Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company in Sydney, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company

Locality: Sydney, Australia

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25.01.2022 Smart Round fired

23.01.2022 ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARTILLERY HISTORICAL COMPANY REACHING OUT With the 150th Anniversary of Australian Artillery fast approaching, and the likelihood of significant interest (and rightly so!) on recent Gunner history, the RAAHC would like to compile a list of Commanders, SMs and key appointments for all the notable Middle East Area of Operations and Timor rotations, to make sure we fill in all the blanks and not leave anyone behind. We’d be forever grateful for any assistance ...in listing RAA key appointments (but also any pers) that deployed as part of the following contingents: Timor 1999-2011 InterFET : Sep 1999 Feb 2000 Op TANAGER : Feb 2000 May 2002 Op CITADEL / SPIRE : May 2002 Jun 2005 Op ASTUTE : May 2006 Mar 2013 Iraq 2005-2008 AMTG I to AMTG III : April 2005 - Jun 2006 OBG(W)-1 to OBG(W)-4 : Jun 2006 - Jun 2008 Afghanistan 2006-2014 RTF1 RTF 4 : Sep 2006 Oct 2008 MRTF 1 MRTF 2 : Oct 2008 Feb 2010 MTF 1 MTF 4 : Feb 2010 April 2013 Op Herrick (Helmand) RA co-deployment Mar 2008- Apr 2011 ANA School of Artillery Oct 2010 - Apr 2013 Also, if there are any other notable Gunner exploits we’ve forgotten to list, please let us know! PS: any pics that people would like to share (high quality is best!) please let us know. There might be a chance we can get it published! Information can be forwarded to [email protected] who in turn will onforward it to LTCOL Nick Floyd at the RAAHC. See more

23.01.2022 SCHOOL OF ARTILLERY OPEN DAY - SUNDAY 9 AUGUST 1992 Once again thanks to Ken Clements we step back in time to relive the School of Artillery's Open Day held on Sunday 9th August 1992 at North Head Manly.... This is a 44 page document providing a comprehensive overview of the activities of the day including the history of the School of Artillery. Very much recommended reading to revisit the past. Use link below to view the Programme: https://www.australianartilleryassociation.com//School-of-

22.01.2022 Gunners of 2/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment man their 2 pdr in New Guinea, November 1943. These men are part of 11 Battery who were detached from their Regiment to support the 9th Division's landings at Lae and subsequently to assist in the defence of the beach head at Scarlett Beach.

22.01.2022 Queen's Banner Miniature

21.01.2022 4th Regiment RRAA participates in 3rd Brigade Exercise

18.01.2022 Congratulations to Graham Hampton for his award of the OAM. Graham;s support to the RAAHC has been outstanding

17.01.2022 The saga of RAA self propelled artillery continues.

16.01.2022 James Eling, a Director of the RAAHC, has prepared this information on the 150th Anniversary of Australian Artillery.

15.01.2022 TIME IS RUNNING OUT QUEENS BANNER MINIATURE EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Time is running out to submit your Expression of Interest for the purchase of a Queens Banner miniature as described in the below post from the RMG WO1 David Nutini: The Regiment is looking towards releasing a framed miniature Queens Banner of the new Queens Banner 1871 - 2021 to be presented to the Regiment in Sydney NSW on 6th November 2021. The framed miniature Queens Banner would be mail or presented ...to those purchasing the item on or after the 6th November 2021. The size of the framed Queens Banner will be 320mm x 370mm and will include an individually stamped, signed and numbered certificate. Additionally, you can elect to have the Coral Balmoral Streamer included for an additional cost. To find out more and to place your Online Expression of Interest use the link below. https://www.australianartilleryassociation.com//eoi_miniat

15.01.2022 In February 2015 the Australian War Memorial installed three new artillery pieces in its grounds: a gun from the ship Gayundah, a 9.2-inch howitzer, and 15-centimetre Krupp Kanone 16 in recognition of the centenary of the First World War.

14.01.2022 Joint Fires Observer component of training at the School Of Artillery.

14.01.2022 The Japanese bombing campaign against Darwin ended on this day in 1943. Starting in February 1942, the then-small northern town and strategic port was subjecte...d to 50 air raidsover two a month. Hundreds of people were killed in a battle that Australians of the time knew little about. I pause to remember that tough time, and my own father’s commitment to defending the town and its people as a radar technician. What strikes me now, all these decades afterwards, is that Australia was so unprepared for these attacks. I suppose Darwin was a long way away from those in the south, and they probably didn’t imagine that war could come very close indeed. Photo courtesy of the Northern Territory Library #madewithNTL

13.01.2022 From: RMG WO1 David Nutini The Regiment is looking towards releasing a framed miniature Queens Banner of the new Queens Banner 1871 - 2021 to be presented to the Regiment in Sydney NSW on 6th November 2021. The framed miniature Queens Banner would be mail or presented to those purchasing the item on or after the 6th November 2021. The size of the framed Queens Banner will be 320mm x 370mm and will include an individually stamped, signed and numbered certificate. Additionally, you can elect to have the Coral Balmoral Streamer included for an additional cost. To find out more and to place your Online Expression of Interest use the link below. Link was the banner . it has dropped off somehow. Master Gunner (WO1 David Nutini) at [email protected] not later than 30th September 2020.

