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AUSTRALIAN COMMANDO ASSN INC. Registered by Australia Post ~ Publication No PP100016240 Edition 13 ~ 2018
This photo was taken in the Gulf States. The fatal jump was in 2015, a tandem jump, which Tony Rokov took the full impact thus saving the life of his 14-year-old student. He was awarded the Star of Courage for his extraordinary bravery.
IN THIS ISSUE… The Happy Wanderer Michael Parker Foundation ~ Kshamawati Hostel Project Commando Memorial Service 2018 HALO Parachuting in Australia ~ The Early Days commndr cover issue 13 2018_Layout 1 21/08/2018 7:13 am Page 2 Commando News Edition 13 2018_Layout 1 21/08/2018 7:17 pm Page 1
CONTENTS
Message from the Editor...... 3 REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST PUBLICATION No PP100016240 5 AUSTRALIAN COMMANDO ASSOCIATION INC. From the Prolific Pen of Harry Bell...... Vale section...... 7-11 NATIONAL OFFICE BEARERS HALO Parachuting in Australia LIFE PATRON: Gen Sir Phillip Bennett AC KBE DSO “The Early Days” ...... 13-19 PATRON: MajGen Tim McOwan AO DSC CSM Commando Memorial Service PRESIDENT: MajGen Greg Melick AO RFD SC Anzac Day address...... 21 VICE PRESIDENT: Maj Steve Pilmore OAM Ex Commando sacrifices himself for young parachutist ...... 22 SECRETARY: Maj Jack Thurgar SC MBE OAM RFD (Ret’d) The Happy Wanderer...... 25-27 TREASURER: Maj Bruce O’Connor OAM (Ret’d) Chief of Army bans soldiers from ACA VICTORIA wearing ‘arrogant’ death symbols...... 29 PRESIDENT: Doug Knight Michael Parker Foundation ...... 30 ACA VICTORIA SECRETARY: Glenn MacDonald Book Review ...... 35 ACA NSW PRESIDENT: Barry Grant Little known facts about the wall...... 37 ACA NSW Bruce Poulter - 0414 891 854 Aust Cdo Assn NSW “Q” Store...... 41 SECRETARY: [email protected] 45-51 ACA QLD Aust Cdo Assn QLD...... PRESIDENT: Nick Hill Membership Application Form ...... 55 ACA QLD SECRETARY: Tony Mills State Incorporated Associations...... 56 ACA WA PRESIDENT: Alan Joyce - 0447 433 934 Deadline for next edition (Issue 14): SUNDAY, 30TH SEPTEMBER 2018 ACA WA Paul Shearer - 0400 522 059 All news on members and interesting articles accepted. SECRETARY: [email protected] (Subject to editors’ approval.) PUBLIC OFFICER: Brian Liddy Barry G EDITORS: Barry Grant Barbara Pittaway
The Australian Commando Association’s membership consists of AUSTRALIAN COMMANDO ASSN INC. Servicemen who have served with Independent Companies, Commando Registered by Australia Post ~ Publication No PP100016240 Edition 13 ~ 2018 Squadrons, "M" and "Z" Special units and Special Forces during and since the Second World War. DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed within this publication are those of the authors, and are not necessarily those of the Editor, Publisher, Committee Members or Members of our Association. 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.
Official Publishers: Statewide Publishing P/L ABN 65 116 985 187
This photo was taken in the Gulf States. The fatal jump was in 2015, a tandem jump, which Tony Rokov took the full impact PO BOX 682, SURFERS PARADISE QLD 4217 thus saving the life of his 14-year-old student. He was awarded the Star of Courage for his extraordinary bravery. IN THIS ISSUE… PHONE: 0432 042 060 The Happy Wanderer Michael Parker Foundation ~ Kshamawati Hostel Project EMAIL: [email protected] Commando Memorial Service 2018 HALO Parachuting in Australia ~ The Early Days Printed by RABS PRINT & DESIGN Phone: 0438 881 854 FRONT COVER: This photo was taken in the Gulf States. Email: [email protected] The fatal jump was in 2015, a tandem jump, which Tony Rokov took the full impact thus saving the life of his 14-year-old student. He was awarded the Star of Courage for his extraordinary bravery. COMMANDO NEWS ~ Edition 13 I 2018 1 Commando News Edition 13 2018_Layout 1 21/08/2018 7:45 am Page 2
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Australian Commando Association NSW Inc.
http://1commando1.blogspot.com.au
PO Box 1313, Sutherland, NSW 1499
1941 - 1946 COMMANDO FOR LIFE 19195555 -
President: Barry Grant Secretary: Bruce Poulter Treasurer: Ivan Kelly
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 0414 914 615 0414 891 854 0417 042 886 Message from the Editor As we go to press, another Timor Awakening team It will be held in late is preparing to go back to Timor Leste. October, paddle from Among them is 94-year-old Ian Hampel, 2nd/4th Shelley Beach, Manly Independent Company. to Balmoral Beach to Ian landed on East Timor as it was known during Clifton Gardens. WW2, on the ill fated HMAS Voyager in the southern All small craft shores at Betano. qualified (also the non Ian marched the full distance on Anzac Day in qualified who can Sydney so there’s no doubt he can handle the trip. paddle) are invited. I have been trying to contact him for a couple of Paddle some of the weeks, finally ringing his son to find out he is snow trip or all of the trip, skiing. just paddle to Clifton Gardens or just come and join God bless him. the picnic at the end. ★★★★★ More details to follow. The passing of Bruce Horsfield was a sad event, he ★★★★★ had been working on the SAS documentary DVD series for about 17 years and just a few short weeks Just a heads up. ago was awarded an OAM for contributions to military AGM of ACA NSW will be held on Saturday, 20th history. He also completed another on Long Tan, also October 2018. acclaimed DVD. More details will be sent out by email and post to ★★★★★ financial members ASAP. ★★★★★ Wayne Havenaar (ex 1 Company) has issued a warning order for a small craft reunion paddle. The last Reserve Forces Parade was held on 1st July after 20 years of parading. Seems it lost the interest of a lot of donors and the ADF has said that the difference between Regular Forces and the Reservists is "blurred" in the modern age. Barry Grant
Australian Commando Association (NSW) Inc
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From the Prolific Pen of Harry Bell
Dear Editors, Further to Harry's spiel, I visited Reg Well, here I am sitting on my bed in Anthem in St George Hospital. Nursing Home. I came into hospital on 31/5 for hip He is in good spirits and was surgery and hope to be home soon. I can’t offer a full pleased to see me. length story but will try to do better next time when I If the current treatment is not helpful have access to my library. he may be transferred to the St. George Private. TedMacMillan (2/9) has survived repair of a hernia Barry G which he has been wearing for a while waiting for his cardiologist to give the green light. One evening, shortly after the honeymoon, Tom was working on his Harley motorcycle in the Defence has resumed the publication of unit garage. His wife was standing there by the bench names with their death notices and Reveille mentions watching him. the following: NX145462 R Foster (2/5), NX108777 After a long period of silence she finally said: CJ Monty (2/3), NX77745 K G Wilson (2/2). Keith’s "Honey, I've just been thinking, now that we’re tank is given as Gnr - I’ll try to check when I get home. married, maybe it's time you quit spending so MV Flower of 3 Cav Regt is listed as is NX11703 Lloyd much of your time out here in your garage. Hendry (2/9). I have been in touch with Lloyd’s son Ian You probably should consider selling your and will write a decent obituary for next edition. Harley and all that welding equipment; they take Reg Davis (Davis RTR) 2/9 is back in St George up so much of your time. Hospital with acute fluid retention which may relate to And that gun collection and fishing gear, they heart or liver or kidleys. (Well I said “kidleys”, diddle just take up so much space. I?) He is decidedly unwell but the nearest he gets to And you know the sailboat is such an ongoing cursing is “Golly golly golly!”. We are already making expense; and you hardly use it. plans for next Anzac Day. I also think you should lose all those stupid Barry Grant tells me that Ian Hampel (2/4) is back model airplanes and your home brewing in Timor Leste, courtesy Commando Association. equipment. Bravo. I hope Ian will write a full report. And what’s the use of that vintage hot rod Barry you may have noticed errors in last night’s sports car?” email. Lloyd Hendry’s number was of course NX not Tom got a horrified look on his face. Nc. She noticed and said, "Darling, what's wrong?" All good things to you. He replied, "There for a minute, you were Thats all for now. starting to sound like my ex-wife." Harry "Ex-wife!?" she shouted, "YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU WERE MARRIED BEFORE!" ★★★★★ Tom replied, “I wasn't..."
ACA NSW members on Timor Awakening
Ivan Kelly, David Lynch and Bill Merchant re- presented ACANSW on the Timor Awakening trip earlier this year. They were very impressed with the reception and friendliness of the Timorese people. Their tour took them from Dili to Betano where the remains of the HMAS Voyager can be seen from the beach. It was here that they inserted the 2nd/4th Independent Company, but the ship became beached and they had to leave behind the 2nd/2nd Company that they were due to replace. Next month, September, another 3 members of the Association are travelling to Dili on yet another Timor Awakening adventure.
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Investiture of OAM for Bruce Horsfield
Recently 40 people gathered in Kirribilli to observe Bruce getting his OAM. Due to ill health he was unable to go to Government House. The State Governor, General Hurley AC DSC Ret'd and his wife attended to make the presentation. Also in attendance was the former Governor General of Australia Major General Mike Jeffery AC AO (Mil) CVO MC Ret'd and his wife. We are very proud of Bruce, notably he has produced video histories of Long Tan and the History of the SAS. In Bruce's early days he was a pioneer in civilian HALO parachuting, the stories of that issue raises the hair on the back of your neck.
VALE John Addison 2 Commando Company Douglas Allen 2 Commando Company Jack Tredrea SRD (Z Special Unit) Bruce Horsfield OAM 1 Commando Company Jim Geedrick AIF Jack Mackay OAM Z Special Unit
John Addison Douglas Allen Jack Tredrea Bruce Horsfield OAM Jim Geedrick Jack MAckay OAM
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JACK TREDREA OBITUARY
Commando who led a platoon of headhunters in Borneo, but did not get the message that the war had ended in August 1945. Jack Tredrea was part of the elite Z Special unit during the Second World War Emperor Hirohito had announced Japan’s surrender in mid-August 1945 and the Second World War was officially finished, but no one had told an Australian commando who was leading a platoon of headhunters against Japanese forces in the Borneo jungle. Warrant Officer II Jack Tredrea fought on, con - tinuing to harass and ambush the enemy with rifle fire, grenades, parangs and a silent assault by poison dart of capture and interrogation by the Japanese. propelled from a blowpipe. His medical expertise brought him immediate Come the third week of October, and unaware that success. A village head man asked Tredrea to treat an his radio had come to grief in a river, the Allied old friend afflicted by a large lump in the groin. In the authorities put a stop to it. Major Tom Harrisson, a absence of any anaesthetic, Tredrea ordered two men British officer commanding the Special Operations to hold his patient down, lanced the growth, removed Executive campaign in Borneo, sent a runner with a what he described later as “masses of pus” and packed written order: “The war is over, Tredrea, get out the the wound with sulfa powder. best way you can.” The old man made a spectacular recovery and Tredrea paid off his fighters and travelled home by Tredrea, his reputation established, soon had his riverboat and aircraft, reverting to his peacetime, and guerrilla recruits. “They were incredibly brave, but they peaceful, calling as a tailor of suits for the good could give your position away because they were so burghers of Adelaide. impulsive,” he recalled in 2014. “You had to control Jonathan “Jack” Tredrea was born in 1920 in them, or they’d go on the attack with their parangs and Adelaide and left school the day he turned 14 to work their blowpipes. They really were headhunters.” as a messenger boy for the bespoke tailor. He showed Describing a typical ambush of a Japanese patrol, some promise as an Australian rules footballer, playing he added: “By the use of blowpipes, we used to for the South Adelaide club, building muscle and quietly pick off the Japs from the rear of line. ‘Pfft!’ ” stamina by cycling round the suburbs with deliveries. Back in Australia after the war Tredrea was awarded Volunteering for military service, Tredrea served the Military Medal for “remarkable energy, unselfish - initially as a medic in the Australian 6th Cavalry Field ness and devotion to duty”. Meanwhile, in 1943 he had Ambulance. This equipped him with skills that, a few married Edith Anna Bongiorno. Their first daughter, years later, would make him a revered figure among Leonie Pinkerton, became a bookkeeper and died of the Kelabit people of Borneo. cancer in 1997 aged 53. Their second daughter, Seeking adventure, he answered a notice calling for Lynnette Behn, worked as a taxation consultant and volunteers to serve in a “special unit”. The senior survives him. Edith died in 2006. officer who interviewed him had been a customer of Both daughters had some taste of the commando the tailor’s, and Tredrea was soon dispatched to Fraser life. Their father introduced them to the art of the Island, off the Queensland coast, for training that blowpipe, although without the poison. He also placed changed him from a cutter of cloth to a cutter of mattresses by the back veranda and trained them to throats. leap off the roof, landing with a paratrooper’s roll. Tredrea found that he had volunteered for the elite, Between 1993 and 2017 Tredrea made seven trips top-secret Z Special unit. There followed a year of back to the Borneo highland territory in what is now intensive instruction in weaponry, unarmed combat, Sarawak, Malaysia. On one visit he was reunited with languages, surveillance, sabotage, living off the land three women who, as teenagers 70 years earlier, had and jumping out of aircraft. His assignment, at the end served as porters in his jungle campaign. He gave them of that year, was Borneo. A sea approach was too silver necklaces bearing the Z Special emblem. His gift hazardous, so in late March 1945 two B-24 Liberators for the wider Kelabit community was 45 sets of replica took off with a payload of eight Z Special paratroopers. medals to honour those who had served under his Tredrea’s task was to recruit sympathetic inhabitants command and had continued fighting for two months and lead them, as a trained guerrilla force, against the after it was all supposed to be over. occupying Japanese. He jumped out of the aircraft with Jack Tredrea, tailor and commando, was born on a sub-machinegun, six grenades, medical supplies and May 15, 1920. He died from kidney failure on July 17, a cyanide pill, which was to be swallowed in the event 2018, aged 98
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Jim Geedrick was an extraordinary Australian soldier
When severely wounded by mortar fire during an described him as “a great armoured assault in Vietnam in August 1968, Australian soldier and a wonderful Army adviser Jim Geedrick thought his soldiering days man.” were finished. “Because he was Jim He had earlier been photographed at Gio Linh on Geedrick he seemed to be Anzac Day proudly displaying an Australian flag, in able to get away with what would become one of the most iconic images of saying and doing things the war. other people might not Now fighting for his life, the veteran of every have,” Mr Eiby recalled. campaign since World War II found himself medically “He was blunt but he was fair and above all he was evacuated home. humorous.” Six months later, however, he would return to Gio Geedrick’s final army posting was as RSM of the Linh to complete his unfinished tour. Australian Army cadet battalion based in Rock hamp - For Geedrick, getting wounded was just part of a ton, a perfect segue for his later career as school job he had been doing for three decades seeing sergeant at Rockhampton Grammar School, where he combat in all Australian military conflicts from World served from 1973 until 1997. War II through to Vietnam. He remarried Jurin who was from Thailand and the Last month an illness managed what scores of pair shared 25 years of marriage. He is survived by Jurin Australia’s enemies could not: Geedrick died on July 22 and his three children from his first marriage, Gene, Kim in Rockhampton, at peace at the age of 94. and Sheree. His death saw the passing of an extraordinary A spokesman for Rockhampton Grammar said the soldier whose career is unlikely to be matched by school had planned a dinner this weekend to honour today’s soldiers. his 25-years service to the school. Although described as indigenous, Geedrick was “We knew he had been ill recently and weren’t sure born into a large family of Ceylonese descent in coastal whether he could attend,” the spokesman said. Yeppoon, central Queensland in 1924. “He was a great mentor to generations of students In March 1943, Geedrick enlisted in the AIF as an at our school.” infantryman, where his natural skills and personality marked him out as a potential leader. VALE By the time Geedrick retired 30 years later he had received every campaign and service medal then available in the Australian Defence Force. For his Vietnam service he also received US and Vietnamese gallantry awards. In Borneo at the end of WWII, lance corporal Geedrick enlisted in the regular army and was sent to the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan. There he met and married his first wife, Shizue, who had survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast. She later died from when in her 60s from cancer her family believes was caused by being exposed to indirect radiation from the atomic blast. In 1951 the now sergeant Geedrick joined his old battalion, 3RAR in Korea, fighting in the significant battles at Kapyong and later Maryang San. Geedrick served with 3RAR d u r i n g t h e Malayan Emergency, then later during Confrontation with Indonesia, returning to Borneo where he had been It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you of during WWII. the passing of AB Jack Mackay OAM of Z Special On May 21, 1968 now Warrant Officer Class II Unit on Saturday, 11 August 2018. Geedrick joined the Australian Army Training Team Jack served as part of the build up and training Vietnam. for Operation Jaywick, however he became ill and Former WOI Neil “Lofty” Eiby who served with was not able to join the Operation Geedrick in Malaya and during Confrontation
