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Home , Dudley Clarke, Gallipoli Campaign, Geoff Harvey, Operation Bertram

Vol. 51, No.2 (New Series) WINTER 2021

The Gazette OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE GALLIPOLI MEMORIAL CLUB LTD

Gallipoli Art Prize 2021

The sixteenth annual Gallipoli Art Prize has been finalized with the 2012 winner, Geoff Harvey, becoming the first artist to win the Gallipoli Art Prize twice.

Geoff Harvey’s painting ‘Forgotten Heroes’ acknowledges the noble ‘’ horse and gives them the recognition they so justly deserve for their role in helping Australian soldiers at war.

The based artist said “So special and deep was Army in India. In the Boer War his winning work was created to the bond between rider and and WW1 they were used honour the vital roles the horse that many of the soldiers exclusively by the Australian Australian ‘Waler’ horses were traumatized by the real- Light Horse, proving superior to performed during WW1. Army ization that their faithful ‘mate’ camels for moving troops across veterinary records show 161,821 was not coming home with desert sands. horses were exported to assist in them. By the end of the war in Among the 33 finalists is the many campaigns of this 1918 those horses that survived ‘Weeping Soldier’ by artist Guy war. the battlefields and the cull Warren, a previous Archibald “These trusty steeds did stayed in , France and India winner (1985) who celebrated everything expected of them where they faced an uncertain his 100th birthday two days after and more. Their bravery on the future. No official records were the Gallipoli Art Prize results battlefields was legendary and kept of these brave horses. Lest were announced. As well as their loyalty unsurpassed. Be- we forget – the original being an esteemed artist and cause of these qualities they Australian stock horse – the earn a worldwide reputation as Waler.” educator, Guy Warren is a WWII the ‘horse without an equal’,” The term ’waler’ dates back who served in Papua Geoff said in his entrant’s to the 1830s when Australian New Guinea and from statement that accompanied the bred horses were exported from 1941-46. painting. to the British

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Finalist Nyulla Safi submitted an back injury. She took up painting Robertson, the President of the entry, ‘F4-Sang Froid’. She also in 2019 and has painted every Gallipoli Memorial Club and one served in the Australian Army, day since. of the judges of the prize. joining in the late 1980s when “There was a significant increase “I am always impressed by the very few women enlisted. In 1993 in entries this year and more than diversity of the works and how she was medically discharged half the entries are from artists individual artists choose to because of severe post-traumatic who haven’t entered the Prize respond to the Gallipoli Memorial stress disorder (PTSD) and a bad before,” according to John Club’s Creed.”

The Creed states: “We believe that within the community there exists an obligation for all to preserve the special qualities of loyalty, respect, love of country, courage and comradeship which were personified by the heroes of the Gallipoli Campaign and bequeathed to all humanity as a foundation for perpetual peace and universal freedom”. Continued page 6.

The work by finalist Nyulla Safi called 'F4-Sang Froid'

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Editorial..

As you have read, the Meetings and the Art Prize their target area was well away Gallipoli Art Prize for 2021 was announcement that followed. from the actual spot. another success, overcoming This edition follows up on We also read about the both the lack of premises and the ‘Ghost’ Armies of World war Federal Government widening its COVID-19 limitations. Two that were mentioned in the search for indigenous Anzacs to Congratulations to the winner story about the D-Day landing ensure there are complete and and finalists, the Club Committee ports of the previous edition. We detailed rolls to honour all who and involved and members, read about the German General fought. the Judging Panel and all at the Rommel being away on Germany We end with a photographic Merrylands RSL who were our at the start of the second El display of what our new Club kind and generous hosts. In this Alamein offensive and seeing no building will look like. The edition we show you a range of need to return because the wrapping is off and the keys are entries and photos of people British ‘Ghost’ Army fooled him to be exchanged for the fit out to attending both the Club and into thinking the Allies were not begin. Our return to Loftus Street Museum Annual General prepared yet for battle, and that is creeping closer!

