Issue126 – Apr 2016
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CASCABEL Journal of the ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION (VICTORIA) INCORPORATED ABN 22 850 898 908 ISSUE 126 Published Quarterly in APRIL 2016 Victoria Australia See article on #18 Article Pages Assn Contacts, Conditions & Copyright 3 The President Writes 5 Letters to the Editor 6 VALE Brig Keith Rossi AM OBE RFD ED (Retd) 8 VALE Ssgt Barry Irons 10 Women in Combat 12 Lithgow business making Diggers' new rifle 13 Letters to the Editor (cont.) + The Last Fighter Pilot of WWII 14 JAPANESE RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHT OVER MELBOURNE 15 ARTICLE FROM “PACIFIC STARS & STRIPES” 22 Sep 1970 18 Wojtek (continued from page 1 20 Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal. 20 Honoured...WW2 vet who saluted Iraq heroes 22 Season’s Greetings from our troops overseas 24 Writes of passage for ‘forgotten army’ 25 Cutting-edge hot air balloon, 26 Explosive Detection Dog and Handler Sculpture Dedication 27 2016 Coral National Gunner Dinner 28 Determined to serve 29 Remembering Tobruk in 2016 31 ‘Gate Guard’ Grand Slam bomb – was actually LIVE!!!! 32 Commemorations Recognising our KIAs in Vietnam: 33 Mount Schanck Trophy Re-established 34 Parade Card/Changing your address? See cut-out proforma 35 Current Postal Addresses All mail for the Editor of Cascabel, including articles and letters submitted for publication, should be sent direct to: Alan Halbish 115 Kearney Drive, Aspendale Gardens Vic 3195 (H) 9587 1676 [email protected] 2 CASCABEL FORMER PATRONS, PRESIDENTS & HISTORY FOUNDED: JOURNAL NAME: CASCABEL - Spanish - Origin as small bell or First AGM April 1978 Campanilla (pro: Kaskebell), spherical bell, knob First Cascabel July 1983 like projection. COL COMMANDANT: Brig P Alkemade RFD CASCABLE - English spelling. PATRONS and VICE PATRONS: ARTILLERY USE: 1978 After 1800 AD, it became adjustable. The breech Patron: LT GEN The Hon Sir Edmund Herring is closed in large calibres by a CASCABEL(E) KCMG, KBE, DSO, MC, ED screw, which is a solid block of forged wrought iron, screwed into the breech coil until it pressed Vice Patron: BRIG Sir William Hall KBE, DSO, ED against the end of the steel tube. In the smaller calibres, the A bore tube is carried through to 1982 form the CASCABEL(E) Patron: BRIG Sir William Hall KBE, DSO, ED [Ref: “Text Book on Fortification Etc”, Royal Vice Patron: MAJ GEN N. A. Vickery CBE, MC, ED Military College, Sandhurst, by COL G. Philips, RE, 4th Ed, Ch-1, P9, para 28, 1884]. 1999 [Source: COL Alan Mason, Vic, May 1993]. Patron: BRIG K. V. Rossi AM, OBE, RFD, ED Vice Patron: MAJ GEN J. D. Stevenson AO, CBE CASCABEL HISTORY: The name was put forward by the first editor, 2008 LTCOL Rob Gaw, and accepted because of its Patron: BRIG K. V. Rossi AM, OBE, RFD, ED unique and obvious Artillery connection. Vice Patron: ASSOC LOGO: LAPEL BADGE: Our Assoc Logo and Lapel 2016 Badge is the 1800 AD 9 Pdr Patron: MAJGEN J. E. Barry AM, MBE, RFD, ED Waterloo Field Gun. Copy Vice Patron: is taken from Device, Badge and Motto of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, as approved in 1833, by HM King William IV. PRESIDENTS: The Badge is a copy of the left arm brass gilded 1978 MAJ GEN N. A. Vickery CBE, MC, ED gun once worn by GUN SGTS above the chevrons 1979 MAJ GEN J. M .McNeill OA, OBE, ED on each arm. Brassards worn by IGs at North 1981 COL A. (Sandy) Mair ED Head were embroidered with this insignia. It 1984 MAJ P. S. (Norman) Whitelaw ED differs from the logo in that the badge has been cast with the rammer in a different position and 1988 BRIG K. V. Rossi AM, OBE, RFD, ED the end of the trail has been reduced in length. 1991 MAJ M. Taggart RFD, ED Selected by MAJ Warren Barnard, 1984 Assoc 2004 MAJ N. Hamer RFD Committee 3 RAA ASSOCIATION (VIC) INC CONTENTS AND SUBMISSIONS COMMITTEE The contents of CASCABEL Journal are deter- President: Maj Neil Hamer RFD mined by the editor. Articles or opinions of au- 03 9702 2100 thors & contributors are their own, and do not necessarily represent or reflect the official posi- Vice President: Maj Merv Taggart RFD, ED tion of the RAA Assn (Vic) Inc, Australian Army, 03 9773 3730 the committee, the editor, staff or agents. Secretary: Col Jason Cooke 03 9705 1155 Article style, clarity and conciseness remain the Treasurer: Ssgt Reg Morrell responsibility of the article owner or author. 