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21.01.2022 FACT Entertainers in Vietnam More than 700 Australian entertainers performed in Vietnam during the war. Most were sponsored by the government, which provided tr...ansport, accommodation, and security. The performers were often exposed to enemy and friendly fire, and their safety remained a concern at all times. Many entertainers also made their own way to Vietnam as part of a private concert tour. They often spent more than three months in the country, while government-sponsored concert parties typically lasted between one and two weeks. Some entertainers, like Little Pattie or Col Joye and the Joy Boys, were household names back in Australia. Others were less well known, but every performer helped in some way to lift the morale of troops far from home. See more

19.01.2022 Did you know... that during the Vietnam War, eight Royal Australian Navy officers and sailors were killed and 46 were wounded or injured? Over the ten years of ...war, the dedication and professionalism of the RAN shone through, on the gunline, in the clearance diving teams, through escorting and transporting troops and equipment to and from Australia, with RAN medical teams ashore, and in the air with the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam. Image of HMAS Perth providing naval gunfire support on the gunline in 1968: See more

18.01.2022 Australian Veterans Assistance League, is a non-for-profit philanthropic national organisation established ANZAC day 2015. Set up by veterans to assist veterans suffering PTSD, Depression, Anxiety or any other TRAUMA related illness. To validate their loyalty & commitment to the ADF & the people of Australia,... Acknowledge the great strength & fortitude of veterans battling trauma related illness Never forgetting the passing of warriors who have fallen by their own hand. "One battle too many...Lest we forget"... Value & acknowledging the sacrifice of family & friends giving unconditional love, doing their best. The AVAL is NON Political - NON Religious - NON Discriminatory. Objectives 1. Promotion & support current local services 2. Maintain autonomous local support networks around Australia 3. Inform & share information to assist ADF Veterans & Families 4. Listen at the local level & develop local solutions 5. Provide Crisis support 6. Legal assistance & advocacy 7. Crisis accommodation 8. Respite for carer’s & family 9. Short / long term accommodation 10. Employment assistance 11. Business development & support 12. Financial assistance 13. ADF PTSD support programs 14. Psychological support & programs

17.01.2022 On this day... in 1918, the Australian 2nd Division captured the village of Montbrehain, in what turned out to be the final battle of World War I for the Austra...lian Imperial Force. It was described as one of the most brilliant Australian infantry actions of the war by the official historian, Charles Bean, and was part of the Battle of St Quentin Canal, which broke the Hindenburg Line. The attack involved the 6th Brigade, which took nearly 400 German prisoners, but in the process suffered 430 casualties. The 2nd Division was then relieved, and joined the other four Australian divisions in rest areas, where they remained until the Armistice on 11 November. "Breaking the Hindenburg Line" by William Longstaff See more

17.01.2022 Who was the Accordion Man? An unidentified Australian ex prisoner of war playing his accordion at Bicycle Camp We are seeking your help to identify a former Aus...tralian prisoner of war Dubbed ‘The Accordion Man’ by Memorial historians, the Digger is pictured smiling to the camera and holding a small battered accordion. The photograph was taken on 24 September 1945. We would like to find out more about this soldier; how he kept his accordion hidden from his captors; what music he played to entertain his fellow prisoners; what happened to him after he returned home; whether he had a family, and what happened to the accordion? So what do we know already? The photograph was taken by Lieutenant R Buchanan at the recently liberated Bicycle Camp (so called because of number of bicycles found on site when the Australians first arrived) in Batavia (Jakarta) Java, Indonesia. The Australian Army photographers pictured in the background are documenting the state of the prison camp and the condition of the prisoners. It is likely that ’Accordion Man’ was an infantryman from 2/40th Battalion or a supporting unit and was among those captured by the Japanese in early 1942 while defending the Penfui airfield at Koepang in Dutch West Timor. The 2/40th Infantry Battalion was the only battalion in the AIF recruited almost entirely from Tasmania. The Battalion formed the bulk of Sparrow Force and were rushed to Dutch West Timor at the end of 1941 to help defend against invading Japanese forces. However, like most of the ‘bird’ forces deployed across the islands to Australia’s north, the men of Sparrow Force were ill equipped and undersupplied and were overwhelmed by the large numbers of invading Japanese forces. Most men of the 2/40th became prisoners of war and were eventually interned at the Java camp, although some members managed to escape to join 2/2ndIndependent Company, an Australian guerrilla force that had eluded captivity by hiding in the rough Timor jungle. The prisoners were liberated in late August and early September 1945 and repatriated home to Australia almost immediately. Anyone with information about ‘The Accordion Man’ is invited to comment can write to us at ‘The Accordion Man’ c/- Communications and Marketing, Australian War Memorial, GPO Box 345 Canberra ACT 2601 or email to [email protected] . See more

16.01.2022 WWI letters & diaries at the Memorial. Staff in the Research Centre at the Australian War Memorial are busily working on a variety of special projects aimed at ...supporting the Australian community's commemoration of this momentous occasion. One such project involves the re-cataloguing and in-depth indexing of the Memorial's remarkable Private Records collection from WWI. The AWM holds over 5,000 personal records from the First World War, mainly letters and diaries written by Australian men and women on active service. While earlier cataloguing for these personal records provided an index of such things as the unit with which the collection's maker served (e.g. 8th Light Horse Regiment), and the places in which he served (e.g. Gallipoli), the new standard of Private Records cataloguing involves far more detailed description. Many more subject headings (like 'mud', 'camels', 'prisoners of war' and so on) have been added to the online catalogue record of individual collections, as well as biographical information about the collection's 'maker' - information previously only available on a paper file. To get an idea of what I mean, take a peek at 2DRL/0481 - (papers of Lt John Alexander Raws & Lt Robert Goldthorpe Raws, both of the 23rd Battalion, AIF.) As a family historian myself, I feel the most exciting aspect of this project is identifying individuals named in letters and diaries. I record the name of every person mentioned in each collection, even if the reference is only very brief. This ensures these names are made ‘searchable’ on the Memorial’s online catalogue. It’s wonderful what these references can bring to light. Take for example the case of 1120 Private Leonard Arthur Thomas Beggs of the 22nd Battalion...from his official war service record, he would appear to have been less than a model soldier but just look what his commanding officer had to say about him in a letter home from Gallipoli. [N]ot forgetting Beggs, a terrier of a chap, will do anything. Put up entanglements under fire, work...on sandbags at night, scout round for provisions for us at the beach, my word he’s the one to find the illicit canteens...He’s a real scout and will do anything to oblige us. 1DRL/0554 (papers of Captain Louis Carl Roth, MC, 2 Pioneer Battalion & formerly of 22 Infantry Battalion, AIF) With the WWI centenary fast approaching, I'm delighted to see the burgeoning of private commemoration sites online, particularly on social networking sites like Facebook. Ordinary Australians are increasingly taking an interest in their own family’s connection with our military history, helped along, I have no doubt, by the excellent work done by the National Archive of Australia in digitising almost all of the WWI service records, and making them freely available online. The NAA also has the excellent Mapping Our Anzacs interactive project up and running. I'm confident that this in-depth cataloguing of WWI private records held here at AWM will be a great help to Australian families in their quest to learn more about their own Great War heroes, as well as a boon to military historians, researchers and museum curators See more

