RSL South Australia and Northern Territory in Adelaide, South Australia | Community organisation
RSL South Australia and Northern Territory
Locality: Adelaide, South Australia
Phone: +61 8 8100 7300
Address: Torrens Training Depot, Victoria Drive 5000 Adelaide, SA, Australia
Website: http://www.rslsa.org.au
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25.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 5110/1087 Sergeant John Ulrich Hood, 3rd Pioneer Battalion, originally of Glenelg, SA, who was killed in action on this day in 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele, aged 41. His sacrifice is commemorated at the Potijze Chateau Grounds Cemetery, Belgium. John was born into an Australian-German family in SA, and attended Prince Alfred College. He moved to NSW where he worked as a surveyor, and during the Second Boer Wa...r he served in South Africa with the 3rd NSW Imperial Bushmen, which lost four killed in action and 18 died from disease during their year in South Africa. John subsequently moved to Claremont, WA, where he enlisted in the AIF in 1916 and was posted to the 3rd Pioneer Battalion and was subsequently promoted to sergeant. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee John Hood: SLSA via VWMA
25.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 1307 Trooper Frederick James George Brown, 5th Light Horse Regiment, of Toogoolawah, Queensland, who was killed in action on this day in 1916 in Palestine, aged 20. His sacrifice is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial, Jerusalem War Cemetery, Israel. Fred Brown attended Southport High School and was a farmer prior to the war. The 5th Light Horse Regiment was raised in September 1914 as part of the all volunteer Austr...alian Imperial Force, at Brisbane from volunteers from Queensland, and was assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Brigade. Light horse regiments normally comprised 25 officers and 497 other ranks serving in three squadrons, each of six troops. Each troop was divided into eight sections, of four men each. In action one man of each section was nominated as a horse holder reducing the regiment's rifle strength by a quarter. After arriving in Egypt and undergoing further training, the regiment was sent to reinforce the 1st Division at Gallipoli fighting the Ottomans in May 1915, and remained there until the withdrawal in December. It was then assigned to the ANZAC Mounted Division, and participated in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, firstly defending the Suez Canal zone from Ottoman incursions, then fighting around Romani. In December 1916, the division moved into Palestine, during which the regiment carried out patrols and raided Ottoman positions. On 27 March 1917, the regiment fought in the First Battle of Gaza, and after attacking the town from the rear, was fighting through the town when ordered to withdraw. They then fought in the unsuccessful Second Battle of Gaza and the Third Battle of Gaza, when the town was finally captured. It went on to follow-up the retreating Ottoman forces into Palestine, and was involved in engagements at Amman and Es Salt in 1918. During the war, the regiment lost 137 killed and 708 wounded. The regiment existed in the interwar period as a Citizen Forces unit in Queensland, and saw home service in the early years of World War II before being disbanded. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Ottoman guns captured by the 5th Light Horse Regiment in October 1916, just after Fred Brown was killed: AWM
25.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of the 27 members of South Australia's own 10th Battalion who were killed on this day in 1917 during the Battle of Menin Road. The Battle of Menin Road was the third British general attack of the Third Battle of Ypres in World War I, and took place from 20 to 25 September 1917, in the Ypres Salient in Belgium on the Western Front. The British and Australian infantry succeeded in capturing most of their objectives and then ...holding them against German counter-attacks, inflicting many casualties on the German defenders and reinforcements, by massed artillery and small-arms fire. The 10th Battalion suffered casualties of 10 officers and 197 men during the battle. One of those who was killed in action was the 23-year-old 5349 Private Hubert Roydan Dack, a farmer from Yacka, SA, which is halfway between Clare and Gladstone. Hubert was born in Laura and had attended the Stone Hut and Yacka Public Schools. His original grave was destroyed in subsequent fighting, and consequently his sacrifice is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial and the Yacka War Memorial. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Portrait of Hubert Dack: VWMA
25.01.2022 On this day... in 1942, the Bathurst-class corvette HMAS Armidale was sunk by Japanese aircraft near Timor while trying to evacuate Australian and Dutch soldiers from the island and deliver a relief contingent. After helping free a liferaft when the order was given to abandon ship, Able Seaman Teddy Sheean was wounded twice in the chest and back before strapping himself into the harness of one of the ship's 20 mm Oerlikon guns and opening fire on the aircraft. He forced one J...apanese aircraft into the sea and damaged at least two others, and continued to fire at the Japanese attackers as he went below the waves with the ship. He was posthumously mentioned in despatches, with many of the surviving crew credited him with saving their lives, as the Zeros had been machine-gunning them in the water. In 1978, the artist Dale Marsh depicted Sheean's last moments in a painting now displayed at the AWM. In 1999, a Collins-class submarine was named HMAS Sheean in his honour. After a series of inquiries beginning in 2013, earlier this year a final inquiry recommended that Sheean be posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, and this was approved by Her Majesty the Queen on 12 August. Members of Teddy's family will receive his Victoria Cross from the Governor-General later today. He is the first member of the Royal Australian Navy to be awarded the Victoria Cross. A true Australian hero who laid down his life for his mates. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Dale Marsh's painting of Sheean's last moments: AWM Image of Teddy Sheean (left standing) with his family: AWM