THE GALLIPOLI MEMORIAL CLUB LIMITED

Patron: Major General Arthur Fittock AO Board of Directors: President: John Robertson Senior Vice President: David Ford Junior Vice President: Ted Codd Hon. Treasurer: John Brogan Directors: Stephen Ware, Glenn Tetley, Scott Heathwood, Marc Higgins. Greg Hanchard Editor: Bob Lawrence

Secretary Manager: John Robertson

Club Ph: 02 9235 1533 Email: [email protected]

www.gallipoli.com.au

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Presidents Report Winter 2021 As I hinted in the Autumn Gazette I was hoping to have some good news on the building front. Unfortunately, I haven’t. The Museum Space has not been transferred and we do not have an Occupation Certificate for 14 Loftus Street, which is the part of our premises that will house it. Depending on the reparation of defects this could be another two months away. The Building Committee is now able to meet with the AMP and the Builder face to face, but progress is slow. On a positive note there was a good turnout for the AGM of the Club, Museum Fund and an Extraordinary General meeting on April 14. Following the formal part of the meetings we had a PowerPoint presentation of the progress of the restoration works on our Historic Building. This was well received by the members present. The announcement of 2021 winner of the Art Competition and Official opening of the Exhibition following the meetings at the Merrylands RSL was again very well attended. Artists, their families and supporters, members and dignitaries all enjoyed the opportunity celebrating some very good art. The “virtual exhibition” of the Art Competition finalists should be available at https://www.gallipoliartprize.org.au/. Due to the continuing concerns over the COVID Pandemic, the Gallipoli Scholarship Committee has decided to hold the 2021 GSF Scholarship Presentation via Zoom, on Thursday April 22, 2021. There is a much-expanded scholarship criteria and therefore more recipients and sponsors will have the opportunity to participate. I represented the Club at the launch of the Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Bursary, under the auspices of the Gallipoli Scholarship, at the War Memorial in Canberra on March 18. Preparations are well under way for various community commemorations for . While numbers are restricted, I am sure that ceremonies will again be special. Keep safe and keep well. John Robertson President

Junior Vice President, Ted Codd, President John Robertson, Treasurer John Brogan and Committee Member Greg Hanchard presiding over the Annual General Meeting of both the Gallipoli Memorial Club and the Museum Fund at the Merrylands RSL Club

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Gallipoli Club Annual General Meeting

The 2021 Annual General Meetings of both the Gallipoli Memorial Club and the Club’s Museum Fund were held at the Merrylands RSL Club on Wednesday, April 14. Club President, John Robertson, welcomed 15 members to the meetings and thanked the Merrylands RSL Club for their on-going, generous assistance during our time of renovation. The meeting accepted the audited financial statements. The main discussion was on the rebuilding of the Loftus Street premises. Mr Robertson said the hand-over of the keys by the AMP Group to the Club, set down for the previous Friday, was postponed as the Occupation Certificate was not signed off by the relevant authorities. No hand-over date had been set, but it would happen as soon as possible. Mr Robertson then took the meeting through a slide show of the external and internal images of the club house, amid a quiet chorus of approving gasps and words; especially at the image of the cleaned and refurbished front and back of the building. He explained that wherever possible the original fabric of the building was retained and renovated while deteriorating sandstone and hardwood crossbeams were replaced as needed. To meet government earthquake standards, steel had been installed as required while ceilings had been removed to expose the upgraded classic stone and woodwork of the original structure. He noted that the new premises would have one door onto Loftus Street as the northern doorway had been replaced by a large window. Three lifts would allow rapid movement of members and outside patron to the leased restaurant space. A new steel staircase was installed with timber treads and glass balustrades. After the presentation, Life Member Bob Lawrence, praised the Board Members past and present for their untiring work and persistence over many years in dealing with three different developers. He noted that 30 years ago, when he stepped down from the Board to become the Magazine Editor, he had despaired at the building’s holey, sagging roof and cheaply patched up renovations. “You have all done an outstanding job to give us a club house to be proud of,” he said.

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Continued from page 2.

