
Reg responded to our request to
become a member of our Association and
we welcome you Reg.
Reg was born in Paddington in March
1931, but his family moved, after about 12
months, to Croydon.
He spent a large part of his life here
and completed his high schooling with
Homebush High School whilst it was still
in the stages of completion. This time also
included four years in the school cadets.
Reg was 8 when WW2 broke out but his
older brother had joined up in the AIF.
Reg’s mum had taught him to play the
piano which, in later years, was much
appreciated by his army mates.
Reg left school and became a trainee
apprentice at Australian Consolidated
Industries in their engineering department.
The Middle East ‘confrontation’ had
started and Reg knew the aircraft carrier
HMAS Sydney was due to come to
Australia so he joined the RANAA (Air Arm)
as a Rating Pilot. He had big ambitions. (At
the time he was in the CMF with 3rd AntiTank Regiment).
Reg passed the exams to fly but other
barriers stopped him from fulfilling this
desire to be a naval pilot, but he was
accepted as a naval airman A/C mechanic
and he awaited the arrival of the ship!
The Korean War started so Reg then
applied for the Special “K” Force. (There
was an Australian Army unit in Japan but it
had insufficient volunteers for Korea.) He
was accepted in “K” Force because of his
previous weapons training. Reg served for
2 years with “K” Force before discharging
from the RAN.
Reg was granted a Korea/Malaya
Training Course where he gained Certificates of Competency in Oil, Suction Gas
and Diesel Engine Driving.
It was in 1950 when Reg met and
eventually married his sweetheart, Rosemary, in 1955, but for some reason Reg
was ‘restless’ and found it hard to settle
down and he decided to join RAEME in the
Royal Australian Army Special Reserve.
This was during the Malayan/Borneo crisis.
When Reg found out that Rosemary
was pregnant he decided to retire from
the army at the end of his term.
After army life, Reg studied
accountancy (by post). He passed his
exams and found employment in the
Government’s Department of Defence
munitions factory at St Marys. He was their
Officer in Charge of Assets and Paymaster.
Reg was in the Government’s employ for
over 30 years!
Reg and Rosemary had two sons, Mark
and Daryl. Mark was born in 1958 and
Daryl 3 years later in 1961. They decided to
move from Blacktown to Lemon Tree
Passage in 1995 and have been very happy
here.
Reg joined the local RSL Sub Branch
and it wasn’t long before he was elected as
Vice President, this position he still holds.
He has been a member of the RSL for over
50 years. Reg is also the editor of our local
RSL Sub Branch newsletter “The Bugle”
which is much appreciated by fellow
members.
There was a ‘niggling’ worry with Reg
and Rosemary because their son Mark,
who was born with Down Syndrome, lived
with them and he was getting older and
Reg and Rosemary were also getting older
and they worried about Mark’s future wellbeing and care. As it turned out Reg and
Rosemary found a suitable place for Mark,
on the Central Coast a couple of years ago
and Mark loved it and he was very happy
here. This, in turn, gave Reg and Rosemary
much peace of mind.
Sadly, Mark took sick last year and after
a very short illness, passed away. The very
many friends who came to pay their
respects, heard beautiful words from Reg
and Rosemary about their son, Mark. Mark
was a much loved and respected man in
the district.
When Reg applied to join us he wrote
that he had a special affiliation with the
‘medics’.
His best friends were medics – (Doc)
Thomas, who was attached to Bn HQ,
would go out of his way to assist his
wounded mates – whether they were our
wounded or an adjoining allied forces unit
(in Korea).
Reg’s other medic mate was Pte
Nelligan – he was in Company HQ and
would accompany Reg’s unit on ‘Fire
Fights’. He would equip himself with
various Ammo pouches and pistol holsters
in which he would carry his medical
supplies like morphine ampoules, antiseptics, field dressings etc. He was treating
a soldier near Reg when he was shot in the
back. He survived and was awarded the
MiD.
(Doc) Thomas, who was in the same
battle, was awarded the Military Medal.
Reg said there was a group of 4 army
mates who gathered together every year
for more than 60 years! And it was only
recently they ’lost’ (Doc) Thomas.
---------------------------Ann JONES is warmly welcomed to our
Association as an Associate Member. Ann
and her late husband, Bill (passed away in
April 2013) were very good neighbours
of ours when we lived in Lemon Tree
Passage and we are still close friends with
Ann.
Bill was one of our members. He was in
the Navy during WW2.
Ann responded to our request to join
us because she enjoys reading our newsletters and little stories. Ann’s hobby and
pastime has always been her garden but
just recently she has developed arthritis in
her shoulder and this has curtailed a lot of
her gardening activities.
Her granddaughter, Melinda, has
recently completed her paramedics course
and is about to apply for one of the
hundreds of positions that are currently
being offered in the UK. Ann has her
fingers crossed for her.
------------------------------Ernest JOHNSON is a good friend from
our RSL Sub Branch and he replied to our
request that he would like to join our
Association. Not only did Ernest join us but
he elected to become a Life Member. On
behalf of our Association we welcome you
Ernest.
Ernest recently re-settled from
Mallabula (in the Newcastle area) to
Yamba on the North Coast of NSW.
He said he is looking forward to
returning to his old ‘stamping ground’ of
Cronulla to be in the festivities of
celebrating 100 years of wooden
surfboarding!
He is a past member of the Cronulla
Surf Life Saving Club and said that the
famous Hawaiian board rider, Duke
Kahanamoku, came to Australia 100 years
ago to show us how to manage a 16-foot
wooden surf board in our surf! Ernest said
he could well have introduced surf board
riding to his club!
On the 14th of February 2015, at 1pm
at the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club,
Ernest, at 78 years of age, he will be at a
Re-Enactment Ceremony to mark the 100
years. Ernest was one of 14 bronzed,
Aussie surfers taken standing alongside
their 16ft hollow wooden surf boards. He
said the other 13 men, hopefully, will be
present!
He said this photograph has become
an ‘icon’ in its own right. It has been
featured in the area’s local history, has
hung on the wall of Rydge’s Hotel in north
Cronulla and in the Cronulla RSL Club!
--------------------------------Joel COZENS is sincerely welcomed into
our Association. Joel was in 5 CSSB but his
work took him to Canberra. He is working
in the medical field in Psychiatry and his
job has curtailed his Army Reserve training
to the extent that he is on the Inactive List
for the time being.
Joel said his desire to resume his army
training is still there and it will happen.
21
(We look forward to hearing more from
Joel in the future and we wish him ‘Good
Luck’ with his medical studies.)
-------------------------------------Charles MURRAY is made most welcome as an Associate Member. Charles
also, very generously, opted to become a
Life Member. We thank you Charles for
your gesture.
Charles is a well-regarded poet and
members may recall the two beautiful,
evocative poems he very kindly sent me a
couple of years ago. One was called “The
Christs of Fromelles” and was printed in
our ANZAC Day Newsletter of April 2010
(p43) and the second one was called “At
the Shrine of Remembrance 1914-1918”
which was printed in the following
Reserve Forces Day Newsletter of June
2010 (p29).
Charles is in the process of writing a
little more of himself and when this comes
to hand, we will know a little more about
Charles Murray – the man.
Charles recently sent me his latest
poem commemorating the young men
who were sacrificed in the ‘Great War’. He
wrote…”we are so blest in where we live,
this wonderful, wide brown land, but most
don’t realise that the seeds for that blessing
were fed with the blood of tens of thousands
of young lives a hundred years ago.”
His latest poem (included in this issue) is
called “A Place of Known Repose”. It was
deeply moving for Charles to write and he
is in the process of seeking out a classical
musician to make his poem a lament with
suitable music to capture its spirit.
-----------------------------Ben CASTLE is warmly welcomed into
our Association. Ben responded to our
request to join with a Life Membership. We
sincerely appreciate your gesture Ben and
look forward to reading more about
yourself in the near future.
Ben is not enjoying good health at
present but his partner, Marjorie, visits him
very regularly. Ben is an in-patient at Mona
Vale House in Mona Vale (NSW) and would
be very appreciative of a visit from any of
our members if they are in the vicinity of
33 Bassett St. (Phone (02) 9910 7900
before you visit, in case he is out.)
Ben was a past serving member of 2
Prev. Med. In the 1970’s.
--------------------------------Rhyse VAUGHN is a current Reservist
with the Health Company in 5 CSSB and
we warmly welcome him to our Association.
He is a Combat Paramedic (since 2013)
and graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Bch Clinical Practice.
He is currently undertaking his Masters
Degree in Paramedical Science (Critical
Care).
Rhyse is currently employed by the
Ambulance Service of NSW in western
22
Sydney. He lives in the Penrith area with
his partner, Emily. They met whilst at Uni.
Rhyse has been awarded a Citation for
his work during the very damaging
Queensland floods in 2010/11.
We look forward to hearing about
Rhyse’s progress in the near future.
------------------------------Robert (Bob) BUTLER is made most
welcome to our Association. He accepted
our invitation and joined us as a Life
Member. This gesture was very much
appreciated Bob.
I am waiting for Bob to give me more
information about himself and his family
so that I may let you read a little bit more
of him.
When I last spoke with Bob he was
anxiously awaiting the news of his
daughter’s forthcoming birth.
Since then his good friend (and our
fellow member), Stephen Stansfield, happened to phone me on another matter
and told me that when Cyclone Marcia
was about to hit the north Queensland
region, Bob took off with all haste to be
with their pregnant daughter and her
family.
All turned out safe, said Stephen, and
Bob’s daughter gave birth to a beautiful
and healthy little baby girl. Congratulations grandfather Bob! And also to
your daughter.
Stephen asked me to thank Bob for
placing the story of pride and joy –
“Norma Jean” (Stephen’s 1965 restored
Army Medic Landrover) on Bob’s 9th field
Ambulance site…
(see www.raamc.org.au/associations)
-----------------------------Rod SEARLE is made most welcome to
our Association. We first became introduced at the very impressive RAAMC
Banner Presentation, by the Governor
General, in November 2011.
Rod has told me that he will send some
further information about his past and
present army and civilian life when he
completes a couple of ‘projects’ he is
working on.
In the meantime we wish Rod and his
family all the best for the future.
------------------------------Rosemarie ALLEN is sincerely welcomed into our Association as an
Associate Member. Rose responded to a
request that she might like to join us.
I met Rose at the RAAMC Banner
presentation in November of 2011 and
since joining us she said she would tell us
a little about her life. Thank you Rosemarie, we look forward to introducing you
to our members when you are able.
-------------------------Richard JONES is sincerely welcomed
into our Association. Richard not only
responded to our request to join us but he
did so as a Life Member. Thank you Richard
we are most grateful for your donation of
Life Membership.
For those who may not know, Richard
is the President of the 2/3 AHS “Centaur”
Association.
Every year, in May, we take our Banner
to the Centaur service, to stand alongside
our fellow 2/12th Field Ambulance.
Richard has carried on the family tradition
of keeping involved with the AHS Centaur
Ceremony.
Members may recall reading about
Richard’s late dad, Sir Keith Jones, when he
was offered a trip to Cairns on the Centaur
in 1943 because his brother, Gordon, was a
member of the 2/12th Field Ambulance.
Keith declined the offer and found out
later about the fate of the 2/3 AHS
Centaur. Keith lost his brother Gordon in
the Centaur sinking.
Richard did not become a medico or
join the army, he joined the RAAF and
retired with the rank of Flight Lieutenant
after serving in Vietnam with RAAF
Transpport Flight/355 Sqn.
I hope to write some more on Richard
in the future. He thanked us for our
Centenary Calendar and said he liked it.
Richard and his wife Margaret are heading
off overseas during April/May and hope to
join the Ceremony at Villers-Brettoneux on
ANZAC Day.
We wish Richard and Margaret a happy
and safe trip.
------------------------------Dr. Colin LEE is sincerely welcomed into
our Association as an Associate Member.
Colin responded to our request that he
might like to join us.
Colin’s original interest in us began
when he ‘came across’ our website. His
grandfather served with 5 Field
Ambulance in WW1 and when he scrolled
through our Roll of Honour he saw his
grandfather’s name was missing.
Colin sent what details he had on his
grandfather’s WW1 service and I wrote a
small piece about his time in service
during WW1 (see Reserve Forces Day
Newsletter-WINTER Issue 2013, Items of
Interest, p28). We were honoured to place
his name alongside his 5 Field Ambulance
mates from WW1.
I asked Colin for some information on
himself and he wrote back that he was
born in Melbourne in 1955 and the family
moved to Perth in 1967, when Colin was
12 years old.
Colin is a doctor and works primarily in
emergency medicine and also in retrieval
medicine with the Royal Flying Doctor
Service. He has been doing this for the
past 18 years with the RFDS. He flies out of
Jandakot, which is the main “smaller
aircraft” airport for Perth. Colin also holds a
private pilot's licence although he has not
been very active in that regard in recent
years (‘it is a very expensive hobby’).
Prior to that Colin worked in the bush
as a rural doctor in the Pilbara region in
north-western Western Australia.
Colin is married to Helen who is a
registered nurse and works in the same
emergency department at one of the local
hospitals in Perth. They have four adult
children and two delightful grandchildren – a grandson Jack, who is aged 15
months and a granddaughter, Summer,
aged 9 months. Colin said they are heaps
of fun and fortunately, for he and Helen,
they both live only a couple of kilometres
away. They get to see them very
frequently.