14.01.2022 Civilian Construction Corps paved the way for the forces While many young men left Australia to fight overseas during World War II, one large group of men made ...a significant contribution to the war effort back home. These were the men of the Civil Construction Corps (CCC) who were responsible for building many major facilities throughout Australia during World War II. The CCC was established in the dark days of the Pacific War utilising the skills of thousands of tradesmen, building workers and labourers. One of the men who volunteered for the CCC was Jack McAulay, who worked on projects all over Australia. "The men of the CCC did a wonderful job for the Australian and US forces during World War II," Jack recalls. "We carried out their building requirements all over Australia, particularly in northern parts. It was just like being in the forces because you had to go wherever they sent you," he said. Jack says he worked on the building of the American Headquarters in Brisbane so the US personnel could transfer from Melbourne to Queensland. "It took about 200 of us a few months to complete this project and we were camped at the Brisbane suburb of Chermside," he said. "The Australian Army and the CCC camps adjoined one another. We were driven to work by Australian and US trucks in convoy led by a few motor cycle riders. They drove ahead of the convoy and held up the traffic, including the trams, so we could get to our job quickly. The US forces wanted their new headquarters as soon as possible." Jack says the project was supervised by a US Army officer who had been an architect in the US. "Among other projects I worked on was accommodation for the Australian Navy at Nelson Bay at Port Stephens. After we finished the job the Navy took over till the war's end and in 1947 it was used by migrants who came out from Europe to settle in Australia," Jack went on. "We worked at Merrylands in Sydney where we built a hospital at Merrylands Park for sick and wounded US forces. They arrived at the railway station and were put into a siding from which they were transported by US ambulances the short distance to the hospital. "Among other jobs I worked on were accommodation at Dapto for the RAAF, store rooms at Regents Park for the RAAF, storage igloos at Rydalmere on the Parramatta River for the Australian Navy, and warehouses for the US Army adjacent to the railway lines at Lilyfield and Rozelle." In Townsville again it was warehouses for the US forces at Aitkenvale and quarters for the WAAF at Rosslea and other jobs for the US Air Force. Working on the US Air Force base at Mount Louise, security was pretty tight. "We had to sleep on the base, were issued with special identity cards and had our fingerprints taken by US security personnel," Jack said. "I've never seen so many aircraft with about 500 Liberator bombers on the base." On one job in Townsville the CCC worked alongside a group of Hong Kong civilians. "They'd been taken prisoner by the Japanese and were being shipped to Japan when they were intercepted and rescued by the US Navy and brought to Australia," he added. "It was so hot during summer in Townsville that the Americans decided to build their own ice works," Jack said. "They used to put blocks of ice into canvas water bags that held about 10 gallons each and hung them around the building sites and all their camps where thousands of troops and airmen were stationed." It was while working on projects for the US forces that Jack first encountered chain saws. "It was a real eye-opener for us to work with these chain saws to cut the stumps to do the building," he said. Jack says that others he knew in the CCC worked in Darwin, Karumba, Jackie Jackie and Iron Range. "We were known as the Army behind the Army by the defence chiefs, but the men of the CCC always reckoned we were the Army ahead of the Army, as we had to go ahead and build the camps, hospitals, warehouses, igloos and roads ready for the defence forces to occupy." he said. But despite the important work they were doing and the fact that they were all issued with numbers similar to Army personnel, they received few, if any of the advantages of being in the forces. "Our own camps were very poor, some of them having only hurricane lamps. There were cold showers, no sewers, no army rations, no amenities and no camp concerts or travelling picture shows. However, the Army used to let us in to watch their shows if there were any nearby," he said. "The men in the CCC had to provide their own work clothes, boots and their own good clothes and blankets," Jack said. "The Government of the day provided the absolute bare minimum for us. We slept on old stretchers with hessian bags filled with straw for mattresses and the pillows were made of the same material. "We had to provide all our own tools and we even had to provide the files to keep our hand saws sharp, Jack said. "If we lost or damaged a tool we had to buy a replacement. We had to buy our own soap, toothpaste, hair oils, etc, and when we moved camp we were loaded up like packhorses with our tool kits and a couple of rolled up blankets tied to our suit cases. "There were no medical services in our camp, unlike the Army," Jack added. "They provided the meals but we had to pay for them and the money was docked from us each pay day." Jack said the girls in the land army were given their overalls, a uniform to wear, a big hat to protect them from the sun and were allowed to take part in the Anzac Day march. However, none of this was available to members of the CCC. One aspect of the work which Jack found disappointing was that the men were split up at the end of each project. "We would be sent to different projects with a different gang of men all the time, unlike the army units who stayed together," he said. "We could not establish real friendships with the other men as you would just get to know each other and then a transfer of labour could see you 50 to 100 miles away with a different gang of men." "We received a civilian service medal and certificate 50 years after the war ended..." Jack said. The certificate states in part, 'A grateful nation expresses its thanks to Daniel John McAulay for contributing to the war effort and the coming of peace'. "But I often wonder how grateful they were really," Jack added. See more

13.01.2022 On 3-8 October 1951, during the Korean War, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) attacked and captured two hills from a numerically-superior Chin...ese force in the Battle of Maryang San. The battle was part of the United Nations Operation Commando offensive, aimed at pushing the Chinese back from the Imjin River to the Jamestown Line. Using tactics developed against the Japanese in World War II, the Australians used high ground to their advantage and attacked from unexpected directions. Having secured the two hills, they then beat off repeated Chinese counter-attacks until relieved by a British battalion. 3RAR suffered 20 killed and 104 wounded in the battle, which is now widely regarded as one of Australia's greatest accomplishments of the war. Two Distinguished Service Orders, nine Military Crosses, one Member of the British Empire, two Distinguished Conduct Medals, nine Military Medals and 15 Mentions in Despatches were awarded to Australians that participated in the battle. Lest we forget. Australian Vickers machine-gunners firing in support of the assault by C Company 3 RAR on Hill 317: See more

12.01.2022 Warren (Wal) Maynard Location : Cape Barren Island Soldier relation: 4988 Private Cecil Maynard, Great Uncle Affectionately known as Wal, Warren Maynard is 67 y...ears old, raised on Cape Barren Island since he was seven or eight years old. Aunty Madge and Uncle Rueben raised him, in their old house, pictured, although as he grew older, he preferred to live in a tiny hut close to this building. He inherited the property from Aunty Madge. Wal has worked for over twenty years as a farm labourer on the Siron and Roy Fulsang property on the northeast of the island. Wal is a great character and so well-liked by all community. He is renowned as a hunter and fisherman. Wal supplies kangaroo to many community members unable to do so. He is a great rifleman and can skin a kangaroo in forty seconds. Wal continues to feed the town dogs with kangaroo bones for all. The 'black seal' is a name given to him for his skill in diving for abalone and crayfish. He can dive freehand to great depths with only a snorkel and goggles. Growing up Wal built his little hut opposite this house, he strapped his television aerial on top of a small pine tree next to his place, often commenting about as the tree grew the TV reception became better every year, he was thrilled about this. Wal often had to extend the cable coming down the tree, and it now stands close to fifty feet high. Wal purchased a more extensive style building from the Aboriginal council a more cabin style homestead which he has lived for the past ten years. Wal is immediately recognised riding around the community on his trusty agricultural farm bike and a Collingwood footy club beanie. A one-eyed magpie fan, often reminding you of who is the best footy team in the AFL league. See more