The ‘Highly Commended’ works were Philip Meatchem’s ‘A Different Dawn’ (above) showing Anzac Day 2020 when mass gatherings were replaced by people standing in their drive-ways to show their support, while still meeting social distance rules, and ‘The Guns Fell Silent.’ Andrew Tomkin’s D-Day tribute to his mother.

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Mr Robertson said the the Gallipoli Memorial Club has Alison Mackay won the Gallipoli Memorial Club was very acquired a significant collection Gallipoli Art Prize in 2020 with grateful to the Merrylands RSL of works over the last 16 years ‘Breathe’, depicting nine different for hosting the exhibition in 2021. which we are very much looking gas masks, referencing her own “Next year we will be back in forward to being able to exhibit.” experience of the New South our old home at The Gallipoli Judging for this year’s Prize Wales black summer bushfires as well as the bravery of the Rural Club in Circular Quay in Sydney. was conducted by Jane Watters, Fire Service. The historic sandstone building the Director at S.H. Ervin Gallery, The works will be on Barry Pearce, and Mr Robertson. has had extensive renovation exhibition at Merrylands RSL, works done to preserve its Previous winners of the Gallipoli Art Prize include re- Sydney from 15 April to 17 May heritage and will include a perm- nowned artists Euan Macleod and a virtual exhibition will be anent gallery for the Gallipoli Art (2009), Idris Murphy (2014) and available via Prize. Being an acquisitive prize, Jiawei Shen (2016). www.gallipoliartprize.org.au.

Guy Warren, who won the 1985 Archibald Prize, this year submitted ‘Weeping Soldier’ for the Gallipoli Art Prize which coincided with the week of his 100th birthday.

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Lara Balog's "Sisters of War' was inspired by her reading the "Duty done" by Margaret Hadfield who won the inaugural war diary of Sister Catherine (Kitty) McNaughton, a WW1 nurse Gallipoli Art Prize in 2006 and has been a finalist many times from the town of Little River in Victoria since

Rick Bardley-Smith’s work “Ingrained” shows the Sphinx rock formation above

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Dierdre Bean’s watercolour, ‘. . . And you’ll know him by the feathers in his hat.’ takes its title from the last line of Banjo Paterson’s poem ‘ Mounted Infantry’ (1900) which described the quintessential Australian soldier as tough, athletic and irrepressible; an expert horseman and loyal soldier. Dierdre’s entrants statement said “The last line refers to emu feathers tucked into the folded brim of slouch hats, a tradition the Queenslanders began in 1897. It was a proud display of their riding skills. Since that time, the decorated with emu feathers has become a national emblem. “

Darren Mitchell of the Anzac Day Dawn Service Trust and Elizabeth Whittle discuss Robert Hammil's work, 'Remembering the Kuttabul' which was used as Royal Australian Navy sleeping quarters in Sydney Harbour. It was sunk in the Japanese midget submarine raid with the loss of 21 lives.

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The winner, Geoff Harvey, receiving his award and cheque from Club President, John Robertson

Previous winners Winner 2020: “Breathe” Alison Mackay Winner 2019: “War Pigeon Diaries” Martin King Winner 2018: “Mont St Quentin” Steve Lopes Winner 2017: “The Sphinx, Perpetual Peace” Amanda Penrose Hart Winner 2016: “Yeah, Mate” Jiawei Shen with his painting Winner 2015: “Boy Soldiers” by Sally Robinson. Winner 2014: “Gallipoli evening 2013” by Idris Murphy. Winner 2013: “Dog in a Gas Mask” by Peter Wegner. Winner 2012: “Trench Interment” by Geoff Harvey. Winner 2011: “Sacrifice” by Hadyn Wilson. Winner 2010: “The dead march here today” by Raymond Arnold. Winner 2009: “Smoke/PinkLandscape/Shovel” by Euan Macleod. Winner 2008: “Max Carment, War Veteran (The last portrait)” by Tom Carment. Winner 2007: “Glorus Fallen” by Lianne Gough. Winner 2006: “Ataturk’s Legacy” by Margaret Hadfield.