Both Colin’s grandfathers were
soldiers in World War I. Collin’s maternal
grandfather, Arthur Penry Williams, was at
Gallipoli, although not on April 25. He
arrived there later around September
1915. His paternal grandfather, Robert
Irwin Lee, was stationed in northern
France later in 1917.
Interestingly, Colin only last week
found out that his father's aunt was a
nurse on the Isle of Lemnos. Her name was
Mary McIlroy. Colin’s cousin, Stephen Lee,
who lives in Victoria, is researching her
details.
Colin was lucky enough to get into the
ballot to attend the ANZAC commemorations this year and he is heading over to
Gallipoli for the ANZAC Day service with
wife Helen. They are planning on spending
two weeks in Turkey, at the same time, on
a guided tour.
Colin’s other interests are getting hold
of old classic cars. He has fully restored a
1949 MG TC and has recently restored
1951 Riley, both of which are running and
heaps of fun to drive!
He also enjoys collecting model cars as
well, particularly from the 60’s era, when
he was growing up and became associated them with.
Both Helen and Colin love to travel and
each year they try to get away somewhere
and include a week’s walking trek whenever they can.
--------------------------
Dr. Neville ROTHFIELD OAM RFD
very kindly accepted our invitation to join
us and is sincerely welcomed into our
Association.
Neville is a well-respected doctor in
the Newcastle area where he has a medical
practice.
He is a past serving member of 1 Field
Ambulance and we are pleased that he is
not alone, because we do have a few past
members of 1 Field Ambulance.
Neville’s brother, the late David Rothfield, was our President and his sister-inlaw, Diana, is an Associate Member with
us.
I am waiting for Neville to tell us a little
more about himself but in the meantime
— a very happy welcome.
Debbie FANIA is warmly welcomed
into our Association as an Associate
Member. She originally contacted us, via
our website, because of her father, LT
Keith Vaulx Long, and her grandfather,
LT George Herbert Long. Debbie supplied information about George being in 5
Field Ambulance in WW1. It was an honour
to place his name on our ‘Honour Board’.
Debbie said she and her brother, Brett,
are the last surviving members of the
family. They also cherish two nieces,
Mesha and Mimi, from their late sister,
Cheri.
Debbie and her husband, Domenico
(Dom) are the proud parents of 2 children
and they have 6 children (so far) between
them.
Debbie and Dom are very happy
and live in Forster. They both enjoy
their grandchildren, golf and their
retirement.
Debbie’s father, Keith, was born on the
10th October 1920. He was allocated to
Water Transport during WW2 and she is in
the process of finding out more about
their dad’s service. In his later years he
retired to the Gold Coast of Queensland.
Sadly, he passed away on the 13th
September 2005, and is very much
missed.
Her grandfather, George, was born on
the 21/9/1884 he was 30 years of age
when he enlisted in Hamilton in Newcastle. His occupation was listed as ‘Engine
Driver’ and his mother, Elizabeth Ann
Long, was his NOK. George had 3 years’
service with the Garrison Artillery at
Kingsgrove. He was given army number
2862 and assigned to the 5th Field
Ambulance and moved to Queens Park,
Waverley. His papers were signed by their
Commanding Officer, Lt Col Emeritus
Roth.
He departed from Australia, with his
unit, on the HMT “Ceramic” on the
25/6/1915. He was at Gallipoli until the
evacuation.
The unit re-formed on Lemnos Island
before departing for France and the
Western Front in 1916. George was promoted to Warrant Officer on 12/3/1916.
They served in Belgium, France,
Flanders, Amiens, Ypres, Passchendaele,
Poziers, Bullecourt, Mt Saint Quentin,
Villiers-Bretonneau, the Somme and other
areas.
A letter was written (25/4/1917) from
the Army, to George’s mother who, by this
time, had moved to Lindsay Street in
Hamilton (Newcastle), advising her that
her son was to be awarded the Military
Medal for Bravery in rescuing, under
gunfire, wounded men, over a period of 48
continuous hours. George was wounded
at Hill 60 and he had to be saved.
A further letter to his mother, advised
that her son, who was now a Warrant
Officer First Class, had been approved, by
His Majesty the King, of the Meritorious
Service Medal for valuable service
rendered with the armies in France and
Flanders).
George was promoted to Lieutenant
on the 22/9/1918 and transferred to the
12th Field Ambulance in the 4th Division
as the Quarter Master.
A short time later he embarked for
Australia on the HMT “City of Exeter”. His
mother received a letter from the army,
this time she was living at Toronto, Lake
Macquarie, on the Central Coast of New
South Wales. The letter (from Victoria
Barracks in Paddington) advised that her
son had left England and would be in
Australia in Sydney in late August 1919,
enclosed in the letter were tickets to the
ANZAC Buffet, Sydney, together with an
application form for a free railway pass to
come down and meet him when the ship
arrives.
After the war, George became a
member of the Gallipoli Legion. These
were the men who took part in an
offensive action against the Turkish army,
which commenced on April 25, 1915.
There were over 16,000 men who waded
ashore, during the time of this conflict,
over a few months, and many thousands
were killed or maimed.
George wrote a letter, on the
23/3/1967, to Army Central Records Office
applying for the special ANZAC Medallion. He was living at Freechurch Road,
Maitland, at the time.
George was awarded: The Military
Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, 19
14/15 Star, the British War Medal, the
Victory Medal, the ANZAC Commemoration Medallion.
Sadly, George passed away on
7/7/1968.
----------------------------------------Ian TUCKER is a past member of 5 Field
Ambulance and is warmly welcomed back
into our Association. Ian very kindly joined
also as a Life Member which is very much
appreciated.
He commenced his service with the
army when he joined up at 17 years of
age. He recalls that his basic training, at
Kapooka, was tough but very satisfying.
When he returned to Kapooka in
1983 – as the RAP Sergeant, he reflected
back on his early days there and said his
role was much tougher, but now ultimately more rewarding.
Ian had other postings: 1 Field
Hospital, several Direct Support Units
(DSU’s), 5/7 RAR on two occasions and 5
Field Ambulance in 1993-94.
Ian was the Training Warrant Officer
with 5 Field Ambulance at this time and
was very fortunate to serve with Captain
Terri Donovan (Adjutant), W01 John
Smith (RSM), Sgt Paul Dwyer (Chief Clerk)
23
and W02 Steve (Boris) Paris (RQMS) –
Steve is still a close friend to this day.
Since leaving the army, Ian commenced a new career as a paramedic, first
with the Ambulance Service of New
South Wales, until he moved north to the
Gold Coast, and then continued his
clinical career, both as an intensive-care
paramedic and flight paramedic with
Careflight.
Ian resides on the Gold Coast with his
wife Meredith, and two of their three
children. They have another daughter who
only lives just a few blocks away.
Over the past few years, social media
has been a happy medium to resume
some friendships which may have otherwise been lost.
Ian said there is no brotherhood like
the military.
-------------------------------Stephen CURRY, I am proud to say, is
our eldest son and he also applied to
become an Associate Member and he is a
most welcome addition.
Stephen is a very competent builder
and has his own company, Northcorp
Building Services P/L.
He is registered in Queensland and has
been living up there for many years.
His company has built mining camps
and facilities in PNG, housing and infrastructure with the Aborigine communities in far west Queensland and the Gulf
country.
Since the work has slowed down he
has now relocated from Mission Beach to
Brisbane to ‘Project Manage’ a group of
double storied residences.
He is married to Carol and they have 2
daughters, Abby and Jessica, and a son,
Samuel. Abby is married to Tawhai and
they have 4 children (twin boys Manu and
Marley (7), daughter Macey (6) and son
Quincey (2). They live in Port Macquarie).
Jessica has a partner, Adam.
Samuel has a partner, Sophie, and they
have 2 boys, Jack (5) and Charlie (2). They
too reside in Port Macquarie.
---------------------------------
Professor (Dr.) William (Bill)
McBRIDE AO CBE is warmly welcomed
to our Association as an Associate
Member. He is sincerely thanked for taking
out a Life Membership with us.
Bill is a highly regarded and respected
obstetrician and gynaecologist.
He is most eminently remembered for
his ground-breaking work in the early
1960’s, together with Dr. P.H. Huang, in
the discovery of the link that a drug,
thalidomide, had caused in birth defects.
Bill was awarded a Medal by the
prestigious L’Institut de la Vie of the
French Government.
Their work was published in the
journal “Pharmacology and Toxicology”
in 1999 and has been rated in the top 10 of
24
the most important Australian medical
discoveries.
His wife, Patricia, commented on an
article from our last newsletter regarding
a book called “The Diaries of a Stretcher
Bearer”. Pat said she is going to buy 3 –
one for Bill and one each for their two
sons.
Pat said Bill’s father, and his brother,
were stretcher bearers because they were
members of the Band (“they come from a
very musical family” wrote Pat.)
--------------------------Doug KERSEY is sincerely welcomed
Member. Doug responded to a recent
letter and accepted our invitation to join
us as a Life Member. We thank you Doug,
for your very generous donation.
Members may recall the story I wrote,
(SPRING Issue 2013, Items of Interest) from
information received from Doug, about his
dad – Harry Nightingale Kersey, a
member of 5 Field Ambulance in WW1. In
that story I also mentioned the 2 reels of
microfilm that Doug very kindly sent me. I
have made many notes on these films
(WW1 War Diaries of the 5th and 7th Field
Ambulances) but have not had a chance
to devote the time to them that I would
like. It is a ‘To be continued’ story.
Doug said his dad never talked about
his experiences in WW1 and it was only
after he passed away in 1957 that he
pursued his dad’s war history. Since
reading what little he found out about his
dad during WW1, he went about finding
out as much as he could about 5 Field
Ambulance.
Doug now realises that what his dad
witnessed in WW1 was the reason he was
‘banned’ from wanting to join the RAAF.
Doug was too old for the National
Service ballot, even though, like a lot of
young men at that time, he wanted to go.
He said that on reflection, after seeing the
results, he was glad he did not go.
Doug thought there was a ‘connection’ between his family (including his
sisters, Beverley and Gwenda) and the de
Witt’s! that connection being somehow
related by family. As it turned out, Doug
recently received a phone call from Jenny
Weir (the late John de Witt’s daughter)
with the pleasant knowledge that they are
related! Jenny’s mother, Betty Crowle,
was Doug’s cousin on his mother’s side –
Betty’s mother, Winnie, was Doug’s
mother’s sister. Doug remarked… ”It’s a
small world”!
He said he was proud to be able to
contribute a little to the work of the
Association.
-----------------------------Edmond HUNG is sincerely welcomed
into our Association. He joined us as a Life
Member and we are most appreciative of
this gesture.
Edmond joined the Reserves in 2008
in the RAAMC with 8th Sigs Regt as a
combat medic and, later, transferred to 5
CSSB in 2009.
Ed has been on a deployment to the
Solomon Islands in 2011. He was promoted to LCPL in 2012.
Unfortunately he has been unable to
attend his parades for the last 12 months
due to his work commitments with the
NSW Government. Ed is an electrical
engineer.
------------------------------------Joanne HOVELING is warmly welcomed to our Association as an Associate
Member. She came to us at an ANZAC Day
march some years ago and was wearing
her grandfather’s War Medal. He was in a
Medical Unit but Joanne was not sure
which one and she asked could she march
with us in honour of his memory.
We were very glad to have the
granddaughter of a veteran march with us,
and she has been to every ANZAC Day
march since then – and marched with us.
Since then, Joanne has given me a
little background to herself and her
forebears. She grew up in Brighton-leSands, her parents are Ken and Janet and
she has a younger brother, Matthew and
she is High School teacher of 29 years.
Joanne wrote that her grandfather,
Leslie Norman Hoveling, was born on the
3rd August 1912 in Erskineville (NSW) and
what the family know is he joined up, for
WW2 on the 28th July 1942, from West
Wallsend. He had two service numbersNS7583 and NX107376 and served
overseas in the 2/2 Casualty Clearing
Station. He also served in New Guinea
and Borneo. He was discharged on the
12th August 1946 with the rank of
Lieutenant.
After the war her grandfather returned
to his job as a Sydney bus conductor.
Sadly, he passed away on the 14th January
1989.
Joanne’s dad, Ken, was a National
Serviceman. He was born in 1934 and was
in the first intake of 1954. He elected to do
his National Service in the Navy and did
his basic training at HMAS Cerberus, in
Melbourne. He was an Ordinary Seaman.
Joanne said that during his service he
contracted a bout of acute appendicitis
and was returned to Melbourne for
surgery and was discharged from the Navy
a short time after this.
Joanne said her dad worked for the
Sydney County Council until he retired.
Unfortunately her dad, recently,
suffered a number of strokes which has left
him needing a high level of care to the
extent that he is now in the full-time care
of the Beechwood Nursing Home in
Revesby. Joanne says her dad is resilient
and very positive. And every day he does
his best.
Robert (Bob) PINK OAM is a good
friend, albeit we don’t see much of each
other, except at the various ceremonies
and events our Associations attend. Bob is
warmly welcomed to our Association and
he joined us as a Life Member. Thank you
Bob, this is very much appreciated.
Bob is particularly thanked for his part
in introducing us to our publisher back in
2010. Bob is the Secretary, and Newsletter
editor, of his Association’s magazine,
“Frontline” (see ‘Items of Interest’ (1) (x).
This is the magazine of the 1st Nineteenth
(1/19 RNSWR Association) and the 2nd
Nineteenth (2/19 Battalion A.I.F. Association).