11.01.2022 First World War diaries digitisation project The Academy Library is seeking contact with relatives of the persons listed below. If you have any further informat...ion about these people, or their descendants, please contact Special Collections Curator Rose Holley via 02 6268 6088 or please contact the Library via [email protected] Sir General Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee. (1890-1966) George Hugh Morrison. Regimental number 1668 Thomas William Morrison. Regimental number 817 Arthur Leeman Fulton. 7th Light Horse Regiment Willie Neville Majoribanks Chester. Regimental number 13753 William Hilton Saunders: Regimental number 4901 For further information about the diarists and the project see UNSW Canberra’s website: http://lib.unsw.adfa.edu.au/spec/centenary-ww1-program.html See more

11.01.2022 On this day in 1952, the Majestic-class aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney completed her seventh and final patrol in waters off Korea. On this patrol, Sydney was esc...orted by the destroyers HMAS Tobruk, HMCS Sioux, USS Hanson and USS Radford. This patrol was marked by minimal flying activity due to extremely poor weather and a lack of coordination between UN forces and the convoys RAN aircraft were meant to escort. The primary targets for strike missions were changed from North Korean supply line infrastructure to water towers, as they took longer to repair. On the final day of the patrol, aircraft from Sydney did not fly at all, as overnight weather conditions had rendered all of the deck-parked aircraft unusable, including five which were completely encased in frozen sea water. On 25 January, Sydney was relieved by HMS Glory, and sailed for home. During her seven patrols in Korean waters, aircraft from Sydney flew over 2,300 sorties. Three RAN pilots were killed and a fourth seriously wounded, while thirteen aircraft were lost: nine shot down by North Korean flak, which damaged ninety other aircraft, and four from deck accidents or foul weather. RAN aircraft damaged or destroyed an estimated 66 bridges, 141 pieces of rolling stock, over 2,000 structures, 469 watercraft, and 15 artillery pieces, while causing an estimated 3,100 North Korean casualties. Personnel from Sydney and her Carrier Air Group received four Distinguished Service Crosses (one with a Bar), one Distinguished Service Medal, ten mentions in despatches, and two United States Legions of Merit. Lest we forget. Fairey Firefly aircraft on Sydney's flight deck during her service in Korean waters: See more

09.01.2022 23 Nov 2020 12:13 PM AEST - Chester release - War Widows' Guid Celebrates 75 years of support The Hon Darren Chester MP Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Minister ...for Defence Personnel MEDIA RELEASE Monday, 23 November 2020 WAR WIDOWS’ GUILD CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF SUPPORT THE War Widows’ Guild this week celebrates 75 years of supporting war widows and widowers around Australia. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said after the Second World War ended nearly 10,000 women were widowed, many were left on payments that was less than the lowest Army pay. The War Widows’ Guild, now known simply as Australian War Widows, was founded by Mrs Jessie Vasey following the death of her husband, Major-General George Vasey, to support these women, Mr Chester said. The first War Widows’ Guild meeting was held in Melbourne and marked the beginning of an organisation that is now an integral part of Australia’s veteran support framework. It is not just our service men and women who serve our nation in times of conflict, their families make sacrifices as well and organisations like Australian War Widows are so important in recognising and supporting those left behind. Today Australian War Widows has chapters in almost every state and territory and supports more than 50,000 war widows across Australia. I commend and thank them for their service to Australia’s widows and widowers. Australia owes a debt of gratitude to the Guild and I know it will continue to provide integral support to Australian war widows, their families and our veteran community well into the future. To find out more about your local chapter of Australian War Widows, or to make a donation to support their critical work, visit: warwidowsnsw.com.au ENDS MEDIA CONTACTS: Rachel Tharratt: 02 6277 7820 DVA Media: 02 6289 6466 Office of the Hon. Darren Chester, Canberra ACT. ________________________________________ To view the media release click the link below Size: 564,261 bytes http://distribution.medianet.com.au/Download/Document Distributed by Medianet JN#:941314

08.01.2022 Remembering Sister Balfour-Ogilvy and the Nursing Sisters of the Australian Army Nursing Service 2/4 Casualty Clearing Station. Sister Balfour-Ogilvy, along wit...h sixty-three other Australian Army nurses, escaped from Singapore aboard the SS Vyner Brooke on 12 February 1942. The Vyner Brooke was sunk by Japanese air attack off Banka Island, Sumatra, on 14 February. Two of the nurses were killed and nine others, who escaped on a raft, were never seen again. A party of twenty-two Australian nurses landed from a lifeboat on the north coast of Banka Island where they were captured, along with other survivors, by Japanese soldiers. Their fate was to be forced to wade out into the water never to be seen again. Sadly, Sister Balfour-Ogilvy met her fate during this horrific incident. Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, 2/13th Australian General Hospital was the sole survivor. Lest We Forget. See more

08.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 2792150 Private Milton Raymond Dufty, 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (7 RAR), of Kempsey, NSW..., who was killed in action in South Vietnam on this day in 1971, aged 22. His sacrifice is commemorated at the West Kempsey Cemetery, NSW. Milton was a national serviceman who arrived in South Vietnam as a reinforcement on 18 March 1970, transferring to 6 RAR on 1 April 1970 and serving with that unit until it left South Vietnam in May, when he was posted to 7 RAR. At dusk on 15 January 1971, Milton was a member of an ambush sprung by members of 5 Platoon, B Company led by Corporal "Rusty" Hollings, on a group of twenty Viet Cong (VC). In the initial firing, two VC were killed and six wounded. A firefight developed and several Australians were wounded, including Milton, who was shot in the chest. Fire support was requested, and the wounded Australians were casevaced by helicopter. The remaining members of the ambush patrol were withdrawn by armoured personnel carriers. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them. Lest we forget. See more

