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Listening POSTJUNE 2015 Vol 38 - No 2 ANZAC 2015 The Official Journal of The Returned & Services League of Australia WA Branch Incorporated 2 The Listening Post JUNE 2015 contents 3 Records broken on ANZAC Day 4 VP Day – bitter sweet memories contact: 5 President’s Pen Editorial and Advertising 6 Your Letters Information Acting Editor: Amy Hunt 9287 3700 7 Bits & Pieces Email: [email protected] 8 The Horrors of the Somme Media & Marketing Manager: John Arthur 0411 554 480 11 Fun Run hides burning Email: [email protected] ambition Graphic Design: Type Express 12 Couple recall WWII Printer: Rural Press 14 Domingos de Oliviera Contact Details 16 Memorable Sunset The Returned & Services League Cover: of Australia - WA Branch Incorporated Services Flags of New Zealand and Australia were ANZAC House, 28 St Georges Tce carried together through Perth on ANZAC PERTH WA 6000 17-47 ANZAC Day Services Day to mark the Centenary of the combined PO Box 3023, EAST PERTH WA 6892 around the State forces landing at Gallipoli. Email: [email protected] 48 New Members Website: www.rslwahq.org.au The march by more than 7,000 veterans, Facebook: www.facebook.com/rslwahq ADF personnel, bands and descendants 49 Christmas in July drew tens of thousands of people onto Perth Telephone: 9287 3799 streets to honour our fallen. 50-52 Sub-Branch News Fax: 9287 3732 WA Country Callers: 1800 259 799 In this edition, we devote nearly 30 pages 53 Notices to ANZAC Day services held throughout Contact Directory the State. The RSL hosted services at 54 Crossword and Suduko more than 100 locations and in many towns CEO / State Secretary: these services included events leading up to 55 Last Post and Solutions Philip Orchard AFNI RAN (Rtd) ANZAC Day and involved school children. Assistant State Secretary: Nola Keen ANZAC House & Club Manager: Record numbers of people attended Matthew Holyday: 9287 3714 most services, demonstrating once again Deadline for next Western Australia’s extraordinary support Membership: Andrea Hunt edition: 21 Aug 2015 (Mon-Thurs): 9287 3705 for its serving and ex-serving personnel. Financial Services: On 15 August, Australia will commemorate If possible, submissions should be typed Peter McGlade: 9287 3718 the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific and double-spaced. Preferred method Helen Beech (Mon-Thurs): 9287 3703 Day (VP Day) and The Listening Post has of receiving submissions is via email. Events Manager: Caitlin Harnwell interviewed some who still remember it. Photographs should be colour. This is your Acting Editor & Social Media journal and contributions are welcome. Manager: Amy Hunt Address to: The Editor, Receptionist: Wendy Moss Board 2014-2017 The Listening Post RSL, Records and Information Manager: PO Box 3023 East Perth, WA 6892 Helen Starkie (Tues and Wed): 9287 3713 State President: Mr Graham Edwards AM Email: [email protected] Centenary Program Manager: Vice President: Mr Denis Connelly Opinions expressed by contributors in Sharon Harford 9287 3706 State Treasurer: Mr Phillip Draber articles and reproduced articles are the Support Services: Welfare: State Executive individuals’ opinions or the authors of such Rosalind Howat: 9287 3707 / 0417 905 742 Greater Metropolitan Region: reproduced articles and are not necessarily Snr Advocate: Jim Boland: 9287 3708 Bill Collidge RFD, Scott Rogers, Rick Green those of the RSL. Reproduction of articles (or extracts) contained in The Listening and Gabby Ryan Post are welcomed, provided the source is Great Southern Region: Peter Aspinall Publishing acknowledged. The Editor reserves the right Eastern Region: Donna Prytulak Publishing of The Listening Post: to accept, reject, sub-edit and re-arrange Published 4 times a year and has a Mid West Region: Ross Davies material submitted for publication. readership of over 25,000. Pilbara/Kimberley Region: John McCourt Infringement of Copyright Laws: To all sub-branch Presidents’ and Trustees We cannot accept Newspaper clippings for Secretaries: Send photographs and a Mr Don Blair OAM RFD publication without express approval from short article on special activities at your Mr Wayne Tarr RFD ED the Newspaper Editor as we may infringe sub-branch to The Listening Post. Mr Kevin Trent OAM RFD on Copyright Laws. The Listening Post JUNE 2015 3 Records broken as West Australians commemorate 100 years of ANZAC Our troops were honoured like never before at events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ANZACs landing at Gallipoli. Poppies and crosses were everywhere; magnificent war memorials were dedicated and rededicated; thousands of Veterans and record crowds turned out for RSL services at more than 100 WA locations, as well as in other