Bob was born on the 18th October
1945, at Camperdown NSW. He finished
his High Schooling at East Hills Boy’s High.
On the 25th March 1964 he enlisted in
the CMF (Army Number 2782926) as a
Private with “A” Company, 2RNSWR at
North Sydney and later transferred to 17
RNSWR until 1st February 1966.
Bob re-enlisted on the 2nd February
1966 with the RAS (NS) and on the 16th
April 1966 was posted to 2 RAR at
Enoggera, QLD.
He flew out to South Vietnam, from
Brisbane on the 6th May 1967. He was
promoted Corporal on the 15th July 1967.
Bob’s ‘Tour of Duty’ finished when he was
flown out of Saigon, on the 6th December
1967, back to Sydney.
Bob discharged at the completion of
his National Service engagement on the
1st February 1968.
He re-enlisted on the 15th March 1969
with 19 RNSWR at Old Holsworthy. He rose
through the ranks to be promoted to
Warrant Officer 1st Class on the 28th
November 1977.
Bob has had postings with ARES
Recruiting at Randwick and 2 Training
Group Ingleburn. He discharged on the
17th October 2000 from RTC Moorebank
on reaching the army retirement age of 55.
When Bob was not engaged on Army
duties he found time to do his civilian job –
that of Customs Officer - 1972-2000.
As well as the magazine he edits, he is
heavily involved in a large number of
other organisations, either on their
committees or as a delegate or Trustee;
Reserve Forces Day Council, RSL of
Australia, Defence Reserves Association,
Council and the 8th Australian Division
Council to name a few.
Bob was awarded the Order of
Australia Medal in 2000 for service to the
Army Reserve.
----------------------------------Greg HUBBARD is an old work mate and
he accepted our request to become an
Associate Member. We say Welcome Greg
and thank you.
Greg and I worked together on the
Sydney Waterfront as tally clerks. We both
worked for an organisation called “The
Timber Tallying Association”.
His job was to ‘tally’ the timber cargoes
(up to 40ft logs as well) out of the ship’s
holds, to be discharged on to the wharf or
over the side into harbour.
Greg worked his way up to become a
Charge Clerk with the company.
Greg was also a very keen surfboard
rider (and still is at 67 years young!). After
he retired from work he moved to
Boambee on the beautiful mid north coast
of NSW where he and his wife, Rhonda, are
very happy.
------------------------------Ian WHITE is made most welcome into
our Association. He
proudly followed in his
dad’s footsteps. Sadly,
Ian lost his dad, Keith,
in October last year.
Keith was one of our
members.
Ian became an accountant and later,
joined the Royal Australian Army Pay
Corps. He served with 2RAAPC at Dora
Street, Hurstville and later at Bardia
Barracks, Ingleburn. He served from 1987
to 1995 and discharged with the rank of
Lieutenant.
Ian said that both he and his Dad
became eligible, in 2006, for the Australian
Defence Medal even though there was a
service gap of 35 years between them!
-------------------------------Joe CRUMLIN is made most welcome as
an Associate Member and also a Life
Member. His application came by way of
his good friend, (and our good member,
Dr. James Roche).
I rang Joe up to introduce myself and
to let him know what Jim had done. He
was most humble and thankful for what
Jim had done and he was pleased to be
‘one of us’. Joe was a merchant seaman
who loved the sea and he worked his way
up to become a Master Mariner. Over a
period of about 30 Years, he has made
frequent visits to the Gallipoli Peninsula
doing cartography and pioneering work in
the Ravine country of North ANZAC. Joe
has visited Gallipoli on more than 8
occasions for long stays.
He is a volunteer at the Army Museum
in Victoria Barracks, Paddington, and has
been for many years. Joe has accepted
many ‘Talks’ with government and nongovernment organisations and is on the
committee of the Military History Society
of NSW.
The other happy surprise I received
from my phone call to Joe was to learn his
son is Paddy Crumlin. Paddy is the
General Secretary of the Maritime Union of
Australia and also the world President of
the International Transport Federation.
Joe is also very proud that two other sons,
one, also named Joe, and Kieran are also
Sydney ‘wharfies’ and good members of
the MUA.
I look forward to future inputs from
Joe.
-------------------------------Peter PETHER was a fellow member of 3
Company RAASC and our paths crossed a
few years ago. I recently sent Peter an
invitation to join our Association and he
readily accepted—and as a Life Member.
Thank you kindly, Peter.
Peter joined the CMF in 1963 with 3
Company Inf Div Tpt RAASC and was
posted to 6 Tpt Pl where he mostly drove
the 6 X 6 Studebakers. Peter discharged in
1965 after his term had finished.
When the Reserve Forces Day march
was first held in 1998, he attended and
‘ran into’ a number of his old mates. He
joined the 3 Trucks Association and also
the Ashfield RSL Sub Branch where he has
happily renewed old friendships.
Peter attends all the 3 Company
parades and is also their Standard Bearer
on Reserve Forces Day Parade in
Sydney.
In 2013 he became interested in
vehicle restorations so he joined “the
Australian Ex-Military Vehicle Collectors
Society”. His first project was the
restoration of an Australian No 4 (Jeep)
Trailer which he found rusting away in a
paddock in western NSW (it was originally
built by GMH in 1945!). He said that this
particular trailer had been modified, by
the Army, to suit Land Rovers—this was
prior to the ‘purpose built’ No 5 Land
Rover Trailer so it has served a long and
varied military history.
He has since added to his collection
with another No 4 (Jeep) trailer. This one
was built by the Ford Motor Company, also
in 1945, and he has kept it to its original
design!
He has recently acquired a Series 3
Land Rover and a No 5 Land Rover Trailer
which was apparently built by PMC
(Pressed Metal Corporation) in 1966. His 3
trailers show the transition from the
‘standard’ No 4 Australian Trailer to the
‘modified’ unit (from Jeep to Land Rover)
and the eventual evolution of the
Australian No 5 trailer—all of which can be
towed behind the Land Rover.
The maintenance and upkeep of his
‘modest’ fleet keeps him busy with any
spare time. His enjoyment is being able to
display, and use, his vehicles at his Club’s
events. He also supports his own, and
other, RSL Sub Branches by using and
displaying his vehicles—in memory of
those who have served.
(Good on you Peter, and good luck
with the ‘restorations’)
-------------------------------------Ron PALMER is made most welcome. I
wrote a little about Ron in our last
Newsletter (Christmas 2014 Items of
25
Interest Page 30, (9)) where I said he was a
friend of our Association. Ron was a driver
in 5 Field Ambulance in the 1950’s and
said that LTCOL David Rothfield signed his
discharge papers! Ron is also an “original’
with the NSW Scottish Regt (1948) as well
as an Association Member.
Ron is kept busy with his Forestville
RSL Sub Branch as a committee member
and also with his Scottish Clan Society.
Ron’s dad was with the 17th Bn, 5
Brigade, at Gallipoli. He was at Quinn’s
Post and Hill 60 and was wounded and
most probably attended to by 5 Field
Ambulance!
Good on you Ron. You have beautiful
handwriting for a 90 year young man. It is
our pleasure to have you among us.
----------------------------Glenn EAST is sincerely welcomed into
our Association. Glenn is a current serving
member with 5 CSSB. He is a Private in the
Health Company.
I am hoping Glenn will Email me some
more details about his life so that I can
introduce him in a more fitting manner. In
the meantime—thank you Glenn.
------------------------------Sarah JONES is warmly welcomed into
our Association as an Associate Member.
Sarah is the daughter of our good
members, Stuart and Sue. She has been a
really good help during the very ‘stressful’
5 Field Ambulance Centenary event last
month.
We thank Stuart and Sue for their
encouragement to Sarah to join us.
I asked Sarah to write ‘something’
about herself so as to introduce her more
formally and hopefully we will hear more
from Sarah in the future.
------------------------------Patrick JONES is sincerely welcomed
Member. As you might have guessed from
the above, Patrick and Sarah are brother
and sister.
I feel sure that behind the scenes
Patrick was also helping with the admin
arrangements leading up to our 5 Field
Ambulance Centenary that was held in
Queens Park, Waverley, last month.
We also wrote and asked Patrick to tell
us a little of himself for a future issue of our
Newsletter.
Thank you Stuart and Sue for your
encouragement of Patrick in joining us.
----------------------------------Margaret WOODHEAD contacted us
after receiving news from her daughter
Emma of the contents of a ‘flyer’ from the
Centennial Park Trust which informed
readers of the Centenary Parade to honour
5 Field Ambulance on Sunday, 15th March
at 10am.
She rang me to ask could she be
present, because her grandfather, Ernest
John Collins, had served with 5 Field
Ambulance in WW1. Margaret was told she
would be made most welcome.
Margaret said Emma then organised
the whole family to be present. Margaret’s
husband, Bill, was not well on the day and
was sorry he missed it.
Margaret came and introduced herself
to me and had brought along a small
“treasure box” which contained medals
and personal items, including a small
piece of shrapnel which had shattered her
grandfather’s cheekbone.
She remarked after the Parade that it
was a moving experience and she, and her
family, were very happy to be present on
this special occasion.
The wonderful part of this segment is
that Margaret filled in an Application Form
to join us as an Associate Member. We
welcome you Margaret and thank you for
joining us. We look forward to meeting
you again and perhaps reading ‘something’ about yourself.
SICK PARADE
Kevin CARTER
Derek CANNON
Ben CASTLE (Mona Vale
House, 33 Bassett St.,
Mona Vale NSW
Ph: 9910-7900)
George CARUANA
David CAVANAUGH
(Mona Vale House, 33
Bassett St., Mona Vale
NSW. Ph: 9910-7900)
Barry COLLINS
Roy CROSSLEY
Gordon CURTIS
John DAVIES
Gordon DODD
26
George DONNELLY
Gavin DRISCOLL
Brittany & Felicity EVANS
Nelson FIORENTINO
Richard FORD
David FRANCIS
Gordon GRANT
Brian HOGAN
Kevin HURRELL
Ray HYSLOP
Ken ILES
Brian INMAN
Neville JOHNSON
John LAYHE
Huss MAHOMET
John McCARTHY
Hugh (Macka) McCARTY
Ken McNUFF
Rayda NOBLE
“Bill” O’KEEFE
Charles O’MEALLY
Chris O’REILLY
Barry PERIGO
Maurice PORTER (Shalom
Lodge, “Fairview”, 157
Balaclava Rd., Marsfield.
NSW)
Alan ROBINSON
Richard (John) SMITH
Stephen STANSFIELD
Rob STEWART
Judith STRACHAN
Sr. Ella (“Sue”) THOMPSON
(79 Hawkesbury Rd.,
Springwood NSW 2777
(Ph: (02) 4751-1000)
Keverell TURNBULL
John WEAVER
John WILSON
Items of Interest
(1) Magazines and Newsletters etc sent to us from
members & other sources (Let me know if you would
like any of them posted to you – FREE to our members, if
I have the hard copy.)
(i) Navy Newsletter - Sept ’14 (courtesy, Jim Chapman)
(ii) The National Serviceman - Dec. ’14, Apl ’15
(courtesy, NSW NSA&A Inc.)
(iii) The Australian Reservist - Oct ’14 (courtesy, Warren
Barnes)
(iv) Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Jan, Mar,
‘15, (courtesy, Chris O’Reilly)
(v) Defence Force Recruiting Book - Nov. 1980.
(courtesy, Victor Ineson)
(vi) Tobruk House Newsletter - Oct, Nov, Dec, 2014, Feb
2015, (courtesy, Reg Lawrence)
(vii) Reveille (NSW Branch) - Jan/Feb ’15 (courtesy, Alan
Curry)
(viii) NS Newsletter, Penrith City - Oct/Nov (courtesy,
Barry Perigo)
(ix) Royal Australian Historical Society News - Jan ’15
(courtesy, James Jordan)
(x) Frontline - Official Journal of the 1/19 and 2/19 Bn
Association - Dec 14 (courtesy, Bob Pink OAM)
(xi RAAMC ‘Head of Corps’ Newsletter. (courtesy, Theo
Dechaufepie-National President-RAAMC Assn Inc.)
(xii) Defence Force Welfare Apl ’15 (courtesy, Jim Jordan)
----------------------------------(2) (a) a Naval Mishap of yesteryear: Sinking of Helen B.
Sterling, 192
(With kind thanks to member, Dr. Ian Pfennigwerth)
In January 1922 the Australian cruiser Melbourne
was on passage to New Zealand when she
intercepted an SOS call from the American
registered schooner Helen B. Sterling which was
foundering in a tropical cyclone. Although the
schooner's position was not clear Melbourne turned
to close her but was on the point of giving up the
search when the stricken vessel saw the cruiser’s
searchlights reflected off clouds, and signalled the
fact.
The weather was appalling and when the cruiser at
last came in sight of Sterling it was clear that the
rescue would have to be made by boat. After
making a lee and pumping oil onto the water
between the two ships, Melbourne launched her 32foot cutter with the ship's executive officer,
Commander Wilfred Ward-Hunt RN, in charge.
In an operation lasting two hours the Sterling’s crew
and passengers totalling 18 men and women – and
the ship’s cat – were recovered and brought to
safety on board the cruiser. News of the bravery and
determination shown by Melbourne's crew reached
all way to the White House, and the 14 men of the
cutter’s crew received US Presidential gold medals.