07.01.2022 POW survives horrendous conditions Private Justin Dawson was fighting with the 15th Battalion near Baupaume in France on 10 April 1917 when a 'stunt' went wrong... and he was captured by the Germans. He spent the rest of the war as a prisoner in a variety of camps from France to Belgium and finally in Germany. For most of that time he lived under horrendous conditions, was worked hard by the Germans, dressed in rags, wore wooden clogs and very nearly starved. When he was eventually released, one of the first things he did was write to his mother describing in incredible detail what had happened to him since his capture. The original letter, although now very fragile, is still in the keeping of the Dawson family. Gustrow In Mechlinburg, Dec 14th 1918 Dearest Old Mother, We have already entered upon our fourth week of waiting to move on, and waiting to do so any day. Soon after the revolutionists took charge they sent us into the head lager and told us that we would be in England in a few days, but here we are still, and goodness knows when the move will be made. We hoped to get to Blighty for Xmas, but the best we can expect now will be to have it in Copenhagen. Anywhere out of this god-forsaken country will do. The last eleven months I have been in a small camp of about four hundred men, about ten miles from Kiel, and from the time the packets commenced to reach us, we had a decent time. However, I will start from the date of my capture, and give you a rough sketch of what has happened since. On the tenth of April, 1917, we were to hop over [attack the enemy] at a point near Baupaume, but for some reason (I think the tanks not being far enough ahead) or other, though we went up to do the stunt [the attack], it did not come off, and we left the trench in disorder, and made our way back to the camp in a blinding snowstorm, some four or five miles, reaching home about 9am. We were all dead beat, and lay down wet and slept till 3pm, when we wakened to the glad news that we were to go in that night again. Anyway we went at 9pm and hopped over just before dawn next morning to go some eight hundred yards over some open ground with snow on it, with tanks ahead, but no artillery. Before we reached our objective the tanks were well in the rear, and useless. Fritz hardly fired a shot until we got to the wire, and then he opened up with heavens knows how many machine guns, and simply mowed the chaps down. Somehow or other I managed to get through the wire, with chaps dropping all round me, without a scratch, and then went as fast as the (by this time intolerable) load I was carrying would let me. I fell into the trench, right on top of some poor kid who had been shot through the head just in front of me. The trench was full of wounded with a fair sprinkling of dead, but I was very glad to sit down and rest awhile. To make a long story short, we soon ran out of bombs [grenades] and ammunition, and somewhere about midday Fritz took the lot of us prisoners, and our troubles started. It was impossible to go back. Many of the lads tried it, but were shot down, without exception, within twenty yards. We were hurried into Fritz's trench and relieved of our clasp knives by an officer with a gun, and then sent on our way to the rear. Unhappily our barrage commenced about that time, and we had a pretty hot time getting out. After doing about umpteen kilometers, we reached the German headquarters, and were searched, abused and after several hours standing in the snow desperately hungry and cold, we were herded into the village church, and introduced to Fritz's war bread for the first time. To us, at the time, it seemed vile stuff, nearly black and very sour, but in a very short time, we were to learn to value every crumb of it. From this place we made our way in trucks to Solesmes, were bathed and sent on to Quesnoy, where we joined up with a big party, and went straight on to Lille. We had been fondly imagining that we were bound for Germany, but were soon sadly disillusioned. We reached Lille railway station to find it lined with Prussian police (military) and officers waiting to see the big capture. When we got off at the station, it was quite evident that our arrival had been advertised in advance, for the streets were lined with civilian French and German. We marched right through the city, and the French people threw kisses to us, but the Germans saw to it that they did not make any demonstration in the street. After quite a long tramp, which finished in a cold drizzle, we arrived at the gloomy portals of a French fortress, all more or less underground, and were taken into gloomy dungeons, very damp, with stone floors and no bedding. All that night we walked about to keep warm, and in the morning were issued with boards to lie on but nothing else. (Fort McDonald, three boards to five men so we lay on them crossways). Here we stayed 6 days and received one slice of black bread per diem, washed down with some of Jerry's substitute for coffee, a vile mixture. There were no proper sanitary arrangements, and the boards to lie on panned out at 3 to 4 or 5 men. They just kept us off the wet floor, and that was all. After a time a German came in and enlightened us as to the meaning of the thing, and read us the proclamation, issued by the authorities, telling us all about the reprisals. I have a copy of it that I will send along. It is interesting reading and was carried out to the letter. At last, one morning, a party of us were told off, marched to the station, entrained for some place unknown, which turned out to be a partially destroyed village three kilometers behind the German lines. After waiting some hours at headquarters, we were taken into a small barb wire enclosure, with one half finished hut and the material for building more. The snow was still on the ground, but no blankets were issued, and many of us had not even overcoats. The next day most of the chaps went out to work, and the rest stayed, and started into finish putting up the huts and fix up the cookhouse. The work turned out to be varied, from digging deep dugouts to shell carrying, and grave digging - mostly the latter. We were supplied with straw to lie on, but after a few days had to throw it all out on account of the vermin. However at last they allowed us to go round the village and get what we could, we collected all kinds of filthy rags, including old curtains, frock coats, and tall hats. Anything that would keep us warm and the tall hats, and of course other kinds to replace our tin helmets. Up to this time any soup or coffee had to be taken out of our hats, as Fritz never issued us with any gear to eat with or out of. However we soon got pots and pans in the village. The principal difficulty was to get anything to put in them. The ration was of the slenderest, one litre of the poorest kind of vegetable soup, a small piece of black bread, and sometimes when we touched it lucky, a piece of sausage about the size of your thumb. Without exaggeration, a prisoner's ration in Germany, was never at any time more than just enough to keep body and soul together, and at that no better than pig food. We cooked up anything that we could find including stinging nettle leaves, wild turnip leaves, and mouldy old mangolds out of musty cellars and devoured them thankfully. A few days after we got settled down a party working on an ammunition dump a kilometre away were caught by an English shell, and seven were killed outright, and four were wounded. All were Australians, except one of the killed. Though the village was often shelled afterwards and small shells dropped even in the lager, nobody was killed or injured. As the weather got warmer, and time went on, our bodily condition became awful. For eight weeks we never washed with soap, and soon learnt that of all scarce articles in Deutsch land, soap was the scarcest. The lice made our days and nights miserable in the extreme and though we stripped every time a chance occurred, it seemed impossible even to keep them down. Now and again a high officer visited us, and told us we were being much too well treated, and left orders with the guard that things were to be made harder for us. Luckily for us the Sergeant Major in charge did not take much notice of them. I love a Prussian officer, browbeating and starvation are the weapons that they love, and from a fairly long experience of the latter I can say one needs to cultivate a stiff upper lip to retain his self respect after a month or two of it. However, it is a long lane that has no turning, and after some eight weeks at this village, Brebieres by the way, and about 5 kilos from Douai, which you will see on the map, we were told that our troubles were over, and marched some 20 kilos to a large village on the Belgian border called Orchies and billetted in a large deserted pottery for a few days rest. After a week there I was told off among a party of one hundred, and sent into Belgium to a large Pferde lazarett which means horse hospital! Here we were received cordially by a huge German officer who turned out to be the Vet in charge. We were put into fine quarters and given mattresses, but no blankets. The building was a large Catholic orphanage, commandeered by the Germans and a very fine place. Two priests were still living there, and were very good to us. The veterinarian turned out to be an Alsatian, and was very kind to us, but unfortunately soon afterwards was taken ill and replaced by a big Prussian. This chap did not treat us badly but was just indifferent. Except that we were always desperately hungry and horribly weak, we were well treated at this place, and the Belgium people did what they could for us, which was not much. Poor devils, they had not much themselves. The Hospital was in an old time village called Melles about 5 kilometers from a fine city named Tournai and the surrounding country as pretty as anything I have seen in Europe. While there I made friends with a Belgian Barrister in Tournai, who supplied me with a toothbrush and hairbrush, articles to which I had long been a stranger, and many other necessities, including that article, more precious than gold in Germany - soap. He introduced me to a dear old Madame and her daughters, who kissed me for my Mother, and gave me a warm scarf and quite a nice parcel of food. The daughters did not participate in the kissing much to my disappointment. I will not forget these people in a hurry, for I can assure you, I was a pretty unkempt looking object, and none too clean. At this time I weighed 8 stone, and my clothes were in rags. The next time they visited us Madame brought me a fine pair of warm riding trousers from M. Frison (the barrister) and from that time out I was easily the dandy of the party, and an object of envy. We stayed five months altogether at Melles, from the middle of June to the middle of November. The last few weeks were not so bad as the potato harvest was on and we were able to get a good many. Though they filled us up and to a large degree allayed the gnawing, the craving for fats still remained and our stomachs would not be comforted. The want of fats has of course been very acute in Germany for a long time. During this time our rations were altered and we were put on special stuff manufactured for prisoners and disgusting in the extreme. The meat, which we called sea-lion , was actually fish of that species. All fat was taken from it, and the remainder, beastly looking stuff, quite black and full of salt, was dished out to us. At first starving as we were, none of us could eat it, but in the long run we were glad enough to tackle it, and we were to see the time in the bitter northern German winter when we actually looked forward to sea-lion day for a satisfying feed. The bread at this time was evidently made of sweepings for it was full of oat husks, and very gritty, but we ate that, too, and were very glad to get it. Towards the latter portion of our stay here I took a job of running a horse clipping machine, thereby getting Sundays off, and was promoted from that to looking after the "Veterinar's" two private horses, where I struck one of the kindest of Germans. He was very good to me, and often got me a little extra food, and helped me to pick up my strength quite a lot. The cold weather was setting in, and I felt that I was well fixed for the winter, but it was not to be, and on Nov 14th we suddenly got orders to leave for Germany. I forgot to mention that in Oct. I received one Red Cross food parcel with cocoa and real meat in it. My chum and I had a banquet; nectar was not in it with that cocoa. Fritz's