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PROFESSOR BRUCE HORSFIELD OAM
As a former Army commando, media academic and Long Tan also led to Bruce accepting an invitation documentary maker, Bruce Horsfield was ideally to tackle a documentary on Australia’s Force of first positioned to package the rich history of the Australian choice, the Perth-based Special Air Service Regiment, Special Air Service Regiment. which he spent 18 years piecing together with the Bruce’s early interest in the military saw him join the support and guidance of former Governor-General, Australian Cadet Corps before moving onto the Major General Mike Jeffery, AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC, University of NSW Regiment and really getting serious who served as a CO of SASR, Director of Special by qualifying as a member of I Commando Company Forces and Honorary Colonel of the SAS Regiment. in Sydney. A 10-part series tracing the formation and Bruce quickly found his niche in the Green Berets, development of the SAS up to, for security reasons, completing the unit’s exacting SCUBA diving course, the early stages of the Afghanistan War and the submarine-kayak raids course and basic parachute second Iraqi War, The Australian SAS – the Untold course at RAAF Williamtown – simultaneously History was officially launched at Government House qualifying as trained teacher and going on to earn a in Canberra by the Governor-General, General Sir Bachelor of Arts from New England University, Master Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), in September 2016 of Arts from Sydney University and Doctor of before a large gathering of the nation’s leading military Philosophy from the University of Exeter, where he personnel including MAJGEN Jeffery and the then completed a thesis on children’s television drama Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Sir Allan researched at BBCTV in London. Grant "Angus" Houston, AK, AC, AFC. If all that was not enough, he used any spare time SAS the Untold History relates the unit’s 50 year to hone his parachuting skills, quickly progressing the history from a beginning marred by scepticism and basic military course to excursions into the rejection to world-wide recognition as a highly troposphere that saw him take out the Australian High sophisticated reconnaissance, strike, recovery and Altitude Free Fall Record of 25,000 feet, Southern counter-terrorist force. The series include an extended Hemisphere High Altitude Free Fall Record of 31,000 interview with the current US Secretary of Defense, feet and make the NSW Parachute team for the 1963 retired four star General James N Mattis, about the Australian Free Fall Championships. important role SASR played in Afghanistan. Early copies of the documentary have earned high praise Some 340 jumps later - including two without and approval from the Special Forces fraternity and reserve parachute, night free falls, water jumps and been acquired by major institutions across Australia two main chute failures that caused him to have to and internationally. An abridged version has also run deploy his reserve - Bruce decided to switch to field on The History Channel. hockey, where he went on to represent Queensland in Bruce was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 1996 Australian Veterans’ Championships. 2018 by the Governor of New South Wales GEN David Bruce’s interest in television came with his move to Hurley for his service to military history, academic the University of Southern Queensland as Professor of achievement and sport parachuting. Supporting GEN Media Studies, where he saw an opportunity to draw Hurley at the private investiture was MAJGEN Jeffery, on his military experience to shoot a documentary on Bruce’s long-time mentor. the most famous Australian incident in the Vietnam For his service to the Regiment he was also War, the Battle of Long Tan. His 54-minute tribute to admitted to the Australian Special Air Service that epic fight, Long Tan – the True Story, went on to Association as an Associate Member. become a Vietnam War classic and “one of the five best Australian documentaries” put to air by SBS International. Long Tan has since been broadcast three times by SBSTV, twice by ABCTV, eight times on Australian History Channel, twice on Canadian History Channel and was purchased by Australia Television for its Pan- Pacific cable and re-broadcast networks. Distributed by Film Australia and Siren Visual, the documentary continues to sell in video stories and is available in universities and libraries through Australia and abroad. Bruce’s work on Long Tan and a social impact study he carried out in the Pacific Islands for UNESCO combined to see him awarded a University Medal from Photo shows Bruce when filming Long Tan: the True Story in the University of Southern Queensland. Vietnam 1992.
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I thought we should share this account of early High Altitude parachuting with you. Most readers would not have known that this type of activity in Australia was virtually unknown until some unsung heroes from an Army Reserve Special Forces Unit took the “big step” (literally). HALO PARACHUTING IN AUSTRALIA “THE EARLY DAYS”
Nostalgia from Bruce Horsfield
I read with interest and nostalgia an item in a Strike dismissed parachuting as unnecessarily dangerous and definitely to be avoided. Worse, during my Green Beret Swiftly sometime ago, on Brian Murphy’s high altitude training I was dismayed to learn that the Para course was low opening (HALO) free fall parachuting record back in the only compulsory course in the unit. I seriously the 60’s. Brian’s achievement caught my imagination at thought that I would quietly resign from 1 Commando the time and I thought that your readers might like to Company. But as many of us who have been through the hear about some other early HALO endeavours by a unit have no doubt found, with its effective training and member of 1 Commando Company. In setting down my great esprit de corps, I gradually started to warm to the own HALO experiences as I recall them, warts-and-all, I idea of parachuting. I had always been air minded and often shudder at some of the vivid images that come loved heights and would have enlisted as a pilot in the sharply into focus in my memory, stern reminders of the Fleet Air Arm in 1957 had my father allowed me. The problems and dangers we were up against and the older hands in 1 Cdo wearing their Para wings cer tainly limitations of our approach. Certainly, we were really seemed no worse for the experience (read: if they can establishing civilian HALO parachuting in Australia and get their wings then so can I!) there were critical times when our ignorance caught up So, in April 1960 I grasped the nettle and did my first with us. But we were lucky, we were young and some- frightening static line jump from 1200 feet with Sydney what brash, and we had some successes. And now, of Skydivers at Camden using a 28-foot British X-type ex- course, with the wisdom of hindsight and middle age, Army static line parachute. The jump platform was a we’d probably not take as many risks as we did in our lumbering but adequate De Havilland Dragon twin- three attempts on HALO altitude records. engine biplane. By the time I did the Para course at “High altitude” is an imprecise term but my memory RAAF Williamtown in November 1960 I had already has it that “HALO” jumping is free falling from over completed eight static line jumps and two “jump and 20,000 feet - that height above which the free fall parachutist is required both to use the inboard aircraft pulls” i.e. with ripcord deployment from 2,500 feet. oxygen supply and to carry a separate portable oxygen Barry Clissold had also started jumping at about that supply in free fall. time and we were the only “experienced” jumpers on * * * * * * * our Para course, smugly watching 20 others fearful and Early 1958, at age 17, I was the sole volunteer in D utterly miserable first jumpers on the first long, long Company, University of NSW Regiment - the scruffy, sortie until we started to catch the jitters from them university student conscript CMF unit that was the anyway. Gradually I got hooked on free falling and Newcastle part of UNSWR. I had never heard of 1 bought my own ex-USAF main parachute and reserve, Commando Company but after a chance meeting at so that a few of us could go up country on weekends Holsworthy with the unassuming and very professional and make a plane load to get higher altitude jumps. Brian Murphy I was delighted in September ‘58 to pass At Camden in 1960 a free fall of 5-10 seconds was the medical for 1 Commando Company, transfer from D regarded as pretty sophisticated stuff. While we were Company and get my black beret. On the Taronga Zoo very keen, none of us demonstrated much skill in or bus to Georges Heights on the first Tuesday parade knowledge about free falling. The near blind led the night I met Corporal Mike Wells. Later Mike showed me blind. True skill in free fall - and high altitude air space some photos of the free falling that he, Brian Murphy, so close to Sydney - were both very scarce. Sadly, we Barry Evers, Red Harrison and others were pioneering were restricted at Camden to 3,500 feet above terrain (and, painfully, without canopy deployment sleeves!) at by Air Traffic Control at Mascot. Of course, skydivers can Camden, south west of Sydney. This really looked like never get enough altitude and non-bivouac week ends absolute lunacy to me at the time, and I mentally would often see a few of us in Goulburn or Bathurst for
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higher altitudes. By 1962 we were proficient at 210. Brian’s free fall from 17,000 feet - astonishing at the stabilising and turning in longer free falls of 7,000–8,000 time - broke not only Trotter’s 12,000 feet Australian feet above terrain. We knew little of HALO jumping (I record but also our own psychological and physical don’t think the term had been invented) and we were resistance to the HALO environment above 12,000 feet. still a bit timid about altitudes above 10,000- 12,000 Then a NZ skydiving team using a supercharged Aero feet. HALO jumps from the troposphere (altitudes up to Commander 680F attained a remarkable 27,000 feet - a 37,000 feet) and the stratosphere (above 37,000 feet) wondrous, absolutely mind-blowing excursion into the were remote, fantasies to ponder over a beer. No one upper troposphere even by today’s standards. And, for that we knew had experienced free falls from either of what it was worth, it was a Southern Hemisphere high those levels. Anyway, what would be the requirements altitude free fall record. They exited at 27,000 feet and for oxygen? We understood that in-board oxygen was pulled ripcords at 2,000 feet. To most of us at Camden required above 10,000 feet AMSL by the then that sort of operation and altitude seemed out of our Department of Civil Aviation and there were stories that league. I remember wondering at the time just how such a personal oxygen supply in free fall was also a jump could be possible. compulsory above 20,000 feet AMSL. But where could However, times and people change and in 1965 I the small personal bottles and oxygen masks to carry in decided to give it a go. We - Robin Godwin, a civvie free fall be obtained? Who had that sort of gear? mate, and I - would attack the Kiwi’s Southern Hemi - Moreover, suitable aircraft that could make it to higher sphere HALO record of 27,000 feet. Brian Murphy altitudes were expensive and hard to find. But all this unselfishly lent us each a portable oxygen cylinder (De was more in the realm of pub talk, for at this time we Havilland Vampire jet fighter ejection seat cylinders, were mostly preoccupied with mastering stability and each with a 7 minute constant flow supply), which was linking up with each other in free fall, and trying to steer required for jumping above 20,000 feet AMSL by the our canopies to land dead centre on the DZ marker. Australian Parachute Federation. Brian had acquired But because of our love of free falling the mystique these little bottles for his own HALO record attempts of high altitude parachuting – prolonging the free fall (deferred indefinitely following a knee injury while part of the jump - persisted with many of us. Were there parachuting). We were lucky to get cost - free an Aero real dangers in a long free fall, we wondered? Could you Commander 680F, in a sponsorship deal with the then lose control, and go into an accelerating flat spin that Avis Rent-a-Plane. The Avis pilot, Captain Peter Ahrens, would cause blackout, as we read had happened in the assured us that the 680F could beat the Kiwi’s 27,000 USA? That is, my generation of jumpers in the early ‘60’s feet. At this stage I had done 147 jumps, mostly free thought mainly of the free fall part of the jump, and not falls, the highest being a 45 second delayed opening being skiers or climbers asked few if any questions from 9,500 feet without oxygen equipment. about the environment of the troposphere. Not having Our plan was to free fall from the Aero Commander’s ever been seriously exposed to the frigidity of high absolute ceiling – we had no idea what this would be - altitude, we had no sense of the hazards of hypo- to 2000 feet, open parachutes, and land in Lake thermia, exposure, sub-zero temperatures, frost bite, Illawarra where boats of the Kanahooka Motor Boat frozen altimeters, and the decline in mental per - Club would retrieve us. Along with us on the sortie as formance, judgement and gross and fine motor skills “drifter” (a term used to refer to a device for gauging resulting from hypoxia. (We didn’t of course know that the wind strength and direction after take off but also to we would soon get first hand experience of these things justify a free jump) was my younger brother - another the hard way!) To us HALO was all just a fantasy fuelled Robin, aged 18 - who was doing his 45th jump. (Soon by a frustrating mixture of timidity, ignorance, curiosity after, in January 1966 during the Vietnam War, Robin and a desire for adventure. Obviously, by this stage I’d “celebrated” being conscripted by doing 40 jumps in come a long way since my dread of the basic Para one day onto Aero Pelican strip, Newcastle. Rob has course. One detail we weren’t worried about though very good legs!) As our drifter, Robin was to free-fall was the chance of missing the drop zone on a HALO from about 16,000 feet to 2000 feet and land in the lake, sortie. Just getting to the ground in one piece would do exiting the aircraft as it climbed to whatever altitude the nicely. Anyway, the spotting on our sorties was often pilot could attain. The Aero Commander had its own in- lousy in the early 60’s and we all knew what it was like to board passenger oxygen console for our use on the lug our gear a long way back to the strip after a poor climb and we would carry the little 7-minute ejection spot! seat oxygen cylinders tied to our reserve chute bungies. But skydivers elsewhere, free of the altitude These would be connected to our $5 Army Disposal restrictions of Camden, pushed ahead. Suddenly, Store WWII “12 O’clock High” oxygen masks – oldish, drama tically, higher leaps started happening around us. but in mint condition, like the candy striped USAF Laurie Trotter, an early ‘civvie’ skydiver, set an Australian military surplus parachutes that we used. We would altitude record with a 60 second delay from 12,000 feet. change over from the aircraft oxygen console to our At Camden our parochial little group of skydivers were portable cylinders on the dropping run, just prior to exit. grudgingly impressed. Then, to our surprise and delight, The air space clearance to all altitudes from Air Traffic Brian Murphy made a successful attempt on Trotter’s Control Mascot was for Sunday 14 February 1965 from Australian high altitude free fall record using a Cessna first light to 0700 hours. Piece of cake!