Ward-Hunt was given a pair of binoculars.
There is a nice twist to the story. Captain Harris of
Helen B Sterling had taken his son on board for his
first sea voyage. Fortunately, the boy was saved and
his grandson, Captain Michael Harris RAN, went on
to command the frigate HMAS Melbourne III.
----------------------------------(2) (b) WW2-“BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC” (a prologue)
(with kind thanks to member, Dr. Ian Pfennigwerth)
The struggle between convoys of merchant ships and
their escorts and German submarines is exemplified
by what became known as the ‘Battle of the Atlantic’,
but this was just part of an overall Allied battle to
prevent submarines from compromising the viability
of the vital supply lines to the UK and Europe, to
North Africa and later to the Pacific. While the North
Atlantic may have been the focus of the most intense
fighting, German submarines ranged as far afield as
Australia during the World War II. It is difficult to
isolate this one area from the others, as the precious
shipping required protection wherever it sailed.
However, over 70 per cent of Allied merchant ships
sunk were lost in the Atlantic. Nor was the threat only
from submarines: before they were dealt with, the
Germans put to sea both merchant raiders and
warships to harass, sink and capture Allied convoys or
ships sailing independently. For Australia, the vital
trade routes led westward from the continent,
towards and from Britain, to which most of Australia’s
export goods went and from which most of the high
technology and high value-added cargoes came. Not
to be forgotten was the heavy dependence of
Australian domestic trade on sea transportation
around our coasts.
At the beginning of the battle against submarines
the initiative was all on the German side. It took the
Allies until 1943 to regain it. In 1941, the entry of the
US Navy into the struggle provided the Allies with
more escorts to protect the convoys, while the
amazing growth of the Royal Canadian Navy from a
very modest fleet to the third largest navy in the
world, with a bitterly-acquired practical operational
experience to match, meant that convoys could be
given the level of escort protection that the German
development of the ‘wolf pack’ mass attack tactic
required. Foremost, however, was the Allied penetration of the various codes used for communications between the German Naval High Command
and its submarines.
Wherever fought, the battle was a brutal and
bloody one, with the consequences of failure
being almost certain death in a torpedoed escort
or a damaged submarine, and only slightly better
in a merchant ship. The Allies lost 72,000 naval
and merchant marine personnel (more than
twice the entire Australian casualty list of the
war), while German losses were more than 30,000
dead – three quarters of their entire submarine
force. While the torpedo load of the U-boats was
27
intended for use against merchant ships, it would
quite happily be employed by their commanding
officers against high-value warships and even, in
extremis, on little corvettes or trawlers, for the
merchant seamen whose ships were the principal
targets, their survival depended upon the
effectiveness of escort forces and the skill of the
code breakers in ensuring that their convoys
could be diverted away from the waiting German
wolf packs. As it was, almost 23,000 merchant
crewmen, including Australians, lost their lives to
submarine attacks. The largest number of
honours and awards earned by Australian navy
people in the European theatre resulted from
actions in either protecting convoys from attack
or from setting out to destroy German submarines.’
Lest we forget.
Ian Pfennigwerth
------------------------------------(3) BALMAIN/ROZELLE WAR MEMORIAL: (Kind thanks to
Reveille (NSW) and George Caruana)
Daniel Moore, their Sub Branch President, had an article
under ‘Sub Branch News’ in relation to their WW1 War
Memorial.
The memorial was not erected using a government
grant; it was built through money raised by council rates
and Balmain citizens who were shocked at the impact
that the great War had on the Balmain community at
that time.
In 1914 Balmain's municipal area was covered by
Balmain, Rozelle and Birchgrove. The population in
1914 was about 32,000 and in the course of the next
four years approximately 5000 men from the district
joined the various armed services, depriving the suburb
of much of its workforce in the local factories and on the
docks and the dockyards at Morts Dock and Cockatoo
Island.
Engraved in the sandstone are only two place names“The Dardanelles” and “Gaba Tepe”, together with 37
names. 36 of the names are those killed at Gallipoli and
the 37th name is that of sailor, J.A.Fettes, who perished
on the submarine AE 1 on 14/9/1914.
------------------------------(4) MEDIA RELEASES (Including ‘Extracts’ from Army
Newspaper – with kind thanks to both)
(i) RAAF’s C-27 J SPARTAN BATTLEFIELD AIRLIFTER:
A total of 10 of these aircraft will be delivered to
Australia over the next 2 years.
RAAF personnel, from 35 Sqn, Richmond Air Base,
both technicians and pilots, have commenced
training (since December 2014) at the US Air Force
Base in Waco, Texas, on the first two of these aircraft
to be transferred to the Australian Register.
These aircraft will ‘integrate’ with the Army’s CH-47
Chinook helicopters, the RAAF’s Hercules C-130 J
and the Globemaster C-17 A.
The C-27 J will have the capacity to land on the
numerous airfields across the Asia-Pacific region
which the others can’t. It has a proven record in
service with foreign air forces and has delivered
frontline airlift in theatres such as Africa,
Afghanistan and the Philippines.
28
The C-27 J has the capacity to carry personnel or
vehicles, or delivering loads on the ground or by
airdrop.
The first training flight, under the Australian Flag,
took place on the 15th December 2014, it carried
instructors who will provide training to RAAF
personnel on the C-27 J.
-------------------------(ii) OPERATION OKRA:
This is the ADF’s contribution to the military
intervention against ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant). This operation commenced in late
August 2014 to combat threats by ISIL in Iraq.
Approx. 600 ADF are involved (400 in the Air Task
Group and 200 in the Special Operations Task
Group). They are under the command of JTF 633.
The ATG has six FA-18 F Super Hornets, E-7A
Wedgetail Early Warning and Control, KC-30 A Multi
Role Tanker Transports to deliver weapons, ammunition and many tonnes of humanitarian aid.
---------------------------(iii) OPERATION SLIPPER CEASES ON DECEMBER 2014:
When you read this, the “THANK YOU” Parade will
have occurred. I sent the email off to our members
when I received a notification.
A Parade and Commemoration activity took place
on Saturday 21st March, about 10am, in EVERY
capital city around Australia. It was decreed by the
Government as a chance for all Australians to say
“Thank You” to more than 33,000 ADF Troops,
Australian Public Servants and the Australian
Federal Police who served on OPERATION
SLIPPER.
Operation SLIPPER was Australia’s military contribution to ISAF (International Security Assistance
Force Mission)
-------------------------(iv) BUILDING PARTNER CAPACITY MISSION (BPC):
The Government announced in March 2015 that
they will contribute to the international BPC for the
preparation and training mission in Iraq.
This mission is expected to begin in May this year
and it marks the next phase in assisting the
international coalition to disrupt, degrade and
ultimately defeat ISIL, or Daesh (a new name
derived from the Arabic and hated by the terrorist
group of ISIS and ISIL).
Iraq’s security forces now require international
training support to conduct effective offensive
operations against Daesh and ultimately to take
responsibility for their country’s security.
Our Australian force, of about 300 ADF personnel,
will be based at Taji, north-west of Baghdad. They
will be centred on a training team. The ADF force
will comprise a Force Protection Element, along
with Command and Support elements. The size and
nature of Australia’s commitment in Iraq will be
kept under review.
The Australian BPC force will work closely with
personnel from Denmark, Germany, Italy, The
Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and the US.
-------------------------
(v) OPERATION “HIGHROAD”:
This is the name given to replace Operation
SLIPPER which ceased in December 2014. It is
Australia’s NEW train, advise and assist mission.
The new operation is in line with the NATO-led
mission transitioning from a combat role to
Operation Resolute Support; a train, advise, assist
mission.
Importantly, the transition also recognises that the
Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have now
taken the lead for all combat operations.
About 400 Australian personnel are deployed on
Operation Highroad, including embed positions
with the NATO led mission, mentoring and advisory
roles, medical, force protection and logistic support.
The commander of Joint Task Force 636 MAJGEN
David Mullhall also acknowledged there are still
risks for our Australian troops in Afghanistan.
The new NATO-led Operation Resolute Support
mission will be directed at the ministerial (defence
and interior), institutional levels, and at the higher
command level of the Afghan security forces.
---------------------------(vi) SAIL TRAINING SHIP “YOUNG ENDEAVOUR”:
The “Young Endeavour” is operated by the RAN.
On Australia Day, the ship rounded Cape Horn, it
was, at the time, 36 days into a 12 month circumnavigation of the world.
Chief of Navy, Vice-Admiral Tim Barrett AO CSC
RAN congratulated the 36 seafarers on board the
square-rigged tall ship, including 12 RAN crew and
24 alumni crew specially selected for the passage.
Vice-Admiral Barrett said the passage around the
tip of South America remains one of the most
challenging nautical routes on the planet, and was
a significant achievement for the crew of Young
Endeavour.
This Australia Day weekend marked 27 years since
Young Endeavour was gifted to Australia by the
United Kingdom and began delivering youth
development voyages.
This is the first time the vessel has rounded Cape
Horn, and her safe passage is a credit to the crew on
board. The passage around Cape Horn, normally
noted for its notorious waters, went without incident and the rare relative calm allowed the crew to
celebrate Australia Day in appropriate beach attire.
During the world voyage Young Endeavour will sail
to Europe, Africa and the Americas, visiting 16
countries and will represent Australia at the 2015
international Tall Ship Races.
----------------------------(vii) THE RAAF PARTICIPATES IN “EXERCISE RED FLAG”
This ‘Exercise’ started in the early part of the year in
the United States.
It will have day-time and night-time missions which
will require large numbers of aircraft to work
together across a variety of roles to defeat threats.
The dangers they face range from aggressor F-15
and F-16 fighters and simulated missile shots,
through to electronic warfare in cyberspace attacks.
The Exercise involves United States, Australia and
the United Kingdom.
Australia's contribution will see two C-130 J
Hercules from Richmond RAAF Base, an AP-3C
Orion from RAAF Base Edinburgh (SA) and an Air
Battle Management contingent from 41 Wing
participating.
This is the first time Air Force’s C-130 J Hercules and
AP-3C Orion have participated in “Exercise Red Flag
at Nellis Air Force Base.
Exercise Red Flag 15-1 continued until midFebruary with 150 RAAF personnel participating.
The Air Battle Management contingent will conduct
surveillance and battlespace management of
coalition forces inside the exercise area.
Air Commander Australia, Air Vice Marshal Gavin
Turnbull, said RAAF personnel would be exposed to
one of the world's most advanced airborne training
exercises. There are few training environments in
the world that recreate the dangers of a modern
battlespace like Exercise Red Flag.
-----------------------------------(viii) DEFENCE RESERVE SUPPORT COUNCIL:
This body promotes the benefits of Reserve service
to employers and the community.
Under the leadership of the National Defence
Reserve Support Council, there is a council in each
state and territory. Mr. Colin Radford has been
appointed the new Chair in Victoria for a 5-year
term.
Council members are all volunteers and include
representatives from industry networks, small
business, trade unions, youth and other
interested community groups.
--------------------------(ix) F-35A JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER:
Sqn Leader, Andrew Jackson, will be the first
Australian pilot to start ‘Test Training’ on our new
fighter aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida ,
US.
He will be joined, for extensive training, by Sqn
Leader David Bell in mid-2015.
Australia has 72 ‘On Order’, with the first one due
to arrive at the end of 2018. It is planned to have
the first operational squadron established by 2020.
The F-35A’s will replace the F/A-18A/B Hornets at
Williamtown (NSW) and Tindall (NT).
The new fighter aircraft will have a combination of
stealth, advanced sensors, networking and data
fusion capabilities, when integrated with other
defence systems, it will enable the RAAF to
maintain an air combat edge.
----------------------------------(x) THREE PEACE-TIME COMMANDOS REMEMBERED:
(Kind Thanks to SGT Dave Morley-Army Newspaper,
March 2015)
On the evening of February 17th 1960, an attack
flotilla of kayaks, three-man and ten-man inflatable
Zodiac's and various safety craft set off at 6 PM from
Port Lonsdale Bight beach. Their plan was to cross
Port Phillip Bay and launch a tactical raid on the
Officer Cadet School at Portsea.
The soldiers were from 2 Commando Company
and were based at Port Lonsdale and all were fit and
highly trained young men.
29
A couple of hours into the exercise a fierce eightknot tide caught the raiding party and swept them
out to sea through the Rip.
The turning tide was met head-on by the prevailing
south-westerly wind and huge waves, later
estimated at 10 metres, pushed the craft backwards
and capsized many of them.
Many of the two-man crews were picked up by
larger safety craft, leaving their abandoned kayaks
to drift away, only to have their rescue vessels also
overturned or swamped by the huge seas.
As the night wore on, men were rescued by passing
ships and a small flotilla of local vessels.
A few paddlers made the Portsea shore in their
kayaks, but many were picked up from the water, or
from their capsized boats, many kilometres out to
sea.
The Anzac Book
(With kind thanks to John Roche OAM and ‘Crosscut’ 16th Battalion AIF)
“I don’t want no red-tapey orders,
And I don’t want no kudos nor pelf;
You get back to your own little dug-outs,
And I’ll tackle the knoll by myself!
I’ll lay down my life for my country,
For old England, the land of the free;
And you’ll find that the bloke called Horatius
Was only a trifle to me!”
Then I shook hands with all the battalion
(There were only thirteen of us left),
And they cheered me again till the foemen
Must have thought us of senses bereft.