24.01.2022 Applications for the 2020-21 round of the Veteran and Community Grants (V&CG) program are now open. ESOs and community organisations working in partnership with... ESOs can apply for funding for projects that improve the health and wellbeing of veterans and their families. This year, applications for practical projects and activities that support safe, accessible environments for veterans and their families to enable social connection and positive engagement to improve wellbeing are being encouraged. Eligible organisations can apply for small grants of up to $20,000 or large grants of up to $150,000. Grant applications close 29 January 2021. For information about how to apply, see the Community Grants Hub website: www.communitygrants.gov.au
23.01.2022 Applications are now open for the 2021 Australian War Memorial Summer Vacation Scholarship Scheme. Up to two scholarships will be awarded to history students w...ho are undertaking postgraduate studies or are in the third or fourth year of an undergraduate course. The scholarships are also open to students enrolled in museum or public history courses. Applications must be received by 23 October 2020. The successful scholars will be hosted at the Memorial between 18 January and 26 February 2021. The Australian War Memorial is committed to running Summer Vacation Scholarship Scheme in 2021, providing a COVID-safe environment for visitors and staff. The health and safety of our visitors, veteran community, staff and volunteers remains top priority for the Australian War Memorial. National health advice and associated travel restrictions may place constraints on some applicants, and there may be unanticipated changes to arrangements at late notice. For further information and to download the application form, please visit the following website: http://ow.ly/d0ZZ50BtcRu Applications close at 5pm AEST, 23 October 2020. Image: Staff at work within the Australian War Memorial library, 1945. 087645
23.01.2022 Behind every tattoo is a story of remembrance, mateship, identity and healing. On 18 July 2009, Paul and his friend Private Benjamin Ranaudo were on an early mo...rning operations in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, when an IED exploded. Paul lost the lower half of his right leg, and Ben died at the scene. As Paul recuperated, he struggled to deal with the loss of a limb, the loss of a friend, and a diagnosis of PTSD. Tattoos helped him through this time: I could sit there for four or five hours no problem at all, I could feel something at least. While the tattooists needle broke through the numbness of PTSD, it also got Paul out of the house, helping him begin to re-engage with the world. This tattoo depicts the Soldiers Cross, made by assembling a soldiers boots, rifle and helmet and often now used in military commemorative events to represent those killed in action. Pauls right arm, initially planned as a single piece, is dedicated to his mates. As war in Afghanistan continued and more Australians lost their lives, the design grew to encompass his increasing sense of loss. See Pauls tattoos in the Ink in the Lines exhibition; showcasing Australias modern veterans and their families, who through their tattoos commemorate the people, events and experiences which shaped their lives. Book your free ticket at awm.gov.au/ink #InkintheLines
23.01.2022 The Anzac Day Commemoration Fund Grant program for 2020-21 is now open. In this round priority will be given to projects that are Digital and accessible to all ...in the community; Regional and inclusive of storytelling or research based in regional SA communities; and projects that show commitment to the lived experience of veterans and their families. Click here for more details and to apply! >> https://bit.ly/33h8fhM
23.01.2022 Announcement by the Chief of the Defence Force of the findings from the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry. Defence, with Aus...tralian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs, remains committed to ensuring current and former serving ADF personnel and their families have access to welfare support, especially those who are vulnerable or at risk. A list of welfare support services is available at https://bit.ly/IGADFWelfare
23.01.2022 ELEVEN BATS A story about combat, cricket and the SAS. Anthony 'Harry' Moffitt spent more than twenty years in the SAS. His decades of service and his multiple tours in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan made him one of the regiment's most experienced and recognised figures. Harry's other lifetime love is cricket. An improvised game of cricket was often the circuit-breaker Harry and his team needed after the tension of operations. He began a tradition of organising matches wh...erever he was sent, whether it was East Timor, Baghdad, or Afghanistan. Soldiers, locals and even visiting politicians played in these spontaneous yet often bridge-building games. Harry also took a cricket bat with him on operational tours, eleven of them in total. They'd often go outside the wire with him and end up signed by those he met or fought alongside. These eleven bats form the basis for Harry's extraordinary memoir. It's a book about combat, and what it takes to serve in one of the world's most elite formations. It's a book about the toll that war takes on soldiers and their loved ones. And it's a book about the healing power of cricket, and how a game can break down borders in even the most desperate of circumstances. Harry Moffitt recently retired from the Australian Defence Force after almost thirty years, most of which was spent with Australia's elite Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment as a Team Commander and Team Specialist. Harry completed his time with the SAS as its Human Performance Manager. He's a Registered Psychologist and runs a human performance consultancy, Stotan Group, working with sports teams, the military and industry. He remains a cricket tragic. Publisher: Allen & Unwin https://bit.ly/2Vg0t4f. Available from Booktopia, book sellers and chain stores. 384 page paperback, RRP $34.99. Review provided by publisher.
22.01.2022 It is #NAIDOC week and this year’s theme is #HealCountry. To First Nations people, Country is thought of as much more than a place, it is inherent to identity.... Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women have served in every conflict and commitment involving Australian defence contingents since Federation, making tremendous sacrifices for their country. We celebrate the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture within our defence and veteran communities. We commemorate all of the Indigenous Veterans who have made and continue to make, valuable contributions to our Nation.
