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RUSI VIC NEWSLETTER Volume 10 Issue 2 ± June 2011 Editor: Martin Holme ISSN 1446 ± 4527

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RUSI VIC NEWSLETTER Volume 10 Issue 2 ± June 2011 Editor: Martin Holme ISSN 1446 ± 4527 Victoria Barracks Phone: (03) 9282 5918 *URXQG)ORRUµ+¶%ORFN 256-310 St Kilda Road Fax: (03) 9282 5857 Southbank, Victoria 3006 Email: [email protected] ABN 46 648 764 477 RUSI VIC NEWSLETTER Volume 10 Issue 2 ± June 2011 Editor: Martin Holme ISSN 1446 ± 4527 RUSI VIC Council 2010/11 LUNCHTIME ADDRESS Defence Plaza ± 661 Bourke Street President Commander Warren Kemp RFD RANR Thursday, 30 June 2011 Immediate Past President Brigadier Ian Lillie AM CSC Major General John Cantwell AO Vice Patrons Senior Service Commanders Afghanistan: Vice Presidents Reflections on a Year as the Australian 0DMRU*HQHUDO0LNH2¶%ULHQ&6& National Commander Air Commodore Mike Rawlinson RAAF (Retd) Lieutenant Commander John Redman RAN John Cantwell joined the Army as a regular soldier in 1974. He attended officer training in 1981, and was commissioned Councillors into the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. As a Major, he Major General Ian Freer CB CBE commanded a British tank squadron as an exchange officer Lieutenant Colonel David Ellson RFD ED Colonel Douglas Knight with the British in Germany and served in Operation Desert Flight Lieutenant Brian Surtees RAF Storm with the Coalition forces in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and st Colonel Marcus Fielding Kuwait from 1990±91. In 2004±05 he commanded the 1 Squadron Leader Hugh Dolan RAAF Brigade, and in early 2006 he deployed to Iraq as the Director Strategic Operations, Headquarters Multi National Forces Iraq. Geelong Branch Representative While on this deployment he was promoted to Major General Lieutenant Commander Jim Eldridge RFD RD RAN and was appointed Deputy Chief of Army in January 2007. In 2010 he served as Commander of Australian Forces in Middle Service Representatives East Area of Operations. Defence: Commander Paul Gall RAN RAAF: Wing Commander John Fisher Secretary Captain Martin Holme Time: 11.30 hrs (Tea/coffee) Treasurer 1200 hrs Address Lieutenant Colonel Ian George RFD ED Hon Auditor Admission : Members and Guests : $5.00 Colin Kirkwood Esq For security reasons please advise the Office of your attendance and the names of your guests by email to [email protected] or phone 9282 5918 by UR G E N T PL E ASE N O T E: 5pm Tuesday 28 June. These names are provided to Information in the recently distributed Security to issue Access Passes. If your name is not on Subscription Notices regarding E F T details was the list you will experience a delay in gaining access. Incorrect and should have read:- B A N K : Defence Force C redit Union A C C O UN T: R.U.S.I. of Victoria Remember to bring a photo ID with you. BSB: 83205 A C C O UN T N O: 2070 5571 2 From the Secretary: Vale Captain Martin Holme We record with deep regret the passing of: LCDR H.A. Rhodes DSC Life at the Office is proceeding smoothly and well. The Mr W. Keatley standard of our speakers at our lunchtime gatherings LT B.E. Burke continues to be excellent. BRIG David Coghlan spoke in FLLT J. Ackroyd. 0DUFKRQ³'HIHQGLQJ$XVWUDOLDLQWKH$VLD3DFLILF&HQWXU\ ± )RUFH ´ DQG &2/ %UXFH 0XUUD\ $0 JDYH DQ LT Beatrice E. (Bea) Burke LQWHUHVWLQJ WDON RQ KLV H[SHULHQFHV LQ ³(QDEOLQJ $IJKDQLVWDQ¶V1DWLRQDO6HFXULW\)RUFH´ Bea Burke, who died recently, was a long-time supporter of our Institute, having joined in 1990. She was in her On 19 May, RADM James Goldrick AM CSC delivered the th st 88 year. She was a character and latterly a stoic battler, Blamey Oration ± ³6RPH,VVXHVRI&RPPDQGLQWKH struggling on two crutches, with great difficulty and &HQWXU\´ 7KH 2UDWLRQ LV D ELHQQLDO HYHQW KHOG LQ courage, and enduring considerable pain, in to the conjunction with The Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey Barracks to attend Lunchtime Lectures. Despite these Memorial Fund. The Oration was held at The Shrine of challenges she remained cheerful, positive and Remembrance which proved to be a most suitable venue, sometimes forceful in her opinions! She attended her last and we are grateful for the assistance and cooperation of Lunchtime Address, just a few months ago. WKH 6KULQH VWDII $GPLUDO *ROGULFN¶V WDON ZDV RI WKH highest calibre and will be published in a future edition of She sort of adopted me when I was feeling my way as the Newsletter and in due course posted on the RUSI the new Secretary and I have been very touched by her website. ( ). www.rusi.org.au kindness, her interest in my minor ailments and above all, her sometimes wicked sense of humour. Our next speaker, on 30 June, will be MAJGEN John Cantwell AO, recently returned from Afghanistan where Bea had a great interest in things Military and over the he was the Australian National Commander. He was years assembled a substantial