And I gathered my arms and my rations,
And girded myself for the fray–
If I live to be ninety or over,
I will always remember that day!
I had five hundred rounds for my rifle,
And of hand bombs I took forty-one;
A machine-gun was slung to my shoulders,
And I carried a periscope gun.
As for rations – well, all I took with me
Was a tin of Fray Bentos* or two,
And in the breast pocket I planted
A nice Army biscuit to chew.
Then I waved a farewell to my cobbers–
I was too much affected to speak;
There are times when the bravest of soldiers
Have feelings that render them weak.
One tear – then I turned to the trenches,
And charged like a lion at bay
As I caught the last words of our Colonel,
Crying: “Bronzer+ … Gorstrafem … Hooray!”
You talk of charmed lives – I’d a thousand;
As I rushed up that hill like a goat
I got thirty-two shots thro’ my trousers
And nine shrapnel balls thro’ my coat;
And a Japanese bomb burst beneath me
– For a moment I gave up all hope,
But it proved the best thing that could happen,
For it pushed me half-way up the slope.
*Fray Bentos is a brand of tinned meat.
+Bonzer – Australian or “excellent”
30
Eight of the commandos were rescued in Bass
Strait by the Italian liner “Toscana”, but Private
Roger Wood was dashed from the Toscana's rope
ladder by a giant wave after he had helped his
mates to safety. His body was never recovered.
Those who were rescued by the “Toscana” were
later offloaded in Adelaide.
Warrant Officer Second Class George ‘Taffy’
Drakopoulos of 2 Commando Company, who had
only been promoted 11 days prior, and the driver of
an amphibious DUKW, Private Eddy Meyer, of 41
Amphibious platoon, drowned when their vessel
sank.
Many relatives and friends attended the memorial
service.
The main speaker at the Service said that while
ANZAC day focused on our war dead, as it should
be, the tragedy of peacetime deaths was no less
meaningful. He said we owe a great debt to
remember the commandos that lost their life on
this peacetime exercise.
This tragic exercise remains one of the army's
worst peacetime maritime disasters, yet is one of
the least known.
In 2000, the Victorian Commando Association
established a Memorial to the three soldiers on
Shortlands Bluff, overlooking the Rip. (Note: DUKW
stands for “D” -the year model-1942, “U”- the body
style-utility-(amphibious). “K” -4 Wheel Drive, “W” duel rear axles.)
----------------------------(5) M/S CLARE WEBB: is with the Health Centre at Simpson
Barracks and visited our web site to see if her grandfather, John Webb and her great uncle Roy Webb were
listed on our Honour Roll—they weren’t, but after Clare
gave me their Service details which showed they both
served with 5 Field Ambulance during WW1, it was our
honour to place them in our “Honour Roll”. Thank you
Clare.
-------------------------------(6) Ray BORG saw our website and kindly sent me an email
to say he was a past member of 5 Field Ambulance. (Yes
Ray, we would honoured to have you join us.)
He was the RQMS between January 1989 and January
1991. Prior to that he served with 9 Field Ambulance.
Ray is a Captain and still serving. He is in Logistics and
stationed in Simpson Barracks in Victoria.
I liked the two pieces he quoted re Logistics…
”LOGISTICS”…No one knows what we do until we don’t do
it! Only a Commander who understands logistics can push
the military machine to the limits without risking total
breakdown” MAJGEN Julian Thompson.
And …
“The first essential condition for any army to be able to
stand the strain of battle is an adequate stock of weapons,
petrol and ammunition. In fact, the battle is fought and
decided by the regimental quartermaster sergeants before
the shooting begins! The bravest men can do nothing
without plenty of ammunition, and neither guns nor
ammunition are of much use in mobile warfare unless
there are vehicles with sufficient petrol to haul them
around. Field Marshall Erwin Rommel 1942.
MESSAGES FROM MEMBERS
Dr. James ROCHE wrote to say he enjoys reading our
news. He said the article about the passing of his friend and
colleague, Dr. Malcolm Stening, was a fitting tribute to a wellrespected man.
Jim also commented on how he enjoyed reading Bob
Grieve’s article “Grey Nomads”, more so because he knows
Bob from when they both served in 5 Field Ambulance in the
early 1960’s.
Jim accompanied Warwick Wilkinson to our Centenary
Parade and Luncheon in March and both praised the event
and said what a wonderful day it was.
(Thank you Jim, for your kind words. It was good to be in your
company in March. Thank you both for being a part of it.)
--------------------------------Joe GATTY wishes to be remembered to his mates in the
Association. They sent us a note at Christmas to say they are
good. Judy said Joe is now a ‘skipper’ in the Coastal Patrol and
he looks like an Admiral when he is in his uniform.
They are both very happy doing ‘grandparent duty’ on a
Monday and Friday, taking care of their young grandson,
Wyatt. Judy says he is ‘on the go’ all the time but one of the
hardest tasks is being on the floor and playing with him and
then trying to get back up! Little Wyatt is going to have a baby
sister in 2015‼
Their other grandsons, Aaron, who is 18, just marched out
of Kapooka last October. Ben is 16 and he wants to be a
plumber.
Their son, Paul, and his wife, Yvette, are both in the Police
Force. Paul is a Senior Sergeant.
Their other son, Glen and his wife, Jackie, have two boys,
Daniel (11) and Alex (8) and live in England. They were (at
Christmas time) ‘tripping’ around Europe enjoying their
holidays.
Joe and Judy attended our Centenary Parade and
Luncheon and wrote to say they were proud to be present.
(Thank you Joe and Judy for your Christmas card telling us a
little of your family ‘snippets’ and it was good to see you at our
Centenary in March.)
--------------------------------Barry & Heather PERIGO pass on their good wishes to
their friends in the Association.
They kindly sent a card at Christmas to wish us all well and
to express their thanks for the many encouraging phone calls
and visits to the hospital when Barry had his knee replacement and later, when he went into rehab. He was in a lot of
pain then but is now able to attend the rehab clinic, as an outpatient, twice a week.
Heather was very pleased to have Barry back home
because it has relieved her of many hour of travel each day
when she was visiting him in hospital.
Heather recently informed me that Barry has now had his
‘back brace’ removed but after relaying an incident that
happened, after the removal of his brace, it’s a miracle they
were able to laugh about it.
It seems their goats are in the breeding season and two of
the ‘billies’ were fighting and locking horns so Barry and
Heather took it upon themselves to separate them!
In doing so they both ended up on the ground – in
victory – on the flat of their backs. It took some time, and the
help of the fence post, to get back on their feet.
Heather’s only regret is that she did not film it because it
would have gone viral on ‘YouTube’!
Heather penned a further letter to say that Barry thought
he was well enough to ‘handle’ the ride-on mower!
This venture sent him back to bed. She said it has given
him time to catch up on reading some of our past 5 Field
Ambulance magazines. He particularly liked the story of Brian
Hogan's time in the CMF.
Attached to the letter was a clipping from their local
newspaper entitled “Remembering ‘Banjo’ Paterson”.
It was a very interesting article.
Some of us may not know that Paterson got the nickname
‘Banjo’ due to this being the name of his racehorse that he
once owned called “The Banjo”. “Banjo” Paterson served in
World War I. He was commissioned in the 2nd Remount unit
of the AIF on the 18th of October 1915. He was wounded in
France and reported missing in July 1916.
“Banjo” was repatriated to Australia and discharged from
the army, with the rank of Major, in April 1919.
His wife, Alice, had joined the Red Cross and worked in an
ambulance unit near her husband.
What a wonderful legacy of poetry “Banjo” Paterson left us
with…”The Man from Snowy River”, Clancy of the Overflow”
and “Waltzing Matilda”, just to name small, well-known, few of
the hundreds he wrote.
Barry and Heather attended our Centenary Parade and
Luncheon in March and said it was a most enjoyable event.
(Thank you Heather, for your cards and letters. I was pleased
to pass on the many messages of support when members asked
about Barry’s well-being. I only hope his doctor does not read the
goat or mower section!! Your presence at our Centenary in March
was very much appreciated, as were the additional items you
ordered.)
--------------------------------
James HOOLAN Jr. sent his apologies for not being able to
make our Centenary Parade and Luncheon in March. Jim and
his wife, Gia, live in Williamsburg, Va. in the US of A.
He wrote that our Centenary Ceremony falls closely on the
weekend of the 47th Anniversary of his unit’s involvement in
the battle of Hue, during the Vietnam War. It is the Annual Hue
City Memorial Weekend.
Jim was a member of the 1st Bn, 1st Marine Regt of the 1st
Marine Division. He said their mission was to search and
secure Hue by 31 January 1968. Two companies and a Command group were tasked to complete the mission, which
commenced on the 28th January. Jim’s unit ‘lost’ 28 Marines
and the total cost of this battle was 3,000 ‘Killed in Action’.
This was never reported, at the time, in the American
press. Jim said it was ‘The Iwo Jima battle of the war’!
Jim was the Battalion Ex Off during the battle and the
Command Post was in Phi Bai, 9 miles south of Hue.
He said that this location is now the Hue Airport.
(Thank you Jim for your email. I hope this finds you and Gia in
good health and that your attendance at your Unit’s Anniversary
enabled you renew old friendships.)
-------------------------Brian INMAN passes on his good wishes to his friends in the
Association. He enjoys reading all the news and when their
paths cross, having a good ‘chin-wag’ with his good friend
(and our committeeman-Barry Collins).
31
(Good on you Brian, and thank you for your kind words. I
hope this finds you in good health.)
--------------------------George CARUANA sends his good wishes to his mates in
the Association. He thanked us for his Centenary calendar and
remarked that it was ‘fantastic’!
The other matter he wrote about was the shameful
desecration and vandalism of some of our War Memorials. In
particular, the War Memorial located in Moore Park on ANZAC
Parade (Sydney).
George had reported this matter to the Surry Hills Police,
many months ago and also brought it to the attention of his
RSL Sub Branch (Masonic Sub Branch).
Their committee and Sub Branch members are to be
congratulated for being instrumental in the Sydney City
Council agreeing to allocate a sum of money, in excess of
$1,000,000, for a ‘refurbishment’ of the said War Memorial.
The Masonic Sub Branch wrote to George to thank him for
his diligence and persistence (over 2 years) in pursuing this
very important matter.
George also attached to his letter, an article from the
Balmain/Rozelle Sub Branch regarding their Memorial. I have
‘edited’ this wonderful ‘attachment’— (see Items of Interest).
George was also a welcome addition to our Centenary
Parade and Luncheon.
(Thank you George for your letter and attachments. You have
demonstrated, on this occasion, that your persistence was well
worth it. I am proud of you. I hope this finds you in good health.
We do thank you for your presence at our Centenary in March.)
--------------------------------------Brian TAMS emailed to say he was having a drink with a
neighbour a few weeks back and the talk turned to army
matters. His neighbour was a ‘Nasho’ and served in the NSW
Lancers in Parramatta. He drove tanks and it turns out his tank
commander was none other than our good member, Warren
Glenny (now MAJGEN).
Brian and Gail said they had a wonderful weekend of the
Centenary (14/15th March). They thoroughly enjoyed the
Parade and Luncheon and were glad they were a part of it.
They are joining their friends, and fellow member John
Weaver and his wife, Maureen, for a 3-week sail/fly holiday.
They leave in late March and sail to Darwin and over to
Vietnam and have 3 days in Singapore before flying back
home to Sydney.
(Good on you Brian and Gail. We all hope the four of you have
a memorable time. We look forward to hearing a little of your
travels when you arrive safely back home.)
-------------------------------Marguerite MAXWELL is a passionate Monarchist and a
keen member of the Australian Flag Association.
At 90 years young she is a ‘fighter’ and she speaks and
writes her mind on matters she believes in.
I enjoyed reading her two-page letter and certainly share
her concerns regarding the way the country is heading, to the
extent that people who come here from other lands to make
Australia their new home must realise our way of doing things
can't be changed to suit people from each different country,
who make up our States now.
Marguerite suggests that ‘someone’ should make a flag
using the coat of arms as a trial to gauge the response. She has
made her idea clear at the meetings she attends.
(Members may recall reading about Marguerite when we
welcomed her as a new member in our Reserve Forces Day
Newsletter – Winter issue 2014, p16).
32
(Thank you Marguerite for your letter and your purchase of
our Centenary calendar and especially your donation to the
Bedford Memorial Fund appeal. This was much appreciated by
the RAAMC Association Inc.)
------------------------Bob GRIEVES apologised for not being able to be present
at our Centenary Parade and Luncheon. He wrote to say how
strange it felt to read his own article (“Grey Nomads”, p32,
Christmas Newsletter 2014).
He said the group photo of the 1956 Ball brought back
some happy memories of some of the people he served with:Sr. ‘Molly’ Mills, Arthur Gough (Bob’s mentor), Steve Baldick (a
great friend) and Alan Crossley (he ‘pushed’ me to do better!).
Bob apologised for not being able to pass on his many
‘photo slides‘ of the camps he attended – he wrote that they
all went black‼
(Thank you Bob, for your email. I had a few readers who
thoroughly enjoyed your article on the ‘Grey Nomads’.)
-----------------------------Roy CROSSLEY had a hip replacement in late February. His
wife, Betty, wrote and said that when he went to rehab for 7
days, after his op, he started to feel chest pains! After an
examination he was placed back in hospital to have two stents
inserted.
Betty said Roy had no cardiac symptoms prior. She is
hoping he might be home by the middle of March.
