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Christmas Greetings Victoria Barracks Phone: (03) 9282 5918 Ground Floor ‘H’ Block 256-310 St Kilda Road Fax: (03) 9282 5857 Southbank, Victoria 3006 Email: [email protected] ABN 46 648 764 477 RUSI VIC NEWSLETTER Volume 13 Issue 4 – December 2014 Editor: Martin Holme ISSN 1446 – 4527 Christmas Greetings 2 Royal United Services Institute of Victoria Incorporated RUSI VIC Council 2014-15 President December Newsletter Commander Warren Kemp RFD RANR Immediate Past President Contents: Brigadier Ian Lillie AM, CSC 3 From the President Vice Patrons Captain Stephen Bowater OAM, RAN 4 From the Secretary 5 Opinion - The Spirit of Anzac and Australia’s Vice Presidents National Day Major General Mike O’Brien CSC Mike Rawlinson Air Commodore Mike Rawlinson RAAF (Retd) Lieutenant Commander John Redman RAN 6 Geelong Branch Notes Councillors Major General Ian Freer CB, CBE 7 Book Review – An Unqualified Success Squadron Leader Hugh Dolan RAAFR Peter Golding Lieutenant Commander Jim Eldridge RFD, RD RAN Reviewed by Roger Buxton Lieutenant Commander Roger Buxton CD, RCN Lieutenant Colonel Neville Taylor RFD Lieutenant Colonel Bob Hart RFD 8 Book Review – The Secrets of the Anzacs Raden Dunbar Geelong Branch Representative Reviewed by Neville Taylor Lieutenant Commander Jim Eldridge RFD, RD RAN 9 Book Review - Cambridge History of the Service Representatives First World War, Vol 1 RAAF: Wing Commander John Fisher, RAAFR Jay Winter (ed) Reviewed by Michael Small Secretary Captain Martin Holme 10 Book Review - Kyneton Mounted Rifle Corps Treasurer Michael P. Garnett Lieutenant Colonel Ian George OAM, RFD, ED Reviewed by Neville Taylor Honorary Librarian 11-12 Library Notes – Surplus Book Sale Flight Lieutenant Brian Surtees, RAF Cyberlinks RUSI AUST (inc Victoria) www.rusi.org.au RUSI Whitehall www.rusi.org Dept of Defence defence.gov.au Aust Strategic Policy Institute www.aspi.org.au Australia Defence Association www.ada.asn.au RAAF Assoc ‘Williams Foundation www.williamsfoundation.org.au Defence Reserves Association www.dra.org.au Defence Force Welfare Association www.dfwa.org.au Military History and Heritage Victoria www.mhhv.org.au Department of Veteran’s Affairs www.dva.gov.au Shrine of Remembrance www.shrine.org.au Opinions expressed in the RUSI VIC Newsletter are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Institute. 3 From The President: think that ‘Australian history began with Gallipoli’, because they have not heard about earlier events! History deserves considerably better teaching than this! Commander Warren Kemp RFD, RANR The AGM in October was followed by GPCAPT Carl Schiller, with an interesting address on the ADF employment category restructure, known as Project Suakin, giving an update on the previous address in 2013. The name ‘Suakin’ is derived from the name of the Red Sea Port in the Sudan that was used by the New South Wales Contingent sent to assist in subduing the Mahdi in 1885, thus adding to our Australian history! In November a very interesting and topical address was given by LTCOL Dan Mori, USMC (ret), on the recent introduction and use of drones for surveillance, intelligence-gathering and as weapons platforms for targeted attacks. There was much interesting discussion regarding the moral and ethical considerations involved and when these attacks might be The year has passed very quickly and I thank you once again justified. On this occasion, I was pleased to welcome GPCAPT for electing me to the position of President at our AGM in Doug Roser as our visitor, as he is the Immediate Past October. This is a great honour for me and I shall continue to President of RUSI NSW and was formerly my colleague on the do my best for the good of the Institute. Thank you for your National Council. support of our excellent Council, without whom the Institute would cease to flourish. It also gives me the opportunity to Several of our recent addresses have been associated with thank our diligent and hard-working Councillors and Volunteers book launches, so we have decided to separate the book for continuing their great support of RUSI Victoria by saying launches from our traditional addresses and to hold them at a “BZ” for a job well done! The Institute is fortunate to have had different time and place. The first of these was held on stability from the Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer and the Thursday 4 December 2014, in association with the Honorary Auditor, Mr Colin Kirkwood, until he died recently Camberwell City RSL, where their facilities were kindly offered after many years of dedicated service to RUSI. The Council has by the President, Mr John Frewen, who is also one of our gradually changed over the years, allowing the introduction of members. The book launched was ‘The Nashos’ War’, written new talent and ideas to re-invigorate the Institute. On this by Mark Dapin and published