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We spent an uncomfortable night before the drop on no DZ controller with ground to air radio and even if the floor at the Albion Park Aero Club. Next morning, we’d had ground control there was little they could have mindful of Brian Murphy’s report of the deep cold he done to guide an aircraft that they could barely hear and had experienced on his own record jump, we ate a couldn’t see. In fact, by 19,000 feet we had absolutely hearty meal of steak and eggs thinking it would keep no specific idea of where we were, and I couldn’t do my our bodies warm on the sortie. It was a meal we were usual visual spotting for the exit point because there shortly to regret having eaten. Then, to make it easier to were no landmarks visible. A moody dawn sky above the get from our aircraft seats to the rear doorway for exit, cloud added to the sense of strangeness and uneasiness we reversed the Aero Commander’s seats on their floor of it all and we had no plan of action for finding a lost mountings so that all of us, except the pilot, Captain DZ. Navigation for the dropping run and exit point Peter Ahrens, faced the rear door, which we removed for therefore devolved entirely on the radio navigation skills our exit under the port wing. This also meant that all of of our pilot, Peter Ahrens, who seemed to have caught us - pilot included - had our backs to the 680F’s oxygen the spirit of our record attempt. No one, including the console, into which we were all plugged. Several days pilot, thought of calling it off because of the total cloud previously we had sought to familiarise ourselves with cover. It had taken much organisation, time and effort to the aircraft oxygen console and low-pressure con - get this far, and we were determined not to abort the necting lines and fittings but unfortunately - and sortie if we could avoid it. ominously - we couldn’t organise it with Avis staff. So, as Then as we approached 25,000 feet I started to doze we geared up next to the aircraft for our Southern off to sleep, rationalising to myself that the previous few Hemisphere HALO Record bid, we were full of steak and days jump preparations and the rough night’s sleep had eggs, rash optimism and the confidence of youth. Not been a little fatiguing and that a cat nap before the only were we totally unfamiliar with the vital oxygen dropping run would surely do me the world of good. Of system on the Aero Commander but we had also course, as a new chum I had no idea that I was drifting ingeniously managed to arrange the seats so that all into the cosy seductiveness and fatuous serenity of four of us, pilot included, were sitting with our backs to hypoxia. This disaster struck very quietly. Unnoticed by the all - important oxygen console. Moreover, neither of us, behind our backs all three oxygen lines - pilot’s us had used Brian’s Vampire ejection seat bottles before, included - had simply dropped out of the oxygen even in a rehearsal, since once the lanyard was yanked console to the floor under their own meagre weight the flow could not be turned off, requiring a time- because of slack bayonet fittings. We did not know we consuming service by Hawker de Havilland at Banks- were breathing only the thin inadequate atmosphere. town. Youthful impatience resisted such extravagant So, there we were, hurtling upwards, dead to the world waste of time! in a deep hypoxic slumber. In his sleep Robin vomited However, the morning was clear and calm and so we up his steak and eggs into his oxygen mask and all over geared up in parachutes, life jackets, oxygen cylinders, his reserve ‘chute, clothing, his seat and the carpeted balaclavas, gloves and ski masks and heaved ourselves aircraft floor. on board the Aero Commander. The aircraft’s take-off gave us our first discomforting surprise, for to us the Suddenly I woke up, nauseous and very groggy. speed and rate of climb of the supercharged Aero Com - Where the hell was I? What was going on? As I struggled mander were simply incredible, and to me as jump- to gain some awareness I realised that the aircraft was in master/dispatcher quite disorienting. Accustomed to a steep dive. Fortunately for us all, Peter Ahrens, an underpowered Austers, the old De Havilland Dragon experienced pilot, had detected early the symptoms of and the odd struggling Cessna, where there was ample hypoxia in himself and was descending as quickly as he time in the slow climb to altitude to think about the could to a safe altitude. I was light-headed, sick and jump ahead, we were riding in a rocket by comparison. weary, but felt even worse when I realised that our This resulted in less time to adjust mentally to the new precious record attempt was RS. But then Robin woke environment of high altitude – a feeling of being up and I thought fast. (The inflated arrogance, mindless “rushed” and of not being in complete control of our urgency and insatiable appetite of youth!) I reassured sortie. the pilot confidently that we were ok to jump, but at first As we climbed steeply over Lake Illawarra, what had Peter didn’t want to know. Although I felt dreadful, I was begun as clear sunny sky suddenly started to clag right insistent, making me speak briskly and moving pur - in underneath us. A sea drift of thick, opaque cloud posefully to show him how wonderfully recovered and began rapidly to obscure the ground and lake. In no normal I really was. It was a shameless con. I shudder to time we were at 18,000 feet and I dispatched brother think of how we must have looked and sounded. But Robin, who enjoyed a very long free fall to the lake Peter, sizing us up, finally agreed to give it another go, through the last, fast-disappearing small hole remaining and called up Air Traffic Control Mascot for an extension in the cloud cover. Pulling at 2,000 feet, he later of time. I refitted our oxygen leads and held them in reported a very pleasant and satisfying free fall. As the their sockets, and the pilot pulled the aircraft’s nose 680F shot on up into the troposphere the complete back up. We managed to get to 25,200 feet before our cloud cover settled in well below us - but how far below, extra time ran out. Peter then signalled us to jump. We we could not tell merely by looking down at it. We had changed over from the aircraft bottle to our 7-minute
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supply portable bottles and crawled into the open approved!) But this transcendental “high” was suddenly doorway. interrupted, for as I reached terminal velocity in free fall Poking my head through the doorway I looked down my 12 O’clock High oxygen mask was blasted off my on a vast white floor of thick cloud thousands of feet face and I was forced reluctantly out of my reverie and below us. Where, under all that cloud, was our Lake back to my immediate problems. Holding my oxygen Illawarra drop zone? Far to what was probably the west mask firmly on my face with one hand while struggling of us a mountain peak nosing up through the cloud may to maintain free fall stability with the other, I started to possibly have been near Burragorang, but as far as my wonder how much height I had left, since, still under the addled judgement was concerned it could have been influence of the solar psychedelics and still not mentally any feature at all. Peter was working overtime cranking 100%, I hadn’t noticed whether my 10,000 feet altimeter the RDF handle above his head trying to fix our position had wound past zero once or twice. So with the soft within a triangle formed by three terrestrial non- surface of the cloud cover below now starting to rush at directional radio navigation beacons (NDB’s). He kept me, I grappled with my frenzied oxygen mask and with nodding vigorously to us that we could jump, but the problem of whether I was at 18,000 feet or 8,000 looking down on to the complete cloud cover I feet. Dawn suddenly turned to dusk as I plunged into hesitated in the doorway. I wondered sluggishly if fixing the grey-white gloom of the cloud mass, but my mental one’s position by triangulating NDB’s was accurate clock told me that my altimeter needle had in fact enough for us, as only one NDB could be lined up at a wound past zero twice. I took a punt and pulled at what time, and with the great speed of the Aero Commander I hoped was 2,500 feet, and not 12,500 feet, still in the it seemed that a large margin of error was likely. It didn’t cloud. As I floated down out of the cloud base I saw the occur to either of us or to the pilot to abort the sortie ground and could see that I was at 1,800 feet - not but because there is only a thin strip of land between above Lake Illawarra or the Tasman Sea, but above the Lake Illawarra and the ocean I was afraid that we might land strip between the lake and the Tasman. Robin even be out over the Tasman Sea. If we jumped perhaps Godwin landed nearby. That was good enough. “A big no one would see us and we might be lost out to sea. thanks to our able pilot, Peter Ahrens”. Spotting with Peter continued to put the Aero Commander into a fast, NDB’s is a fine thing, and to be highly recommended! steeply banking orbit - clearly, he thought that we were Who wanted water landing anyway? over the drop zone. I wasn’t as confident as he – I had On the ground I still felt sick from the hypoxia and a been on sorties where the pilot had insisted on doing bit dazed and weary from the whole experience, but I the spotting and it was always very inaccurate. It also was glad to be in one piece. It turned out that Robin crossed my still sluggish mind that we didn’t know Godwin had waited until clearing the cloud before whether the base of the cloud cover was right down to pulling his ripcord and I must ask him one day how he ground level or was at our parachute opening height of knew that the cloud base wasn’t at ground level. 2,000 feet, or was higher, or lower. But finding the DZ Perhaps he was keeping close tabs on his altimeter as he was our absolute priority and accuracy now depended fell. Afterwards we enjoyed a day or two of media hype, entirely on the pilot’s navigational skills. As we banked in but we had had a taste of HALO and promptly started a continuing 360-degree circle I kept gesticulating to planning to better both our Australian record of 25,000 him, “Where are we? Can we go?” But with our seven feet and the Southern Hemisphere Record of 27,000 minute portable bottles starting to run low, pinpoint feet of the New Zealand team. We were feeling quite accuracy became an academic question and despite pleased with ourselves, for our sortie could easily have feeling very vulnerable and disoriented, our dwindling been a disastrous and embarrassing failure (purists oxygen supply forced the decision. I dived through the would say that it was anyway!). True, if we hadn’t terrific slipstream of the port engine into the vast void of blacked out we could have possibly made 30,000 feet or space and sky, Robin Godwin following immediately. better in the time available. But we had gained some As I stabilised in free fall, the sun peeked over the invaluable experience with oxygen and with operational horizon of the cloud floor far below and my amber planning. We hadn’t been cold at all at 25,000 feet or at tinted ski goggles treated me to an enthralling, any time on the flight, even with the door removed. spectacular display of colour as the eastern sky and the Perhaps we were too hypoxic to notice, but I don’t think entire terrain of cloud turned rich pink, orange and so. I thought at the time that perhaps we stayed warm crimson. Instinctively I did a 90-degree turn and faced because the aircraft climbed so quickly that we didn’t the rising sun. (At this stage I had been studying the have time to lose much body heat. But we were soon to transcendental nature poetry of the Lake Poets such as discover the hard way that the time of year affects Wordsworth and Coleridge for my BA degree and, high temperatures “upstairs” a great deal. on a blend of their pantheistic Naturfilosofie and the Now, how were we going to beat the Kiwi’s 27,000 drunkenness of hypoxia, I found this solitary splendour feet record? Finding a suitable jump aircraft was no easy of crimson cloud at high altitude total, spiritual and matter. The Avis Aero Commander was no longer calming. In a crazy, irrational way my orientation to earth available to us as Avis went out of the rent-a-plane and sky inverted, as it were, so that the sky above me business soon after (but not because of!) our jump. After seemed solid and the ground below distant, ephemeral a very long and frustrating search we managed to find and unimportant. The Lake Poets would have another sponsor when WD and HO Wills agreed to pay
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for the Aero Commander 680F of King Ranch Australia. high altitude, and so had not really given it any serious The pilot, John Laffin, assured us that his 680F had an thought on this second attempt. absolute ceiling of over 30,000 feet. So, on 12 But we weren’t yet ready to call it a day, and despite September 1965 the two Robins and I flew up to Cowra the awful obstacle of hypothermia we still wanted to for the record attempt - but without the steak and eggs beat the Kiwis - if possible, without the problems of breakfast this time. To avoid the pleasures of hypoxia we oxygen and cold, which had detracted from our earlier did good aircraft oxygen and equipment checks before efforts at Lake Illawarra and Cowra. WD and HO Wills taking off. At 22,000 feet, I despatched brother Rob were a bit put off by our Cowra failure but sportingly (with 53 jumps still regarded as too inexperienced for rallied to meet the costs of a Fokker F27 Mark 1 the higher altitude “men’s” stuff) and we continued to Friendship turbo prop airliner from the then East West climb towards the 680F’s maximum ceiling. Airlines. An airliner, no less! Yes, thanks! We invited But before long the plummeting temperature in the Kenny Bath, an instructor at Sydney Skydivers, to join us aircraft became excruciating. The cold was absolutely for this third attempt on the Southern Hemisphere High appalling. The frigid blast from the port propeller was Altitude Record. We told Ken about our loss of 10,000 rammed in through the open doorway, icing into opacity feet of hard earned altitude at Cowra because of the our goggles and altimeters, reducing us to sluggish- slow changeover from aircraft to personal oxygen. He ness, numbing our hands and fingers and giving our turned up with male and female couplings for each of clothing, faces and parachute rigs a heavy coating of us, which, he said, would enable us to do a quicker frost. I had never experienced anything like this in my switch over from the aircraft oxygen, supply to our little entire life. Pilot John was obviously suffering greatly too personal bottles so that any loss of precious oxygen or and a more wretched trio I couldn’t imagine. Hypo - altitude would be negligible. I was so reassured by this thermia was rapidly debilitating us. However, despite cunning display of engineering initiative that I didn’t the terrible wind chill factor and deep cold, we never - even try out the couplings, but left Kenny to fit a pair to theless continued the climb. After all, that’s why we were each of our personal cylinder oxygen lines. It all seemed there! so simple. But it wasn’t to be. At 27,000 feet - equal to the East West Airlines shrewdly moved our third record height of the New Zealand altitude record - the oil in the attempt to Grafton in northern NSW for two reasons: a) port engine thickened from the cold and the pilot had to it was a sea level drop zone, providing “free” altitude feather its three bladed propellers. I can’t recall it clearly compared with higher inland drop zones such as Cowra, but my logbook states that for some reason my mate and b) there was turbine fuel for refuelling. The Fokker’s Robin blacked out at about this stage and that he didn’t absolute ceiling would be greater with a partial fuel regain consciousness until a lower altitude was reached. load. Our inboard aircraft oxygen consisted initially of On only one engine the Aero Commander dropped the pressurised interior of the Fokker, then medical rapidly and by the time we changed over from aircraft oxygen cylinders from CIG strapped to the seat next to oxygen to our portable cylinders and exited we were each of us for when the aircraft depressurised above down to 18,000 feet - ironically, an exit height lower 20,000 feet. The spotting at high altitude was the job of than brother Robin’s 22,000 feet only a short while the pilot, Captain Jim Swan, who would fly on a heading before. at whatever altitude he could attain straight down the I shall never forget the frigid misery of the free fall Grafton runway and signal us when to jump. Knowing that followed. Already hypothermic, I found the cold in that the oxygen changeover on the dropping run was free fall unbearable, piercing my thick layers of clothing, more important than where we would land I had no gloves, balaclava and helmet. My skull chilled and I felt problem with this plan. (After the jump, we found that my brain was freezing - I might as well have been ourselves only a forgivable kilometre from the strip.) On free falling stark naked. To try to avoid the awful cold I the dropping run we would therefore have ample time rolled onto my back into the “dead horse” position, so for an unhurried changeover from aircraft to personal that the main parachute pack might provide a shield oxygen systems. On the climb, although depressurised, from the painfully cold blast of free fall. But to no avail. we would keep the Fokker’s sliding rear passenger door I was chilled to the marrow. I perhaps should have closed so that the cabin heaters could warm up the opened my parachute high to end the pain, but not interior. This proved to be very successful in keeping us knowing the wind strengths and directions at all warm before and thus during the free fall. However, after altitudes and not knowing where I might drift off to, it the deep cold of the Cowra jump, I had readily accepted really wasn’t an option. Mercifully the opening height of Brian Murphy’s kind offer of his padded USAF aircrew 2,000 feet finally arrived, and, my fingers being in- quilted nylon inner suit for the jump (where did he get operable, I pulled the ripcord with my thumb. that, I wondered). Again, because of the previous effect What a forgettable sortie! With a glum sense of of deep cold on my fingers, I swapped my leather anticlimax, we packed up and flew back to Sydney. We gloves for large leather motorcycle gauntlets, which had not beaten the Kiwis’ Southern Hemisphere or even were mitten-like, without individual fingers – my thumb our own Lake Illawarra Australian record. To be fair, we would have to pull the ripcord. Ken Bath and Robin had had no warning during the Lake Illawarra record Godwin had white cotton overalls on and warm clothing attempt of the perils and difficulties of extreme cold at and balaclavas. In the quilted USAF suit I looked and felt