For our members who know Roy and would like to send
him a ‘cheerio’ call his mobile number – 0418 288 102.
When I phoned Betty I found out that she is also having a
‘rough’ time. Betty has been on home dialysis since 2013. She
recently had some abdominal surgery which will take about
three months to heal and after that she hopes to be back on
home dialysis. Betty said when she came out of hospital to go
home, she checked her email inbox and found 210 messages!
(Thank you Betty, for writing and letting me know about
Roy’s, and your health, setbacks. I know how keen you are with
your golf and Roy with his fishing and golf. It won't be long before
you are both back to your normal selves. We are thinking of you
and our prayers are with you both.)
-------------------------John CHARTER wrote to advise he has relocated to a
Legacy Unit in Taree on the NSW North Coast. I have since
contacted John at his new address and he is ‘settling in’ very
good.
He had a lot of trouble with his ‘Bigpond’ email but
this has now been rectified. His new email address is:[email protected] and his new home number is
(02) 6552 6251.
(Thank you John. We hope your new home gives you much
pleasure. We thank you for your support.)
---------------------------Robert (Scotty) BOYD apologised for not being able to
make our Centenary Parade and Luncheon in March. He did,
however, enjoy a wonderful reunion with our President, Derek
Cannon, and his wife, Edna.
Derek and Edna had a short holiday to the ‘Apple Isle’ and
they all had a wonderful meal at one of Scotty’s local pubs.
Scotty wrote that they all had some wonderful reminiscences
of their days with 5 Field Ambulance, 2 Preventive Medicine
and 1 General Hospital.
Hiking in Nepal, as well as many adventures over the years!
Scotty enjoyed their company and said the memories that
were brought back, by Derek, are a very important part of his
life.
Scotty said Derek gave him a ‘run-down’ of the Centenary
event that will take place on the 15th March and ‘surprised’
him by presenting him with his Centenary purchases of wine
and the Centenary “T” shirt.
Scotty passes on his good wishes to all his friends in the
Association.
(Good on you Scotty, it was good to read that you, Derek and
Edna, had a wonderful meeting.)
------------------------------John DAVIES sent us an email to wish all his mates a very
HAPPY NEW YEAR and passes on his good wishes to our
Association. He apologised for not being able to make our
Parade and Luncheon in March.
He said he was encouraged by the persistence of our
President, Derek Cannon, during his recent health ‘setback’.
John said he and wife Moira had a good Christmas and a
hectic New Year celebration! He said the grandchildren have
them ‘on the go’ all through the school holidays—but they
would not have wanted it any other way.
I worry about John and Moira
(photo at left) because they went
to a 50th anniversary birthday
celebration for friends of theirs, at
the end of January, and it was a
party theme ‘Fancy Dress’ as
Royalty.
John was the spitting image of
Dame Edna Everidge whilst Moira was HRH Queen Elizabeth.
John said there were two other “Dame Edna’s” but he won the
prize!
John said it was about 40 degrees in Wagga and neither he
or Moira were feeling really ‘flash, but with the prednisone
they both have to take, when it was mixed with the wine, beer,
dresses, bra, pantyhose and high heels, they lost all sense of
pain and embarrassment‼
(Thank you John for your email and support. I was pleased to
read about your little party and I hope when you read this, you
and Moira are in good spirits.)
------------------------Laurie FARRUGIA is thanked for sending me an email
telling me about the “Welcome Home Parade” that was held
in all capital cities, on March 21st, for the people to say THANK
YOU, to the 33,000 veterans who were involved in
“OPERATION SLIPPER”.
Laurie said it held special significance for him and his
family because their son, Paul, was one of the veterans.
(Thank you Laurie. I informed all our email members of the
Parade. We wish you and wife Judy a safe and memorable trip
overseas and look forward to your safe return. Members may
remember that Operation Slipper commenced after the
September 11 Bombings in New York, in 2001. Operation Slipper
was Australia’s contribution to the war in Afghanistan. We lost 41
killed and 256 wounded. Operation Slipper ceased on the 31st
December 2014.)
--------------------------------Huss MAHOMET sends his good wishes to all his mates in
the Association. He sent an apology for not being able to
make our Centenary Parade and Luncheon.
Their daughter, Claire, sent me an email late last year to
say she visited her mum and dad for Christmas and was
pleased they have adjusted to the Queensland environment
very well. She only recently visited again and said her dad was
disappointed he was not well enough to be with us at our
Centenary Parade and Luncheon.
(Thank you Huss and Claire for keeping in touch. When you
read this Huss, we hope you and Judy are in good spirits and
our prayers are with you Huss as you endure your dialysis
treatment.)
-----------------------------Richard (John) SMITH was cleaning out some old papers
and came across some old memories of people he served with
during his time in 5 Field Ambulance in the mid to late 1950’s.
He was thinking of the anniversary of the Maitland floods
in 1955. Names such as Arthur Hutton, his CO Lt Col Reg
Wherrit, Harding Burns, Jim Ellis.
John said he had very happy times with 5 Field
Ambulance.
(Thank you John for your email. Yes memories are happy and
sad occasions when recalled. I hope this finds you in good spirits
and that you receive a good report from your doctor.)
-----------------------------Ron WEBB and his wife Rosemary wrote to say “Thank You”
to our President, Derek Cannon, and our committee for
making sure our Centenary Parade and Luncheon was a
memorable one.
Ron said the members from the Health Company of 5 CSSB
are to commended for their excellence ‘On Parade’, which
included their OC, MAJ David Czerkies and his CO, Lt Col Vince.
He made a special mention of the cadets from 206 ACU
especially the two who carried the 5 Field Ambulance Banner
in a very strong breeze.
They thoroughly enjoyed the Luncheon and the
camaraderie. They said it was a wonderful opportunity to
meet so many of our friendly members.
Ron had also sent me, in a previous letter, much
information regarding his grandfather, Frederick Alfred WEBB,
who was a member of 5 Field Ambulance in WW1. (Frederick
passed away in June 1967.) I will record Fred’s story in a future
newsletter.
(Thank you Ron for your letters and support. It was a pleasure
to greet you and Rosemary at our Centenary in March.)
---------------------------Ray HYSLOP OAM sends his good wishes to all his friends
in the Association. As members on our email list were alerted
in early March that Ray (our Patron) developed a heart
problem which required surgery. As of writing I phoned Ray to
find he and wife Helen were in Perth. They were visiting
family. He said that since his heart operation he has found
renewed strength and he hopes to join us on ANZAC Day.
Ray had emailed me back in February to comment on the
article, in our SPRING Issue 2014, about (the late) Garth
Fisher’s funeral being held at St Alban’s Anglican Church in
Belmore (Sydney). Ray’s father, Alan, attended Sunday School
at this church and was presented, in 1921, with a “Book of
Common Prayer and Hymnal Companion”. Ray said he used
this book at his dad’s funeral in 2000. He added…”It will also
be used at mine”.
Ray also commented on the group photo of the 1955 5
Field Ambulance Ball. It reminded him of the 1958 Annual Ball
he attended, soon after he joined 1 General Hospital as a
General Duties MO. He said in those days the Officers wore
their “Blues”— all ‘made to measure’ by a great tailor! The
hardest part was placing the ‘stars’ and ‘buttons’ on the coat
because he had to use a knife to put holes where they had to
be placed. Ray said it was a very long and tedious task!
Ray wrote his appreciation for our Honorary Chaplain’s
(Brian Hogan) quarterly article he writes. He also commends
Brian for his very caring calls to those on our Sick Parade.
33
(Thank you Ray, for your emails and support. All our members
will be pleased to read you are ‘on the mend’-We hope you have
a good holiday.)
----------------------------Gordon CURTIS wrote to thank us for posting his
Centenary calendar and other Centenary purchases he had
ordered, plus his RAAMC tie. He said the calendar is a
wonderful memento.
He apologised for not being present at our Centenary
because he and Diane were so looking forward to it.
He said his uncle Jim, who was a Gallipoli veteran with 5
Field Ambulance, would have been very proud of our
Centenary Ceremony if he was still alive. He died in 1973 and
still had the piece of shrapnel in his hip from this war.
Gordon and his wife, Diane, were all set to be with us on
the 15th March but Gordon’s stenosis problem in his hip
‘flared up’. His brother-in-law had to be shifted into a nursing
home and Gordon thinks that the lifting he was assisting with
has had its effect on his spine.
Gordon’s neurosurgeon has advised no further lifting and
when he broached him with the idea of driving to Sydney for
our Parade, he further advised that we should not do it!
Gordon has been put on a course of anti-inflammatory
medicine for 4-6 weeks. He is hoping his next visit to his
surgeon will result in a good enough report that he and Diane
may be able to drive across to Mooloolaba to visit their son
and his family and then try and call in to Port Stephens to have
a ‘cuppa’ with me and Ruth.
Gordon is the Secretary of his Morphett Vale RSL Sub
Branch.
He closed off his letter saying… ”I hate getting old, or
should I say older”!
(Thank you Gordon for your letters and emails. I was sorry to
read of your health problem. I hope when you read this that you
are much better and ‘on the road’ to visit your son.)
-------------------------------Alen LUCIC and his wife, Annabel, wrote to wish all their
friends in the Association a Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.
They kindly attached
a ‘happy’ photo of Alen
and their twins, Karl and
Mara, and their friends.
Annabel wrote that
their past year has seen
the sadness and
grieving of the passing
of Alen’s brother, Mark. (Alen’s mum passed away 3 years
ago).
The past year also provided much support from family and
friends.
They were happy to see the twins start school and settle in
very quickly and make friends.
Alen and Annabel have their work commitments – Alan is
a paramedic with the Mudgee Ambulance Service and
Annabel has her art work that keeps her very busy — not to
mention keeping the family ‘on their toes’!
(Thank you Alen and Annabel for your letter. You have a
lovely family. It was good to see Alen at our Centenary Parade in
March. We hope when you read this, all is good with everyone.)
--------------------------------John WEAVER sent us a card to say “Thank You” and that he
and his wife, Maureen, had a wonderful weekend of the 14/15
March, culminating in our Centenary Parade and Luncheon.
34
(Thank you John and Maureen. It was good to see you both
and be in your company again. We hope this finds you both good
and refreshed after your recent ‘trip’ with our other good friends,
Brian and Gail Tams.)
----------------------------Don MELVILLE is one of our good Associate members and
regularly keeps in touch. His interest goes back before 2011
when he joined us. His dad was a driver in 5 Field Ambulance
during WW1 and he also has relatives and in-laws who served.
He was looking forward to joining us for our Centenary
event in Queens Park, in March, but an unfortunate accident
to his wife, Janne, has put a stop to that plan.
Janne had a serious fall which, after hospitalisation,
thankfully revealed no broken bones but it has ‘shaken’ her
confidence and restricted her mobility.
Don was hoping to see where his dad's old house was in
Waverley, which is where he enlisted (Queens Park), he would
have liked to have checked out his old address.
He hopes that there may be other descendants of other
originals, who might attend, and he is looking forward to
seeing the list of people who did attend.
Don also mentioned that he is visited with Gavin Driscoll's
sister Betty and her husband, on a few occasions over recent
months. He said Betty and her husband are not enjoying good
health. (Gavin is our member and he comes from the Leeton
area).
Don wishes our Association, and the unit, a successful and
enjoyable Centenary Parade and reunion afterwards.
(Thank you Don for your letter, and we hope that when you
read this your wife Jan is on the mend and getting back to her old
self.)
-------------------------Dr. John ROCHE OAM wrote to say he had a lovely visit
from his cousin, Peter Holmes. He said Peter was in his caravan
and had called in for a few pleasant hours. John said Peter’s
wife died a while ago, from Alzheimer’s and Peter had looked
after her in their home in Port Macquarie until the end.
John said Peter’s father was a WW1 veteran with the 1st
Field Ambulance at Gallipoli. He later transferred into 5 Field
Ambulance and his army papers listed him as “Dispenser”.
Peter’s dad died when Peter was 7 years of age.
John said Peter’s van was a big one and he towed it with
his ‘ute. He was in the process of travelling around Australia
and on his way to WA soon.
He said Peter is going into Port Macquarie Hospital in the
near future for a knee replacement.
John had given me Peter’s mobile number. I contacted
him recently and because of his association with 5 Field
Ambulance I posted some of our quarterly magazines which I
think he might enjoy ‘browsing’ through!
John also posted me some ‘snippets’ from “Wartime Issue
67”, one photo showed a huge camp in Egypt of the 12th
Battalion. Another 2 photos showed the rigging of the
Hospital Ship “Kyarra” and the dangling in mid-air, on the
ship’s gear, of an ambulance vehicle about to be landed on
the wharf. It was destined for the 1st Casualty Clearing Station
in Cairo.
(The normal mode of patient transport was by horse and cart.
This vehicle was a “Thornycroft’ truck and 12 were ‘donated’ by
public subscription by late October 1914. They were converted
from private vehicles. By May 1915, there were 45 Australians
ambulances of 14 different models. They had cast steel wheels
and solid rubber tyres. They proved most unpopular with the
patients, especially those soldiers with fractured legs or thighs.
The roads were appalling and the patients felt every bone-jarring
pot hole! When most of the Australian troops moved to the
Western Front the ‘Thornycroft’ stayed behind!)
John also commented on the email I sent to all on our
email list regarding the “4 Corners” article in early March
about our homeless veterans.