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Dale Burke, in his painting “Found Photograph” wanted to highlight the use in WW1 of photography and notably the amazing discovery of 3,000 photographic plates in a farmhouse attic at Vignacourt near Amiens, Somme Valley taken by the husband and wife duo, Louis and Antoinette Thuillier. They were mementos for Australian, British, Canadian, Nepalese, and Sikh soldiers to keep or send to their families. They were photographed onto plate glass negatives coated in silver emulsion that allowed for high quality reproduction, as seen in the folio book “The Lost Diggers” by Ross Coulthart. This portrait is of Lt. Cecil Chapman who served at Pozieres and as a Major in WW2. He died at the age of 69 in 1965. Dale was taken by the decomposition of the emulsion on the glass plate and how it created a layer of metaphor for the decomposition of man.

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Government Widens Search for Indigenous Anzacs By Bruce McEwan The Commonwealth Defense to other lands overseas or to do tunnellers, light horse and Act of 1903 banned Indigenous their duty for their homeland, veterinary horse and camel Australians from entering military Australia. They were treated as support. Some of the aborigines service but not all recruiters equals in the trenches but when were named Anolock, Barber, applied this rule and more than a they returned home they were Bolton, Castles, Everingham, thousand “coloured” men with not offered Soldiers’ Settler Morley, Punton, Sims, Reayand aboriginal or Torres Strait heri- Blocks, any official recognition or and White. tage are now known to have financial assistance. The highest rank achieved by served in World War One. The They were even denied those of aboriginal blood was actual number of indigenous membership of the Returned but there Australians confirmed to have Soldiers’ Sailors’ and Airmen’s were plenty of Sergeants, Corp- volunteered has reached 1,127 – Imperial League of Australia – orals and Lance Corporals. The it is important to note that not all later called the RSL. This was the officer was Alfred John Hearps volunteers were accepted into main reason why my father (a who was promoted to Second the AIF. Sixth Light Horse veteran and a Lieutenant on 5 August 1916 and Early in the conflict, recruit- Mounted Policeman from NSW) who served in the 12th Battalion ing officers allowed indigenous who served in Gallipoli and in at Gallipoli and died in the men to sign up if their skin was other battles in the Middle East Somme at Mouquet Farm on 19- considered “white enough” but refused to join this organization 22 August 1916. as the war went on the recruiters until towards the end of his life. The first aboriginal to claim were not as selective. One aboriginal private was commissioned officer status in Unfortunately, few records Private , a stock and World War Two was Lieutenant remain of the aboriginal partic- station hand from Taroom, Reginald Saunders. ipation in the war but analysis by Queensland. Along with other Another prominent indigin- the Department of Veteran’s indigenous recruits, Harry was eous Australian was Alfred Affairs has unearthed the names assigned to the 11th Light Horse Stafford, who was a chauffeur to of hundreds of aborigines and Regiment and participated in the eleven Australian Prime Ministers part aborigines who actually victorious Battle of Samakh in including Sir Robert Menzies for participated in various theatres 1918. He returned home a whom he became a trusted of the War with the First AIF decorated veteran the following friend. He played Sheffield Shield including the Gallipoli Campaign. year. cricket on the same side as Don It was not until 1949 that all Another to be decorated was Bradman. Three of Alf’s older restrictions were lifted. Leslie John Locke who was brothers enlisted in the First Unfortunately, information awarded the Military Medal and World War – John Harold remains incomplete today and who was one of 21 members of Stafford, Charles Fitzroy Stafford the department’s researchers the Lock (or Locke) family who and Gilford Ortley Stafford. have appealed to descendants of volunteered for service in World Alf was too young to serve in those identified so far and others War One. These men all were WW1 but did join Australia’s not known, to provide more descendants of Maria Lock, a Militia prior to WW2. He was details from stories told within remarkable daughter of connected to the Gamilaroi/ families and among friends by Yarramundi a chief of the Blackman, Cain, Griffin, Talbot, those who claimed to have Boorooberongal tribe of the Budsworth, Hamilton, Irwin, Allan served. Darig people. and Chatfield aboriginal families The researchers have had to Members of the Locke, – many of whom lost their lives assume that these men joined up family fought at Gallipoli, on the on the Western Front or were to earn money (about six shillings western front at the Somme and seriously wounded or gassed. a day or three times the wage of Flanders and in Egypt and an English serviceman), to travel , as infantrymen,