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like something from outer space, especially as it was too bang-seat bottle, and disconnected my 12 O’clock High big for me. I had no opportunity to try the suit out in free mask from aircraft supply and plugged into the low- fall before the big day – if I’d tried it out in free fall I pressure line from Murphy’s portable bottle. As the male wouldn’t have worn it on the record bid. In view of our fitting snapped home, I felt an unexpected whoosh of oxygen problems on the previous HALO sorties the air in my oxygen mask. But I could not pause to question of whether we should fit barostats (automatic investigate this oddity, because Ron was motioning to parachute opening devices - “AOD’s”) to our reserve us to be on our way to the rear doorway. I put on my ‘chutes came up, but most AOD’s were poorly regarded gauntlets, stood up, plodded down the aisle of the at the time as on several trials they had pulled the Fokker to the back door and pulled it open. As I did so, ripcord D Ring of the reserve chute after the parachutist I heard a loud sharp bang, like a double bunger, had landed! So we didn’t take the idea of AOD’s followed by another sharp bang. Puzzled, I waited at the seriously for HALO jumping. open doorway, but neither Ken nor Robin joined me. To add to the sense of occasion, I invited 30 Then Kenny came down the aircraft to the doorway with skydivers at ten dollars a head to come along with us for the shredded end of his portable bottle’s low-pressure a rare cheap leap from 10,000 feet from a Fokker line in his mouth. This was probably not what one hopes Friendship, the money to go the Royal North Shore to see on a well-organised HALO jump. But, recognising Hospital Paraplegic Unit. (There was some grumbling there was nothing that could be done; I held my oxygen from the fraternity about both the money and my mask firmly to my face and stepped out of the door into restricting their altitude to only 10,000 feet, but I felt space, Kenny following. Robin Godwin did not join us at that if we went higher for the 30 fun jumpers, there the doorway before we jumped. wouldn’t be enough time to fully oxygenate the three of We worked out later what had gone wrong. We us between their exit altitude of 10,000 feet and our hadn’t known that the male and female fittings Kenny proposed exit altitude at whatever the aeroplane could had obtained for us had a one-way non-return valve that attain. It was simply a matter of priorities.) Two weeks wouldn’t open until the fitting was actually snapped before the jump I asked my older brother David, who home. Kenny had made no mention of the one-way had served as an IO in UNSWR, to fly with East West valves – maybe he did not know about them either. The Airlines to a recce of the Grafton drop zone on our portable bottles, once activated, had simply built up behalf and bring back a good field sketch of the pressure behind the one-way valve until the lines environs – terrain, trees, natural and built hazards etc. exploded. With the whoosh into my mask I had escaped What could go wrong when everything was so well by only a few seconds a similar explosion, because, of planned? the three of us, I was the only one who had happened So, on a calm and sunny 24th of October 1965, we to remove his gloves to affect a quick oxygen all flew from Sydney to Grafton, geared up and took off. changeover. Kenny was lucky in that his line exploded I insisted on personally despatching each of the three near his mask and was still long enough to simply put in sticks of ten skydivers on three runs at 11,000 feet. The his mouth. Robin Godwin was not so fortunate: his line Fokker’s sliding rear door and the handy airhostess’ exploded near his personal bottle lashed to his reserve phone to the pilot made my jumpmaster’s job a dream. parachute and so it wasn’t long enough to reach his No NDB’s needed here! I was in form on the day and all mouth unless he wanted to unhook his reserve ‘chute three sticks landed very near the white cross on the and free fall with it under his arm! At 31,000 feet, with airfield. I enjoyed that very much (“First stick, stand up!” the aircraft depressurised and his free fall personal sort of thing). Then I closed the door, returned to my oxygen supply unusable, Robin looked down the full seat, went on to the CIG oxygen and the aircraft re- length of the Fokker to see Kenny and myself departing pressurised. After we passed through 20,000 feet we through the open doorway. Deciding that it was too depressurised and awaited the climb to the Fokker’s good a picnic to miss, Robin got up, oxygen or no absolute ceiling and the pilot’s signal - relayed to us by oxygen, charged down the aircraft and out into space. Ron Walesby, the Manager of East West Airlines, which He reported no ill effects or hypoxia from this, and we we were soon to commence the dropping run. After the thought it must be good value to be well oxygenated at hypothermia of Cowra the Fokker was cosy and warm, high altitude if you can manage it. and the big medical oxygen cylinders with their clearly My own free fall of 29,000 feet was a mess. The 12 calibrated flow meters roped to the seats next to us O’clock High mask was again ripped away from my face worked well. At 31,000 feet, with the Fokker’s rate of by the blast of the free fall. But my quilted nylon jump climb right down, Ron signalled to us that we were on suit, while warm enough, had such a low coefficient of the dropping run - time for us to change over to our little friction with the air that I found it virtually impossible to cylinders, get quickly down to the back door, slide it stabilise in free fall. I skidded and skated all over the sky open, and jump. Nothing to it. However, my motorcycle like a beginner on a skating rink. Worse, the suit was far gauntlets did not permit a quick, nimble-fingered too big for me, and unimpeded by the three-point oxygen changeover using Kenny Bath’s male and female parachute harness the inner suit billowed, concealing fittings. So, to conserve my seven-minute personal my ripcord handle, which totally disappeared into the supply I removed my gauntlets, activated my portable billowing folds of the inner suit. I spent almost the entire
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free fall alternatively looking for the bloody ripcord, though, I would have taken my spanner with me and wrestling the oxygen mask back onto my face and assisted in stripping the Fokker. carefully counting the needle of my 10,000 feet There was a worthy outcome to our oxygen altimeter three times past zero. Interestingly, although it problems: later the Australian Parachute Federation was still only spring and the pilot recorded an outside air arranged for its members to accompany QANTAS temperature of minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit at our exit trainee pilots in the high altitude simulator decom- height of 31,000 feet, I had no sensation of cold pression tank at RAAF Richmond, which I did. Although whatsoever on this sortie and neither did the others. it came after the event, the RAAF tank was a valuable Being warm in the Fokker on the climb had presumably experience of medically controlled hypoxia that I could done the trick. I was also interested to learn from a heartily recommend to my fellow skydivers. The main friend who was a Professor of Physics at UNSW that message about hypoxia was that you could feel normal terminal velocity in free fall from that altitude in the and confident but at the same time have seriously thinner air was probably about 340kph (or, in my impaired judgement and cognition. slippery nylon tent, probably 400kph!), and that the Although I subsequently tried hard to break our duration of the fall was over two minutes. altitude record with a night free fall from 38,000 - 40,000 So, third time lucky. We had the title. The media feet, we couldn’t find an affordable, adequate aeroplane came to the party, WD and HO Wills threw us a big and Grafton was in fact the last of our HALO jumps. We reception and presented us each with a nice trophy, had learnt a lot about oxygen and its portability, about suitably inscribed, and all the cigarettes we could combating extreme cold, about the psychology of smoke! Our jump had finally beaten the New Zealanders performing arduous physical and mental tasks, and - the and our record stood for something like six or seven hard way - about sound planning and rehearsal, years at least, when I think a Victorian team achieved especially with new equipment. The dollar cost of the about 32,000 feet using a Beechcraft King Air. We were aircraft is probably still a major factor – if you can afford later somewhat galled to learn that at Grafton our pilot the right aeroplane then you will be spared the could have possibly got the Fokker even higher. But as problems of hypothermia and hypoxia. its rate of climb on the dropping run was only 40 feet Now, I wonder what a 747 costs per hour…? per minute (very low indeed) it was not clear what extra For the record this is impossible due to the door altitude could really have been achieved on that sortie, opening mechanism on a Boeing 747. Editor short of removing all the seats and stripping the aircraft (Cpl) Bruce Horsfield of everything removable. Had I known in advance, 1 Commando Coy, 1958-1962
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ADDRESS COMMANDO MEMORIAL SERVICE 2018
Regimental Executive Officer Major Lee Mountford, some 102,000 Australians who as a result of war and President of the Commando Association Barry Grant, conflict will never come home. members of the Association, distinguished guests, As we are gathered here today at the Commando fellow Commandos and Commando supporters, ladies Memorial it is important that we, who are part of and gentlemen, girls and boys, good morning and Australia’s modern day Commandos, reflect on the thank you for the invitation to address your service this original Australian Commandos, who during the morning. Second World War bravely volunteered to be part of a I have chosen as my theme for today – Anzac Day – new group of independent companies formed to con- a day for reflection. What I would like to do in my duct special Commando type operations. For being address is to briefly describe some of the issues that I, part of a special group they were given a special unit as a professional soldier of 35 years and a former badge, a double diamond that today forms the Commando, think we as Australians should reflect on, backing for our own unit insignia. As with all of our on Anzac Day 2018. Second World War soldiers their ranks are thinning but Firstly it is important that we reflect on the original we must remember how bravely our first Commandos Anzacs, those men who 103 years ago this morning, as fought, normally against considerably stronger forces, part of the 1st Anzac Corps made their gallant landing in PNG and its islands, on East Timor where they are at Anzac Cove. Much has been written about the still fondly remembered for their resistance to the conduct of the campaign and the legends and myths Japanese occupying force, and on Borneo towards the that have arisen from it, but to me as a former soldier end of that War. They obviously left a lasting impres - they set a standard for bravery, dedication and sacrifice sion with the powers that be because, in 1955 some 10 for following generations of Australian service per son - years after the end of World War 2 the Army was being nel to aspire to, and if possible emulate. reorganised and the Australian Government decided On Anzac Day we should reflect on the fact that the we needed some Commandos as part of the new order landing at Gallipoli was the coming of age of a young of battle. 1st and 2nd Commando Companies were country. In 1915 the young nation Australia was only 14 formed and the Commando component of our Army years old as a federation and for the first time, rather has been steadily growing in numbers ever since. than representing one of six separate colonies, an Those of us who are or have been members of Australian force was formed and had gone to war, Special Operations Command should reflect of the fact albeit supporting mother England. For a lot of these that 75 years ago this coming October, Australia young Australians it certainly was also a coming of age launched its first offensive special operations raid, as for most it was their first time overseas and they left Operation Jaywick, when a group of specially selected Australia with a strong spirit of adventure and very little and highly trained Defence Force members (not understanding of the challenges of fighting a war. Their designated Commandos in those days) launched an learning curve was going to be very steep but they attack on the Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour. certainly did us proud. Travelling in the mother ship the Krait and then fol - On Anzac Day we should also reflect that over our boats, the kleppers predecessor, the team were able to history our nation has been involved in many conflicts sink 7 major Japanese ships using limpet mines. An since that first landing at Gallipoli and in all of them amazing feat. Unfortunately the follow-on operation, Australian men and women have made the supreme Operation Rimau, was not so successful, but highly sacrifice – in World Wars One and Two, the Korean trained Special Forces had shown the Australian War, the Malayan Emergency, confrontation with powers that be what they could achieve. Indonesia, Vietnam, the war I served in, and then in so On Anzac Day 2018 we must also reflect that even called peacekeeping operations in the Middle East, in without a deployment to a war, our country has nearly Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Bougainville, East Timor, 1,700 of its Defence Force personnel from all three the Solomon Islands and then conflict operations in services deployed overseas helping to make our world Iraq and Afghanistan, the war that a lot of you served and particularly our region a more secure place; in the in. We must on Anzac Day remember that there are Middle East, South Sudan, Egypt, Israel/Lebanon,
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South West Pacific, South China Sea, Southern Indian recently proposed, could balance the books, at least a Ocean, Iraq, Afghanistan, and on border protection. little. On this day we should remember the commitment that Ladies and gentlemen, what I have aimed to do this all these personnel are making to world peace, and morning is to give you some food for thought on what pray for their safe return when their tours are com- we should all reflect on, on Anzac Day 2018, principally, pleted. however, on our special day we must remember the For those of us who are, or like me, have been 102,000 australians who will never come home. We, soldiers, we should reflect that 100 years ago next the living, owe them a great debt and on Anzac Day we month Australia’s finest soldier, Lt Gen John Monash must keep them foremost in our thoughts. was given command of the Australian Corps, the first Lest we forget. Australian to hold that appointment. From that position Thank you for your attention. he was able to use his leadership qualities and superior BRIG Philip McNamara CSC ESM OAM planning ability to formulate plans for the Battles of Hon Colonel 2nd Commando Regt Hamel in July 1918 and Amiens in August that year which had such an effect on the German Army that by November they had had enough and an armistice was signed ending the War. I believe that General Monash has not been given sufficient recognition by our country for all he achieved and I do believe that a post- humous promotion to Field Marshal, as has been