22.01.2022 On this day... in 1943, the 2/6th Commando Squadron captured Kaiapit, New Guinea, killing over 200 Japanese, at a cost of 11 killed and 23 wounded. It was one of the most spectacular small unit actions of World War II. The Markham and Ramu Valley Finisterre Range campaign was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. The campaign began with an Allied offensive in the Ramu Valley, starting with the capture of Kaiapit on 19 September 1943. Kaiapit was ne...eded for an airstrip that was to be constructed there once the Japanese had been driven from the area. Kaiapit became a base for the 7th Division's advance up the Markham Valley. During the campaign, Australian forces supported by Australian and US aircraft advanced through the Markham and Ramu Valleys during which there were minor clashes with Japanese forces, which withdrew towards their main defensive line in the Finisterre Range. The central geographical and strategic feature of the campaign was the imposing Shaggy Ridge, running northsouth in the Finisterres; this was the scene of a climactic battle during which the Australians assaulted the Japanese positions in December 1943 and January 1944. Following the fighting around Shaggy Ridge, the Japanese withdrew towards the northern coast of New Guinea, where they were pursued by Australian and US forces advancing through the Finisterres and along the coast from Saidor. The campaign concluded when Allied troops entered Madang on 24 April 1944. Following the capture of Madang, the Japanese eventually withdrew to Wewak where further fighting took place in 1944 and 1945. The Markham and Ramu Valley Finisterre Range campaign cost the Australian 7th and 11th Divisions over 200 killed and 464 wounded. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Members of the 2/6th Commando Squadron display Japanese flags captured during the Battle of Kaiapit: AWM
22.01.2022 On this day... in 1967, the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam joined the US Army's 135th Assault Helicopter Company at Vung Tau to form the combined Experimental Military Unit or EMU. The RANHFV was formed following a US request for more helicopter pilots. Given Army and RAAF helicopter crew were already heavily committed, 723 Squadron of the RAN Fleet Air Arm was used to form the RANHFV. The initial contingent consisted of eight pilots, four observers, four air...crew, and more than two dozen ground crew and support staff. It flew variants of the UH-1 Iroquois helicopter in support of Army of the Republic of Vietnam, US Army and Marine Corps, and Australian Army missions, initially out of Vung Tau, but later from Biên Hòa and then ng Tâm. The flight was the most highly decorated RAN unit of the Vietnam War, with members receiving eight Distinguished Service Crosses, five Distinguished Flying Crosses and 24 mentions in despatches among other honours. In 2018, the flight was belatedly awarded the Unit Citation for Gallantry. Five members of the flight were killed during the war, with another ten seriously wounded or injured. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Sub Lieutenant (later Lieutenant) Peter Lloyd Clark DFC, of Bayview, NSW, flying a helicopter on a mission over the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam in 1970: AWM
21.01.2022 On this day... in 1941, the Leander-class light cruiser HMAS Sydney was involved in a mutually destructive engagement with the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran, and both ships were lost. The entire 645-man crew of the Sydney died, over a third of the total losses of the Royal Australian Navy in World War II. Eighty-one German sailors also perished. The battle occurred off the coast of Western Australia, near Carnarvon. Sydney's wreck was located in 2008, as was that of Kormo...ran. Both wrecks are under the protection of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, which prohibits anyone from disturbing them. The main memorial for Sydney is located at Geraldton, WA. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee The HMAS Sydney Memorial at Geraldton: User:fastskybus via Wikimedia Commons
21.01.2022 The President of the Veterans Film Festival, Warwick Young OAM, welcomes all our viewers to the (Virtual) Veterans Film Festival 2020. An accomplished actor, pr...oducer and director as well as a serving member of the Australian Defence Force, Warwick Young knows first hand the power of film. Visit www.veteransfilmfestival.com to for all the amazing titles chosen to be a part of this year’s festival. Films start as low as $3.00 AUD, with bundles as low as $35.00 AUD. All films stream until 31 December, 2020 from around the world, straight to your home. https://youtu.be/NvKGbt9mSaI
21.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 404317 Squadron Leader Norman Leslie Bourke, No. 45 Squadron RAF, of Bundaberg, Queensland, who was killed in a flying battle over Burma on this day in 1944, aged 27. His sacrifice is commemorated at the Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar. Norman enlisted in the RAAF on 16 August 1940, and attended training at RAAF Station Ascot Vale, in Victoria, before joining No. 45 Squadron RAF. Under the Empire Air Training Scheme, man...y Australians served in RAF squadrons. No. 45 Squadron RAF was established on 1 March 1916 as a scout and then fighter unit of the Royal Flying Corps, and served in World War I with it and the RAF. Re-established after the war, it flew various bomber and utility aircraft in the interwar period. As the beginning of World War II, it was re-equipped with Bristol Blenheim light bombers, and took part in the North Africa, East Africa and Syria-Lebanon campaigns with some success. From mid-1942 it was deployed to Burma (now Myanmar) and British India, during which Norman was killed. The squadron continued to operate after the war, serving in the Malayan Emergency, Indonesian Confrontation, in the nuclear strike role, and then as a training unit. It was disbanded in 1992, but re-established later that year, and currently flies Embraer Phenom T1s in the training role. Fourteen Australian members of No. 45 Squadron RAF were killed during the war. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Leading Aircraftman (later Squadron Leader) Norman Leslie Bourke (nearest to camera with moustache) in February 1941: AWM