03 9562 9552 Assist Treas: Bdr James Overall Submissions for the July 2016 issue are required no later than 1 June 2016 unless otherwise arranged with the Editor. Curator: Ssgt Brian Cleeman 03 9560 7116 COPYRIGHT (C) Web Master Maj Carl Sarelius RAA ASSOCIATION (VIC) INC -2000 0447 002 409 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ISSN 1322-6282 Members: Mrs R Decker MEMBERS & KINDRED ORGANISATIONS ADF & Ex-Officio: Col Comdt ACCREDITED RESEARCH: Brig P Alkemade RFD Maj Daniel Cairnes Only Members, Kindred Organisations, ADF and accredited researchers, may copy without prior 2nd/10th Light Bty RAA approval, ORIGINAL articles or items of interest, within this Journal, if the source and author are Cascabel Editor: WO2 Alan Halbish acknowledged. Based on goodwill. 9587 1676 Where the word “Copyright” or “(C)” appear Honorary with an article or where the material has been Auditor: Maj David J Osborne reproduced from a designated source, permis- sion to copy should be sought from the Author Association web site: or Source given. http://www.artilleryvic.org.au COMMERCIAL USE/PRODUCTS & BOOKS VIC BTY CONTACTS Apart from members/kindred organisations/ 2/10 Light Bty 9526 4222 ADF and accredited research, no part of CAS- CABEL is to be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, 38 Light troop 9526 4222 including photocopying or recording by any stor- 8 Chapel St age or retrieval system without written permis- St Kilda sion from the RAA Assn (Vic) Inc, the authors or the referenced source. Reproduction in any 22 Light Troop 8710 2407 manner in whole or part in English or any other 65 Princes Hwy language is prohibited. Dandenong South 4 The President Writes I would like to personally acknowledge the loss of We do have some new members to the Committee Brigadier Keith Vincent Rossi AM OBE RFD ED. from 2/10 and so we look forward to an even I first knew Keith when I was a Cadet Sergeant at 2 greater liaison with the Bty. Fd Regt in the early 1950's However, as I have said before there is always a however, looking around the table I see aging Over the years Keith was a constant presence in faces, and realise that we have to look for some Artillery (except for a time in Signals) and was the driving force behind my being accepted back into younger faces to carry the Association forward. the Regiment after an absence of about 10 years. I am not suggesting that the present members are not doing an excellent job, because they are. He was Patron of our Association. Unfortunately, they carry most of their expertise in Major General James Edward (Jim) Barry has their heads and should we not have them we agreed to take over the role as Patron. I thank him for accepting the position and warmly welcome would be without the proverbial paddle. him. I am sure that he will be a great asset to the Therefore we need back-ups prepared to learn the Association. trade and step into the jobs if and when required. We also lost Barry Irons on the 4th Jan. The areas of expertise that we need apprentices Barry completed his National Service with 20 for are: NSTB, was posted to RAEME and served many President (probably the easiest task); Secretary years posted to various artillery regiments. He (probably the most important and arduous task) retired with the rank of SSgt. and an Assistant Secretary is urgently needed now; Treasurer (we have a volunteer, Bdr James Barry was a member of our Association which he Overall); Membership (needs to be reasonable joined in May 2004. computer literate); and the real workers: Cascabel, He was a regular contributor to Cascabel and webmaster, memorabilia, RAA activities, produced many interesting items. symposiums, luncheons, dinners, balls and other He will be missed in both the Gunner and RAEME social events. fraternities. I emphasise again that I am not in any way The RAA Luncheon was again held at the RACV unhappy with the current committee, but I am Club. I was not able to attend this year, but a trying to ensure that we don't have to re-invent reliable source (Reg Morrell) informs me that 60 the wheel. people attended and a very enjoyable day was If you feel that you can help in any way at all; big held. or small, on the committee or not; do not be shy. ANZAC Day is upon us once more. The information Talk to the Secretary or any member of the from the Bn and the Bty is a bit scarce at this time. Committee for additional information. However, a Dawn Service will be conducted at Sargood Barracks. It will follow the same format as in previous years. We now have a new Committee for 2016. Well, Neil Hamer not so much "new" as "tried and trusted". MAJ (Retd) 5 Editors Indulgence Well, I successfully navigated through 2015 managing to stay out of hospital. I trust my luck will continue. I’ve been pleased to have not had any complaints from readers of the hard copy of Cascabel re the number of links I’ve been providing.