EX COMMANDO SACRIFICES HIMSELF FOR YOUNG PARACHUTIST A Miranda skydiving instructor, who wrapped himself around a boy to shield him from the full impact as they plunged to the ground during a freak accident has been honoured for his bravery. Antonio (Tony) Rokov 44, a former member of the 2nd Commando Regiment at Holsworthy, died in the tandem diving accident in November 2015, but 14- year-old Elijah Arranz survived. Elijah with severe traumatic brain injury but, with tremendous determination, has learnt to walk and eat again, is in year 11 at a Canberra college and his goal is to run the Boston Marathon one day. Mr. Rokov was posthumously awarded the Star of Courage, the second highest level of the Australian Bravery Awards, Pic courtesy ABC News announced recently. "Mr. Rokov and the boy quickly began to plummet Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove approved the during which time the boy was flipped horizontally. decorations. "As they approached the ground, Mr. Rokov twisted "On 21 November 2015, the late Mr. Antonio his body under the boy and took the full force of the Rokov shielded a young person during a skydiving impact. accident near Goulburn in NSW", the award citation "First Aid was administered straight away to both said. Mr. Rokov and the boy until emergency services arrived "Mr. Rokov, an experienced skydiving instructor, has on the scene." meticulously prepared his equipment prior to "Sadly, Mr. Rokov died as a result of his injuries he undertaking a tandem skydive near Goulburn Airport. sustained. The boy, though, survived the fall." The weather was calm with wind speeds of "By his actions, Mr. Rokov displayed conspicuous approximately 11 km/h coming from the South. courage." "Mr. Rokov then briefed a 14-year-old boy who Mr. Rokov's widow Samantha Rokov told ABC News would be undertaking the tandem skydive with him "we would rather have our husband, father, son back, and provided reassurance to the boy's anxious family in but to be remembered, that means a lot to us". the process. "Every single day we're proud of him, that will never "After a normal takeoff and jump from the plane, fade." the pair descended. The couple met when they were teenagers and "When they were approximately 20 meters from the have 3 children. ground, a freak gust of wind caused their parachute to Article courtesy St. George and Sutherland Shire collapse and violently fold in half. Leader and Murray Trembath.
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Commandos who turned up for the last Reserve Forces Day Parade
Celebrating its 40th year, Disabled “DWA has been a massive part of my winter sports annually. From its programs Wintersport Australia (DWA) is thrilled and snowboard journey and I’m so supportive of some of the world’s finest alpine skiers have very proud to announce Joany Badenhorst as what they do. It’s a goal of mine to become emerged recording victories at the highest its National Ambassador!! more involved as a volunteer and on snow.” level of international compe tition. The Australian Paralympic Chef de Mission organisation's members range from Nick Dean said: “Joany is a wonderful role recreational skiers to Australia’s Winter model for young women everywhere and a Paralympians. fine example of what commitment and Mission “To promote and foster the determination can achieve. I congratulate advancement of participation by people with DWA on 40 years promoting the advance- a disability in wintersport both in Australia ment of participation by people with a and overseas.” disability in wintersport both in Australia and Vision “The equality of opportunity for overseas.” people with disabilities to participate at all DWA and members wish Joany every levels in the winter sport of their choice.” success and luck at 2018 Peongchang Winter For more information on Joany please see: Paralympics which begins on March 9th. Long time DWA member and volunteer, https://www.joanybadenhorst.com/ Rick Coate Joany is Co-Captain of the 2018 Australian CEO DWA Promotional Film; Finding Freedom on Winter Paralympic Team. Disabled Wintersport Australia the Snow Currently ranked number one in the Linkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ World in Boarder-cross LL-2 Joany was Established in 1978 as the Australian RAtuFI59sM Australia’s only female Snowboarder at the Disabled Skiers Federation, we are now 2018 Winter Paralympics! known as Disabled Wintersport Australia All Media and Corporate Enquiries to CEO On accepting her appointment from (DWA). The organisation assists thousands of Rick Coate DWA President Paul Lamb, Joany said: individuals with disabilities to participate in [email protected]
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THE HAPPY WANDERER “I love the smell of (burning) Juniper in the morning”
By Jim Truscott
I love to go a-wandering, along the mountain track, and as I go, I love to sing, my knapsack on my back. Val-deri, Val-dera, Val-deri, Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Val-deri, Val-dera. My knapsack on my back. A climber’s lament sung to the tune of I want to be a Khumbu Ranger and live a life of mountain danger! Huddled together in the pre-dawn with two Sherpas at 6,200 metres and braced against 45 knot winds, David and I made the decision to turn back at the traverse below the summit. For years I had wanted to do something dangerous in the mountains with my son. The Sherpas advised that it would be another three hours to reach the summit, and in the journey from mediocrity to self-fulfilment we had achieved enough pain and frissons of excitement even if Buddha has set enlightenment at the highest level. We were both suffering from heaving chest syndrome to the cadence of ‘I must, I must, increase my bust’ and two days later we both still experienced over exertion of our diaphragm muscles.
It would have been good to have had another day and maybe Buddha has something else in mind for us. to go for the summit again but our tight trekking Were we unlucky? Probably yes as from a climbing program did not allow this time. It is all about karma perspective it would have been better if we had
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allowed two days at our High Camp but such is the Kokoda Track the year before was tough but there challenge of combining climbing and trekking into a needed to be some perception of danger as well. We tight schedule. In hindsight and given the snow con- needed a tiger for breakfast. It had been 30 years since ditions we probably could have started in daylight after I had been to the Himalayas and boy was I out of date the wind had dropped. Maybe we should have with the abundance of lodges on the walk in. There is checked the weather forecast ourselves. no requirement for Tilman ‘memorable bathes’ any - more as most lodges have hot showers! Tillman and Shipton would both roll in their graves as the Internet of Everything has replaced planning on the back of a postcard. Indeed Tilman’s programmed no-speaking days on expeditions have been replaced by social media surfing at lodges. There are now a plethora of people climbing and trekking in the Himalayas with 28 lodges and 500 guest beds in Lukla alone! We were told that there is a veritable Conga line (highway of zonkey, donkey, cow, yak and human shit) on the track between Lukla and Everest base camp. There is a commercial proposition to limit the number of visitors in each valley and for the government to set higher rates by a multitude of trekking companies. After the mandatory steaks at Yak-Donalds and a The WA Family expedition at our High Camp at visit to funeral pyres and temples in Kathmandu, we 5800 metres with jet stream wind blowing off the flew to Lukla, the mountain airstrip and entry point to th summits of Everest and Lhotse (4 highest). Sherpa country. We were reminded that it was nak th th Makalu (5 highest) and Cho Oyu (6 highest) also in view. butter and not yak butter! The walk in to Mera Peak makes the trek to Everest base camp and parts of the It all began a year before when Lisa (D3) asked me Baltoro Glacier in Pakistan look like a doddle. We to go to the Himalayas. So one in, all in, and the once celebrated a Puja (religious ceremony) with a Lama in a in a lifetime family expedition began to take shape. rock cave on the way in to bless the journey and paid Months of physical preparation commenced, although his fees for enlightenment. At least he has not been our local Reabold Hill fell well short of what was to replaced by social media. Climate change has had its come. With only one month to go I experienced an ’ah impact over the last 30 years that our Sirdar has been fuck moment’ at a body pump session in the gym when working in the Inkhu Khola Valley and there are massive I re-ripped my hiatus hernia and my nagging jumpers ice-free, rock walls awaiting rock climbers and probably left knee was not getting any better. My kingdom for lots of bolts. some pain free knees! Woe was me, so I stocked up on In the end all of our faces were hurting from the pain killers for an SAS candy fuelled ascent if necessary, wind and our various bodies were suffering from snot- but it was not to be. Success in the Himalayas is hard icles, farting and the risk of follow through, vomiting, won. My first Himalayan expedition 37 years ago to blood in snot, rapid onset of headaches, tight chests, Ganesh IV in Nepal had ended in tragedy when our vertigo, exertion, cracked lips, restless sleep, weird high camp including me was swept away by an ava - dreams etc etc. These signs and symptoms were lanche and I did not summit. On my second Himalayan diffused and offset by vista, vista and more vista, Dal expedition to Broad Peak in Pakistan, 33 years ago, I Bhat, bamboo forests, cheery Sherpani’s (good karma), turned back just short of 8,000 metres due to intense Sherpa tea, Sherpa stew, masala tea, bonhomie, cold and I did not summit. On my third Himalayan noodles with egg, the crunch-crunch of crampons, the expedition 31 years ago to Everest I reached the South poke-poke of climbing sticks, Tibetan bread, wifi Col at 8,000 metres but a subsequent window of equipped mountain huts (called lodges), and by opportunity was negated by jet stream winds. From our meeting half of Europe on the track etc etc. high point on Mera Peak we could see the summit of We were ably supported by Cho La Adventures. My Everest and the same strong jet stream winds blowing lasting image is of the Cho La cook from High Camp into China. On my fourth Himalayan expedition 25 running down a snow slope with a thermos of hot tea years ago I was lucky to claim the first Australian ascent for us plodders! It is not in our Australian culture for of Nanda Devi East in India. people to eat separately but we came to accept their I had not heard of Mera Peak before but its ways. Mingmar our Sirdar was physically strong and he excellent views of six of the fourteen 8,000 metre and his son Phuri had much good humour to put up mountains and straight forward climbing made it an with us. They would say “good work”, “enjoy”, “ready obvious choice. My four children are not diehard now”, “almost there“, “maybe/maybe not”, “20 climbers like myself and the instructions from my wife minutes”, “close now, “why not” “Nepali flat”, don’t Colette were “not to kill the children.” Walking the worry; chicken curry” and “Dal Bhat power, trek for 24
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hours.” The owner, Nima Lama is a Nepali businessman to climb Everest without oxygen in 1978 and it was a with noble ideas to improve the lot of porters to fitting, rohmro (great) and symbolic end to our trip. I become trek assistants or better. His ‘people-watching’ must get on with my plan to climb a mountain every skills enabled him to adroitly identify the personalities year until the day I die; live, climb, repeat. Om mani of my four children. All progeny have explored a little padme hum. more about their mind and body. David is a better Four Rules for Khumbu Rangers father than I, and he was good to his sisters. Jessica • Don’t get sick (D1) showed strong minded Irish tendencies. Sarah • Climb to climb again another day (D2) is cautious like her mother and she had to confront • Climb with Social Media (suck it up Tilman) her flying demons. Lisa (D3) is a mountain goat and • Additional maxim. If you are cold put a hat on. Heath increased his confidence. Mountaineering is Jim Truscott is a climber who pretended to be in the 90% mental and the other half is physical. Hence army for 26 years. He has gone on multiple expeditions mission (very much) accomplished. in the jungles, seas, oceans and mountains of the The walkout over a high-pass directly back to Lukla world. You could hear the sighs of relief in Canberra and requiring instep crampons was challenging to say Headquarters when he left the green machine. David, the least but the wait at Lukla airport for a scheduled Jessica, Sarah and Lisa Truscott were all army brats and flight out was a drag until a helicopter became neces - they used to run amok at Fort Gellibrand and in Camp- sary to fly back to Kathmandu in order to catch our bell Barracks. David Truscott is now a part time Q’y in international flight. Sitting beside the Lukla airstrip was 6 Squadron. akin to all those wasted years of parachuting at drop zones or biding your time in War Zone D. Listening to Lukla airport was like being on the USS Carl Vinson in the Gulf but with Nepali navy pilots. The airport was crazier than Mumbai; wonderfully chaotic as three planes must fly together in two 3-plane sorties for air separation safety in the mountain clouds. By chance I spoke briefly with the legendary Reinhold Messner in the lounge at Katmandu airport. He was the first man
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Chief of Army bans soldiers from wearing 'arrogant' death symbols
ABC North Qld
By David Chen Australia's Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, has issued a directive that prohibits the wearing of 'death' symbols. Lieutenant General Campbell said the practice was arrogant, ill- considered and that it eroded the ethos of the Army. The directive was circulated as an internal minute on April 17, and later posted to unofficial social media pages for commentary. Several symbols were specifically prohibited because of their violent, murderous and vigilante symbolism including the Grim Reaper, the Skull and Crossbones, Spartans, and the Phantom or Punisher. Lieutenant General Campbell, who this week was named as the next Chief of the Defence, stated in his order that he had come across the symbols worn as A member of Iraq's elite Special Forces wears a skull mask patches or badges while visiting army units in in the fight against the Islamic State in 2016. (AP: Khalid Mohammed ~ Courtesy ABC North Qld) Australia and overseas. He reiterated that such symbols were at odds with Army values while acknowledging this was not the intention of those In the directive, Army officers were ordered to take who wore them. immediate action to remove any formal or informal "Such symbology is never presented as ill- symbols from within their command. Lieutenant intentioned and plays too much of modern popular General Campbell acknowledged the decision would culture," Lieutenant General Campbell said. "But it is upset a minority of soldiers. always ill-considered and implicitly encourages the "I appreciate that without explanation some will inculcation of an arrogant hubris and general rile at this direction, so please ensure my reasoning is disregard for the most serious responsibility of our explained but be clear that I am adamant that this is profession; the legitimate and discriminate take of life. right for the Army." "I wish to reiterate that the use of "As soldiers our purpose is to serve the state, symbology/iconography is uncommon within Army. employing violence with humility always and The overwhelming majority of force elements are very compassion wherever possible. This symbology to much on the right path," he said. which I refer erodes this ethos of service." When approached by the ABC the Department of Defence issued the fol - lowing short statement: The Chief of Army issued an internal minute to all Commanders on 17 April, 2018 to reinforce that all symbols, emblems and iconography used across the organisation must align with the Army values of courage, initiative, respect and team- work. Death symbol ogy demonstrates a general dis - regard for the most serious responsibility of the Army's profession; the legitimate and discriminate taking of life.