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Some former aboriginal use of aliases, false places of birth Today efforts are being made servicemen, like Alfred White of and other important details. to increase Aboriginal recruitment Redfern, complained bitterly that Researchers have even in the Australian Defence Force several years after The Great War eliminated some alleged WW1 (ADF). There is now a Canberra- ended that they were still owed aboriginal servicemen from the based Air Force unit led by Group money from their service. Many, records by uncovering spurious Captain Lisa Jackson who played a like other , suffered for claims of enlistment and service prominent part in the recent many years physically and emot- made by them or perhaps, in a few Centenary Commemorations of the ionally from their participation in cases, that they were not entitled RAAF. the War. to claim indigenous ethnicity. The Department of Veterans’ It was not unusual for These are some of the reasons that Affairs Community Engagement aboriginal men attempting to join the Department of Veterans Affairs Team would like to hear about up in WW1 to claim Maori heritage wants to gather more sources of other stories about military service in order to gain acceptance. documentary information from by aboriginal men and women by Making accurate identification of families and friends for cross phone: 1800 VETERAN or by Email: former indigenous servicemen is referencing with existing records. [email protected] made even more difficult by the

Club Life Members Fred Gulson and Allan Humphries discuss the painting 'Remembrance' by Ronelle Reid depicting a camel and a pigeon. Ronelle's watercolour pencil on mounted paper work commemorates the role of animals in war; a sentiment expressed by the winning entry as well.

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British and U.S. Ghost Armies

The story about Mulberry Harbours in the last Gallipoli Gazette noted that an imitation harbour was created by the American “” off the French coast. The presence of this unmanned phantom facility drew a lot of German gun fire resulting in a lot of wasted German ammunition and time. The Americans were in fact copying the successful British deception against German General Rommel in Africa. We now meet these ‘Ghost Armies’.

This was a World War Two The Directorate was led by former inflatable rubber dummy tanks to deception practised by the Allied film maker turned look as if they had been delivered forces in Africa led by Bernard expert, Lt. Colonel . by the railway. More than 100 Montgomery prior to the second One of Barkas’ first deceptions bombs were dropped on the Battle of in 1942. was to build a convincing dummy Misheifa railhead, at least halving Bertram was devised by Lt. Colonel railway at Misheifa to divert enemy the attacks on the real thing at (later ) to attention from the real railhead at Capuzzo. Barkas noted that deceive General Rommel about the Capuzzo where defence mater- "camouflage men must be among timing and location of the Allied iel for the relief of the of the few otherwise sane beings who attack. The operation consisted of Tobruk was passing through. yearn to be bombed." The physical deceptions using dummies This complex piece of pioneering effort's success was and camouflage designed and deception involved six miles of achieved in a few weeks, amidst made by the British Middle East dummy railway, a dummy train, severe shortages of men and raw Command Camouflage Directorate. dummy sidings, and a selection of materials.