21.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 5714249 Private Ronald John Bell, 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, of Albany, WA, who was killed in action in South Vietnam by a Viet Cong mine on this day in 1967, aged 22. His sacrifice is commemorated at the Allambie Park Cemetery, Albany, WA. Ron was the second eldest of six children and was a National Service conscript. He served with 2 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) in South Vietnam. Starting on 23 November 1967, 2RAR/NZ... (ANZAC) undertook Operation Forrest, which involved conducting operations in Phuoc Tuy Province to deny the Viet Cong (VC) access to the rice harvest. The battalion was operating in a wide area east of Route 2. A and C Companies were operating immediately north of Route 23 and were in action against the VC. On 30 November, a patrol from A Company suffered ten casualties from what was thought to be a command-detonated mine. Ron was killed instantly, and another National Serviceman, 6708488 Private Francis Hyland, of Wynyard, Tasmania, died of his wounds the following day. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Ron Bell and Francis Hyland: VWMA
21.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of Lieutenant Theodor Milton Pflaum, 8th Machine Gun Company, of Birdwood (formerly Blumberg), SA, who died of wounds on this day in 1917 at Polygon Wood, Belgium, aged 22. His sacrifice is commemorated at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium. Theodor was a clerk with Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort before enlisting in the AIF on 21 July 1915. He initially served in the 32nd Battalion, a mixed WA/SA unit, but on arriva...l in Egypt was transferred to the 8th Machine Gun Company, promoted to corporal, and arrived in France in June 1916. His brother Raymond, with whom he had enlisted, was killed during the Battle of Fromelles the next month. In September, Theodor was promoted to sergeant, and in February 1917 he was commissioned as an officer. On 24 September 1917, Theodor, along with four other officers, was sent to establish machine gun positions, and while he was arranging the sending forward of material to those positions he was shot in the thigh, which caused a compound fracture. He was evacuated to the 6th Field Ambulance, and was being transferred to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station when he died. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Portrait of Theodor Pflaum after he was commissioned: VWMA
20.01.2022 On this day... 1918, Private Jimmy Woods, 48th Battalion, of Two Wells, SA, performed acts of conspicuous gallantry for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. James Park Woods enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in September 1916 and, after training in Australia and the United Kingdom, joined his unit, the 48th Battalion, in France in September 1917. Along with the rest of his battalion, he participated in the First Battle of Passchendaele the following month. In earl...y 1918, Woods was hospitalised for several months before rejoining his unit in May. He again reported sick in July, and did not return to the 48th Battalion until mid-August. On 18 September 1918, the 48th Battalion was involved in the attack on the Hindenburg Outpost Line during the Hundred Days Offensive. After the first phase of the attack, some elements of Woods' unit were tasked to support another battalion as it conducted a further assault. When it was suspected that flanking British troops had not gone forward to their objective as reported, a four-man patrol including Woods attempted to make contact with them. Instead of finding British troops, they encountered a strong German post and, after calling for reinforcements, attacked it, driving more than thirty Germans from the position. Woods' actions during this assault and subsequent defence of the captured post resulted in him being awarded the Victoria Cross. Woods survived the war, returned to Australia and operated a vineyard and orchard in Western Australia. He retired early due to ill health and died in 1963. His medals are displayed in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial. For more detail on Woods' life go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Park_Woods A true Australian hero. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee James Woods VC: AWM
20.01.2022 #Onthisday in 1953, to the amazement of the Americans and Australians stationed at Kimpo airfield in South Korea, a Russian built MiG-15bis jet fighter landed ...on their runway. Coming from the north the opposite direction of the F-86 Sabre jets landing that day the MiG wagged its wings and fired off coloured flares, demonstrating a distress signal to the gun batteries defending the airfield. As the Korean Armistice Agreement had recently been signed, defence at Kimpo was lax. Luck was on the pilots side; no one noticed the MiG until it almost collided with a Sabre landing from the other end of the runway. As the MiG pilot taxied between two parked Sabres, awaiting pilots jumped into their cockpits and had their guns aimed, fingers on their triggers. Continue reading: http://ow.ly/Wkhc50Bt6uZ Image: No Kum Sok posing for American photographers in his North Korean flying suit and equipment. P04624.001.
20.01.2022 Calling all veterans and first responders! Were thrilled to announce registrations are open for our Theatre for Change program! A joint initiative with the S...tate Theatre Company South Australia and SA Health's Office for Ageing Well, Theatre for Change is an innovative theatre workshop program that provides a creative outlet for participants to express themselves in alternative ways if they find communicating difficult. For more information, click here: https://bit.ly/2ZGrZdU #TheRoadHome #Veterans #FirstResponders #Program #Theatre
19.01.2022 On this day in 1941, the Grimsby-class sloop HMAS Parramatta was sunk by the German U-Boat U-559 in the Mediterranean near Tobruk, with the loss of 138 lives. Only 24 of the crew survived. HMAS Parramatta was built at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney, and was commissioned in April 1940. Her initial assignment was to the Red Sea Force operating out of Aden. She was then transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet where she became part of the "Tobruk Ferry Service", a force of... destroyers and sloops that ran the gauntlet in and out of Tobruk to keep the besieged garrison supplied. You get a sense of the risks associated with this work from just one incident on 24 June 1941, when Parramatta, the sloop HMS Auckland and a petrol carrier were attacked by seventy dive-bombers, during which Auckland was sunk and Parramatta shot down three of the attacking aircraft. Early in the morning of 27 November 1941, Parramatta was escorting transports when she was hit by a single torpedo from U-559 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Heidtmann. The damage was so significant that Parramatta's captain only had time to order the crew to "abandon ship" before Parramatta rolled to starboard and sank. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee HMAS Parramatta: AWM
19.01.2022 RSL SA apologises for any inconvenience caused by our website outage. Techs are working to rectify it. Thanks for your patience.