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Michael Parker Foundation Kshamawati Hostel Project, Nepal
In late 2017 my partner Drew Gordon and I under - consists of 85% Thamis people took a very special journey to a remote area of Nepal who are a highly marginalised to experience an extraordinary welcome and celeb- ethnic group. With 90% of this ration. community living below the In 2009 the beloved eldest son of Bruce & Gail poverty line and 78% of the people illiterate it seemed Parker and brother to Amy & Dan passed away un- that a residential hostel attached to the school would expectedly in Kathmandu after having just summited be ideal to assist needy students to concentrate on Makalu. At 8500m, Makalu is considered far more their education with the attention and guidance of difficult than Everest, a mountain Mick was determined teachers. to conquer after a previous disaster a few years prior. The proposed hostel was to be a 2-storey stone Michael was a climber and adventurer who managed to building with a girls’ wing on one side, a boys’ wing on summit five of the Himalayas’ 8,000m peaks and the other and a service and study area in the middle. attempt eight others, including Everest from the north. Each wing would have 10 dormitories over 2 floors and This was even more remarkable given that he climbed would accommodate up to 240 students. The service without oxygen. section in the middle will have a kitchen and dining Drew and I knew Michael personally with fond hall. The building would have biomass toilets and solar memories as a trek companion on the Kokoda Track as water heaters. The building would be built locally using well as a periodic running companion around the hills brick, stone, mud mortar and local timber with earth- of Warrandyte. Mick was a little quirky and always did quake resistant technology. things in his own quiet way. In 2015, Rob Prior, one of the six Trustees of the Before Mick passed away he had indicated that he MPF, travelled to Nepal to assist in the initial building would like to give back to the people of Nepal with of the hostel. Shortly after his visit, Nepal experienced whom he had such a bond. He dreamed about an earthquake which was particularly devastating to the supporting schoolchildren whose remoteness and people of the area in which the hostel is being built. family circumstances prevented them from gaining an Although the hostel foundations were not badly education. affected, the school and neighbouring village was And so the Michael Parker Foundation (MPF) was impacted upon. As the hostel is being built by local formed by his mother and father – Gail & Bruce as well craftsmen, the earthquake had a major impact on the as his younger siblings Dan & Amy to honour the life of progress of the building. Mick and to provide disadvantaged Nepalese children Some two-and-a-half years after the earthquake, with educational opportunities. Drew and I were given the opportunity to represent the In 2015 with the generous assistance of World MPF and to visit the Michael Parker Hostel. Expeditions Foundation (WEF), a landmark project was The hostel building is being coordinated and proposed. supervised by a very impressive alumni group con - The Kshamawati Higher Secondary School is sisting of an architect, past students and principals as located some 150km north east of Kathmandu in the well as leading Nepalese business people with diverse beautiful Kalinchok hills. It has about 420 students and international experience and education. was founded in 1947. The local Kshamawati village After travelling 150km for 8 hours in a 4-wheel drive
Students assembled for the opening of the Girls’ Hostel building in progress Michael Parker Hostel
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on very challenging roads from Kathmandu, then a 1km Michael Parker Foundation Alumni has informed us walk to the Kshamawati Hostel, we understood the that the hostel is now housing 33 female students on a remoteness of the hostel. We also understood how trial basis for 3 months. This will give the girls the difficult it could be for children to get to school opportunity to concentrate on their studies for their regularly. upcoming exams. A teacher has been assigned as a On our arrival at the school we were totally over - Warden and an all-important experienced cook has whelmed by the greeting offered by students, the been engaged to look after the girls. Alumni and officials. We were given a very ceremo - Work is progressing on the boys’ wing and they will nious welcome with speeches, dancing and the official be occupying their accommodation in the near future. cutting of the opening ribbon. We were very excited to be present for the opening We were given a guided tour of the hostel and were of this important project and know that Michael in his very pleased to see the ongoing progress. Bunkrooms own quiet way would have been thrilled that his legacy were completed and were about to be furnished with lives on. beds and lockers with a goal to have initial female For information on how to donate to the MPF or to students accommodated early in 2018. purchase a copy of Spirit High - the Michael Parker Since our visit, the Chairman of the Kshamawati Story, go to www.michaelparkerfoundation.org.au
Official opening and dedication to Michael Parker The first group of students to be accommodated in the Hostel
ODE TO THE FIRST JUMP An oldie but a goodie from PTS Nowra when I did my course.
"Check equipment" the dispatcher cries You're falling now and you start to scream And the Lord's prayer is lost in "Centre pack ties" As you're whirled around in the old slip stream. The static line is held is held in one clammy hand With your eyes tight shut and head down and pray And your gear is held on by one "lackey band" And a voice that's yours squeaks "Canopy OK" Your mouth is dry and you need to throw up But the rigging lines, oh God what to do? But your helmets on and your mouth is clamped Is it the kicking method or stirring for you? shut. You've forgotten observation so steering next "Actions Stations" the cry is clear So it's three big pulls and time for a rest But right - left - right won't hide your fear. No fool you must pull down Oh God be a pal It's only 50 feet from you to the ground And save me from a total "mal" Front side or back, it depends on the sway But before there is time to ponder Knees and feet together, elbows in is the way The orders there, "stand in the door!" The ground rushes, it's a sicken sight From all sides there comes advice You decide to do a back left and do a side right "feet together or pay the price" You lie there and think you are dead The green light is on, the word is GO! When a voice hollers out "what's your name Hand quits static line and "oh no no no" dickhead".
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Leaving the ADF
At some point in their career, all ADF members will nationally throughout the year. You’ll receive leave the military and transition to civilian life. It’s a information from Defence and other organisaitons on significant decision that can involve your family. topics like finance and superannuation, health, Planning early will make sure you’re informed and relocating, employment, and ex-service organisation ready to enter the next phase of your life. support. You must complete your transition with ADF Transition Support Services so you understand the ADF Member and Family Transition Guide process, your administrative requirements, and the The ADF Member and Family Transition Guide – A support available to you. We encouage you to involve Practical Manual to Transitioning contains detailed your family throughout your transition experience. information on the transition process for ADF members. The Guidce includes information on support Transition support network services and administrative reuqirement. It includes Transitioning to civilian life is a shared responsibility. checklists to help you navigate transition process. When you decide to leave the ADF you should engage with your family, your Unit, and ADF Transition Support Services. Your Unit can speak to you about the transition process and connect you with your local ADF Transition Centre. Your Centre will introduce you to a Transition Support Officer who will help you and your family through the transition process and: • provide you with an individual transition plan • offer career coaching during your transition and up to 12 months afterwards • help you meet your administrative requirements • help you leave with all documentation like service, medical, and training records • facilitate connections to Defence and govern- ment support services
ADF Transition Seminar You and your family can attend an ADF Transition Serminar at any time during your ADF career to help you prepare for your transition. Seminars are held
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BOOK REVIEW Leadership Secrets of the Australian Army Brigadier Nicholas Jans (Retired) OAM Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 2018 Reviewed by Jim Truscott
I was drawn by the catchy title as I have spent and post mortems. Essentially ethos, professional eighteen years as a consultant providing leadership practice and teamwork underpin the described mentoring and management advice to multinational leader ship code of practice. and national corporations in 41 countries, preceded I was challenged by the author’s statement that not by twenty-six years as a strategic group manager and everything that the military does has a civilian parallel leader of operational teams in high-risk international but that there are more similarities than realized. The engagements. Having held six command appoint- reality is that it is easier to motivate and organize in ments in operational Army units I was to find that the the military than it is in business as there is a basis of title is a misnomer as there is really nothing secretive trust in the military. In business, trust only exists within about leadership in the military or business. the confines of a contract and even then it is a Written in a similar vein to Donald Krause’s Sun Tzu completely different battlefield as loyalty does not The Art of War for Executives (1996) and as well as exist in business other than to one’s self. Leadership is Stanley Bing’s Sun Tzu Was a Sissy, The Real Art of only a necessity in business in crisis situations where War (2006) it caused me to reflect on my own there is uncertainty and risk (of failure) in abundance leadership and management experiences in business otherwise leadership in normal business is more akin and in the military. The book is as much about to guerrilla warfare where there are constantly shifting followership as it is leadership and the text reminded allegiances. Furthermore business is a war where you me very much of my own leadership training at sleep with the enemy every day. The (business) war Duntroon in the mid-1970s by bemedalled instructors. goes on and on and on and there is nothing you can Nick Jans coins the Captain-Coach model which is do to stop it except fight in it until either you or it is authoritative, but affiliative and egalitarian as the basis done. Business is not like war in this one critical of the Army’s success with leadership as the catalyst. aspect. Unlike military operations there is no end to He author further uses the Mission-Team-Me construct business. People die, only to pop up again in another to describe an underpinning ethos in the military location. You win on Friday and then you loose on similar to the perhaps more simplistic ‘individual Monday. needs, groups needs and goal’ model inculcated in All of that said it is an easy to read leadership my cohort in the mid-1970s. Did these new words just descanter for anyone seeking to take charge be they repeat the older ethos in another way? There was a digger spokesperson or a doyen in business. really nothing new (to me) but the thesis is presented Leaders and followers will find this book equally of in a much more practical way as it is full of con- value as the author rightly says, the more you know temporaneous gems much better than a bland about it, the better you will go. leadership pamphlet. The basis of the ‘secrets’ is the central theme and separate chapters on each of the 3-Rs of representing, relating and running the team and their apparent liking to success in business through many examples of people who have worked in both spheres. Representing is just leading by example, doing the right thing, giving direction and meaning, and manage ment by walking around. Relating is supportive people management, knowing your troops, subordinates to you but no less important, coaching and counselling, being firm and fair but not friendly. Running the team is to be good at the basics, delegation and sensible autonomy, mission command
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Recognising and acting to repair traumatic stress injury By Prof Zachary Steel, St John of God Professorial Chair for Trauma and Mental Health
Human beings are equipped with innate response Research suggests 3 important facts about such con - systems optimised to support and maximise the capacity of ditions: individuals to respond effectively when faced with extreme (1) there is no absolute immunity from acquiring a traumatic threat, danger and moral burden. The work of special forces stress injury including amongst highly trained, capable service members will result in these processes being placed individuals; under enormous challenge and stress at times. It appears to (2) the risk of acquiring such an injury increases with the be a normal human response following exposure to an number of exposures, severity and intensity of traumatic especially traumatic or troubling incident that an individual incidents; will experience heighted emotional reactivity and a range of (3) there are treatments that have demonstrated a capacity intrusive reminders of the incident. These processes may well to reduce the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder be critical in assisting humans to down-regulate the stress and restore functional capacity. response system and allow a return to functioning after such If you, or those close to you, believe you have sustained a critical incident. Training, institutional support and event a traumatic stress injury that is not resolving as you would preparation can support the capacity of individuals to endure like, it may be time to reach out for assessment and treat - such incidents and to operate effectively under high stress ment. and threat environments. There are a number specialist hospitals and clinics in It is when these such post-incident reactions endure and Australia that specialize in working with currently and ex- fail to settle or subside over a reasonable amount of time serving defence personal who have experienced traumatic leading to reduced functioning that a traumatic stress injury stress injuries (see list of services at http://phoenix- may have occurred. Loss of functioning associated with a australia.org/recovery/veterans-ptsd-programs/). St John of traumatic stress injury may be most apparent in life outside of God Richmond Hospital has been a leading treatment facility the service environment where the stress-response reactions for service-related PTSD for more than 20 years. We can help are more clearly incosistent with everyday life activities. While link you to doctors and clinicians able to work with you to such injuries may recover without specialist treatment, understand the nature of your injury and to work with you to evidence suggests that a substantial proportion of such develop a treatment and recovery plan. injuries will endure for prolonged periods of time depleting an individual’s resources and capacities leading to disability.
