President’s Report 2025
On behalf of the Association’s Committee of Management, I send greetings to all the members and friends of the 2/3rd Australian Light-Anti-Aircraft Regiment Association Inc. The Association’s 2024-25 year has been another busy, and productive, one.
At the 2024 AGM, ten Committee members were elected: President & Research Officer: David McDonald, Vice-President: Gaye Berry, Secretary: Malcolm Wrigglesworth, Treasurer: Ian Campbell, and general members: Alasdair Crooke, Ann Bragg, Anne Rae, Colin Bragg, John Macmillan, and Lynton Rose. While all Committee members contribute wonderfully to the effective management of the Association, I extend my particular thanks to the office bearers (Gaye, Malcolm and Ian).
For the World War 2 Australian Army unit association such as ours, 2025 is especially significant. It is, of course, the year in which we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the War. The document distributed to members at the 2025 Reunion titled ‘The deployment of the Regiment 80 years ago today, 26 April 1945’, indicates that RHQ had been disbanded, the Signals and Workshop men had been dispersed to the composite AA regiments or elsewhere, 7 Battery had been disbanded after returning to Australia from the Buna campaign, with over 100 of its members still prisoners of war in Europe. 8 Battery had already been disbanded in Australia, and 9 Battery had just a few days earlier landed at Morotai in preparation for the Allied invasion at Labuan, North Borneo.
8 May will be commemorated as VE Day—Victory in Europe Day. While it was a time for great celebration, with the Allied forces defeating the Axis powers, as one source puts it* ‘There was some rejoicing in the streets [of Melbourne] but photographs from the period depict nothing like the later response when Japan surrendered. The Commonwealth Government reminded the public that Australians were still fighting, and dying, in the Pacific.’ Following Germany’s surrender, most of the 7 & 8 Batteries’ POWs were repatriated to Britain reasonably promptly, commencing their rehabilitation after the privations and brutality of captivity. For many, however, there was a lengthy wait before they could commence the long sea voyage home to Australia.
15 August is VP Day—Victory in the Pacific Day. As noted above, 15 August 1945 was a day of massive celebrations throughout Australia and, of course, far beyond in the nations that had been caught up in the war against Japan. Our Association’s unit history, On Target, documents the fairly rapid discharge of the men of the Regiment who were in Australia at that time, and also the lengthy, boring period that the men still overseas spent awaiting repatriation.
In my December 2024 Newsletter that was distributed to members and friends of the Association, I drew attention to the death of Doreen Bryant on 26 June that year. Over many decades, Doreen had been a stalwart of the Association, active in the foreground, for example as part of the teams organising our reunions, and in the background, supporting her husband Ron Bryant (8 Bty, deceased, a former President of the Asociation). She played a prominent role in facilitating and guiding the transfer of management of the Association from the ageing members who had been running it for many decades, to those of us in subsequent generations.
It has been our usual practice to hold our Reunion and AGM on the Saturday before Anzac Day. This year, however, we are holding it on the following Saturday since the usual schedule had it on Easter Saturday.
We are all aware that, in recent years, the costs of doing business, as well as the costs faced by individuals and families, have increased markedly. The RACV City Club, where for many years we have held our Reunions, is not exempt from these cost increases. We extend our thanks to the Club management for doing its best to limit increases in the charges we pay for our Reunion, and I pass my personal thanks to our Secretary Malcolm Wrigglesworth, and Treasurer Ian Campbell, along with support from other members, in negotiating a price structure for our Reunion that is fair to both our members and to the Club.
Colin Bragg has once again produced an outstanding edition of our annual newsletter, Take Post. You will find its contents both fascinating and varied. It includes new information about the 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun located at the Bendigo District RSL, that commemorates the Regiment. Colin has explained how Ian Campbell, on visiting the gun, observed that the commemorative plaque was in poor condition. After Ian mentioned that to the RSL Club management, they restored and cleaned the plaque and attached an information sign, at their own expense. The Association is grateful to them for their support of the 2/3rd Aust LAA Regiment.
We will remember them. Lest we forget. Ubique.
* Reid, R & Mongan, C 2020, Aftermath: the end of the Second World War, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Canberra, p. 24.