substitute for coffee and tea, were our only beverages, the former only burnt barley, and the latter some kind of grass. On the morning of 15th Nov. we left Melles at 6am and marched across the border to Marchiennes, a distance of 34 kilos, and I think the hardest march I've ever done yet. By this time many of us were bootless and wearing sabots (wooden clogs). My boots had hardly any soles, but still they were boots, but after 24 miles, mostly on the vile cobblestone roads, we were all crippled more or less. We reached Marchiennes more dead than alive, and were crammed into a disused slaughter house to wait for the train. Altogether there were 600 in this place which, at the outside, was big enough for say, 350. However, the Germans told us that the Russians would arrive next day, and that we would take their train back to Germany. But we stayed nine days, and no boilers being available for soup cooking, the ingredients were dished out to us individually, to cook the best way we could. Before we left half the place had been pulled down for firewood. There were no sanitary arrangements whatever, and after a few days that part of the place was disgusting in the extreme. The Germans said that they were very short of bread, so we got one third of a 2lb loaf for four days, and were ravenous beyond words. We were taken in parties for bath and fumigation to St Amand, eleven kilos away, and there I realised that, compared with many poor devils, I myself had had a good time. Many of them were literally skin and bone, and covered with sores and weak to the last degree. On the return journey many of the poor devils could not keep up to the stronger ones, but the guards helped them along with the butts of their rifles. I saw one little runt of a German knock down a big chap six feet, three times, because he could not walk fast in sabots, and was very weak. I can speak of wooden shoes with some authority as I wore them for four months, and I can assure you that to any one who has not been brought up to them, they are an invention of the devil. On frozen ground it is very difficult to keep one's feet and the snow always sticks to the bottom, so that every few yards you must stop and kick it off, on the other hand they are very warm and dry, in fact quite all right if you have not far to walk. However, the worst things come to an end and on Nov 26th, the train arrived. Not long before we moved off, a wagon load of RC (Red Cross) packets arrived, and brought 2 for me, and 2 for my mate. Of all the meals I have ever had that one stands out on its own. White bread, butter, beef stew, and cocoa with milk and sugar, we ate till we were satisfied, and that is saying something. We were very lucky, for only about 200 men got parcels out of 600 odd. At 8 o c that night we entrained, and were joined by another party making up to 1100 odd. One dead Russian was taken out before we got in which did not look cheerful. We got away at last and crossed over the border and up through Belgium, with many stoppages, and at 8am on the morning of the 28th the train ran into a dead end telescoping two carrages, killed one of our chaps, and a sentry, and injured several of our fellows. After some hours, we again moved off, and crossed the German border at Herbertsthal and reached Friedricksfeld early on the morning of 29th, after 53 hours in the train, during which time we were issued with two litres of very thin soup and no bread and nothing else. Of course my mate and I had our packets, but the very large majority had nothing whatever. On arrival in camp we were searched very thoroughly and relieved of all our souvenirs, etc. given some soup and bread, and put into huts made fairly comfortable. Packets were issued everyday, but I was unlucky, and did not get one all the time I was there, excepting clothing, which I was very glad of. We stayed there a fortnight, and during that time I met Malcolm quite accidentally, and he helped me a lot. Friedricksfeld is a fine camp, and I would have liked to have stayed longer, but on the 18th we were transferred to Gustrow and Malcolm and the other NCOs were sent to another lager. I don't know where. It has been out of the question to keep up any communication with anyone for of course, no correspondence has been possible. Malcolm was very kind to me when I was there, and it was good to have someone to talk home to. The journey to Gustrow was uneventful, some of the scenery was fine, though principally on account of the season, everything being frozen and covered with snow, made it very fine when the sun was shining, but for the most part the country did not look very good. Gustrow, which in the early days of the war bore a sinister reputation, is still a miserable hole, and the surrounding country flat and desolate. I think we arrived here on Dec 18th, but we were booked to move again before Xmas. On the same date this year there was no snow on the ground, but last year it was bitter, and I remember when we went through the gate, the sentry had icicles hanging to his whiskers. On the 23rd we moved off again, at 4am, armed with a ration of black bread, with a pint of coffee substitute inside us. We had thought on getting to Germany that most of our troubles were over, but we still had the bitterest experience of all to go through. After a journey lasting some 12 hours, we got out at a small station near Kiel, called Gettorf, and walked seven kilometers to the lager. It seemed a long way to me on the frozen roads in clogs. We found them fairly comfortable barracks with large stoves, but soon discovered that the amount of coal issued was just enough to annoy us. We were informed that there would be no work till after Xmas, and we were left alone until then. That in itself was a boon. On Xmas day we got one litre of cabbage and water, and one pickled cucumber. On Boxing Day we were called at 6am and breakfasted on a special soup that Fritz invented for prisoners. What on earth it was composed of is a mystery we never solved. The lads very aptly called it sandstorm. It looked like sand mixed with water, and tasted like that compound flavoured with kerosine. However, we were literally starving, and weren't particular as to flavour but only trouble was that we could not get enough of it, bad as it was. At 7am out we went into the snow, stood till nearly frozen, and finally slipped and scrambled down the frozen road to the railway and started work. We stayed out and worked till half past two every afternoon half frozen, and utterly miserable with the acutest pangs of hunger gnawing at our vitals, and most days returned to a bowl of soup, largely and sometimes wholly composed of swede turnips, quite unsatisfying, of course, and without nourishment, at 4pm roll call, another half hour in the snow, then bread and coffee, which we ate straight away. To put the tin hat on this we had no tobacco, and could not even buy any. Extreme hunger with tobacco is bearable, but without is the dizzy limit. This state of affairs continued for eight weeks, by which time we were desperately weak and not able to do enough work to keep ourselves warm. With his usual topsy turvy Fritz drove us like galley slaves. All armed with walking sticks they used them often, shouting themselves hoarse, but the anglische swinehands were not caring, and at last they gave it up. Fritz in the aggregate is always like that when you are down and out. He rarely asks a well fed man to work very hard, but loves to take it out of a poor devil whose spirit is nearly broken. I may say that he did not often break the spirit of the Englanders, though he brought them low enough. All things come to an end, and at last packets commenced to come from Friedsrichfeld. Then the accumulation of months came in avalanches and we had quantities of everything, & Fritz having a great liking for English tobacco not to mention grub, roared like a sucking dove, and smiled sweetly on the Englander. But there was nothing doing, and the sentries sniffed the smell of frying bacon, and saw all kinds of dainties coming out of tins, and sighed in vain. The tables were turned with a vengeance, and we did not forget to rub it in. From that time out no one did any serious work, and curiously enough, though we were soon strong and fit and able to do it, Fritz never tried his old games on. In May I was put into the lager post office, and hence forth led a gentleman's life. The summer was glorious, with long sunny days and twilight lasting till 9 o clock and later. We got books and footballs, etc from England and things altogether took on a brighter hue. We were comparatively happy but thanks only to our own people, for without their aid, a great many of us would have never left Germany. Russians who have received little or nothing from outside have died in their thousands, and they are a people used to hard living and the cold. We all had Russian batmen, who cleaned our dishes, and did our washing etc. and in return received food and tobacco. Of course the large accumulation of packets enabled us to do this. Consequently the Rusky's waxed fat and strong like ourselves, respondingly cheeky to Fritz. If ever there were lost souls, these people were they. Deserted by their own people, their sufferings have been unspeakable, and they have been a big factor in Germany being able to hang on so long. Next to them have been, I think, the Italians, who Fritz looks upon as traitors, and treat accordingly. The summer was uneventful, very little news reached us, but lately we knew that things were going badly with Germany, and some of the Germans spoke confidently of peace before Xmas. Then some began to talk of a possible revolution, an almost unbelievable thing to us, after our experience of the power of officers, etc, but many signs of insubordination and insolence began to show themselves among the German sailors, and we soon saw how things were going. On Nov 5th four days before the general revolution took place, the navy mutinied, and our little lager came under the red flag. From that time we did no work and were allowed out without sentries. We promenaded all over the country side and into Keil and generally enjoyed ourselves. After 10 months inside the barbed wire, never out of sight of sentries with rifles, it was joy unalloyed to get out at last. We inundated Keil and were treated as friends by the populace, chatted to the girls in vile German and invaded the postcard shops and pub, which all have music as one person said to me there is one thing we have plenty of music in Germany, if nothing else. There was much misery to be seen in Keil, poor little pinched kiddies, who followed us about in the hope of getting a biscuit. All round the district the youngsters look upon us as sort of fairy godfathers, who sometimes had food to give away. We quite took charge of Keil and nobody minded. I saw a crowd of our fellows marching through one of the main streets singing of all the jingo songs Sons of the Sea and the Germans who understood only laughed. A very short while before this, we got orders to pack up and go to Gustrow for transportation. Of course we thought that we were bound for Blighty straight away, but were doomed to disappointment. We spent a beastly tedious month marching about the camp, and the town of Gustrow. A nice old fashioned town, but being so fed up with everything German, we were not interested. At last on Dec 20th we went by train to a small place on the Baltic Warnemunde and caught a small boat for Copenhagen. The boat was very tiny and crowded and the trip darned uncomfortable, but we had turned our backs on Germany and nothing else mattered. At Copenhagen we got a fine reception and went into a comfy camp close by where we spent Xmas. The Danish people did all they could for us and gave us a dandy send off. We had a splendid passage over in a fine ship Frederick VIII and landed in Hull. There lots of nice people met us and we talked for the first time for two years to nice English women. Everything possible was done for us, in fact much more than we expected, even to motors to bring us from the station to the camp. That brings me to the present moment to the camp at Ripon, tomorrow morning we leave for London. Unfortunately, I am only partly rigged up in khaki, so will look a queer object going to London. We are getting 30 days leave and then I understand are to be shipped home. May it be right, it will be good to see you all again. Lots of love to yourself dear and all at home. Your ever loving son Justin Justin Dawson eventually returned to Australia, arriving by boat on 17 March 1919. See more