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LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE WALL
A little history most people will never know. • The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam scrappiest high school football and basketball teams Memorial Wall in the US. that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop There are 58,267 names now listed on that 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed polished black wall, including those added in 2010. roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode The names are arranged in the order in which they horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the were taken from us by date and within each date the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic names are alphabetised. It is hard to believe it is 61 camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the years since the first casualty. nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group • The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, in the Marine Corps. Their service began on of North Weymouth, Mass. Listed by the U.S. Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home. Department of Defense as having been killed on • The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends of his son, Marine Corps LCpl Richard B. Fitzgibbon and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived • There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall. only a few yards apart. They played ball at the • 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger. adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to • 8,283 were just 19 years old. Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all • The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old. three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on • 12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old. Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John • 5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old. F. Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 • One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old. hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead • 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam. assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor • 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Remembrance Day. Vietnam. • The most casualty deaths for a single day was on • 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths. • Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. • The most casualty deaths for a single month was • 54 soldiers attended Thomas Edison High School in May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred. Philadelphia. I wonder why so many from one school For most Americans who read this they will only see • 8 Women are on the Wall, Nursing the wounded. the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of • 244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor us who survived the war, and to the families of those during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of these numbers created. We are, until we too pass her sons. away, haunted with these numbers, because they were • West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and capita in the nation. daughters.There are no noble wars, just noble • There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall. warriors.
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Australian Defence Force Academy Sports and Voluntary Extra Curricular Clubs ADFA offers a range of sporting and voluntary extra-curricular clubs (VECCS) for cadets, encouraging them to compete against and become involved with local and interstate organisations. Sporting Clubs and VECCs currently offered at ADFA include: • Adventure Training • Academy Bands • Academy Board Riders • Anglers • Aviation Interest • Australian Football League • Basketball • Catholics and Friends • Cricket • Crossfit • Community Service VECC • Cyber Security • Cycling • Debating • DJ VECC • Fencing • Flying Disc Association • FOCUS • Hockey • LGBTI • Marathon and Distance Running Club • Maritime Interest • Military History • Military Shooting VECC • Military Skills • Motorcycle VECC • Navigators • Netball • Performing Arts • Photography • Precision Drill Team • Rowing • Rugby • Rugby League • SAE • Sailing • Small Balls Interest Group • Soccer • Squash • Strength & Conditioning • Swimming • Tae Kwon Do • Tennnis • Touch Football • Triathlon • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles • Volleyball • Water Polo • 4x4 VECC For more information go to www.defence.gov.au/ADFA/ CadetLife/Sport.asp
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The Positive Relationship between Physical Activity and PTSD
Exercise has a positive clinical People with PTSD are four times as effect on depressive symptoms and likely to have type 2 diabetes may be as effective as psychological (Lukaschek et al, 2013) and rates of or pharmaceutical therapies for some overweight and obesity are as high individuals with PTSD. Rosebaum et as 92%. To add to these statistics, al, 2014 suggests Physical suffers of PTSD are shown to be activity/exercise is a highly effective less physically active due to a method in reducing symptoms of number of factors including pain, depression and for people dysfunctional and general lack of experiencing other mental health desire or both, according Boscarino disorders. et al, 2004. Evidence demonstrates that an Adding some form of regular appropriate exercise intervention can physical activity can have a achieve significant benefits to significant effect on a sufferer of symptoms, depression, anxiety and PTSD. It’s important to note, the type stress, changes in body shape and of activity doesn’t matter, what sedentary time associated with matters is that the person is moving PTSD, and non-significant trends for and also having fun doing it. If you sleep quality improvement according would like to become physically to Rosenbaum, 2013. active again and help to combat some of your PTSD related The associated symptoms and the symptoms then please consult your improvements may be related to GP and discuss your options for psychosocial benefits of the referral to another health care intervention, rather than functional professional (exercise physiologist or capacity, but there is also a strong physiotherapist) for help with your empirical (observational) link other associated or co-morbid between improvements in functional conditions ie lower back pain, capacity and psychological status arthritis and or obesity. according to the author, 2016.
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COMMANDO NEWS ~ Edition 13 I 2018 41 Commando News Edition 13 2018_Layout 1 21/08/2018 7:46 am Page 42 Commando News Edition 13 2018_Layout 1 21/08/2018 7:46 am Page 43
- A Welcome Breakthrough in Upper Limb Prosthetics
When it comes to multi-articulating upper limb piece of new technology - it is all about delivering real life prosthetics, there have been some great achievements, practicality that improves people's lives." but also mixed results. Well known and accomplished Australian Orthopaedic The engineering challenges are many, with chief amongst Surgeon, Dr Nick Hartnell, has extensive knowledge in them being the robustness and therefore the real this area of traumatic injury and he sees enormous practicality and usefulness of the hand for the end user. advantages in the TASKA hand. About 6 years ago, due to breaking both his wrists in a The precision design and engineering of TASKA(tm) has biking accident, engineer Mathew Jury became made simple what is not in other models. The control acquainted with what it's like to lose the use of a limb. system and the hand mechanism have been made as Thus began an obsession to create a multi-articulating practical as possible so you can do more tasks. You can prosthetic that would dramatically overcome the choose to change grips by hitting a button on the back of weaknesses he clearly saw plaguing the current design the prosthetic hand as well as traditional EMG methods. solutions on offer. The multi-articulating hand mechanism is flexible yet He recognised that currently available myo-electric hands tough in a way that sets it apart. Its open grasp is wide so have two key deficiencies - water resistance and you can pick up more objects. Its grip speed is impressive robustness. - AND, it's waterproof. Following three years of burning midnight oil and two 3D This kind of precision engineering opens the door for printers later, the real breakthroughs began to emerge. practical people to complete many more tasks inside and Mathew knew he was on to something very promising. outside. Mathew gathered a multi-talented team around him, and The TASKA hand stores more than 20 Grip patterns. a growing resource of contractors. With funding for However, most day-to-day activities can be performed research and development TASKA(tm) moved from using just a small set of 3 frequent-use grips: prototype to reality. Today the TASKA(tm) team share the GENERAL GRASP, FLEXI-TOOL and PINCER PRECISION same mission: GRIP. "We are all driven by the same thing. Developing a Dr Hartnell operates out of Bowral, NSW and can be prosthetic hand that is not just a little better, but hugely contacted for further information via email: better. For us innovation has never been about creating a [email protected]
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Australian Commando Association QLD Inc.
www.acaq.org.au
PO Box 185, Sherwood QLD 4075
1941 - 1946 COMMANDO FOR LIFE 19551955 -
President: Nick Hill Secretary: Tony Mills Treasurer: George Mialkowski
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] “STRIKE SWIFTLY & WITHOUT WARNING” The Newsletter Of The Australian Commando Association Queensland
ISSUE 005 MARCH MAY 2018
PRESIDENT – Mr Nick Hill, VICE PRESIDENT – Mr Tony Mills SECRETARY – Mr Graham Gough, TREASURER – Mr Wayne Douglas, SOCIAL MEMBER – Mr Mark Stanieg, SOCIAL MEDIA ADMIN – Mr John Roxburgh, COMMITTEE MEMBERS – Mr Keith Buck & Mr Mick Slattery, DVA ADVOCATE – Mr Paul Copeland, OAM. DVA WELFARE OFFICER – Mr Glenn Cochrane, OAM. GP – Dr Kieran McCarthy, Psychologist – Ms Megan Fry, PADRE – Padre Michael Polkington VICE PATRON – Mr Doug Baird, father of the late CPL Cameron Baird, VC. MG. of 2nd Cdo Regt Web Address – www.commando.org.au Postal Address – PO Box 185 Sherwood, QLD 4075, Email - [email protected]
COMMANDO FOR LIFE PRESIDENT’S WORD elcome to the latest edition of our for the ANZAC Day March in Brisbane with a few new quarterly newsletter, “STRIKE SWIFTLY & faces as well as 96 yr. old WW2 Commando Cec WWITHOUT WARNING”, the Newsletter of O’Brien who refused to get in a buggy (to the absolute the Australian Commando Association Queensland. annoyance to the ANZAC Day organisers), and This quarter has seen the Association take a break marched all the way, well done Cec! After the march a over the Xmas and New Year Periods and we had our luncheon was held with the RMAQ at the Maritime AGM & first meeting for 2017 on Sunday 11 February Museum in Southbank. Next year we are looking at where we elected a new Executive Committee. having a luncheon in Southbank after the March. We Congratulations to all those who were elected or re- will be starting up our Commando Luncheons again elected. We are busily preparing for this year’s events and the first one for 2018 will be on Sunday 27 May in and a detailed list is located on page 28. We do hope Southbank, details to follow. that, as many of you are able to attend this year’s In September we will be conducting Commandos events. The Treasurer and I have sent out renewal Return (Timor Awakening) again, which will be a return notices for membership. Thus far we only have 36 out to Timor Leste available for those who have served our of a possible 75 who have paid their dues. If you nation as a Commando or the family member of a haven’t paid your fees for 2018 please do so ASAP. Commando who unfortunately is no longer with us. Your membership allows us to assist with events and The Expression of Interest will be attached to this organise things for you. newsletter as well as the CR18 Brief. ANZAC Day Dawn services were held across the So I hope that you enjoy our 5th Newsletter and as State and one of our Committee Members, Mick always you are welcome to submit ads or letters, Slattery, conducted a Dawn Service on board an oilrig images etc. platform off the North West Shelf of WA. I had the Commando For Life privilege of laying one of the original QCA wreaths at Nick Hill the Dawn service in Canungra. There was small turn out President
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SIGNIFICANT COMMANDO EVENTS May 1941 No1 Independent Company was raised and trained at Wilsons Promontory Victoria, the home and birthplace of Australian Commando. 17 April 1942 2/5 Cdo Coy arrives in Port Moresby, New Guniea during an air raid.
Unusual suspects at the QCA Wreath at the May 1942 ANZAC Day March Canungra District 2/6 & 2/7 Cdo Coy’s formed at the Guerrilla Warfare Brisbane 2018 Memorial ANZAC Day School, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria. 2018 March 1943 IN THIS EDITION 2/6 Cdo Coy reforms as the 2/6 Cdo Sqn of the Significant Commando Dates ...... p.24 2/7 Cdo Regt at the Jungle Warfare School at Canungra, Qld after returning from New Guniea. First of the First – 1st Independent Company ...... p.25 In Focus – SGT Brett Wood MG. DSM April 1943 2nd Commando Regiment ...... p.27 2/4 Cdo Coy reforms as the 2/4 Cdo Sqn at the Jungle Warfare School at Canungra, Qld after Commandos For Life ...... p.28 returning from Timor. Upcoming ACA Qld Events ...... p.28 May 1943 Books Of Interest– The Commando 53 men of 2/3 Cdo Sqn conducts an attack on by Ben McKelvey ...... p.29 Ambush Knoll in New Guniea against the Japanese Commandos Return ...... p,29 and takes the position. The JIA attempts several counter attacks over several days, but are COMMANDO FOR LIFE repelled each time. 2/5 Cdo Coy reforms as the 2/5 Cdo Sqn of the A Calm Mind 2/7 Cdo Regt at the Jungle Warfare School at MINDFULNESS Canungra, Qld after returning from New Guinea. • Reduce stress & anxiety 2/7 Cdo Coy conducts combat operations in • Reduce PTSD symptoms Bena Bena, New Guinea as part of Bena Force. • Have better sleep • Learn to calm the mind & relax 2/4 Cdo Sqn conducts combat operations against the the body Japanese on Tarakan Island off Borneo. • Stop reactivity and find peace in 2/9 Cdo Sqn lands at Dove Bay, Wewak and the present moment established the beachhead. Join a Day Retreat in Nature and learn evidence-based strategies to calm your 13-19 May 1945 mind and relax your body. Join a small 2/10 Cdo Sqn is surrounded by Japanese troops in group or create your own private group. the Wewak area and fights off numerous attacks. More info: 0430 434 417 – [email protected] 06 May 1969 WO2 Ray Simpson DCM & Bar awarded the Victoria Cross for Valour in South Vietnam. Ray was attached to AATTV from 1 Cdo Coy.