18.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 15170 Corporal Norman James Womal, 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, of Bowen, Queensland, who was killed in action in South Vietnam on this day in 1966, aged 28. His sacrifice is commemorated at the Bowen General Cemetery. Norman was an Indigenous soldier who was originally called up for national service but transferred to the regular army. He was a section commander in the 5 RAR Anti-Tank Platoon on its first ...of two tours of South Vietnam when he was killed by a sniper while directing his section under fire. He was posthumously mentioned in despatches for his courage and leadership under fire. The battalion suffered 25 men killed in action or died of wounds during its first tour, while 79 were wounded in action. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Norman Womal: Courtesy of Anthony Twaits via VWMA
18.01.2022 RAAF Base Edinburgh has a new addition, with a retired AP-3C Orion taking up residence as a gate guard. Moving the Orion from the flight line to its new loc...ation required a bit of 'off-roading', so we got our Australian Army mates to give us a tow. Read the story https://news.defence.gov.au//gate-guard-tribute-orions-lon #AusAirForce
18.01.2022 Driver W A Brown, 9 Military History Field Team, watches as burning oil from destroyed oilwells flows into the sea. Seria, Borneo, July 1945. Photographer: Frank Albert Charles Burke, 112799 #photooftheweek #myawm
17.01.2022 On this day... in 1940, the County-class heavy cruiser HMAS Australia was fired on by Vichy French shore batteries at Dakar while intercepting and driving back two Vichy Fantasque-class destroyers, but did not receive damage. That afternoon, Australia and the British destroyers Fury and Greyhound engaged the French destroyer L'Audacieux, setting her on fire. Australia's actions were part of Operation Menace, the Allied effort to install the Free French in Vichy-controlled Dak...ar. The Vichy were the collaborationist rump government in France after her defeat by the Germans. Australia had already intercepted a Vichy French cruiser and escorted her to a Free French-controlled port. On 24 September, despite poor visibility, Australia joined other Allied ships in shelling Dakar and the French warships in the harbour; during the withdrawal to the rest of the fleet, the Australian cruiser was unsuccessfully attacked by high-altitude bombers. On 25 September, Australia and the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire shelled French ships anchored at Dakar. They damaged a destroyer and several cruisers before Australia was hit by two 6-inch shells and her Walrus aircraft was shot down with all aboard killed, after which the two ships withdrew. Operation Menace was abandoned as a failure on 26 September, and Australia was ordered to return to the United Kingdom two days later. During 1941, Australia operated in home and Indian Ocean waters, but was reassigned as flagship of the ANZAC Squadron in early 1942. As part of this force (which was later redesignated Task Force 44, then Task Force 74), she operated in support of United States naval and amphibious operations throughout South-East Asia until the start of 1945, including involvement in the battles at the Coral Sea and Savo Island, the amphibious landings at Guadalcanal and Leyte Gulf, and numerous actions during the New Guinea campaign. She was forced to withdraw following a series of kamikaze attacks during the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. The prioritisation of shipyard work in Australia for British Pacific Fleet vessels saw the Australian cruiser sail to England for repairs, where she was at the end of the war. She served with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan and was paid off in 1954. Since that time, no other RAN ship has been named Australia. The RAN had intended to acquire the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Invincible in 1982 and name her Australia, but this was cancelled following the Falklands War and 1983 federal election. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee HMAS Australia in 1937, showing the stowage of the Supermarine Walrus single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft: State Library of Queensland
17.01.2022 COVID-19 UPDATE 18 Nov 20 The Plympton Veterans Centre will close on 18 Nov 20 until 30 Nov 20 or when safe to reopen. Our key priorities are the health of our ...staff who are all volunteers and our clients while at the same time maintaining the quality of our service to veterans and their families. Our Advocates have secure remote access to our client files and can continue to work productively from home. All of our Advocates have access to their emails and will monitor them on their rostered duty day for the Plympton Veterans Centre. You can contact our office at any time by ringing 08 8371 4008 and leaving a message on the answering service which will be emailed to our staff for follow up or you can email a request to [email protected] which will also be followed up by our staff. We will keep you updated with any changes as they happen, but we're sure you can appreciate these are unprecedented times, and things are changing quickly.
