Australian Defence and Emergency Services Shed Association | Non-profit organisation

Australian Defence and Emergency Services Shed Association

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25.01.2022 Staff Sgt. Nick Lavery. He lost his leg in Afghanistan and then returned back in service to his country. Green Beret........Hell of a Soldier. Credit: Military ...Daily DOL! ---Mud

22.01.2022 Well done to the Defence Shed Wagga Wagga team, very proud of your efforts!

20.01.2022 We're back for 2020! We have a number of projects we need help with - come along; have a brew and get your hands dirty helping Wounded Heroes maintain our facility at Wacol - just 17kms from Brisbane!

15.01.2022 If you know of any mates affected by these fires, I am sure you have given a shout out to see if they are ok, please keep checking on them, it’s still a long way to go..

09.01.2022 Harrys Eulogy written by Major Jack Peel RAE, RACT and AATTV Harry Buckley Rest in Peace The last couple of years have not been kind to the man laying before us... covered with his beloved flag. Born a Tolai of Irish decent in Rabaul, New Britain, Harry Buckley could have led a vastly different life. But when his father was beaten to death by the Japanese, he knew he had to join the army, when rejected several times due to his age Harry joined the Civil Construction Corps and was working in Darwin during the bombing of the city in November 1943. After the war he married Moira in Sydney and joined the Permanent Military Forces, he put up his age to be eligible for enlistment. Allocated to the RAE 10th March 1948. He attended and won the Silver Sappers knife at the first Field Engineer course at SME to begin a career culminating in his appointment as RSM of Field Engineer Regiment. Harry was a first class Warrant Officer, a man who became a legend during 30 years of service. He was not another Warrant Officer Class 1. There were many on those. Harry was a member of the warrior cast skilled in all aspects of Military Field Engineering trusted to train other warrant officers. His infectious smile and sense of humour were his hallmarks as was his dress and bearing. A mentor to Officers and Recruits alike. What a privilege and an honour it is to be here today to fulfil his request. Harry was immensely proud of his service with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, and on the way home from the funeral of Barry Saxby a fellow team member, Harry told me he could not identify Barry from the eulogy. ‘they made him sound like an angel’. He turned from the wheel and said I want you to do mine and he never stopped reminding me ‘I am no angel’. We arrived in Vietnam on the same plane Harry went south to the Delta and I went North. Captain Bernie McGurgan (a fellow Sapper) his team leader in Vietnam remembers Harry as his most Senior Warrant Officer. Peter Conway (Infantry) worked closely with Harry and became a strong advocate for Harry’s military professionalism and skill with improvised explosives and booby traps, but mostly he valued his friendship. Harry was an innovative instructor. I recall on my warrant officer course sitting in a temporary grandstand looking down on a trench dug to about waist deep. There was starched and polished Harry with a hand full of what he called plastic explosive. He mentioned how unstable the new stuff was. He pulled off a small piece and threw in into the trench and it exploded. He now had our full attention. He said I want you to pass this around and get to know it. He threw the stuff up into the grandstand and our hearts stopped. Boom the explosion rocked the grandstand. Then nothing Eventually the student holding the substance yelled it’s only bloody plasticine. Nervous giggles. ‘Right - now that I have your attention. He showed us the exploder and the previously laid charges and got on with the lesson. Harry was a natural leader. I think of Brigadier Frank Cross who held the view that leadership was founded on deep-personal qualities. It is of the spirit and military training completes the process which builds self-confidence and the inner steel to achieve, even in the most frightful of circumstances. Steve Carol, (Stiffy to his mates) witnessed a complete demonstration during Terrorists Operations in Malaya in 1959. Harry was Troop Sergeant of 1 Troop 7 Independent Field Squadron RAE. His 38 Sappers joined 300 Poms of the 11th Independent Field Squadron RE. (Stiffy thought 10 to 1 were good odds) A British Army Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) on parade ordered a group of Australian Sappers to fall out using only their surname. No one moved the SSM’s face turned red and he screamed out the order again Woodley, Brougham, Shaw, Milgate, Creevey fall out. No one moved. Then from the sideline Sergeant Buckley came smartly to attention - marched out and crash halted face to face in front of the man the ‘poms’ call God and started speaking to him. What he said no one knew but after a full minute the Squadron Sergeant Major executed a smart about turn and marched off. Harry turned to face the troops and said. The following personnel will fall out Corporal Woodley, Corporal Brougham, Sapper Shaw, Sapper Milgate, Sapper Creevey. As his name was called each man came to attention and marched off. Stiffy said. Of course, Harry tore strips off us for the way we went about preserving our dignity by having our ranks recognised. But I suspect he was proud of us. There were many more occasions he went into bat for us which did not improve his popularity with the pom hierarchy. We were lucky to have a Sergeant like Harry. The Corps history noted Sergeant Buckley’s Troop in Malaya were a tight-knit group which produced several Officers through the ranks, and in 1970, ALL the senior warrant officers in the Corps of Engineers had been members of that troop. (P 606) Harry was proud of his ethnicity and determined to advocate ‘racism did not exist in the Australian Army’. Bernie McGurgan and Peter Conway both recall a visit to the United States Navy Sea Bees Club in Dong Tam in the Delta. The Yanks were curious about the way the Australian Army managed racism. Harry told them ‘racism did not exist in our Army’. Later he told me even though he was the guest speaker at the original Aboriginal reconciliation gathering in Sydney 14 years ago, he was comfortable with his nick name ‘BLACK HARRY’ in the Army because he did not find it offensive among his friends. He recalls his time as platoon sergeant in National Service as among his best postings, and is proud of 2nd Lieutenant Ken Duncan the Platoon Commander who progressed to Colonel Commandant of the RACT. And Father Jim Bouberg a Catholic chaplain in Vietnam who became a personal friend. Harry was an excellent public speaker and in demand on Military occasions where he always satisfied. He confided in me there are things we never talk about during the year but on Anzac Day wherever we go we find a Cobber with who we can let out what’s in here. We can talk them about anything because they understand. To Moira and family members who supported him, and no one can achieve what Harry did without family support. I must sadly confess I only caught glimpses of your family life, but I know he was cherished. On behalf of his Military family I want to thank Speedie Sahariv for his care and kindness in maintaining contact with Harry over an exceedingly long period of time. So, Harry you may not have been an angel, but you certainly were a Legend in your own time. A friend, a leader and an inspiration and I hope I have satisfied your request. Rest in Peace Mate Your duty has been well and truly done. See more