07.01.2022 On this day in 1914, the second convoy of volunteers for the AIF left Albany, WA. Only two months behind the first convoy, many of the reinforcements on board t...he second convoy landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. Lest we forget. Reinforcements for the 1st Division playing cricket aboard HMAT Themistocles (A32), one of the troopships that made up the second convoy See more

06.01.2022 Buried thousands of miles from homeBut not forgotten When a young Australian soldier was killed during fighting in France just two months before the end of Wor...ld War I, he wasn't buried alongside his mates. For some reason unknown, Sgt Harry Fisher, aged 23, was buried in a communal cemetery near Maissemy, north-west of St Quentin, close to where he died. He is the only Australian soldier buried in the Vendelles Communal Cemetery, which is the final resting place for the local French community. The interest of this story lies in the fact that it gives a wonderful insight into the depth of feeling still felt by the French towards Australians - and that story is not yet finished. In September 1999, Mike Goodwin from Mackay in Queensland, led a group of high school students on a commemorative tour to the battlefields of Gallipoli and northern Europe. Their project and tour was featured on an episode of Australian Story on ABC Television on 4 November 1999, entitled Carve Their Names With Pride. "Whilst overseas, our group located, commemorated and photographed 98 graves and memorial names of local ancestors and we then presented the photos to the families on our return," Mike Goodwin said recently. "One soldier we researched was the great uncle of my wife. His name was Harry Fisher, and whilst his war record is of great interest (he was an original Anzac who fought his way through Gallipoli and then the Western Front, only to be killed in sight of the end of the war, on 18 September 1918), it is his burial and subsequent influence on some French people that gives this story a unique quality," he said. "Harry is one of the few Australians not buried in a military cemetery. He lies, it seems, in his original burial position in a quiet churchyard in the village of Vendelles in France. It is a small local cemetery and Harry is amongst French civilian graves and family tombs. "We don't know why he was left there. Our knowledgable French historian guide, Yves Fohlen (who was featured in the Australian Story program) puts it down to one of those strange events of war. "Most interestingly, when we visited Harry's grave, we (especially my wife) were intrigued and delighted to find beautiful flowers placed on his grave. Someone had put them there recently and Yves felt that some French local had probably been doing this for some time. "This touched my wife and when she related this to her family on our return, they too were moved. Interestingly, Yves revisited Harry's grave a month after we had left and he sent us a photo of the grave - there was a fresh bunch of beautiful flowers on it. "This act of kindness was too much for our curiosity, so we sent Yves a photo of Harry and a letter to the anonymous people who were visiting Harry's grave. The photo and letter were placed at the base of the headstone and we sat back and waited for a response, not knowing if we would get one or not. "Early last month [October 2000], Yves received a phone call from the 'flower layers' - an elderly French couple - Monsieur and Madame Simonin. Madame Simonin's mother is buried in the cemetery and she explained to Yves that whenever they visited her, they took another bunch of flowers for the young Australian who was buried so far from his home and family. "We have all been very touched by this - we have written the Simonins a letter and hope for a reply soon. We plan to visit them on our next trip to France," Mike Goodwin said. Footnote: Mike and Roz Goodwin did hear from the Simonins. They received a parcel just after New Year which contained a number of gifts as well as a photograph of the Simonins and a letter from them. They told the Goodwins that although they lived a long way from Vendelles, whenever they visited Mrs Simonin's mother's grave, they always took flowers for Harry. See more