16.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 4224 Private William John Taylor, 27th Battalion, of Stansbury, SA, who died of wounds in France whilst a prisoner of war of the Germans on this day in 1916. His sacrifice is commemorated at the Porte-de-Paris Cemetery, Cambrai. William was born in Port Adelaide, and attended the Port Adelaide State School before gaining employment as a steward. He had served in the Australian Garrison Artillery before enlisting. He enl...isted in 8 November 1915, embarked on 9 March 1916, and joined the 27th Battalion on the Western Front on . He was shot in the face on 5 November during fighting at Flers/Gueudecourt, and died in a POW camp run by the German Bayern Reserve Division thirteen days later. He left behind a widow and one child. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Newspaper clipping announcing William's death: Faithe Jones
15.01.2022 On this day in 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres ended, having ground on for three and a half months. Also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, it had began on 31 July, and involved fighting for control of the ridges south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres in West Flanders. Australian troops had been involved in the Battle of Messines in June, and were most heavily committed after the weather broke and had turned the ground to mud, commencing with the Battles of the Menin ...Road and Polygon Wood in September, and the Battles of Broodseinde, Poelcappelle and Passchendaele in October. In the eight weeks of Australian involvement, they suffered 38,000 casualties of a British and Commonwealth total of around 250,000 and slightly more for the Germans. The Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium, is dedicated to the 54,395 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Menin Gate at Midnight by Will Longstaff: AWM The devastated landscape of the Ypres salient: AWM
15.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of the two Australian Defence Force members killed in a helicopter crash on this day in 2006 during Operation Quickstep, an operation to support Australian citizens in Fiji in the lead-up to an expected coup d'etat. 65261 Captain Mark Bingley, 171st Aviation Squadron, and 2818220 Trooper Joshua Porter, Special Air Service Regiment, of Toukley, NSW, were killed when the Blackhawk helicopter Mark was operating from the landi...ng platform amphibious ship HMAS Kanimbla crashed while he was attempting to land on the ship's deck. It fell overboard and sank in 3,000 metres of water. Nine of the ten crewmembers and passengers were rescued, with Mark drowning after being injured. The tenth person, Joshua, was declared missing and then dead several days later. On 6 March 2007, it was reported that his body had been recovered from a depth of approximately 2,900 metres. A number of the other crew and passengers were injured, some seriously. Mark's sacrifice is commemorated at the Townsville (Belgian Gardens) Cemetery, Queensland, and Joshua's sacrifice is commemorated on "The Rock" Memorial at the SASR barracks at Swanbourne, WA. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Joshua and his wife Carinna (Joshua never met their child), and Mark with his wife Melissa and child: VWMA & ABC
15.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 460 Sergeant George William Towers, 8th Light Horse Regiment, of Carlton, Victoria, who died of wounds in Palestine on this day in 1917, during the capture of Jerusalem. He has no known grave and his sacrifice is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial, Israel. George was a clerk before enlisted, joined the AIF on 14 September 1914, and was an original member of the 8th Light Horse Regiment. The 8th Light Horse fought th...e Ottomans in Egypt, at Gallipoli (where it suffered terribly at the Charge at the Nek), on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. During the war, it suffered almost 200 per cent casualties of 302 killed and 675 wounded. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Members of the 8th Light Horse embarking at Melbourne
15.01.2022 We thank Enfield RSL committee members, Robert H (Spike) Milligan and Pete Rankin, for generously framing and mounting this set of 2018 Centenary of Armistice posters in the RSL state office.
15.01.2022 Edward 'Teddy' Sheean LPC On 1 December, 78 years to the day after Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean gave his life to protect his shipmates, the Governor-Ge...neral will make a posthumous investiture by presenting his family with the insignia of the Victoria Cross of Australia. Teddy Sheean will be the first member of the Royal Australian Navy to receive the Victoria Cross. At the Last Post Ceremony on 1 December 2020, the Australian War Memorial will be commemorating the service and sacrifice of Ordinary Seaman Edward Teddy Sheean. You can watch the Last Post Ceremony live on the AWM Facebook page or on our Youtube channel from 4.55pm. Image: Ordinary Seaman Edward Sheean, HMAS 'Armidale' ART28160
14.01.2022 Take 15 minutes and listen to RSL Today, a program airing on Thursdays at 6pm on 1197AM Vision Australia Radio Adelaide and online. Programs include announcements, general information, interviews and humour. In this edition hosts David Lyas and Keith Harrison talk about Remembrance Day 11/11/20 and Remembrance Breakfast 4/11/20, RSL clubs re-opening. RAAF Group Captain Greg Weller remembers the service of Air Marshal Selwyn David Evans. LACW Bec Proctor tells of her enlistment into the Royal Australian Air Force and her role as an Air Surveillance Operator with 1 Remote Sensor Unit at Edinburgh Air Base and its tracking and monitoring of air, land, sea and space traffic. Wing Commander Rex Harrison explains further about 1RSUs capabilities. Listen to the program online at anytime: https://youtu.be/pd0VY-G4aoY
14.01.2022 A very rare stretcher Due to Covid-19, and the need to maintain physical distance, our objects curators had the opportunity to spend more time at our storage fa...cility. On a pallet at the Memorials Treloar Technology Centre is a very rare stretcher. It is a rare German First World War stretcher designed to be carried through a trench on the back of a single bearer. Learn more about this stretcher and why it is possibly the only one of its kind in the world. https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/very-rare-stretcher Image: A German stretcher bearer of Reserve Infantry Regiment 248 carrying a patient to an Aid Post. The stretcher pictured has nearly identical features to the one held by the Australian War Memorial. RELAWM00963.
