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BATTLE for AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER a PROUD SUPPORTER of the RAAMC ASSOCIATION Inc Semper Paratus 5 FIELD AMBULANCE RAAMC ASSOCIATION Established 1982 SPRING ISSUE 2019 BATTLE FOR AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER A PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE RAAMC ASSOCIATION Inc. WEB SITE: www.raamc.org.au 2 5 Field Ambulance RAAMC Association Patron: COL Ray Hyslop OAM RFD Office Bearers PRESIDENT: LTCOL Derek Cannon RFD– 31 Southee Road, Richmond NSW 2753 (M) 0415 128 908 HON SECRETARY: Alan Curry OAM—35/1a Gordon Close, Anna Bay NSW 2316 (H) (02)4982.2189 (M) 0427 824 646 Email: [email protected] HON TREASURER: Brian Tams—453/1 Scaysbrook Drive, Kincumber NSW 2251 (H) (02) 4368 6161 COMMITTEE: WO 1 Warren Barnes OAM Mobile: 0409 909 439 Fred Bell (ASM) Mobile: 0410 939 583 Barry Collins OAM Phone: (02) 9398 6448 Ron Foley Mobile: 0422 376 541 Ann Jackson Mobile: 0407 236 724 CONTENTS VALE (Reg Lawrence, Garry Flood, Peter Paisley) -------------------------------------------- Pages 3-5 POEM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 5 LIFE MEMBERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 6 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE/POEM/SICK PARADE ---------------------------------------------------- Page 7 SECRETARY’S MESSAGE/POEM/Story/KIND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -------------------- Page 8 ITEMS OF INTEREST ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pages 9-13 POEM/Story ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 14 MESSAGES FROM MEMBERS -------------------------------------------------------------------- Pages 15-17 Reserve Forces Day-Newcastle (Summary)/VP Day (Details) -------------------------------- Page 18 RF Day Newcastle Speech (COL J Cameron) ------------------------------------------------------ Page 19 Battle For Australia (Details)/Story -------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 20 NEW MEMBERS/ITEMS OF INTERST (Cont.) ------------------------------------------------------- Page 21 HAPPY BIRTHDAY/Story ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 22 Clarence Power WW 1 Diaries (Continue Part 4) -------------------------------------------- Pages 23-26 Fund Raiser/Apply to join/Late Subscribers/THANK YOU ------------------------------------- Page 27 Activity Sheet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 28 ADVERTISEMENTS: Any enquiries for advertisements in our magazine, please contact Alan Curry or any committee member (details are listed above) We are not a Charity, we are a ‘Not-For-Profit’, community-based organisation and we are unincorporated, and have been since 1982. DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in our quarterly newsletters are not necessarily those of our Patron, Executive or Committee. We welcome any input as long as it is not offensive or abusive but if any member has a problem with a printed article we would like to be informed in order that the author may be contacted. We do encourage your opinion. # Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad! # Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, anymore than standing in your garage makes you a car. # To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research! 3 Reginald (“Reg”) LAWRENCE OAM passed away on the 7th October 2018. It is with much sadness as I write this, mainly because Reg’s passing was mistakenly overlooked by me. He joined us In March 2012 but for some reason which escapes me I overlooked his passing in the December Issue (2018) of the Tobruk House News (which he and Graham Gibson always sends me a copy). I knew Reg was not in good health and our prayers go out to his wife, June. I only met Reg on the one occasion many years ago, when I attended one of their Annual Luncheons to accept the ‘safe-keeping’ of the WW 1 5th Field Ambulance bugle. Reg and June lived in Glen Waverley, Victoria. Reg’s National Servicemen's Sub Branch conducted the RSL Tribute. Reg’s National Service number was 3725294. He was called up and served at the 14 NS Training Battalion from 3rd January 1956 until 9th April 1956. He was then transferred to the CMF on the 10th April 1956 to the 40 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt as a Gun Number. He honourably discharged on the 30th June 1960 with the temporary rank of Bombardier. Reg was awarded the “Australian Defence Medal” and “The Anniversary of National Service 1951-1972 Medal”. His service was attended by many friends and members of the “Rats of Tobruk Association. EULOGY presented by Graham Gibson (Hon Sect of “ROTA”) “I first met Reg about five years ago when I went to my first Rats of Tobruk meeting as an adult. Reg welcomed me and a strong friendship then developed. Reg became involved with the Rats of Tobruk Association in 2001, after Rayda Noble, who had been the Assistant Secretary, had to step down due to her husband’s illness. Reg