05.01.2022 Private Leonard Granrott in the battle at Messines By Robyn van Dyk. ANAZC Day on 25 April, the thoughts of many Australians often turn to members of their ...own family who served during the First World War. The Australian War Memorial's databases hold a rich source of detail for families who may want to learn more about the service of their relative. I was asked recently by ABC radio about what can be found online and in the Memorial's collections to help tell us the story of someone's military history. I was given the name Private Leonard Granrott to use as an example. The following story has been pieced togther from Private Granrott's personal service record, the published unit history of the 38th Battalion and the Memorial's online collections. The links to the online source material thoughout this story represent only a small cross section of the Memorial's total online collections The story of Private Leonard Granrott: Private Leonard Granrott was 25 years of age and working as a painter in Brunswick, Victoria when he enlisted on 8 March, 1916. He was to serve with the 38 Infantry Battalion which was a Victorian unit. Although Granrott was from Melbourne the 38th was very much a country unit with its heart in the Australian bush. The men trained at the Epsom racecourse at Bendigo and Leonard would have practiced jumping in and out of trenches there and slept in one of the many white tents pitched under the gum trees. When his training was completed Leonard Granrott embarked for overseas with the rest of his unit. The 38th Battalion left on 20 June, 1916 from Melbourne on the HMAT Runic. Relatives and friends of those who sailed crowded the Port Melbourne pier to wave good bye. Every vantage point of HMAT Runic was described as being covered with khaki as the men swarmed up into the rigging. The story and official history of the 38th Battalion A.I.F describes that from the pier hundreds of reels of coloured paper ribbon were thrown aboard and thousands of flags, scarfs and handkerchiefs gladdened a scene which could so easily have been a sad one. Leonard and his younger brother Jack were brought up by their mother Florence after their father died of Appendicitis in 1903. Only a few days after the Runic sailed from Melbourne, Leonard’s brother also enlisted to serve. Jack however, was discharged as medically unfit before he could embark. On the journey over Leonard became ill with influenza and had to spend many months recovering in hospital in England. It wasn’t until February 1917 that he was recovered enough to rejoin his unit in France. He left from Folkstone, England for France on 4 February and spent at few days at the 3rd ADBD in Etaples before rejoining the 38 Battalion on the 9th February 1917. Many Australians were stationed at Etaples during the war and the place was often nicknamed eat apples. During the harsh winter of 191617 the battalion was involved in several raids of the German trenches. In March, Leonard moved with his unit out to the Belgium front. From 13 May the men of the 38th Battalion were moved into Ploegsteert wood in Belgium. The unit history of the 38th Battalion describes entering the wood was like walking into fairy land. It was mossy green and sunny and carpeted with flowers. Not far from Ploegsteert wood, however, the men of the 38th Battalion would soon fight their first major battle at Messines between 79 June, 1917. The Messines Ridge overlooked the British Salient at Ypres. The Germans who occupied this high ground could see the British positions. The objective of this battle, therefore, was to remove the Germans from the ridge. On 7 June the 38th Battalion moved through four well-marked and reconnoitred routes via Ploegsteert wood through to the front. On this night the woods were less like fairy land and more like a nightmare. During this battle 500 men of the 3rd Division were exposed to phosgene gas in Ploegsteert Wood. When the men of the 38th heard the soft pat pat of exploding gas-shells they put on their gas masks. They marched past gasping horses and mules and struggled to breath themselves in their masks. The heavy load of rifle, ammunition, tools, and rations, and the excitement of the occasion, caused heavy breathing and much distress. By 3:10 am on the 7th June, the 38th Battalion were in position to attack. They were divided into three waves for the battle. Leonard Granrott was to be in the first wave. The men jumped off from their positions wearing gas masks and reached their objective ‘Ungodly trench’. The 2nd and 3rd waves were to pass through ‘Ungodly trench’ and their objective was the ‘Black Line’. The men advanced behind a timed artillery barrage. The signal to start was a massive explosion created by 123,500 pounds of explosives of ammonal, placed in 19 tunnels which had been dug under the German lines during the preceding two years by Canadian, Australian and English miners. The mass explosion obliterated the enemy and the advance was largely unopposed. The height overlooking the Ypres Salient were now able to be occupied. By the morning the 38 Battalion had two major strong points established. The black line had been dug 7ft deep and was fire stepped in places. During this advance the 38th captured 7 machine guns and two 7.7 cm field guns. It is unclear from the sources when Leonard was hit but on the 7th he was severely wounded. He received multiple gun shot wounds including one which punctured his right lung. He was evacuated to London and spent a year recovering in hospital. He was eventually discharged to Australia in 1918 as medically unfit. He received the British war medal and the Victory Medal for his service. See more