by Penguin Books, Australia. occasion, I have to report that COL Marcus Fielding decided to Mark spoke of his reasons for writing the book, the methods retire after four years of service, particularly on the Speakers by which he had found participants in the Vietnam War after Committee where he arranged a wide range of expert such a long period of time, and his account of some of the addresses for our monthly meetings. I thank him, on your interviews that he conducted. This resulted in a most behalf, for his commitment and support for the Institute both interesting detective story with some unexpected twists and on Council and while carrying out this necessary function. The we wish him well for this and his next book. vacancy was filled by LTCOL Bob Hart, RFD, who was elected to the vacant position and we look forward to a long and I have represented RUSI at the Remembrance Service at the rewarding association with him on Council. Shrine and at two RSL receptions in November, the latter to launch a CD recording music from WW1. Another very I was unable to attend the Annual National Council Meeting in interesting event was a talk at the Naval Historical Society Canberra for personal reasons, but RUSI Victoria was ably given by one of our Councilors, LCMDR Roger Buxton RCN. represented by BRIG Ian Lillie, our Immediate Past President, The subject of World War 2 Destroyers of the Royal Canadian and I thank him most sincerely for attending in my stead. Navy was relevant and was recorded for our library by our Honorary Librarian, FLTLT Brian Surtees. This recording, along Our principal activity, as an educational Institute, is to promote with many other visual and aural records, is now available to the informed discussion of matters of national security and members in our library. defence amongst our members and, through them, by members of the public at large. This information comes largely Our two social events have again been successful. The Annual from the expert speakers at our monthly addresses. Our Luncheon at the Angliss Restaurant on 17 November was speakers during the last few months have continued this attended by 54 members and guests, with the catering and tradition and have stimulated much discussion amongst the service carried out by senior students of the College. This was audience, which should provide a firm basis from which to followed by an interesting address by our secretary, inform the public and thus achieve our aim. CAPT Martin Holme, who spoke of “The BAOR Wars”, being another episode in the history of his life in the British Army. In September, Prof Marilyn Lake spoke on ‘The Militarisation of Australian History’, raising a number of very interesting Our annual ‘At Home’ on 9 December following the last Council concepts. Important historical events are often associated with meeting is a way to say ‘Thank You’ to our members and military activities and conflicts, but not always. We are very people from Victoria Barracks who have assisted us during the fortunate in Australia that the nation did not arise from armed year. This leads to our traditional seasonal greetings to all of conflict. Many very important activities such as the our members and friends and to RUSI members in the other Constitutional Conventions in the late 1800s did not receive States. May good health, good fortune and great happiness be sufficient attention from historians, but military activities yours in 2015, with best wishes from me personally and from during the World Wars had much greater direct personal your Council. effects on historians and on the general population. In addition, University History Departments have been reduced, Yours Aye, with consequent reduction in the quality of teaching of Warren Australian History in schools. It appears that many students 4 From The Secretary: Captain Martin Holme It has been a busy time since the last Newsletter with highlights being three outstanding Monthly Addresses and an enjoyable Annual Luncheon at the Angliss Restaurant. At this, your Secretary reminisced about his days serving in Germany with the British Army of the Rhine. The photograph shows him leading the British contingent at the farewell parade for SHAPE Commander, General Spiedel – an occasion about which he spoke. The Annual General Meeting at the end of October was well attended and saw all Office- Bearers re-elected. LTCOL Bob Hart was elected to Council to replace retiring Councillor, COL Marcus Fielding. Marcus will be Martin Holme - BAOR much missed on Council and we are all deeply _______________________________________ appreciative of his achievements over recent years, especially in providing us with such excellent speakers New Members for the monthly Addresses. Since our last issue, we welcome the following new Defence Force security has been tightened and we are Members: now on Safe Base Charlie.
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