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Army Museum of Western Australia the magazine Artillery Barracks Burt Street, Fremantle, WA 6160 Phone: (08) 9430 2535 Email: [email protected] Open 11 am - 4 pm Fax: (08) 9430 2519 Web: www.armymuseumwa.com.au Wednesday - Sunday Autumn 2012 Museum volunteer Wes Olson’s latest book was launched at the Army IN THIS EDITION Museum, before a large crowd of veterans, family and friends. Pictured above left are 2/11th Battalion veteran Gordon Williams (centre), his wife Ÿ Ron “Specs” Fuller retires - Joy and fellow veteran Gordon Arthur Leggett (right). Page 2. Story and more pictures Page 3. Ÿ AMWA contributes to special WA Museum MUSEUM FOUNDERS LOOKING FORWARD exhibition commemorating TO YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT AT AMWA East Timorese help to Australian diggers in Ww2 - Page 8. he founder of the Army museum moved to Fremantle in Ÿ TMuseum of WA, Brigadier Bill 1995 and was reopened in August of Film honouring WRAAC Jamieson, and his wife Norma, who that year. The upgrades taking place and RAANC members founded the museum’s women’s this year are outlined by AMWA scheduled for premiere at auxiliary, are looking forward to Foundation Chairman George Sulc Campbell Barracks in April - seeing the result of the current on Page 6. Page 5. development work at the Artillery Pictured left: Bill and Norma Barracks. Bill retired as Jamieson in the garden of their Commander, 5th Military District, in Dalkeith home this week and, What is that? 1978, but not before he had set the below, in 1994 with Norma’s wheels in motion for the commendation from the Chief of establishment of the museum, the General Staff for her dedicated originally at Dilhorn, in Perth. The service to the women’s auxiliary, which provided much-needed funding for the establishment of the museum. There’ll be a detailed account of their work in the next edition of The Magazine. Clue: It’s the pointy end of the modern version of an ancient weapon, in our Post-45 Gallery. Answer: Back page. “We take the King's shilling, Birds of a feather . oops . plume! we do the King's bidding!” Former cavalrymen farewell “Specs” OLD MAXIM CATALYSES WORK ON HISTORY OF THE 2/11th BATTALION line from an old Scottish folk sale. song was the catalyst needed for Wes and his wife Dale, the Amuseum volunteer Wes Olson to museum's administration manager, bite the bullet and start work on a acquired three old books at an SCF project he'd been planning for some sale. time. “People used to put money in Author Wes Olson, above right, with Wes, who has now written three books books, so I decided to have a quick Willagee MLA Peter Tinley, who on Australian military history, including look through these,” Wes said, launched the book. a substantial tome on Gallipoli that was “and in one of them was a 1966- published last year, had long mintage £10 note – the Queen's Independent Rifle Company at contemplated a definitive history of the shilling!” Karrakatta. 2/11th Battalion - “Battalion into Battle The book was previously owned by “It had links with the 11th Battalion of - the history of the 2/11th Australian a 2/11th veteran, Jack Mott. WW1, as well as the 2/11th in WW2,” Infantry Battalion 1939 - 1945". It was enough to inspire him to he said. The 2/11th was the first Western action and he threw himself into Wes paid tribute to the help he Australian battalion raised for service the task of researching and writing received from a range of organisations overseas during the Second World War. the battalion history. and individuals, including the Australian Army History Unit, eteran QuarterMaster Ron appreciate it running your life Its formation began with the “The book provides a much fuller Department of Veterans Affairs, the “Specs” Fuller has retired from again,” he said. “I want to enjoy appointment of its first commanding framework, from the time the Army Museum of WA, fellow military theV Army Museum, after seven years myself.” officer on 13 October 1939 and by 7 battalion was formed to the time it November it was assembling at the broke up,” Wes said. historians Neville Browning and Ian Army Museum of Western running the museum QM store and Above: Ron Fuller (left) with Northam Camp to begin training. “My story - and the reason for the Gill and Steve Little, of Quality Press. Australia Foundation inventory. AMWA Manager Maj It formed part of the 6th Australian book - starts in the Army Reserve The book is available from the Army Ron (aged 71) spent 35 years in the HenryFijolek, Assistant Management Division of the Second Australian as a 17-year-old in the 11th Museum Shop. Australian Army, mostly in the Manager Capt Wayne Gardiner Imperial