A DEFENCE SERVICE JOURNAL OFFICIAL JOURNAL CONTENTS ST TH 1 /19 BATTALION From the President… ..…..…………………….………….………………2 THE ROYAL NEW Coming Events, Association Patrons & Office Bearers.…..……….…3 Vales….………….……………………………….………………..…….4-7 SOUTH WALES Sick Report & Congratulations..……………………………………..…8 Donations & New Members & ee Around the Traps……………….…9 REGIMENT Seen Around The Traps ……………………………………...............10 Remembrance Day 2012………..……………………………….…11-12 ASSOCIATION & AGM Weekend - Meet & Greet - Orange ……………………………13 AGM Weekend - Wreath Laying Romani Barracks………..…………4 2ND/19TH BATTALION AGM Weekend - Reunion Dinner…………………….………..….15-16 Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 27 OCT 12....................17-27 BALLINA Motel-Caravan Park Accommodation–AGM 1-3 NOV 2013…....27 A.I.F. ASSOCIATION. Reserve Forces Day 2013 Launch ……………………………………28 Association of First Infantry Battalion’s Luncheon…………..…....…29 MEMBERS OF THE Kokoda Commemoration - Concord NSW…………………….……..29 Book Review - John Donovan…………………………………………30 AUSTRALIAN Nor All Thy Tears - Herb McNamara….….…………………………….31 Down Memory Lane……………………...……………………………..32 DEFENCE FORCES COPYRIGHT © Material in FRONTLINE is protected under the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without written consent from the RESERVES copyright holders. DISCLAIMER All articles in the Journal are printed on the understanding that unless stated, they are the original work of the contributors or the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Staff or of the Publisher. Editorial and advertising material will be accepted for publication on the condition that it does not defame any person. Editorial Staff accept no responsibility for accuracy of material submitted for publication but every effort will be made to verify information. Editorial Staff reserve A.B.N. 63 108 030 968 the right to reject, edit and re-arrange any item submitted for publication. Articles and letters must be signed and should contain a contact telephone number to enable staff to check authenticity. PO BOX 513 NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS MAROUBRA N.S.W. 2036 TRADE PRACTICES ACT 1974 EMAIL: [email protected] Advertisers are reminded that the Trade Practices Act 1974 provides severe penalties for false and misleading advertising. It is not possible to check the accuracy of claims and quality of service offered by advertisers and therefore the responsibility must be with the person or companies submitting material for publication in their advertisements. 1 1 Association stalwart Jimmy Forbes has had a spell of hospitalisation and is now recuperating at home. Both Jim and Margaret are in our thoughts and prayers. 17 October brought the sad news of the sudden death of LT John Ashton (Jack) Varley MC in Nambour Hospital. Jack, former Platoon Commander 17 Platoon, D Company, 2/19 Battalion AIF was awarded the Military Cross for his leadership in the Battalion’s engagement with the Japanese at Bakri and Parit Sulong. Jack returned to Malaysia in 2007 for the dedication of the Parit Sulong Memorial. Jack was farewelled by a large contingent of family and friends on 24 October. Sadly, Jack’s widow, Meryl, followed him ten days later. A story that we see all too often! The ties built up over a very long lifetime are not easily sundered. Our sympathies have been conveyed to the family. The weekend of 25 – 27 October saw an extremely successful Annual Weekend in Orange. A full report with copious quantities of Bob’s photos will appear elsewhere in this issue. Eighty-two members and guests sat down to dinner on the Saturday evening and I was pleased to have as our guests Peter Single, President of Orange Ex- Services Club and his wife Kerry; Brian Merchant, President of Orange Ex-Services Club RSL Sub-branch and his wife Helen; LTCOL Terry Betts, CO, 1/19 RNSWR; WO1 John Butler, A/RSM, 1/19 RNSWR, Bill and Nancy Meehan and their son, Luke and WO1 Warren Barnes, Regimental Warrant Officer RNSWR and Assistant Curator, Infantry Centre Museum. Sadly, indifferent health prevented Association Patron, LTCOL Terry Irwin, MBE, OAM, ED and his wife Beryl from participating in the weekend activities. A number of us were fortunate to visit Terry and Beryl while in Orange and their best wishes to all attending were conveyed to the membership. The weekend kicked off with the Meet & Greet on Friday evening, continued with the Commemorative Wreath Laying at Romani Barracks on Saturday morning followed by morning tea provided by 1/19 RNSWR, a presentation on Mesopotamia during World War 1 by Peter McGuinness on Saturday afternoon, a failed exercise in democracy at the AGM later on Saturday afternoon and the Annual Dinner on Saturday evening. Two significant events occurred during the Dinner. I was privileged, in my capacity as Chairman of the Peryman Trust, to present the Peryman Awards for 2012 to the selected Private Soldier/Junior NCO and the selected Senior NCO/Warrant Officer. Both these fine young soldiers, CPL John Pankhurst and SGT Ian