03.01.2022 RAAF Butterworth upgraded by No 2 Airfield Construction Squadron Australia's major area of strategic concern in 1953-54 changed from the Middle East to South-Ea...st Asia with the threat of communism and the domino theory uppermost in the minds of the government. Following high-level meetings with Britain and New Zealand in 1953, it was proposed to establish a Far East Strategic Reserve including Navy, Army and Air Force. The RAAF was to provide a fighter wing of two squadrons, a bomber squadron and an airfield construction squadron which had the job of upgrading Butterworth airfield to take the new modern jets flown by the RAAF. These included Canberra jet bombers and Sabre supersonic fighters, an improved version of the F86s which had been so effective against the Russian-built MIG-15s in Korea. In 1955, Cpl Kevin Le Fevre was a member of No 2 Airfield Construction Squadron sent to Butterworth to build an additional airstrip at the existing airfield which had been established by the RAAF during World War II. This was Australia's biggest overseas construction project. The engineers faced major problems with the terrain with the main runway built over swampy paddy fields. Many of the 300 members of No 2 ACS were veterans of airfield construction projects in Borneo, Japan, Cocos Islands and Woomera and they quickly overcame the problems. A locally recruited labour force included about 600 Malays. Kevin Le Fevre recalls the halcyon days he and his mates spent in the area during the airfield construction. "We assembled in Townsville, Qld, and after stores etc were sorted out we took ship to Malaya on a migrant ship New Australia, landing at Georgetown in late September 1955. "We moved immediately to Butterworth where we began constructing the airstrip. It was very hot work. "Our first impressions of our accommodation were not favourable. However, we soon found they were perfect for the climate and proved surprisingly comfortable. "At the time there was much activity in Malaya as the country prepared for the big step of gaining independence from British rule. Great changes were taking place and all this proved fascinating stuff for we Aussies who had little experience of how a foreign country functioned. "The native people were at all times friendly and hard working. Local labour was used quite extensively at the strip construction site and on the base. They worked as kitchen hands and cooks, labourers and as domestic staff who cleaned our bashas, one boy being responsible for two huts. The houseboy we had was called Sabtu and he quickly became our friend as well as a worker. "One of our entertainments was an outdoor movie theatre which was set up outside the Navy, Army, Air Force Institute (NAAFI). We had some great times together at the NAAFI. "In Singapore the Christian Churches had set up a leave centre called 'The Sandy Soldiers Home'. This had originally been established in India and relocated to Singapore in 1948. When we went on leave this was a convenient place to stay. It was cheap, very clean, and homely. "However, there was a 23.00 hours curfew at 'Sandy' and if you were not in your bed when the curfew came you'd be locked out. We were always served an early morning cuppa and this was when a headcount was carried out. Woe betide you if you were an absentee, you had to give a good explanation. This was not an RAAF regulation, just a condition of residence at 'Sandy'. Still it was a good place to stay and was never short of fellas looking for a bed. "Tourism had not yet come to Singapore so we were able to observe the native population unspoilt as yet by commercialism. Religious festivals were frequent and a great chance to see how the various religons paid homage to their own gods. Muslims were the predominant ones, yet Tamil ceremonies were the most colourful. "Some of our blokes acquired animals as pets whilst over there. A pet monkey belonging to one of the fellas was a great source of enjoyment till it turned savage and attacked someone. Another bloke adopted a coloured parrot as his pet. Nobody befriended a snake but we often saw snake charmers in the local markets. "All RAAF personnel were given a one-off cash allowance for purchase of extra clothing appropriate to the climate. Since we were not permitted to wear uniform at any time when off duty, this allowance was much appreciated. Malayan floral shirts were cheap and comfortable and very cool to wear. "The airstrip was completed by early 1958 and finalising operations took a few months more. We had been away from Australia nearly three years and although our time in Malaya had, for the most part, been enjoyable, we were all ready to come home. "We flew out in three groups on Super Constellation aircraft in June 1958." The Canberra bombers of No 2 Squadron flew into Butterworth on 1 July 1958 followed the next day by the Lincolns of No 1 Squadron. No 3 Squadron arrived with its Sabres in November and No 77 Squadron arrived early in 1959. The aircraft were soon involved in anti-terrorist activities with Canberra bombers attacking terrorist camps in northern Malaya in September 1958. See more

03.01.2022 Calder Woodburn Memorial Avenue, Arcadia The Calder Woodburn Memorial Avenue is the longest memorial planting in Victoria undertaken by a single person. It is a... poignant symbol of how grief can manifest within a community to ensure that those who lost their lives in the line of service are remembered. Just like other war memorials that are present across the Australian landscape, Avenues of Honour were first planted to commemorate the sacrifice and service made by local service people during World War I, a practice that continued after World War II. The planting of these memorial trees was intensely personal, and for many towns across Australia they acted as a focus of remembrance for a community in mourning. In Victoria alone, there are more than 300 Avenues of Honour and memorial plantings. The Calder Woodburn Memorial Avenue, on the Goulburn Valley Highway south of Shepparton, differs from many other memorial plantings as it was the response of a single persongrieving father, James Louis Fenton (Fen) Woodburnwho lost his son Calder, who was serving abroad with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in World War II. Sergeant Calder Fenton Woodburn, a local farmer and graduate of Dookie Agricultural College, enlisted in the RAAF in 1940. In April 1942, his all Australian Hampden bomber aircraft and crew were lost when returning from a mine-laying mission along the coast of France. In 1943 Fen Woodburn offered to plant a double avenue of trees for 9.5km along the Goulburn Valley Highway as a living memorial to his son and all local servicemen who served during World War II. Woodburn began planting in 1945 and by August 1947 had planted 1,406 trees to complete his original vision. From 1946 to 1949, Woodburn continued to make further plantings, and once complete, the avenue included a total of 2,457 trees stretching 20km from Seven Creeks to the Murchison-Violet Town Road. In consultation with the families of the deceased servicemen and the Shepparton RSL, memorial name plates were fixed to 110 trees in the avenue for those servicemen who did not return. The Calder Woodburn Memorial Avenue is one of the longest Avenues of Honour in Victoria, and the only planting to be completed by one person. It is also significant for its use of native eucalypts. In contrast, most World War I memorial plantings used exotic species. Fen Woodburn was an advocate for the recognition of the Australian eucalypt as a valuable tree species, and not just a piece of scrub to be cleared for wood or to make way for agriculture. His wife, M. Kathleen Woodburn, was an author who contributed environmental and anthropology pieces for Walkabout: Australia’s Geographical Magazine, a popular publication which helped to document Australia’s environmental and cultural heritage from 19341974. Prior to the memorial planting, this stretch of road and the surrounding area had been heavily cleared to become a flat and treeless landscape. Therefore, the eucalypt was likely a deliberate choice as a tribute to the Woodburns' son. In May 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, the Calder Woodburn Memorial Rest Area and RSL Monument was unveiled. By this time, some of the original name plates had become damaged or gone missing, so it was decided that some form of renewal was needed. The RSL and other supporters undertook significant research to list the names of all local service personnel on the new monument. Their names are listed under the branch of the forces in which they served. The ambitious planting project undertaken by Woodburn is a tangible representation of an individual’s outpouring of grief. It is a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of war on families and our communities. Photo 1 Number 1 Advanced Navigation School (1ANS), Manitoba, Canada, including Sergeant Calder Woodburn (middle row, 4th from left), 1941. See more

01.01.2022 Echoes of Voices from Overseas Hello, Western Australia, here we are on the deck of a cruiser somewhere in the Middle East, I may not tell you exactly where ... In 1941 an ABC Field Recording Unit went aboard the cruiser HMAS Perth to record messages to be broadcast on the Voices from Overseas program, and this is how the broadcast began. Official Photographer George Silk captured many images of Perth's crew over several months in 1941, and photographed the recording session. Next the cheerful voice of Patrick Kelly, a stoker in Perth, can be heard sending greetings and reassurances to loved ones back home: We’re doing all right over here and our chins are up, so don’t worry. Kelly enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 1935, aged 20. By 1940 he was in the Mediterranean, where Perth would see heavy action around Greece, Crete, and Syria. Speaking on behalf of several Western Australians, Kelly signs off: We’re all hale and hearty and in the pink, so everything’s right. So au revoir ’til we see you. Goodbye. Patrick Kelly was one of 357 Australians who died when Perth was sunk by the Japanese on 1 March 1942, during the battle of Sunda Strait. In 1942 the ABC lent the original Voices from Overseas discs for copying and subsequent sale to aid the Red Cross in their fundraising efforts. Relatives and friends were invited to the Myer Emporium, where they could order their copy of a loved one’s recording. For many families this short recorded message would become their most tangible reminder of someone they lost, a way of ensuring his voice lived on. This fragile metal-core disc was recently donated to the Sound Collection by Patrick Kelly's niece making certain that his voice would be preserved for future generations to hear. Listening to this young man's voice many years after he died is a reminder of the sacrifice made by him and by so many other Australians. See more