Force and saw action in Libya, armoured corps, and served overseas and volunteer Monte Museum Manager Greece and Crete in 1941. in Vietnam and Singapore. His last Montefiusco and the Major Henry Fijolek A large number of the battalion's posting was as QM of the 10 Light museum’s Leopard tank. The Museum Assistant Manager personnel were killed or captured on Horse Regiment at Irwin Barracks. Captain Wayne Gardiner four were members of the 10th Crete and and it was rebuilt in Palestine The King's shilling His QM qualifications and experience Museum Curator Light Horse Regiment. at the end of 1941, before returning to Oh my love has left me wi' bairnies served him well when he joined the Mr Robert Mitchell Below: Foundation Chairman Australia in 1942 to help fight the Army museum, which was restricted twa George Sulc and Graham Japanese. For a time the battalion was in its access to the Australian Army's AMWA Foundation Board McLure after a farewell assigned to the 2nd Brigade, a formation And that's the last o' him I ever inventory and stores system. Ron set Chairman presentation to “Specs”. made up largely of soldiers from the saw up the museum's own Mr George Sulc Militia, carrying out defensive duties in system, which earned He's joined the army and he Deputy Chairman Western Australia, however, it was later him the thanks and Mr Ken Walker transferred to the 19th Brigade in marched awa' respect of the museum Treasurer Queensland and in 1944–45 it took part He took the shillin' manager, Maj Henry Mr Alan Jennings in the Aitape-Wewak campaign before Fijolek, as well as that He took the shillin' and he Directors being disbanded at Puckapunyal on 7 of the staff and Mr Joe McKenna December 1941. marched awa' volunteers. Changes to Mrs Carole Temple At the launch of Wes's book, he spoke of Come laddies come, hear the the Army's system of Mr Tom Goode the immense amount of research needed ordering and indenting cannons roar Company Secretary: to gather facts for this and his other stores, which now must Mrs Dale Olson books. He found that old military books Take the King's shilling an' be done through were often a source of information that we're off tae war Above: author Wes Olson Canberra, helped Ron Editor, The Magazine supported his research in more and the “Queen’s shillin’” to decide it was time Come laddies come, hear the cannons roar Graeme Hunt prominent repositories, such as the for him to pursue other hank you for passing this Australian War Memorial and the Army Take the King's shilling an' we're off tae war interests. Please send all letters and Museum of WA's library and archives. “When you've spent 35 years in the edition of The Magazine contributions to the editor, T And one of the sources of such books is From an old Scottish folk song. [email protected] army and you get out, you don't to your family, friends and neighbours. the Save the Children's Fund old book Page 2 Page 3 “We take the King's shilling, Birds of a feather . oops . plume! we do the King's bidding!” Former cavalrymen farewell “Specs” OLD MAXIM CATALYSES WORK ON HISTORY OF THE 2/11th BATTALION line from an old Scottish folk sale. song was the catalyst needed for Wes and his wife Dale, the Amuseum volunteer Wes Olson to museum's administration manager, bite the bullet and start work on a acquired three old books at an SCF project he'd been planning for some sale. time. “People used to put money in Author Wes Olson, above right, with Wes, who has now written three books books, so I decided to have a quick Willagee MLA Peter Tinley, who on Australian military history, including look through these,” Wes said, launched the book. a substantial tome on Gallipoli that was “and in one of them was a 1966- published last year, had long mintage £10 note – the Queen's Independent Rifle Company at contemplated a definitive history of the shilling!” Karrakatta. 2/11th Battalion - “Battalion into Battle The book was previously owned by “It had links with the 11th Battalion of - the history of the 2/11th Australian a 2/11th veteran, Jack Mott. WW1, as well as the 2/11th in WW2,” Infantry Battalion 1939 - 1945". It was enough to inspire him to he said. The 2/11th was the first Western action and he threw himself into Wes paid tribute to the help he Australian battalion raised for service the task of researching and writing received from a range of organisations overseas during the Second World War. the battalion history. and individuals, including the Australian Army History Unit, eteran QuarterMaster Ron appreciate it running your life Its formation began with the “The book provides a much fuller Department of Veterans Affairs, the “Specs” Fuller has retired from again,” he said.