12.01.2022 LET’S GET READY 150th ANNIVERSARY - 2021 To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Artillery in Australia, 1871 2021, and to display your pride in the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, the Australian Artillery Association has produced a 150th Anniversary Car Sticker. The 150th Anniversary Car Sticker is almost twice the size of the ‘Once a Gunner Always a Gunner car sticker measuring 15.5cm wide by 10cm high and has a gloss finish and we have managed to keep it at the ...same low price as the Once a Gunner car sticker. To view full details and to order your 150th Anniversary Car Sticker use the link below: https://australianartilleryassociation.com//car_sticker_15

09.01.2022 Head of Regiment's Order of the Day

08.01.2022 Remember the M198?

06.01.2022 Battle of Long Tan The CB Fire Plan The death occurred late last year of Brigadier Jim Townley, one of the characters who made a significant contribution to t...he successful outcome of the Battle of Long Tan and had never been recognized for doing so. From the time the Headquarters of 1st Australian Task Force was deployed to Nui Dat in early June 1966, the then Captain Townley, as the Task Force Artillery Intelligence Officer, worked very closely with the then Captain Ian Darlington, who was the Battery Commander of Headquarters Battery of 1st Field Regiment RAA, the unit providing the Task Force’s artillery support. One of their main shared tasks was to formulate a counter-battery fire plan for the Nui Dat base. The fire plan consisted of a number of pre-planned, recorded targets at locations around the Task Force that appeared to offer good prospect for the enemy from which to direct their own mortar or artillery fire at the base. The purpose of the fire plan was to have all the pre-prepared information necessary for each battery of 1st Field Regiment to be able to engage enemy guns or mortars, should they ever open fire at the base from one of those positions. The aim was to be able to return fire as quickly as possible and prevent the enemy weapons from doing any further damage. By the time of the bombardment of Nui Dat on 17 August 1966 the opening shots in what became the Battle of Long Tan - Jim Townley and Ian Darlington had worked assiduously for two months on the fire plan, continuously refining and updating the definition of targets in the list. They were very active chasing up information that came from all sorts of reports, aerial reconnaissance, infantry patrols, information from captured enemy soldiers and many other sources including their previous experience as mortar officers. The list of most probable enemy positions grew to about 60 and was under constant review. When the bombardment began, information about the possible locations of the firing positions began quickly to be reported from many known locations in the base artillery forward observes, infantry companies, standing patrols and a special purpose OP located on Nui Dat Hill. The most important ingredient in each report was a compass bearing to the firing position. Using their knowledge of the position of each observer, and the bearing reported, a line could be taken on the location of the enemy weapons and plotted on the map. The critical element for a successful location was to obtain a point where the line from two or more observers intersected. It wasn’t too long after the first shots that such an intersection was apparent. Moreover, the intersecting lines coincided with one of the pre-prepared targets in the CB Fire Plan. The indications were good enough for Ian and Jim to agree they should ask for the full response envisaged. Thus the fire orders were issued for 10 Round per gun from each battery (180 rounds) at the predetermined location, followed by an ‘add repeat’ (180 more) and a ‘drop repeat’ (180 more). The answer as to whether these orders had been successful had to wait for the following day, when 5 Pl, B Coy, 6RAR, who had been despatched from the base at first light, arrived at the predicted target location. There they found the remains of what had been at least four 82 mm mortar baseplates in a position, which had clearly been severely damaged by our Artillery fire that had accurately hit the position. Abandoned equipment, blood trails and other signs of a very hasty evacuation of the position were still evident. The majority of the rounds which were fired at the 1 ATF base were 82 mm mortars (about 100), and they had clearly come from that location. The CB fire plan worked on by Captains Townley and Darlington had succeeded in doing exactly what was intended. In doing so, they had eliminated the main source of indirect firepower available to the NVA Regiment involved. The available evidence indicates that those mortars took no further part in the battle that was yet to come on the following evening. The effect of the successful CB fire on 17 Aug could have been very significant in the fortunate outcome of Long Tan. If the NVA had been able to use the regimental mortars on the evening of 18 Aug, it is worth pondering several points: a. The mortars would not have been able to be detected or located amid the artillery fire from three 105 mm batteries and one 155 mm battery after battle was joined in the rubber plantation. b. If D Coy had had to deal with mortar fire falling on them as well as overwhelming numbers of assaulting enemy, their survival chances would have been even worse than they actually were. c. If the mortars had been able to engage the 1st Fd Regt gun positions, of which they knew the accurate locations, while the gunners were trying to concentrate on the survival of D Coy, again the chances of survival were much smaller. Another point to ponder is the performance of the gun detachments of 103 Field Battery. About 35 of the mortar rounds which hit the Task Force Base fell on that battery. While the mortars were still falling, the detachments were ordered to leave their weapon pits and man the guns. They did just that, and it is more noteworthy that they were first to return the fire and were finished their first ten rounds before any other batteries had started.

05.01.2022 The Master Gunner St James’s Park has prepared a video-message in which he addresses the 75th Anniversary of VJ-Day; the end of WW2 and the part played by the Commonwealth family of Gunners.

03.01.2022 MOUNTED PARADE ON THE OCCASION OF LINKING 8 MEDIUM REGIMENT AND 12 FIELD REGIMENT The last gem curtesy of Ken Clements is the Programme for the Mounted Parade on the occasion of the Linking of 8th Medium Regiment and the 12 Field Regiment to become 8th/12th Medium Regiment. The mounted parade was held on Saturday 17th November 1973 at Finschhafen Lines, Holsworthy.... To view the Programme click on the link below: https://www.australianartilleryassociation.com//812-Medium

02.01.2022 The power of the guns in WW1 -watch the roof tiles