The British wooden frame of an artificial tank near 1942

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These were accompanied by believe that an attack was trenches, hidden in the shadows. electromagnetic deceptions imminent, was not even in Africa Food was stacked in piles of codenamed Operation Canwell, when it happened. boxes and draped with an electronic deception oper- All of these initiatives were camouflage nets to resemble ation of false radio traffic, to help planned to make the Axis believe, trucks. conceal the movement of not only, that the attack would Trucks were parked openly in Lieutenant General Herbert take place to the south, far from the tank assembly area for some Lumsden’s X into its staging the coast road and railway, but weeks. Real tanks were similarly area before the 'Lightfoot' first about two days later than the parked openly, far behind the stage of the Second El Alamein real attack. front. Two nights before the battle. Operation Bertram consisted attack, the tanks replaced the Lasting four weeks, 'Canwell' of the creation of the appearance trucks, being covered with simulated the radio net of Major of army units where none existed "Sunshields" before dawn. The General Alexander Gatehouse’s and in concealing armour, tanks were replaced that same 10thh Armoured to artillery and material. Dummy night with dummies in their suggest that this formation, a tanks and guns were made original positions, so the armour major element of the X Corps, mainly of local materials remained seemingly two or more had not moved. including calico and palm-frond days' journey behind the front Barkas persuaded the hurdles. Real tanks were dis- line. To reinforce the impression Germans that the main Allied guised as trucks, using light that the attack was not ready, a attack would not be ready until "Sunshield" canopies. Field guns dummy water pipeline was early December and be a sweep- and their limbers were also constructed, at an apparent rate ing outflanking move through disguised as trucks, their real of 5 mi (8.0 km) per day. Some Jarabub, an oasis on the edge of wheels visible, under a simple days' worth remained to be built the Great Sand Sea, more than box-shaped "Cannibal" canopy to at the time of the attack; dummy 241 km to the south of the real give the shape of a truck. Petrol tanks, guns and supplies were point of attack. Such was its cans were stacked along the sides constructed to the south. success that Rommel, refusing to of existing masonry lined

A tank disguised as a truck using light-weight sun-shields

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After the battle, the cap- The full report of the work of also designed record album tured German Tank Commander, these 82 officers and 1,023 men. covers for his friend Duke General Wilhelm Ritter von was only declassified in 1996. Ellington. Thoma told Montgomery that he They arrived in in Some troops went to had believed the Allies had at early May 1944 and were based Normandy two weeks after D-Day least one more armoured division near Stratford-on-Avon and on the simul- than they did and that the attack troops participated in Operation ation project and later the entire would be in the south. Rommel's Fortitude, the British-designed unit assisted in tying up the stand-in, General Georg and led D-Day deceptions to German defenders of Brest by Stumme reportedly thought the mislead the German High simulating a larger force than was attack would not begin for Command as to the location of actually encircling them. several weeks. This could not be the invasion. As the Allied armies moved verified with him as he died of a Many people were involved east, so did the 23rd, eventually heart attack during the fighting. in the creation of the U.S. Ghost being based in Luxembourg and So, Operation Bertram definitely Army, but Ralph Ingersoll, a from there engaged in succeeded; when announcing the former Managing Editor of The deceptions of crossings of the victory at El Alamein in the House New Yorker and Time-Life Ruhr River, at positions along the of Commons, publications along with his Maginot Line and Hurtgen Forest, praised the camouflage oper- superior, Colonel Billy Harris. and finally a major crossing of the ation. Ingersoll was later quoted as Rhine to draw German troops saying “The con-artist’s job is to away from the real crossing site. Americans hoodwink the enemy instead of slugging it out with him. “ The United States Ghost Ingersoll and Harris had Army, officially the 23rd totally opposite temperaments. Headquarters Special Troops, Harris was a professional soldier based in Tennessee and later with a military outlook, but he New York, was a highly secret knew how to handle men under tactical deception unit during his command and encouraged World War Two that imperson- Ingersoll’s creativity. ated other Allied Army units to Among staff were , deceive the enemy. Following the who later became a leading D-Day landings they landed in American fashion designer, France and using fake radio painter whose broadcasts, inflatable tanks, work hangs in major American trucks with loud powerful sound galleries, who later was equipment aided by scriptwriters a leading fashion and pop-music staged more than 20 battlefield photographer and wildlife artist deceptions, often operating very Arthur Singer who primarily Ralph Ingersoll close to the front lines. specialized in bird illustration, but

