SENTRY’S LOG
54 members, including 6 originals, attended the 2012 AGM and Reunion held in the Bourke Room at the RACV City Club. The originals in attendance were John Campbell (8), Ray Everlyn (9), Frank Hands (8), John Marshall (7), Cec Rae (9) and Earle Webster (7).
Approximately 20 members marched on ANZAC Day, and as indicated in the Mid-Term Report, for the first time since the end of WW2, none of our original members participated. Whilst the changed assembly point, appalling weather conditions and the number and advancing age of the remaining originals were factors in the low turn out, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that the end of an era was also being signalled.
Early in the year, I received a lovely letter from Hugh Finn (9), in which he asked in his beautiful hand writing to be deleted from our mailing list as “my eyes are ‘kaput’ and my brain is following close behind (bad grammar here ending a sentence with a preposition” Hugh added “I still have my Pay Book and Discharge Book issued in the 40’s”.
Sadly, later in the year I was advised that Hugh Finn had passed away.
As reported in the Mid-Term Report, President Lynton Rose, Ian Rae (son of Cec Rae [9]) and myself accompanied John Campbell (8), John Marshall (8), Cec Rae (9) and Ian Rutter (7) to a luncheon with five serving officers of the Royal Australian Artillery held in The Cellar at the RACV City Club.
The animation of the discussions between the veterans and the serving members as they re-lived former experiences and explored modern warfare was something to behold and the afternoon flew by.
All the Association members present commented on the success of the occasion and I know from subsequent conversations with Captain Michael Squire that he and his four Lieutenants (Pru Connell, James Easton, Jimmy Nguyen and Sam Rynne) equally enjoyed the afternoon.
The presentation of the highly polished 40 mm Bofors shells to the veterans was a highlight of the afternoon. (see photos on page 15).
In April I had a very lengthy conversation with Dave Humphreys about his Crete experiences. Dave was the sergeant of the No. 1 gun at Maleme and his crew consisted of Les Harris, Ken Elder, Stan Watkins, Norm McDonald, Jack Ecker, Ron Selleck, Len Jeffreys, Lawrie Brown and Rupert Charles.
Dave also advised that:
- Clarrie Helmore was attached to the gun crew, but was killed in action
- Earle “Slim” Webster was a re-inforcement for his gun crew and that Earle was a “pretty good pugilist”
- He was a good friend of Bruce Tulloch (who passed away later in the year)
- After Crete, he was evacuated to Palestine and subsequently spent 10 days ‘on the loose’ in Cairo with Les Harris
- He still sings in a choir with an average age of 72 years
Valda Malloch (widow of WG (Bill) Malloch [7]) sent me a lovely card with some very kind words complimenting the Association on the work it is doing to preserve the memory of the Regiment – thank you Valda.
Enquiries were received from the grand children of William Morrissy (7), John Confait (7), George Pope (8), Alan Rundle (9) and Percy Mortimer (Reinforcement) seeking information about their grand fathers and on becoming members of the Association.
In July Bert Langley (9) rang me to advise that a recent publication entitled “Australians At War – From The Beaches of Gallipoli to the Snows of Afghanistan” was available in Target Stores and it featured “our” Milne Bay photograph on the cover.
Bert, who was 88 in August (a young fella) advised me his No. 6 gun crew consisted of Dave Humphreys, Pancho McDonald, Frank Johnson, Alby Tyers, Eric Forrester, J McCoy, J Williams, Tom Dusting and ‘a fellow called Holland or Hollander’.
Bert also told me he went to Japan after the war as a member of the Occupation Forces as did Phil Roberts (see Phil Roberts Vale on Page 10).
Throughout the year I received several enquiries relating to the medals that fathers and/or grandfathers were entitled to wear.
Most of our members would be entitled to the 1939-45 Star, the Africa Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-45 and the Australian Service Medal 1939-45.
Those members who fought in New Guinea would also be entitled to the Pacific Star.
Photographs and criteria relating to the medals are on the web site.
Such an enquiry was received in September from Graeme Smith who contacted me with a request for information about his uncles (Lawrence Wollin Smith [8] and Charles Verdon Smith[8]).
With some valuable assistance from former Secretary, John Campbell [8], we were able to advise Graeme that both his uncles were captured during the Benghazi Retreat – because they spent the rest of the war as Prisoners of War, they did not participate in any action in New Guinea and therefore were not entitled to the Pacific Star.
It was interesting to receive a number of requests relating to the location of Memorials on Crete from descendants of former Regiment members who were planning to visit Crete.
There are six memorials on Crete commemorating the conflict that occurred on the island in 1941. They are located at Heraklion, Rethymno, Stavromenos, Maleme (Hill 107), the monastery at Preveli, and at Sphakia Beach. In addition, there is a significant war graves cemetery at Suda Bay.
The 2010 issue of Take Post contain a summary of our visit to Crete in 2009 and the 2012 issue contains a similar story relating to David McDonald’s visit to Crete in 2011. Both articles refer to the memorials on the island.
Whilst the past year has been a “steady as she goes” year, there remains a lot of hand written information and old typed (on a type writer) reports which we will in time digitise and upload to the web site.
For me personally, the year has again been both informative and enjoyable, and I continue to be gratified by the interest in and the support for the web site from both members and the general public.
As usual, any information about former Regiment members, be it anecdotes, stories, extracts of diaries and/or letters and/or photographs that individual families may know of and which we could use in future issues of “Take Post”, or to expand the photographic and document collection, is always welcomed.
My thanks go to all members of the Association for your continuing support.
Colin Bragg
Honorary Secretary