then took up the role and he could see that the meetings were poorly attended and it looked like the Association was about to close its doors. Reg spent the last 10 years or so resurrecting ROTA, ably assisted by his wife June. He was responsible for advocating a change to the Constitution so that a new category of membership called “Affiliate Members” was introduced. He could see that without this the Association was doomed to failure. Thankfully, today, a robust membership can be directly attributed to Reg’s work. One of his major contributions was to connect various community groups, including the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation with ROTA. The donation of $1.5 Million, from the sale of Tobruk House, enabled the Rats of Tobruk name to be associated with the RCH Neuroscience Fellowship, where each year a recipient receives the Award. Reg encouraged the idea of leaving a legacy that would ensure the name “Rats of Tobruk” lives on. Reg connected so many of the community to ROTA. He encouraged new members and the Association to respond to numerous requests for information about a descendant’s relative and their time in Tobruk. As secretary, he was responsible for many functions at Tobruk House; such as ANZAC Day, Tobruk Sunday at Puckapunyal, School visits, events at the Shrine of Remembrance and visits by special people, such as from the RCH and two Governors-General. He maintained the hall and could be found at Tobruk House on most Sundays, cleaning up! He was instrumental in arranging the veterans to address school children, at the hall, to pass on the history of the Siege of Tobruk, and in his spare time he provided gardening assistance to many veterans and visits to the sick, as well as helping with funeral arrangements. On ANZAC Day Reg would come to Tobruk House and set up. He would pick up the 7th Division AASC Banner and head up to the Assembly Point in the centre of Melbourne and together with his Nasho mates they would carry the Banner down St Kilda Rd to the Shrine of Remembrance. The boys/veterans of the 7th Div AASC were very grateful for this ongoing support. Ron Williamson, the past President of both the 7th Div AASC and Rats of Tobruk Associations, was eternally grateful for this close bond of friendship and support that he shared with Reg. I would like to close with a quote from Donna Aranyi’s OAM successful submission for Reg and June…”In my humble opinion, I believe Reg and June evoke attributes representative of what I’d like to describe as ‘The Australian Spirit’ at its best—hospitality, empathy, kindness, generosity, respect and unconditional commitment to a cause that they feel passionate about, A service-driven existence and always asking..”What can we do to help”? (Cont. to next page) 4 (Cont. from Previous page) Eulogy presented by Glenda Garde “I think I first heard the name ‘Reg’ from my father Neil Barrie, a proud Rat of Tobruk, when he and Tommy Pritchard somehow found themselves ‘conscripted’ onto the ROTA committee (mid 2000s) I would hear, “Reg did this/ Reg said that” and often it would be, “that Reg, he’s a marvel”. Whether it was ANZAC Day or other events, Reg and June Lawrence seemed to do it all! Eventually, I came to the conclusion that Reg and June WERE, in fact, the Rats of Tobruk Assoc…and I was right! …Because, for a long time, Reg was secretary, treasurer, hall keeper, welfare officer and probably others I haven’t even mentioned. Interestingly, with the expansion of the association, these roles are now being undertaken by several people. I marvel at how he did it on his own for so long. Some things are a given, the sun rises in the east….and sets in the west, and every Sunday morning, Reg Lawrence could be found at 44 Victoria Ave Albert Park, broom in hand, rain, hail or shine. He would often visit the hall during the week as well, if he had to collect mail or meet a tradesman there or meet up with visitors who just wanted to have a look around the ‘rathole’. He and June were always first at the hall and last to eat at any functions, and then would clean up and stay back to lock up…. before doing it all again the next time. So, it was obviously hard for Reg to let go, about 18 months ago, but illness meant he had little choice and had to take a step back. Without appearing to preach, there are some things in this world well worth saving. Old buildings for one, newspapers (of the paper variety, not the digital version) is another, and so is the Rats of Tobruk Assoc. and what it stands for. Reg, with great foresight, knew this, and that is obviously why he ‘came to the rescue’ when he did, and for that we are all extremely grateful. As my dad said on many occasions, “If it wasn’t for Reg, there wouldn’t be an association”, and he wasn’t alone in thinking this, as other veterans have often expressed to me a similar view. I suspect that without Reg and June, it would have gone the way of other state-based groups and just ceased to be.
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