13.01.2022 On this day... in 1944, the Bathurst-class corvette HMAS Geelong was lost after a collision with the American tanker York and sank north of Langemak, New Guinea. No lives were lost, with the survivors picked up by York and transported to Langemak. One of 60 corvettes of her class constructed during World War II, she was one of only three lost. The class were built as general purpose 'local defence vessels' capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties, while being ea...sy to construct and operate. On commissioning in January 1942, she was assigned as a minesweeper and anti-submarine patrol ship along the east coast, before being redeployed to New Caledonia on 8 March 1942 to perform similar duties. In May 1942, she returned Sydney, and was one of several Allied vessels located in Sydney Harbour during the Japanese midget submarine attack of 31 May 1942. In June, the ship began convoy escort runs between Sydney and Brisbane, which continued until January 1944, when she sailed to Adelaide for a two-month refit. After the refit, she briefly operated in Australian waters before being assigned to New Guinea. Using Milne Bay as a base of operations, the corvette served as a convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol ship throughout the South West Pacific Area until her accident in October 1944. The ship received two battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 194244" and "New Guinea 1944". Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee HMAS Geelong traveling at full speed while escorting a convoy off New Guinea in September 1944: AWM
13.01.2022 Online Financial Wellbeing and Capability presentation for veterans and families Thursday 22nd October
13.01.2022 Phase Two of #ExerciseMALABAR 2020 commences in the Indian Ocean, with HMAS Ballarat sailing in formation with close regional partners Indian Navy , U.S. Navy... and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force #AusNavy #YourADF #Interoperability #NavyPartnerships Photographer: US Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elliot Schaudt
11.01.2022 Kylie Carra is undertaking a follow-up study to last year’s transitioning research. It involves two online interviews, which will focus on exploring the meaning of everyday activities for former service members aged 18-59 who transitioned between July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2018. The research has been approved by the Departments of Defence and Veteran’s Affairs and La Trobe University Human Research Ethics Committees. Kylie Carra Lecturer, Occupational Therapy... La Trobe Rural Health School | College of Science, Health, and Engineering | Bendigo T: 03 5448 9144 E: [email protected] W: www/latrobe.edu.au See more
11.01.2022 On this day... in 1917, the Welsh-born Second Lieutenant Frederick Birks MM, 6th Battalion, performed acts of conspicuous gallantry during the Battle of Menin Road for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Born in Buckley, Wales, Birks emigrated to Australia in 1913, and lived and worked in several states before enlisting on 18 August 1914, a few weeks after World War I started. He joined the 2nd Field Ambulance and worked as a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli and on the West...ern Front in 1916, where he was promoted to lance corporal and awarded the Military Medal for leading a squad of stretcher bearers under heavy shellfire during the Battle of Pozières. Later that year, Birks was sent for officer training and was commissioned, joining the 6th Battalion as a second lieutenant on 4 May 1917. During the Battle of Menin Road, Birks led his platoon in the attack. The first resistance was met by Birks and a corporal, taking two machine gun positions as another group of men rushed a strongpoint. The Germans responded with a shower of hand grenades, and the corporal was seriously wounded. Birks continued on by himself. Reaching the rear of the pillbox, he forced the occupants to surrender. He then led a series of attacks on several dugouts and pillboxes on the edge of Glencorse Wood, under fire from machine guns and grenades. He also assisted in the reorganisation and consolidation of troops who had become separated from their units. The next day, Fred Birks was killed by a shell while trying to dig some of his men out who had been buried by earlier German shelling. He was buried in the Perth (China Wall) Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery near Ypres. His VC and other medals are on display in the Hall of Valour at the AWM. Lest we forget a true Australian hero. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Portrait of Fred Birks: AWM
11.01.2022 In the 75th year since the end of World War Two we are telling stories from across the South Australian community. Today we hear the story of Jack Thomas. If ...you would like to tell your own story or that of a family member from the end of World War Two we would love to hear from you today! >> https://bit.ly/32pjV1J See more
11.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 34675/1200750 Sergeant John Warren Twomey, 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, of Melbourne, Victoria, who died of wounds on this day in 1967, aged 33. His sacrifice is commemorated in the Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery and Crematorium, Brisbane. The 2 RAR was on its first tour at the time, which ran from May 1967 to June 1968. During its 13 month tour it undertook a total of 23 operations, latterly with a company of New ...Zealanders attached. These operations were conducted in Phuoc Tuy and Bien Hoa provinces, and involved a constant schedule of patrols and ambushes in its area of operations in order to keep the Viet Cong off balance. John's patrol was ambushed in Xa Bong on 20 September 1967, and he was casevaced to the US 7th Surgical Hospital in Long Giao, but died of his wounds. After John's death, 2 RAR conducted its most significant operation, Operation Coburg, which was mounted between 24 January and 1 March 1968 in the border area between Phuoc Tuy and Long Khanh provinces. 2 RAR returned to Vietnam from May 1970 to May 1971. During the two tours, the battalion lost 32 killed and 182 wounded. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Portrait of John Twomey: VWMA
11.01.2022 Soldiers from 144th Signal Squadron and 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment, were provided with an opportunity for a Country Fire Service (CFS) ...familiarisation at Keswick Barracks during a recent weekend training exercise. Members attended a brief from Volunteer Hayden McComas and were given a demonstration on how to use the equipment on a CFS truck.