He sent me a most interesting article from “Digger-Issue
46”. It was headed..”An Introduction to the ‘Damaged
Soldiers’”.
It really saddened me to read about the ‘000’s of WW1
soldiers who returned home with “invisible wounds” — shellshock, delusional insanity, homicidal/suicidal insanity,
alcohol-induced insanity, terminal syphilitic insanity, manic
depression and schizophrenia, shock of losing limbs. (If any
member would like me to post a copy of this 2-page article by
Carl Johnson-Wantirna South, please contact me – 0427824646.)
(Thank you John for your letters, articles and support. I hope
when you read this you are relaxing back in your chair with a wee
drop of malt whiskey in your 5 Field Ambulance Association mug
and cogitating about all your mates!)
-----------------------------Brian HOGAN, as most of our sick and nursing home
members would know by now, is our Honorary Chaplain. Brian
and his wife, Sandra, live in Longwarry, Victoria.
They both attended our Centenary Parade and Luncheon.
Brian did us a great service at the parade and, later, at the
luncheon. He had brought with him the letters of ‘Good
Wishes and Success’ from the Victorian Branch of the RAAMC
Association Inc. and also from the 2/5th Australian Field
Ambulance’s Mrs. Glenda Garde.
Brian is well respected and regarded by all our members.
Brian makes contact with many of our sick members, no
matter where they live, to give them a ‘Cheerio Call’ and offer
a small prayer, if they wish, for their comfort and well-being.
If you would like to call Brian to say ‘hullo’ or maybe
discuss a problem that is bugging you — he would be more
than willing to do what he can. Brian’s number is; (03) 56299548 or Mobile: 0405 443 771.)
(Thank you Brian, for all you do for our ‘not-so-well’ members
and your very welcome emails and phone calls. You are a true
friend.)
----------------------------------
MESSAGES DURING WORLD WAR I
(Found in personal letters/postcards-WW1,
in our ‘Over 50’s’ Retirement Village – Birubi Sands, Anna Bay)
Somewhere a voice is calling tonight,
and the stars are gleaming. Tender and true.
Dearest! My heart is dreaming. Dreaming of you!
(“to Jack – with love from all at home – O.E.Purcell)
The message that I send to you will span
the miles that sever,
And tho’ I cannot clasp your hand,
in thought we are together.
(On the back of this postcard… ’From Olive ? – to her
brother, during WW1, when he was in Sydney)
--------------------------
Thank You
(From your Committee)
Thank you Members, for your yearly dues, donations and LIFE MEMBERSHIPS,
they are so very much appreciated.
….for completing your (FREE) Application Form to join the RAAMC Association Inc.
….for giving your “unwanted Magazine” to your local doctors/hospital waiting rooms/
Nursing Homes/Retirement Villages/local chemists/RSLs/etc “Reading Rooms” for their enjoyment.
….To all the businesses who have paid our publisher to have their advertisement placed in our magazine.
….To our members who pay by EFT, and for identifying yourself. (There are some members who are a
little behind with their Subs—any little effort is much appreciated.)
… For your contributions, letters and emails. They are enjoyed by us all and are an encouragement.
Members on the Internet—don’t forget our own site, www.raamc.org.au/associations, and also
“surf” the RAAMC website:- www.raamc.org.au
If you do visit our website, please feel free to write a comment in our “Guest Book”.
5 Field Ambulance RAAMC Association is also a proud member of the RAAMC
Association Inc.
NB: Some of you reading this magazine may decide you may now wish to discontinue to be on our
Mailing List. We hope this is not so, but if it is please let me know and your wishes will be respected.
35
Kind Acknowledgements
(of monies received since our last Newsletter – SUMMER ISSUE 2014. Please inform us if your name was missing.)
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Rosemarie ALLEN (EFT $15) for New
Associate Member Subs.
Warren BARNES (Cash $60) for 3
Centenary Calendars $45 and
Centenary Luncheon $15.
Alan BECKERLEG (EFT $15) for Subs.
Fred BELL (EFT $30) for Centenary
Luncheon.
Scotty BOYD (Cheques $30 & $55) for
Subs $15 and Centenary Calendar
$15 and Centenary Purchases $55.
Bob BUTLER (Cheque $100) for New
Member and Life Membership.
Paul BYLEVELD (EFT $50) Non
Member. For RAAMC Tie and Postage,
Derek CANNON (EFT $45, $115 &
$200) for 3 Calendars $45, 5
Centenary Luncheons $75, Centenary
Purchases $40 and (4) additional “T”
Shirts $200.
Greg CANT (EFT $65) for Centenary
Calendar $15 & Centenary T Shirt $50.
Ben CASTLE (EFT $100) for Life
Membership.
John CHARTER (Cheque $60) for 4
Centenary Calendars.
John CLEGG (Cheque $100) for Life
Membership.
Barry COLLINS OAM (3 Cheques –
Total $160) for 3 Centenary Calendars
$45, Centenary Purchases $100 and
David COOPER OAM (Cheque $15)
for Subs.
Joel COZENS (Cash $15) for New
Member Subs
Alan CURRY OAM (EFT $230) for
Centenary Lunch and Centenary
Purchases.
Greg CURRY (Cash $100) for New
John CURRY (Cheque $100) for New
Pat CURRY (Cheque $100) for Life
Membership.
Stephen CURRY (Cash $15) for New
Associate Membership subs.
Gordon CURTIS ( 3 Cheques $15,
$100 and $40) for Centenary
Calendar, Centenary Purchases and
RAAMC Tie.
Gary DAVIS (Cash $15) (Non
Member) for Centenary Calendar.
Peter de WITT (Cash $15) (Non
Marie DOYLE (2 EFT’s $115 & $30) for
‘Centenary Purchases $100,
Centenary Calendar $15 and
David EMANUEL (EFT $255) for Subs
$15 and Centenary Purchases $240.
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Brittany EVANS (EFT $100) for Life
Membership.
Felicity EVANS (EFT $100) for Life
Membership.
Josh EVANS (EFT $100) for Life
Membership.
Debbie FANIA (Cheque $15) for New
Associate Membership.
Laurie FARRUGIA (Cheque $175) for
Life Membership $100, Key Ring $20,
Coin & Token Set $30, 50th
Anniversary DVD $20 and 1 X $5
Holiday Raffle Ticket.
Nelson FIORENTINO (Cheque $130)
for Centenary Purchases $100 and
Ron FOLEY (Cash $130 and EFT $30)
for 2 Centenary Calendars $30,
Centenary Purchases $100 and
Joe GATTY (Cash $65) for Centenary
Purchases $35 and Centenary
Luncheon $30.
Fred GOODE OAM (Cash $15) Non
Member for Centenary Calendar.
John GORRELL (Cheque $30) for
Centenary Luncheon.
Gordon GRANT (2 Cheques $100 &
$250) for New Member and Life
Membership $100 and Donation for
Centenary Luncheon.
George HARRIS (Cash $150) for
Centenary Purchases $100 and extra
“T” Shirt $50.
Brian HARTLEY (Cheque $30) for
Subs to 2016.
John HEAD (Cash $30 , D/D $15) for
Centenary Luncheon, Centenary
Calendar and New Member Subs..
Ken HELSBY (EFT $15) for Centenary
Calendar.
Brian HOGAN (EFT $100 and Cash
$30) for Subs $30, Centenary
Calendar $15, Centenary Purchase
$35, New Member Subs for brother,
Rodney, $15, 1 X $5 Holiday Raffle
Ticket and Centenary Luncheon $30.
Ron HOLDER (Cheque $100) for
Centenary Purchases.
James HOOLAN Jr. (US Cash $10) for
reimbursement of postage for Beret.
Joanne HOVELING (Cheque $15)
New Associate Member Subs.
Greg HUBBARD (Cheque $15) for
Ed HUNG (Cheque $100) for New
Kevin HURRELL (Cash $15) for Subs.
Ray HYSLOP OAM (Cheque $85) for
Centenary Purchases $70.
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Jim ILIOPOULOS (EFT $15) for
Centenary Calendar.
Vic INESON (EFT $15) for New
Member Subs.
Brian INMAN (Cheque $15) for Subs.
Ann JACKSON (Cash $30 & EFT $100)
for 2 Centenary Calendars Centenary
Purchases.
Robert JAMES (EFT $15) for Subs.
MAJGEN William ‘Digger’ JAMES AO
AC MBE (Cheque $100) for New
Membership and Life Membership.
Don JARMAN (Cheque $400) for
Ernest JOHNSON (Cheque $100) for
New Member and Life Membership.
Ann JONES (Cheque $15) for New
Richard JONES (EFT $100) for New
Stuart JONES (Cash $50) for 3
Calendars $45 and 1 X $5 Holiday
Raffle Ticket.
Doug KERSEY (EFT $100) for New
Associate Member and Life
Membership.
Peter KROGER (Cash $15) for New
John LAYHE (Cheque $100) for Life
Membership.
Dr. Colin LEE (Cheque $15) for New
Greg LEWIS-PHILLIPS (M/Order $15)
for Subs.
Robert LIKEMAN (EFT $15) for New
Member Subs.
Bryan LINDSAY (Cheque $70) for
Maureen LIVINGSTON (Cheque
$150) for Life Membership $100,
Centenary Calendar $15 and 7 X $5
Holiday Raffle Tickets $35.
Robert LOVE (EFT $15) for Centenary
Luncheon.
Alen LUCIC (Cheque $135) for
Centenary Purchases $100,
Centenary Luncheon $15 and Name
Badge $20.
Marguerite MAXWELL (Cheque $30)
for Centenary Calendar $15 and
Bedford Memorial Fund $15.
Gordon MILLS (Money Order $100)
for Life Membership.
Michael MORONEY (2 Cheques $100
& $15) for Life Membership and
Centenary Luncheon.
Noel MOULDER (Cheque $30) for
Subs.
Charles MURRAY (Cheque $100) for
New Associate Member and Life
Membership.
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Dr. Bill McBRIDE AO CBE (Cheque
$100) for New Associate Membership
and Life Membership.
John McCARTHY (Cheque $100) for
Life Membership.
Hugh McCARTY (M/Order $120) for
Centenary Calendar $15, Centenary
Luncheon $15 and Life Membership
(part) $90.
John McKEOWN (EFT $15) for
Centenary Luncheon.
Marion NEWMAN (Cheque $145) for
Life Membership $100, Key Ring $20
and 5 X $5 Holiday Raffle Tickets.
NSW NSA & Affil. Inc. (Cheque $15)
for New Member Subs.
Mike O’KEEFFE (Cheque $15) for New
Associate Membership Subs.
Chris O’REILLY (EFT $20) for Subs $15
and 1 X $5 Holiday Raffle Ticket.
Ron PALMER (Cheque $15) for New
Member Subs.
Steve PARIS (EFT $100) for Centenary
Purchases.
Barry & Heather PERIGO (3 Cheques
total $360) for Centenary Luncheon
$30, “T” Shirts $250 and Wines $80.
Reg PERRY (Cheque $15) for New
Member Subs.
Peter PETHER (Cheque $100) for New
Ian PFENNIGWERTH (EFT $50) for
New Member Subs $15 and
Centenary Purchase $35.
Robert PINK OAM (Cheque $100)
for New Member and Life
Membership.
Maurice PORTER (Cheque $100) for
Life Membership
Keith PRYOR (Cheque $15) (Non
Member) for quarterly magazine.
Jim REID (Cheque $15) Donation.
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Dr. Stuart RILEY (Cheque $15) (Non
Member) for yearly donation for
quarterly Newsletter.
James ROCHE OAM (Cash $20 and
Cheques $100 & $40) for Donation
$20 and Life Membership for friend)
and Centenary Purchases.
Diana ROTHFIELD (Cheque $15) for
Subs.
Dr. Neville ROTHFIELD OAM (Cheque
$15) for New Member subs.
Mick ROWLEY (EFT $50) for
Centenary “T” Shirt.
Bill RYLANDS (Cash $15) for
Centenary Calendar.
Cathy SALMON (Cheque $100) for
Life Membership.
Ken SAVILLE (Cash $15) (Non
Rod SEARLE (Cheque $15) for New
Member Subs.
George SIP (Cheque $100) for Life
Membership.
Richard (John) SMITH (Cash $50) for
Centenary “T” Shirt.
Ross SMITH (Cheque $50) for balance
of Life Membership.
Ray STANLEY (EFT $15) Non Member
for Centenary Luncheon.
Stephen STANSFIELD (Cheque $30)
for 2 Centenary Calendars.
Paul STEEL (Cheque $30) for Subs.
Stephen STEIGRAD (2 EFT’s $100 &
$30) for Centenary Purchases $100
and Centenary Luncheon $30.
Harry STRONG (Cheque $15) for New
Member Subs.
Brian TAMS (2 EFT’s $15 & $30) for
Bill THOMPSON (Cheques $120) for
Life Membership $100 and 4 X $5
Holiday Raffle Tickets $20.
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John TROY (Cash $25) (Non Member)
$15 for quarterly newsletters and 2 X
$5 Holiday Raffle Tickets $10.
Ian TUCKER (Cheque $100) for New
Keverell TURNBULL (Cheque $100)
for Life Membership.
John VASSAROTTI (Cheque $15) for
Rhyse VAUGHN (EFT $15) for New
Member Subs.
Thomas VELLA (Cash $15) for Subs.
Matthew VERCOE (EFT $30) for
Centenary Luncheon.
