RSL FOREST LAKE & DISTRICTS SUB BRANCH Inc P.O. Box 4173 Forest Lake QLD 4078 REVEILLEIssue 6/2021 JUN 2021 BOARD & EXECUTIVE NEXT GENERAL MEETING PRESIDENT & GRANTS OFFICER: th Steve Ford: Ph 0403 346 991 15 JUNE 2021 SECRETARY: At our new building, Wacol Barracks Sharron Ford Ph 0413 847 939 907 – 971 Boundary Rd, Wacol [email protected] TREASURER: COMMENCING AT 7.15 PM sharp Brian Roche Ph 0414 708 034 Please note the entrance to the SED DELEGATE: Barracks location on page 2. George Churchward Ph 0414 406 585 PLEASE REMEMBER to sign IN the VICE PRESIDENT: Attendance Book which will be on the Chris Gunner Ph 0477 641 299 left inside the front door ASSISTANT SECRETARY IF YOU REQUIRE A LIFT OR TO BE Linda Slaughter Ph 0439 750 797 COLLECTED BY THE RSL BUS, MEMBERSHIP & PROPERTY: Contact Andrew Reggett on 0430 207 671 Kevin Dinsdale Ph 0488 220 002 SOCIAL EVENTS & BUS TRIPS: John Sanderson Ph 0407 021 948 COMMEMORATIVE CHAIRPERSON: Dan Baldwin Ph 0407 377 510 NEWSLETTER: Greg Amey Ph 0416 255 349 [email protected] June 1942 at the Guardian Lion gates of Ehden, Syria 2 2 FROM THE PRESIDENT JUNE 2021 Over the past few weeks, we have been busy – as per usual. 149 Cadets at Greenbank and the Archerfield Air League have both received their cadet sponsorship cheques. RSL (Q) Managed IT Support rollout has started with complimentary TV installed, ‘zoom’ camera installed so we can conduct zoom meetings over the internet, new landline phone (no number yet), and NBN internet has been connected to the building. The new laptops, mobile phones and printer are due in the next few days. The Board has a training day on 22nd June – yippee for us all. At our recent Board meeting we discussed our social trips. We are now looking at having a BIG trip in the next couple of months, similar to the Bribie boat trip a few years ago. We will put some options forward at the next General Meeting so make sure you bring your diaries. Hopefully we can get out and about and enjoy the social interaction between more members. COFFEE CLUB – It’s back on. Open to all members – Starting with last Monday of each month at the RSL home, Wacol from 10:00am – 12:00noon. Tea, coffee and light morning tea – all free to all members. This is just the start of what we hope can be very successful utilising the wonderful space at Wacol. Next on the agenda will be cards, board games, the list is endless, its up to you. Our next General meeting is on 15th June at Wacol. Please remember we will be using the back gate (google Nashos Place). See you at the Meeting 7pm for a 7:15 start. We will be unveiling the artwork that has been donated by Julie Miller. The artist will also be present so let’s have a great show of members at this meeting. 3 3 S.E.D. DELEGATE'S REPORT The S.E.D. Meeting that was held 3rd June was chaired by the newly elected Vice President Doug Egan as the current President Kerry Gallagher was away on a business trip. Because of COVID we were in a large hall & all spread out, it was so difficult to hear the speakers, as there was not a P.A. system. I was not the only one who had trouble hearing the speakers, I can assure you ! We had two guest speakers. The first was from the Army Personnel Support Unit. (he did not give his name, why I don't know). I have quite a comprehensive folder about all the issues & procedures you need to apply for entitlements, from your Service History if you so desire. It is titled as = "Transfer Transitions Detachments S.Q." I will table it at our next General Meeting. The next speaker was Rebecca McEwan, President of the RSLQ Auxiliaries, her talk & presentation was most difficult to hear, as she is quite softly spoken, and without a P.A. system I did not fully comprehend what she had to say; but at a guess I (most likely) think it was more or less an extension of what Hayley Bryant had to say at the Executive meeting 1st June. Alan Greig may be able to add a little more information than I have, as he has better hearing than me!! The Notices of Motion submitted by the Bayside South Sub Branch were all voted on. The result was very much the same as we agreed to by our Sub Branch. The only motion approved was No2. Re "The Advocacy Services for all Veterans" including those in aged care & NZ Veterans. The other 4 motions were either voted to be "Held in Abeyance", "Recinded", "Amended", & No5 was not approved = DELETED. If anyone is interested in what all those matters were about I have the Agenda for 5th May S.E.D. meeting , which I will let you have, for your perousal. Till my next report = Keep well & cheers to All George Churchward BIRTHDAY'S JOSY EEKHOFF JUN 28 DAVID PULLEN JUL 4 JEFFERY JONES JUL 7 LISA ROBINSON JUL 9 SCOTT