collection of military much in the news during his tour there and it promises to related books, many of which, in recent years, she be a fascinating talk. Please note that this address generously donated to our Library. will be at the Defence Plaza Building, 661 Bourke Street, in the City. In early 1945, Bea was posted as OC 66 AWAS Barracks in Townsville, Queensland. She was responsible for the A recent Meeting with the RUSI Australia National wellbeing and provision of accommodation for Army Secretary, AIRCDRE Peter McDermott, has helped to women working in units in the area. The Barracks also pave the way for better and more informed use of the DFWHG DV D OHDYH DQG WUDQVLW GHSRW IRU DOO ZRPHQ¶V RUSI website and a more sophisticated way of handling services passing to and from the South-West Pacific area. our Membership data base. More about this in future Newsletters. Bea was there for VP Day on the 15 August 1945 and in KHURZQZRUGV³UHPHPEHUHGWKDWDOOXQLWVZHUHRUGHUHG Program Dates for 2011 to remove distributors from army vehicles to prevent any over enthusiastic troops from going wild and crashing 28 July 3URIHVVRU 0LFKDHO /¶(strange, Director, WKHP´ +HU VHFRQG UHFROOHFWLRQ ZDV ³EHQHDWK DOO WKH 1DWLRQDO 6HFXULW\ &ROOHJH ³$XVWUDOLD¶V (YROYLQJ 1DWLRQDO elation, I could not help wondering what the future held 6HFXULW\&RPPXQLW\DQGWKH&KDOOHQJHVLW)DFHV´ since, like so many others, I had only known a world at war as a young adult. The distributors were replaced 25 August CAPT Brad White RAN, Director, Joint DQGLQWLPHZHKDYHDOOOHDUQHGZKDWWKHIXWXUHKHOG´ Amphibious Capability Implementation Team (TBC) In August 2005, Bea answered the call and returned to 29 Sept TBA Townsville to join the 60th Anniversary celebrations of VP 27 Oct TBA ± Annual General Meeting Day. It was a memorable visit, which she writes well 8 Nov Annual Luncheon about, in an article published in our November 2005 24 Nov TBA Newsletter. 13 Dec Christmas Drinks Her funeral was well attended by a host of diverse New Members friends and associates and as is so often the case on Since our last issue we welcome the following new such occasions we all learned much that we had Members : previously been unaware of about a remarkable human being. MAJ A. Ng; COL J.C. Coulson OAM RFD ED; COL M.F. Brandy CSM; LTCOL J. Cooke; Martin Holme COL B. Murray AM; Mr G.J. McMullen; LEUT D. Smith RAN; LTCOL R.J. Hart RFD. 3 Anzac Day continues to be well-supported in the From The President: community and I am impressed by the increasing Commander Warren Kemp interest shown by young people, particularly this year when Anzac Day became entangled with Easter. The form of the Anzac Commemoration will undoubtedly change with the passage of time, but the interest of the young people of today is a good indication that this National Day to commemorate the fallen in all wars will persist in Australia and New Zealand for a very long time to come. Our thoughts at this time are drawn to the recent tragic deaths and casualties in the current war in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries and our sympathy is with their relatives and colleagues. Our duty, as RUSI Victoria, is to inform and educate our Members and the general public regarding matters of Defence and I am pleased to report that Captain Mark Hill, RAN, the National Security so that our Armed Services are given Commanding Officer of HMAS Cerberus and Senior Naval full support, in the knowledge that their sacrifices shall Officer, Victoria, has accepted my invitation to become not be in vain. Vice Patron of the Royal United Services Institute of Victoria. The Constitution of RUSI Victoria provides for I have had the honour to represent RUSI Victoria several the appointment of the Governor as Patron and three times during the last three months. On 1 May the Vice Patrons, who are to be the Senior Officers of the Victorian Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and three Armed Services in Victoria, and these arrangements Women ( VAJEX ) held their annual Anzac Service at the are now proceeding. Although HMAS Cerberus is situated Mount Scopus School in Burwood and this was well- at some distance from Victoria Barracks, we welcome attended by some 200 people. Captain Hill and look forward to a close association with the Navy and to his involvement with RUSI Vic to the The RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch held a function at the St extent that he is able, as has been the tradition in the Kilda Town Hall on 21 May, commemorating the 70th past. Anniversary of the Battle of Crete in May 1941 that was well-attended by 150 members and guests. There were As mentioned by our Secretary, the Officers of Council several speakers, highlighting the contribution of the held a meeting on 30 May with the National Secretary, Merchant Navy to the war effort, followed by a short Air Commodore Peter McDermott.
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