Darren WATERSON (EFT $100, $50)
for Life Membership $100 and
Centenary “T” Shirt $50.
John WEAVER (2 Cheques $55 & $30)
for Centenary Purchases & Centenary
Luncheon.
Ron WEBB (2 M/Orders $50 & $120)
for Centenary Luncheon $30 and
Donation $20, Beret $40, Beret Badge
$23, Lapel Badge $7, RAAMC Arm
Band $10 and RAAMC Tie $40.
Jenny WEIR (2 Cheques $15 & $15)
for New Member Subs and Centenary
Luncheon $15.
Ian WHITE (Cheque $100) for New
Bruce WHITTET (Cheque $35 & Cash
$15) for Centenary Calendar $15,
Centenary Purchase $20 and
David WILLIAMS (Cheque $100) for
Margaret WOODHEAD (Cheque $45)
for New Associate Member Subs $15
and 2 Centenary Calendars $30.
Alan YEUNG (EFT $90) Non Member
for 6 Centenary Luncheons.
A moment of patience in a moment of anger can save you
a hundred moments of regret.
We will continue with our small $1 yearly Reunion Raffle. To
date none has been sold.
Our Holiday Package (any destination around Australia or
New Zealand) for 3 nights or a weekend.
To date we have sold 93 tickets @ $5 each. (We are waiting for
100 to be sold.) If more are sold before our WINTER Issue 2015 we
will draw this raffle.
There are some members who do not want to buy a raffle
ticket but thankfully donate to our upkeep. To those of you who
do this we are ever grateful.
We very much appreciate all members and friends who have
given to our cause.
When all the accounts have been paid for the conduct of our recent Centenary Parade and Luncheon, we will
present the details to you and other organisations who helped us financially.
FundRaiser
2015
37
HENRY (HARRY) STRONG
MY STORY
(as transcribed between Harry and Alan Curry – with kind thanks)
I was born at Mittagong on the 9th
March 1934. It was at the end of the
‘great depression’.
My mother came to Australia from
Scotland in 1913, after her father died,
near Port Elizabeth, in South Africa. He
was the manager of a plumbing works
involved in the railway being built in the
interior. My grantmother came out to
Australia in 1918.
My parents were Wilfred and Elspeth.
They both came to Sydney, Australia, in
1913, but met at my grandparent’s
sheep property just north of Moree.
They fell in love and married and
produced six children—four boys and
two girls. My brothers and sisters names
are; Ian, Joan (Dec), Dorothy, William,
Eric and me – Henry (Harry).
(My sister Joan died of diphtheria in
1922. She was 12 years old.)
My dad intended to join the A.I.F. but
was rejected because he only had sight
in one eye. He was an experienced
horseman and an excellent rifle shooter.
He applied to join the military
mounted police, at Victoria Barracks,
Sydney, and was accepted. He served
with them until the end of WW1.
Dad was a good sheep shearer and
sheared in Queensland, NSW and
Victoria. He earned the reputation of
being a “Gun Shearer”—someone who
could shear 200, or more, sheep in a
day!
When the ‘depression’ hit, he refused
to take the ‘dole’. He took any job that
was offered. He worked as an axeman
cutting railway sleepers.
My family moved to Mittagong
because a house, owned by a family
member, became available to rent.
I attended Mittagong Primary School
and then Bowral High School. I liked
most sports including rugby league,
cricket and men’s basketball.
I enjoyed my schooling and attained
the Leaving Certificate after 5 years of
high school.
When I left school at age at 16, I
joined my father as a ‘rouse-about’ in the
shearing sheds. Picking up the fleeces
from the floor in the sheds. I did this for
about 3 months when a letter arrived for
me to do basic training for National
Service.
I was passed as A1 and I applied to go
into the RAAF. My application was ‘held
over’ for 2 years before being instructed
38
to report for infantry training at 13
National Training Battalion at Ingleburn.
This was on the 28th April 1953 and
completed my 3 months Full Time
training on the 3rd August 1953.
I completed the remainder of my
National Service in the CMF with the 3rd
Infantry Battalion at Moss Vale, on the
29th April 1955.
When my application was ‘held over’
for the 2 years, I obtained a job as a
trainee panelbeater at Gregory’s NRMA
Garage in Bowral. I returned back here
when I completed my 3 months Full
Time training in the National Service.
It was around this time I met my
future wife, June. We fell in love and
married on the 10th September 1955.
We were married in Bowral in the
church of St Michael and St Jude.
Sadly, my dad passed away in 1958
and my mum passed away in 1974.
June and I decided to move north to
the Central Coast to Ettalong Beach. This
is where June attended her schooling.
We have been blessed with two
boys. Stewart Wilfred, who was born
on the 19th December 1955 and Michael
Andrew, who was born on the 1st
November 1961.
Our two boys have been more
adventurous than June or myself. They
have trekked to Mt Everest.
Stewart has ‘backpacked’ through
Asia and Europe, whilst Michael and his
partner, Katrina, enjoy ‘off-road’ motor
cycling and mountain bike riding.
Both boys are experienced canoeists
and rock climbers and both reside on the
Central Coast of NSW. Stewart and his
wife, Lauretta, live in Saratoga and
Michael and his partner, Katrina, live in
Tuggerah.
I continued in my trade as a panelbeater and worked in various garages in
Gosford and Woy Woy before entering
into a business partnership for many
years. I retired from work in 1998.
Since retiring we like to attend social
events that are organised by my NS Sub
Branch (Gosford City) and I enjoy
attending our monthly meetings and
other events arranged by my sub
branch. June and I are both members of
the National Servicemen’s Association,
Gosford City Branch.
We have assisted in raising finances
for a number of charities in the Gosford
area. One of the main ones we partici-
pated in is the “Shirley Shuttle Busses”
which carry patients suffering cancer to
and from their treatment centres.
June and I were members of the
Australian Plant Society. We helped
encourage people to plant native plants
in their gardens. We were doing this
since 1998 but retired this year (2014).
I also carried out bush care in
Katandra Reserve, at Holgate—near
Gosford. I did this for 15 years and
became involved in ‘experiments’ for a
new system of planting native plants in
the rainforest.
The system, named ‘Long-Stem
Planting’, was developed by a man
named Bill Hicks, in the Hunter River
area, to remove willows from stream
banks and rivers and replace them with
Australian plants and trees.
Our group assisted the Plant Biology
lecturer, from Newcastle University,
Ourimbah Campus, and her students,
in a scientific study of the method with
rain-forest plants. This proved to be
successful in that there was a better
survival rate than by conventional
planting.
I have recently developed another
‘hobby’—learning to play golf! I play
with fellow members of my NS Sub
Branch. I have now progressed from
losing quite a lot of balls to hardly any!
And I don’t win the “Bradman Trophy”
either—this you earn for the number of
‘strokes’ you played during the year. All
joke aside, they are a great bunch of
mates.
June and I were also involved in our
Junior Sports for many years, such as the
Swimming Club, Umina Nippers, Ettalong Junior Soccer Club (as coaches,
managers, canteen duties, Rep. Teams,
providing uniforms and trophies).
June has also worked in the Senior
Citizen’s Centres, sometimes as relieving
managers in providing meals for seniors
in the Gosford, Umina, Ettalong and
Terrigal areas.
Before moving to Blackwall in 2006,
we lived in Woy Woy – for 34 years. We
are both very happy in Blackwall – a
beautiful suburb (near Woy Woy), on the
Central Coast of NSW.
We live in a ‘complex’ of 18 units and
I volunteered to keep the gardens ‘in
order’. We have planted quite a number
of Australian native plants and this, to
me, is a wonderful pastime.■
RAAMC ASSOCIATION INC. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Family Name
Rank/Title
First Name
Regt Number
RAN/Army/RAAF
Full/Part Time
Address
Suburb/City
State
Telephone
Email Address
______Ordinary Member
_______ Special Member (Other than RAAMC)
Post Code
________Associate Member (Allied)
I understand membership of the RAAMC Association is free, however, I wish to make a donation of $___________
to assist in the administrative costs. Please make cheques payable to the RAAMC Association. Donations to the
RAAMC Association are VOLUNTARY.
In applying to join the RAAMC Association I hereby confirm that I will abide by the Constitution of the RAAMC
Association and continue to hold the values I have served under whilst a member of the Australian Defence Force
and the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps.
Signature: ____________________________________________________
Date: ________________________
I propose the abovenamed applicant be considered for membership of the RAAMC Association.
✂
Name of Proposer: ____________________________________________Signature:_______________________
Please provide a photocopy of your ‘Record of Service’ or evidence of service with this form and send to your State
RAAMC Association or RAAMC Association Inc, P.O. Box 5080 MINTO NSW 2566.
39
20 Dumfries Avenue
MOUNT OUSLEY
NSW 2519
1st Field Ambulance Association
Ph 0409 287 810
Incorporating;
2/1st Field Ambulance
&
1st Health Company
8th Combat Services Support Battalion
Founded
1998
Email: [email protected]
Anzac Day menu
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40
ACTIVITY SHEET
(Please indicate your choice/s with an X or Tick. Any item ordered includes postage)
□ Please find enclosed my Subs for 2015 ($15) (cover from January to December) or
LIFE
MEMBERSHIP ($100) or Donation. (See my details below.)
□ Please send me____”Special Edition” 2015 Centenary Calendar/s @ $7 each.
□ Please order me a Centenary “T” Shirt @ $50. SIZE______.
□ Please send me a Centenary Program @ $5 each.
□ Please order me____copies of the DVD of our 50th AND/OR 100th Anniversary Parade
th
@
th
$20 ea. (The 50 also includes a brief history of the 2/5 Australian Field Ambulance.).
□ Please order me_____copies of Tomas Hamilton’s DVD @ $20 each.
□ Please send me____ RAAMC Centenary “Coin and Token” set/s @ $30 each.
□ Please send me a RAAMC coat/jacket Lapel Pin for $15.
□ Please send me_____RAAMC Centenary (Stamped) Envelopes (1903-2003) @ $3 each. (12
left—with 50c Stamp embossed, they are still useable for every day postage—just add
stamp.)
□ Please send me a RAAMC Red Cross Arm-Band @ $10 each. (7 left)
20c
□ Please send me a 5 Field Ambulance RAAMC KEY RING ($20). (With my membership number
on it, if possible.)
□ Please ORDER me a NAME BADGE ($20).
□ Please ORDER me a (XL/Large/Medium/Small) BERET ($40), *BERET BADGE ($23),
*LAPEL BADGE ($7), *CORPS TIE ($40) ---please indicate size of Beret & whether
are to be RAAMC or RAASC/RACT or RAEME.
□ Please send me a copy of “Little by Little”--- A Centenary History of the RAAMC
Dr. Michael Tyquin. @ $70. (2 left)
Badges/Ties
by
(Please make any Cheques/Money Orders etc payable to:- “5th Field Ambulance Association” and post to either:- Alan Curry OAM (Hon Sec) 35/1a Gordon Cl., ANNA BAY NSW 2316 OR Brian Tams (Hon Treas.), 453/1
Scaysbrook Dve., KINCUMBER NSW 2251—All acknowledgements will be in our next issue.
Our EFT details are: BSB: 637000, Account Number: 717253825, Account Name: 5th Field Ambulance Association, BANK: Greater Building Society. (Please Identify your name)
COMMENTS/ORDERS ETC: FROM: ____________________________________________________
CONTACT No:________________________ MONEY ENCLOSED $ __________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
✂
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
“SEMP ER P AR ATUS “
5 FIELD AMBULANCE RAAMC ASSOCIATION
Est. 1982
Patron: COL Ray Hyslop OAM RFD
President: LTCOL Derek Cannon RFD
WEB SITE: www.raamc.org.au/associations
A proud member of the RAAMC Association Inc.
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Preferred Title:
Prof./ Dr./ Mr./ Mrs./ M/s. Etc.
FAMILY NAME:
FIRST NAME
Date of Birth:
(Wife/Partner Christian Name)
OTHER NAME/S
Military/Civilian Awards (if any)______________________________________________________
Service/PMkeyS Number (if applicable)________________RANK (If applicable)_________________
ADDRESS NUMBER: ________
STREET etc NAME:
SUBURB/TOWN/CITY etc __________________________________
STATE________________________POST CODE:___________
Contact Details: Telephone (H) ___________________ (W) __________________
FAX: __________________ EMAIL: _____________________________________
MOBILE:
I hereby apply to join 5 Field Ambulance RAAMC Association as (Please mark “X” in
the appropriate box below)
A FULL MEMBER (served/serving in the A.D.F. or Allied Forces)
AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER (never served in the A.D.F. --Australian Defence Forces)
Annual Subscription ($15) is due on the 1st January each year. LIFE
MEMBERSHIP is $100. (Reminders will be included in each “ACTIVITY SHEET”
Cheques/Money Orders should be made out to “5 FIELD AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION” and
forwarded to — Alan Curry OAM (Hon Sect) 35/1a Gordon Cl., ANNA BAY NSW 2316 OR Brian
Tams (Hon Treasurer), 453/1 Scaysbrook Dve., KINCUMBER NSW 2251 OR EFT, (details are):BSB: 637000, Account No: 717253825, Account Name: 5 Field Ambulance Association, Bank:
Greater Building Society) --please identify yourself in the reference E.G. Bill Smith.
(DATE) ________________
✂
(SIGNATURE) ___________________________

anzac newsletter - RAAMC Association

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