The truck on the left is real, the other is inflatable

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Recruiting cannons, jeeps, trucks, and airplanes that the men would Many in the Ghost Army inflate with air compressors, and were recruited from art schools, then camouflage imperfectly so journalism, advertising agencies, that enemy aerial reconnaissance architecture, engineering and the could see them. They could theatre notably actors and set create dummy airfields, troop designers, as well as other occu- bivouacs, complete with fake pations that encouraged creative laundry hanging on clotheslines, thinking. Although the 23rd motor pools, artillery batteries, Headquarters Special Troops and tank formations in a few consisted of only 1,100 soldiers, hours. the contingent used equipment Their unit became an pioneered by British forces such incubator for young artists who as dummy tanks and artillery, sketched and painted their way Colonel Hilton Railey fake aircraft, and giant speakers through Europe while travelling broadcasting the sounds of men or in their spare time. Several of 3132 went to Fort Knox to record and artillery to make the these soldier-artists went on to sounds of armoured and infantry Germans think it was upwards of have a major impact on art in the units onto a series of sound a two-division 30,000-man force. post-war USA. effects records that they brought The unit's elaborate ruses helped to Europe. For each deception, Sonic Deception deflect German units from the sounds could be "mixed" to locations of larger allied combat The 3132 Signal Service match the scenario they wanted units. The unit consisted of the Company Special handled sonic the enemy to believe. This 406th Combat Engineers (which deception. The unit coalesced program was recorded on state- handled security), the 603rd under the direction of the of-the-art wire recorders, that Camouflage Engineers, the 3132 colourful Colonel Hilton Railey, later were superseded by tape Signal Service Company Special, who about a decade earlier recorders, and then played back and the Signal Company Special. introduced the aviatrix, Amelia with powerful amplifiers and

Earhart, to her sponsor, and later speakers mounted on halftrack Visual Deception husband, the publisher George vehicles. These sounds were The visual deception arm of Palmer Putnam, thereby enabling audible 24 km away. the Ghost Army was the 603rd her to fund her historic flights. Camouflage Engineers. It was also Aided by engineers from Bell equipped with inflatable tanks, Laboratories, a team from the

The powerful speakers used to transmit sounds of military equipment and action to deceive the Axis forces 17

"Spoof radio", as it was appropriate unit insignia on Armed with nothing heavier called, was handled by the Signal vehicles and having the individual than .50 calibre machine guns, Company. Special Operators companies deployed as if they the 23rd took part in 22 large- created phony traffic nets, were regimental headquarters scale deceptions in Europe from impersonating the radio units. The same few covered Normandy to the Rhine River. operators from real units. As all trucks, with just two troops in the As the Ghost Army’s Morse Code operators have their visible seats near the rear, app- operations were top secret and own individual style of sending; eared to be full of motorized not de-classified for decades the Signal Company operators infantry on the move. They would mimicked a departed operator's be driven in a loop to appear as after the war ended, it is believed style so that the enemy would long convoys. Military Police the units and their staff have not detect that the real unit and would be stationed at inter- been under-rewarded. A Bill is its radio operator were long sections wearing appropriate now before the US Congress to gone. divisional insignia. Others would direct the Speaker of the House To complement existing dress as divisional generals and of Representatives and the techniques, the unit often staff officers visiting towns where President of the Senate to award supplemented action by enemy agents or scouts were a Congressional Gold Medal to theatrical effects to create likely to see them. A few actual the 23rd Headquarters Special atmosphere, including simulating tanks and artillery pieces were Troops in recognition of their actual units deployed elsewhere occasionally assigned to the unit service during World War II. by the application of their to make the "dummies" in the divisional insignia, painting distance appear more realistic.

A real tank and an inflatable one

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Internationally renowned artist Deirdre Bean discusses the painstakingly fine artistry of

her entry, ‘And you’ll know him by the feathers in his hat’ with President John Robertson

Lara Balog with her painting ‘Sisters of War’

Andrew Tompkins with his Highly Commended painting

‘The ‘Guns Fell Silent’

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The Gallipoli Club House Here are photographs of the restoration at our Club House in Loftus Street, Sydney.

The existing sandstone has been renovated to restore the colour The rear view from Loftus Lane and preserve detail of craftsman ship

New windows have been installed

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