States and overseas in places like Laos, Istanbul, Villers- Bretonneux, Bullecourt and of course Gallipoli. Kingsley resident Mrs Vivian Jones arrived at Kings Park at 11.30am on Friday, determined to get a good possie for the next day’s Dawn Service. Others arrived within hours and the crowd built toward 80,000. I knew that no matter what we did, or where we went, my mates were watching my back. There were many highlights around WA: Albany’s special combined schools march and service featured 2015 participants from 32 Great • At 11.30am on Friday 24 April, Vivian Jones from Kingsley arrived at the State War Southern schools; Broome’s ANZAC Memorial to claim a great view of the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Kings Park. She was Day drama and dance service didn’t soon joined by her daughter Megan and grand-daughter Aaliyh. leave a dry eye; Fremantle RSL continued its Lazarus-like rebound countries on earth, I often felt safer mates we served with, and we will increasing membership by two-thirds; there than I have ever felt at any other always remember that 100 years ago, Port Kennedy’s Gunfire Breakfast for point in my life,” David told the crowd on the shores of Gallipoli, blood was more than 400 people. of up to 15,000. shed, and lives were lost by heroes in In Perth, we saw two spontaneous freedom’s name, and that a legend was “Because I knew that no matter what standing ovations: for centurion and forged. A legend which makes every we did, or where we went, my mates Red Cross icon Anne Leach who single one of us who we are today.” was announced an RSL ANZAC were watching my back. And I knew that if something were to happen to Dave Singer (24) was praised by of the Year during a special Sunset Governor Kerry Sanderson AO who me, and I had found myself on the Service at Kings Park and for the later noted it was a rare feat to receive considerably younger David Singer, ground, that nothing in that country standing applause. Dave’s speech is who spoke of his tour to Afghanistan would have been able to stop them on www.rslwahq.org.au. Many of the at the Commemorative Service in the from getting to my side.” ANZAC Day highlights are also on the Supreme Court Gardens. Later, he spoke of his physically and RSLWA Facebook site. “It is strange to say that even though mentally wounded comrades and we were in one of the most dangerous added, “We will always remember the 4 The Listening Post JUNE 2015 VP Day – bitter sweet memories VP Day – or Victory in the Pacific – has its 70th anniversary on 15 August and the men and women who went through it will remember that day through different prisms. Delight for those liberated and for many Australian soldiers, relief and even disbelief that it was all over. For Domingos de Oliveira (78), then a child in East Timor, “I remember we were so happy that day, in 1945. That is all I remember.” Keith Hayes (94) has no clear memory of VP Day, but a cast-iron memory of Donabella Martins, the Timorese woman who nursed him to health after he was all but mortally wounded near Comoro River, outside Dili. The former 2/2 Commando recalls, “She did the lot. She outfoxed the Japs.” For Guildford-born Jack Connelly (91), whose Australian flagpole sets him apart from others at the Solomon Rise residential home at Ferndale, there are bitter sweet memories. “We were in standing patrol in Borneo and we’d heard days before of bombs • Jack Connolly has some terrible memories of his years in the Second World War and being dropped in Japan,” recalls Jack, says his feelings on hearing of the Japanese surrender are indescribable. who was with the 2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion. “We thought it was him. One of them is a deep regret he Maurice Lease Coleman, a local 14 just an ordinary bomb – we just didn’t harbours over the death of his best year-old boy Jack met on patrol in know.” mate, Private Charlie ‘Chum’ Herbert Borneo. Maurice was searching for his Stancer, at the hands of the Japanese parents. Jack helped him find his Dad on 10 June 1945. and Maurice, who died in the 1980s, We had one bloke and his family never forgot and has “My best mate was a Fairbridge farm continued to stay in touch. killed three days boy; he joined up at Gingin and they after the war told him he was an orphan (he wasn’t) The war entangled and troubled Jack ended. and he stuck with me because I was Connelly. The former butcher took it like a brother to him,” recalls Jack. in his stride and now looks and acts younger than his years. On 6 and 9 August, American “We were split up and he was a cook bombers had dropped atomic bombs with 2/32nd Battalion and getting an He marched on ANZAC Day through on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima extra bob for it.