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THE FIRST OF THE FIRST
1ST Independent Company
he 1st Independent Company was formed in damaged. Nevertheless, despite the damage the crew May/June 1941 and was trained at the No. 7 managed to sail the vessel to Kaut where they started TInfantry Training Centre at Tidal River on to repair the damage. As they did so, the commandos Wilsons Promontory in Victoria. Originally the company withdrew across the island to Sook, having received was raised to serve in the Middle East although, at that word that a large Japanese naval force was time there was uncertainty about the role that the approaching the island. company would fill there. Indeed, within the Australian In the early morning of 22 January 1942, the Army there was a section that saw no need for the Japanese landed at Kavieng with between 3,000 and independent companies, believing that they would 4,000 troops. As the lead Japanese troops reached prove to be more of a drain on resources than anything Kavieng airfield, fighting broke out as the small force else. that had remained at the airfield blew up the supply dump and other facilities. Fighting their way out, the Structure commandos withdrew towards the main force at Sook, With an authorised strength of 17 officers and 256 although a number of men were captured in the other ranks, the 1st Independent Company was process. Once the company had regrouped at Sook, composed of a company headquarters consisting of 13 on 28 January they withdrew further south to Kaut, personnel, three 60-man platoons named A, B and C, where they helped with the repair of the Induna Star, each of three 19-man sections numbered in series from before setting out along the east coast of the island. 1 to 9, plus an engineer section of 21 men, a 34-man They reached Kalili Harbour on 31 January but after signals section, a medical section of six men and a learning that the fighting on New Britain was over and transport section with four men. A major commanded that the Japanese had occupied Rabaul, it was decided the company, with a captain as a second-in-command. to sail for Port Moresby. A captain also commanded each platoon, while all sections except the medical and lieutenants Montevideo Maru commanded transport sections. A captain commanded On 2 February the schooner was sighted by a the medical section. Japanese plane, which subsequently attacked, causing considerable damage to the vessel as well as New Ireland & The South Pacific destroying one of its lifeboats and causing a number of In 1941, as the threat of war with Imperial Japan casualties. The Induna Star began taking on water and loomed, the main body of the company was sent to as a result the men were forced to surrender. Under Kavieng, New Ireland, to protect Kavieng airfield whilst escort by a Japanese aircraft and then later a destroyer, other sections were sent to Namatanai on New Ireland, they were instructed to sail to Rabaul where they Vila in the New Hebrides, Tulagi on Guadalcanal, Buka became prisoners of war. After a few months at on Bougainville, and Lorengau on Manus Island to act Rabaul, the officers were separated from their NCOs as observers and provided medical treatment to the and men. The officers were transported to Japan where inhabitants. Commanded by Major James Edmonds- they remained in captivity for the rest of the war, whilst Wilson, in the event of an invasion of New Britain by the NCOs and men, along with other members of Lark the Japanese the 1st Independent Company was Force that had been captured and a number of under orders to resist long enough to destroy key civilians, where put on to the Japanese passenger ship airfields and other military installations such as fuel Montevideo Maru for transportation. Traveling un- dumps, before withdrawing south to wage a guerrilla escorted, the Montevideo Maru sailed from Rabaul on war. They did not have to wait very long, as on 21 22 June. On 1st July 1942, the ship was sighted by an January 1942, a preparatory bombing raid by about American submarine, the USS Sturgeon, off the coast sixty Japanese aircraft attacked Kavieng. A number of of the Luzon, Philippines. The USS Sturgeon torpedoed aircraft were shot down, however, the company's only and sunk the Montevideo Maru, without realising it was means of escape, the schooner Induna Star, was a prisoner of war vessel. Only a handful of the
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Japanese crew were rescued, with none of the ment south of Wau along the Bulldog Track. In the between 1,050 and 1,053 prisoners aboard surviving as process they became the first Australian Army unit to they were still locked below deck. All 133 men from the cross the Owen Stanley Range. In June, a section 1st Independent Company who were aboard the fought alongside the 2/5th Independent Company as Montevideo Maru were either killed or drowned. part of Kanga Force where they participated in a major raid on the Japanese at Salamaua. Eventually, however, New Guinea as a result of the losses suffered during the 1942 Meanwhile, the sections of the company that had campaigns it was decided that the company would be not been with the main group at Kavieng managed to disbanded and as the survivors were transferred to avoid capture by the Japanese. Working with the coast other commando units – with the majority of those in watchers, they reported Japanese movements and Port Moresby being transferred to the 2/5th – the 1st carried out demolitions until they were later evacuated Independent Company was never raised again. or escaped from the islands between April and May Throughout the course of the unit's existence, it 1942. A reinforcement platoon had been trained in suffered 142 men killed in action or died while Australia while the company was deployed and after prisoners of war. One member of the company was completing its training sailed on the Macdui, arriving at awarded the Military Cross. Port Moresby on 10 March 1942. Following their arrival, the platoon was designated the Independent Platoon Port Moresby and initially used for local defence purposes. It was later re- designated as Detachment 1 Independent Company. In April 1942, under the command of Captain Roy Howard, it was moved to Kudjeru, in New Guinea, to guard against possible Japanese move -
Australian POWs in Shikoku, Japan 1942-45, including members of 1st Independent Company
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IN FOCUS SERGEANT BRETT MATHEW WOOD MG. DSM. 2nd Commando Regiment
ergeant Brett Wood MG, DSM was born in one of the most Ferntree Gully, Victoria in 1978. He joined the professional and Army in 1996 and after recruit and initial one of the best S th employment training (IET) he was posted to the 6 Commando SGTs in Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) in the Regiment. Brett Brisbane. In 1998 then PTE Wood successfully under - was buried at took Commando Selection and Training and after Rookwood Military completing the Commando reinforcement cycle he Cemetery in Sydney was posted to the then 4th Battalion, The Royal Aust - on the 3rd of June ralian Regiment (Commando) (4 Cdo) in November of 2011 with full that same year. military honours. At the service at St. Andrews Brett had significant operational experience, his first Cathedral in Sydney, Brett was Posthumously awarded deployment was on Operation Bel Isi II to Bougainville the US Military’s Meritorious Service Medal on behalf of in 2000. In 2001 he deployed to East Timor on the Commander of US Forces in Afghanistan, General Operation Tanager with Bravo Commando Company David Petraeus. (BCC) and in 2003 to Iraq on Operation Falconer again In 2012 Brett was (Posthumously) awarded the with BCC as part of the Special Operations Task Force Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for leadership in (SOTF). After his return from Iraq he successfully Action. completed the Advanced Close Quarter Battle (ACQB) SGT Wood has been awarded the following Course for service with Tactical Assault Group - East decorations; (TAG-E) and was deployed during Operation • Medal for Gallantry Scrummage (Rugby World Cup 2003). • Distinguished Service Medal In 2006 Sergeant Wood deployed to Afghanistan as • Australian Active Service Medal 1975- with clasps: part of the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) East Timor, International Coalition Against Terrorism Rotation III (Rot III) with Delta Commando Company (ICAT) and Iraq 2003 (DCC). During this deployment he was awarded The • Afghanistan Campaign Medal Medal for Gallantry (MG) (Australia’s third highest • Iraq Campaign Medal award for valour), for leadership in action as a Team • Australian Service Medal 1975- with clasps: Commander during this tour. He was also awarded the Bougainville, Counter Terrorism/Special Recovery Unit Citation For Gallantry (UCG) as a member of • Defence Long Service Medal SOTG Rot I, II and III. • Australian Defence Medal He rotated back on to TAG-E in 2007 as a SGT and • United Nations Transitional Authority - East Timor became the Emergency Action (EA) Commander for Medal Land Assault Platoon. During this rotation he deployed • NATO ISAF Medal; on Operation Deluge (APEC Summit) in Sydney and • US Meritorious Service Medal was awarded the Special Operations Commander – • Unit Citation for Gallantry Australia, Commendation for service with TAG-E. In • Meritorious Unit Citation 2008 he became instrumental in the raising of the • Special Operations Command Australia Armed Response Protection Team (ARPT) capability Commendation with in 4 Cdo and during that time deployed several • Infantry Combat Badge. times to Iraq & Afghanistan to provide security to VIPs, • Citation For The Medal For Gallantry dignitaries and members of Parliament. To be awarded the medal for gallantry - In 2009 he again deployed to Afghanistan on Rot X Corporal Brett Mathew Wood this time with Charlie Commando Company (CCC) as a For gallantry and leadership in action as a SGT Section Commander and again on Rot XV in 2011 Commando Team Commander, of the Special as a Platoon SGT with CCC. It was during this Operations Task Group – Task Force 637, whilst deployment during a Counter Narcotic Operation in deployed on Operation SLIPPER Rotation Three support of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Afghanistan, May – September 2006. in Kesh Mesh Khan, Helmand Province, Brett was Corporal Brett Mathew Wood enlisted in the tragically killed in action as a result of stepping on an Australian Regular Army on the 13th of February 1996 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) whilst chasing up and was allocated to the 6th Battalion, the Royal Taliban Insurgents on 23 May 2011. Brett’s death shook Australian Regiment. He later successfully completed the Regiment to its core as he was considered to be Commando training and was posted to the 4th
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Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (Commando) Corporal Wood’s actions in 1998. Corporal Wood’s operational experience on the 17th of July 2006, as a includes deployments on Operations BEL ISI, Commando Team Com- TANAGER, FALCONER and SLIPPER. mander during Operation On the 17th of July PERTH, were testament to 2006 during Operation his leadership, fortitude and PERTH, the Commando sense of duty to his team Platoon was tasked to and the platoon. His deter - conduct the clearance mination to con tinue to lead of an Anti Coalition his team during the battle in Militia sanctuary in the extremely hazardous circumstances despite being Chora Valley, Oruzgan wounded ensured that the Commando Platoon Province, Afghanistan. regained the initiative and contributed significantly to a The Platoon was decisive victory. His gallantry and leadership in the partnered in support of face of the enemy has been of the highest order and in an Infantry Company of the United States Army 10th keeping with the finest traditions of Special Operations Mountain Division. At approximately 1 pm the Infantry Command Australia, the Australian Army and the Company came under heavy rocket propelled grenade Australian Defence Force. and small arms fire on multiple flanks resulting in six COMMANDO FOR LIFE wounded and one soldier killed in action, effectively halting their advance. Through thick vegetation, facing COMMANDOS FOR LIFE large numbers of dispersed Anti Coalition Militia and under heavy fire, the Commando Platoon commenced manoeuvring to provide assistance to the element which was pinned down. During this move the Commando Platoon received a volley of four rockets which impacted in the centre of the platoon’s position resulting in six Australian soldiers wounded in action, a loss to the platoon by one third of its force. Unknown to the Commander at the time, Corporal Wood had also been wounded in the foot by fragmentation from the rocket propelled grenade barrage. In order to regain the initiative, Corporal Wood’s team was tasked by the Commando Platoon Com - mander to assault forward and clear a group of com- The Medal for Gallantry (MG) pounds from which they were receiving Anti Coalition Australia’s third highest award for Gallantry Militia fire. Under these daunting conditions Corporal 30 March 1966 Wood commenced this task without hesita tion, PTE Phillip Stewart, 1st Cdo Coy, completing a rapid and aggressive clearance of Died In Training, Gan Gan, NSW Australia numerous threat compounds. Once achieved, both the United States and Australian elements were free to 27 April 2008 continue with the battle providing the necessary time LCPL Jason Marks, Delta Cdo Coy 4th Cdo Bn, to effect the back loading of the wounded by Killed In Action, Urazghan Province Afghanistan helicopter to the Forward Operating Base. Throughout the afternoon, numerous and relentless 23 May 2011 probing attacks by a determined opponent followed. SGT Brett Wood MG. DSM. Charlie Cdo Coy Corporal Wood displayed extraordinary leadership and 2nd Cdo Regt, courage, inspiring his team and the remainder of the Killed In Action, Helmand Province Afghanistan Commando platoon to repel the continued attacks. He then successfully led a marksmanship team to infiltrate Commando For Life the Anti Coalition Militia held territory killing seven Anti Lest We Forget Coalition Militia. Only after the engagement had been
completed and the threat to the platoon subsided did COMMANDO FOR LIFE Corporal Wood inform his Commander of the frag- mentation wound that he had sustained during the UPCOMING ACA QLD EVENTS original contact earlier that day. Corporal Wood was then evacuated to the Casualty Collection Point where 09 – 19 September 18 - he was provided with medical treatment and later Commandos Return, Timor Leste. extracted. COMMANDO FOR LIFE
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BOOKS OF INTEREST The Commando Commandos Return The Life and Death of CPL Cameron Baird VC. MG. 09 -19 September 2018 By Ben McKelvey Commandos Return is on again for 2018 between Corporal Baird was a modern-day warrior who set 9 - 19 September. If you are a financial member of any a standard that every soldier aspires to achieve.' - Australian Commando Association, or a family member GENERAL DAVID HURLEY of a Commando killed in action your eligible to attend. On 22 June 2013, Corporal Cameron Baird was a 2nd See the flyer for more information and to register your Commando Regiment Special Forces soldier when he interest. led his platoon into a known Taliban stronghold to Commandos Return is an immersion program back-up another Australian unit under heavy fire. In the taking in holistic healing of the mind body and soul as pronged firefight, Cameron was mortally wounded. well as immersing you into the experience of the In 2014, Cameron's bravery and courage under fire Timorese people, landscape and its culture. You will saw him posthumously awarded the 100th Victoria also experience the major battle sights of the Cross, our highest award possible for bravery in the Australian Commandos of WW2, see and hear of the presence of the enemy. Cameron Baird died how he 24-year conflict and eventual independence of the lived - at the front, giving it his all, without any Indonesian occupation and to see where the Post WW2 indecision. He will forever be remembered by his Commandos served from 1999 - 2010. mates and the soldiers he served with in the 2nd Commando Regiment. THE COMMANDO reveals Cameron's life, from young boy and aspiring AFL player, who only missed out on being drafted because of injury, to exemplary soldier and leader. Cameron's story and that of 4RAR and 2nd Commando personifies the courage and character of the men and women who go to war and will show us the good man we have lost.
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