Mason, were present – with SGT Mason’s wife Jocelyn - as guests of the Association to receive their Awards. The Award in 2012 was a signed copy of the new novel by Association member, noted author and former serving officer in 1/19 RNSWR, Peter Watt. Peter’s current work, Beyond the Horizon, is set, in part, during World War 1 on the Western Front and is an excellent read. The other event was the presentation to the Association by Bill Meehan, on behalf of the Hon Danna Vale, former Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, of a magnificent Illuminated Address, delivered by the Bishop of Amiens to Australian troops in Amiens Cathedral in November 1914. The Association accepted this item of Australian military history with grateful thanks and placed it in the custody of WO1 Warren Barnes, Assistant Curator of the Infantry Museum at Singleton with the proviso that it be displayed in the 1/19 RNSWR “cabinet” when the refurbishment and relocation of the Museum is completed. Another “significant” occurrence on the Saturday evening was the spectacular support for the raffle. A number of magnificent prizes were donated by Alan & Peggy Drinkwater, Bryan & Arleen Schafer, Joy Newton, Dianne Elliott and Bob Pink excelled himself in producing bottles of Commemorative Port. John Burns ensured that he obtained a significant share of the prizes by investing $100 in tickets. Sadly, the best that the “king” table could manage was a bottle of port won by LTCOL Peter Morrissey. The raffle raised the sum of $687.00 for Association funds and our thanks to David Ring and Mick Pass for their efforts in organising the raffle and all those who donated prizes to assist in its success. I must also make mention of the efforts of Ray and Gay Warden in handling merchandise sales over the weekend. Gay, in particular, works tirelessly on our merchandise sales year round and we are indebted to them both for their efforts. Next year’s AGM will be held in Ballina on the weekend 1-3 November. Preliminary details will be published shortly and I hope that all of you will make the journey. We are assured of a warm welcome in Ballina and it will be our first venture into the north-east of NSW. Neither Bob nor I were able to attend the Remembrance Day service at the Sydney Cenotaph this year. I was out of Sydney and Bob was engaged at Ashfield RSL. Joe Coombs represented 2/19th Battalion AIF at the Lidcombe RSL Sub-Branch service at Lidcombe. On 13 November I was advised by his grandson of the passing of Richard “Lloyd” Cahill, MBE, former Regimental Medical Officer of 2/19 Battalion AIF. It is acknowledged that 2/19th Battalion has the highest casualty count of any unit in the Australian Army – either before the Second World War or since. It is also acknowledged that without the efforts of Lloyd Cahill that count would be substantially greater. Lloyd was farewelled at St Mary’s church in North Sydney on 22 November. Bob Pink and I, together with Joe Coombs, David Ring, Sandy Howard and Bob Binns represented the Association. Also among the very large assembly of mourners were Dorothy Howard, sister of the 2 1 erstwhile Patron of 2/19 Battalion Association, the late Jim Howard and Dr Rowley Richards MBE erstwhile President of the Eighth Australian Division AIF Association. Rowley, who had worked with Lloyd on the Thai- Burma railway, told me that, with Lloyd’s passing there were now only two Medical Officers from that theatre still alive. November 20 saw the passing of Dr Jim Purchas, OAM in Canberra. Jim was, for many years the personal physician of LTCOL Charles Anderson VC, MC, former Commanding Officer of 2/19 Battalion AIF and a great confidant of Anderson in the years prior to Anderson’s death. He was farewelled at Good Shepherd Anglican Church on 27 November. Roger Perry DAY DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION Remarks Refreshments after Service at the FALL OF SINGAPORE Combined Services RSL FRI 15 FEB 2013 1045 SYDNEY CENOTAPH 5-7 Barrack St SYDNEY COMMMEMORATION Decorations & Medals FORM UP outside NSW Leagues Club Elizabeth St near Martin Place. REUNION VENUE: THU 25 APR 2013 0930 ANZAC DAY SYDNEY To Be Confirmed SEE ENCLOSURE WITH THIS NEWSLETTER Decorations & Medals Details from RNSWR Regimental Secretary ROYAL NEW SOUTH WALES REGIMENT ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB LTCOL Don SHEARMAN SAT 22 JUNE 2013 1800 OF AUSTRALIA Phone: 03 8481 7059 (B) OFFICERS’ DINNER Macquarie St SYDNEY Fax: 03 8481 7054 (B) Mobile: 0428 657 806 [email protected] ROYAL NEW SOUTH WALES REGIMENT GARRISON CHURCH SUN 1000 Decorations & Medals 23 JUNE 2013 THE ROCKS – SYDNEY ANNUAL CHURCH PARADE PLEASE NOTE Mess Dress / Coat & Tie SCHOOL OF INFANTRY NEW DATE ROYAL NEW SOUTH WALES REGIMENT Miniature medals SAT 1800 SERGEANTS’ MESS NOW Overnight accommodation & WO’s/SNCO’s DINNER SINGLETON 29 JUNE 2013 breakfast available Assemble REUNION VENUE: Hyde Park South for NSW Leagues Club Phillip St SAT 0930 07 JULY 2013 RESERVE FORCES DAY MARCH march down Macquarie – near Martin Place.