KENNEWELL JUL 9 JOHN ROBERTS JUL 13 MICHAEL CORCORAN JUL 14 4 4 R.I.P. CHRISTOS PEFTOS Some of you are aware, but for others sadly I pass on these details. After a very short battle with cancer Christos passed away on Saturday morning at 7am. A poppy service will be delivered by our President at the Service. (Christos served in the Air Force for 41 + years) Funeral details – Thursday 10th June, 2021 at 1530 hours Centenary Memorial Gardens, 353 Wacol Station Rd, Sumner Full Medals to be worn. A Wake will be held back at the new RSL building in Wacol Barracks after the ceremony 5 5 THIS MONTH IN AUSTRALIAN MILITARY HISTORY 1 June 1918 RAN aircraft first used in combat. First use of aircraft in combat by ships of the Royal Australian Navy in the Heligoland Bight. Aircraft were launched from HMAS Sydney and Melbourne to intercept two German aircraft. 1 June 1941 Evacuation from Crete completed. Over 16,000 troops were successfully evacuated from the island over four successive nights. 2 June 1967 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, arrives in Vietnam. By 1967 Australia's commitment to the war in Vietnam was increasing as the Australian Task Force expanded its control over areas of Phuc Tuy Province. 3–6 June 1942 Battle of Midway. The battle of Midway was the first decisive defeat inflicted on Japan by the United States in the Second World War. The battle shifted the balance of sea power in the Pacific towards the Allies and forced Japan to abandon plans for advances on New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa and delayed their offensive in New Guinea. 5 June 1941 Cyprus reinforced by Australian troops. After their heavy losses during the invasion of Crete German plans to launch a similar attack against Cyprus were abandoned. 6 June 1944 D-Day Allies land in Normandy, supported by 2,00-2,500 RAAF personal & RAN ships, opening up a third front against Germany and beginning an eastward drive across northern Europe that ended with Germany's surrender in May 1945. 6 June 1969 Battle of Binh Ba, South Vietnam Binh Ba, located 6 kilometres north of the Australian base at Nui Dat was the site of a battle between an Australian Ready Reaction Force and a combined force of Viet Cong guerrillas and North Vietnamese Army troops who had occupied the village. The enemy were driven off after more than a day's fighting. 7 June 1917 Captain R.C. Grieve, 37th Battalion, originally from Melbourne, wins the Victoria Cross at Messines. 7–10 June 1917 Private J. Carroll, 33rd Battalion, originally from Brisbane, wins the Victoria Cross at St Yves (battle of Messines). 8 June 1942 Sydney and Newcastle shelled A week after they launched the midget submarines that attacked Sydney Harbour, four large Japanese submarines shell Sydney and Newcastle, but to little effect. 10 June 1941 Recruiting begins for Torres Strait Defence Force. Recruitment commenced for the Torres Strait Defence Force to be drawn from the Indigenous population of the Torres Strait Islands. 11 June 1900 Diamond Hill, South Africa. Members of the 1st Australian Horse and the New South Wales Lancers participate in the battle of Diamond Hill, South Africa. 13 June 1941 Battle for Jezzine, Lebanon. The battle was one of several hard fought actions in the five-week-long campaign by the allies against Vichy French forces in Syria and Lebanon. 15 June 1951 HMAS Bataan bombards Chongjin, Korea. After the war in Korea had ended, the Chinese leader, Chairman Mao Zedong, admitted that one of the principal factors in denying the Chinese and North Korean victory was the superiority of UN naval power. Australia's contribution to the naval war in Korea was significant. 16 June 1948 Malayan Emergency declared. The Australian involvement in Malayan Emergency lasted from 1950 to 1960, 39 Australian servicemen died in this conflict. Three British plantation managers were murdered in two separate incidents in Perak which led to the British enacting emergency measures two days later (18th) for Perak only. This was widened to include all of Malaya in July as the insurgency escalated. 19 June - 6 July 1941 Lieutenant Roden Cutler, 2/5th Field Regiment, 7th Division, originally of Manly, New South Wales, wins the Victoria Cross for a series of actions at Merdjayoun and in the Damour area, Lebanon. 21 June 1951 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, awarded United States Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation United States Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation awarded to 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, for "extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance" at the battle of Kapyong, Korea.