11.01.2022 Don Company on parade in the rain this morning.
10.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 3/42616 Signalman Kevin Victor Jones, 28th Commonwealth Independent Brigade Group Signal Squadron, who was killed in a vehicle accident on this day in 1959 during the Malayan Emergency. His sacrifice is commemorated in the Taiping (Kamunting Road) Christian Cemetery, Perak, Malaysia. The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army, the military ...arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960 in British Malaya. Australia's commitment to the emergency lasted 13 years, between 1950 and 1963, with army, air force and naval units serving. The Malayan Emergency was the longest continuous military commitment in Australia's history. Thirty-nine Australians were killed or otherwise died and 27 were wounded. The Australian Armed Forces Memorial, located behind the National War Memorial at the corner of Kintore Ave and North Tce, Adelaide, is dedicated to those South Australians who died as a result of their service in Korea and South-East Asia. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee The Australian Armed Forces Memorial, Adelaide: User Pdfpdf via Wikipedia
10.01.2022 Message from the State President Good afternoon all, Most of you would have already heard the news that as of midnight tonight (18th November 2020), South Australia will introduce a six day lockdown. This does not include our Northern Territory Sub-Branches however, all SA Sub-Branches.... This lockdown is to stay ahead of a growing COVID-19 outbreak threatening the state. The State Branch office will be closed from 16:30 this afternoon for six days until and including Tuesday 24 November. It will be dependent on further advice as to whether it will remain closed for a further eight days after that. All staff are contactable via email and the office phones will be regularly checked. Please look after one another and check in on all our vulnerable veterans. It is amazing what a phone call does. Open Arms 1800 011 046 and other like organisations will still be available for those requiring assistance. We will keep you all informed as updates come to hand. The lockdown will implement a number of wide ranging restrictions including limiting movement of residents as follows: People will be restricted from going out of their house for a six-day period and if they do leave their home, they must wear masks. All schools will shut down except for children of essential workers. Aged care facilities and disability residential care will be locked down. Factories, other than food and medical products will be closed except for where it is necessary for them to remain open. Universities, pubs, cafes, food courts and takeaway food shops will also close. Elective surgery will not occur. The construction industry will be closed for six days. Open inspections/auctions will not go ahead. Outdoor sport/physical activity is banned. FIFO work regional travel are on hold. No holiday homes/rentals. Weddings and funerals banned for six days. Masks will be required in all areas outside the home. Exercise not permitted outside of the house. From midnight tonight 18th November, the following will still be open: Critical infrastructure. Supermarkets. Specific access to vulnerable members of the community. Medical including mental health. Airport and freight services. Petrol stations. Post offices and financial institutions. Mining You can obtain up to date information from the SA Government Coronavirus Website, https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/ Please ensure you comply with the directions and restrictions that have been put in place. Please be safe and well both you and your families. With Kind Regards. Cheryl Cates State President
10.01.2022 CEO David Grenvold presents to Sub-Branch Presidents at today's forum. Topics include Strategic Plan, Veterans Services, Employment Program, Financials, Avoca Hotel, Membership, Fundraising, Commemorations, Q & A session.
09.01.2022 Leading Aircraftwoman Hayley Daniel has deployed from one end of the country to the other serving on Operations Pincer and COVID-19 Assist this year. From news.defence.gov.au
09.01.2022 Meet #OurPeople || At age 60, Warrant Officer Class Two Terry Lemmon is passing on his extensive armoured vehicle knowledge to #AusArmy’s next generation of mec...hanics and engineers. The former British Army solider, who is currently posted with the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment, has more than 37 years of experience repairing armoured vehicles. Despite his almost 40 years of combined military service, Warrant Officer Lemmon says he still feels a sense of accomplishment from repairing vehicles and mentoring new tradespeople. To read more about Warrant Officer Lemmon’s service, head to https://news.defence.gov.au//armoured-specialist-still-mot. #GoodSoldiering
09.01.2022 Did you know... that more than 60 Aboriginal men from South Australia saw active service overseas in World War I? Of those, seven were killed or died of wounds, three were awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field, and one was mentioned in despatches. Another twenty Aboriginal men from the state tried to enlist, but were rejected for a variety of reasons, including because they were "too Aboriginal". One of those awarded the Military Medal was Private Raymond Charle...s "Charlie" Runga, whose father is believed to have been from country north-east of Renmark. Charlie was born in Naracoorte when his father was a railway worker. He was recommended for the higher-level Distinguished Conduct Medal, but was awarded the Military Medal instead. The citation read: "For conspicuous gallantry on the 23rd day of August 1918 at Herleville Wood. During the attack, when the left portion of his company had come under exceptionally heavy machine gun fire from a wood in front, this soldier taking charge of a small party dashed forward to the wood and succeeded in capturing two hostile machineguns and their crew of 16 men. On another occasion, later on in the day, this soldier rushed forward alone over 70 yards of ground without a vestige of cover and despite point blank machine gun fire succeeded in bombing the enemy from a communication trench, thus enabling the remainder of his platoon to continue their advance. This latter feat was a heroic example of utter disregard of personal safety and the desire at all costs to worst the enemy, any man of which with one shot calmly aimed could have killed Private Runga." Charlie survived the war and settled in western NSW, where he was church deacon and treasurer at Darlington Point church in the Griffith region of NSW, and led the group that built the first church in 1937, and rebuilt it in 1944-45. He died in Leeton in 1956, aged 66. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Charlie Runga MM: Ouyen District History & Genealogy Centre
08.01.2022 On 28-29 November 1942, Flight Sergeant Ron Middleton, a RAAF pilot in No. 149 Squadron RAF was very badly wounded during a bombing raid on Turin in Italy, flying a Short Stirling bomber. Middleton's wounds from anti-aircraft fire included having shrapnel wounds to his arms, legs and body, one eye torn out of its socket, and his jaw shattered. Despite his wounds, he kept his damaged aircraft flying all the way back to the UK, ordering his crew to bail out before he crashed th...e aircraft into the English Channel. He saved the lives of his crew at the cost of his own. He was subsequently posthumously promoted to pilot officer and awarded the Victoria Cross, and is one of only three RAAF airmen to be awarded the Victoria Cross. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Ron Middleton (far right) with other Empire Air Training Scheme trainees in 1940: AWM
08.01.2022 Will you be joining us online in October? Our short 90 minute MindRight taster session is a great opportunity for those planning their separation from defence,... recently transitioned, or looking to make a positive and successful civilian career change. Presenter Tom Moore covers self of self, the military mindset and techniques to develop awareness. Register for your place at https://www.veteranwellbeingsummit.com.au//mindright-tast/ See more
08.01.2022 With the recent release of the new Defence Values service, courage, respect, integrity and excellence Army’s first Indigenous Elder, Uncle Roy Mundine, OAM ...has reflected on what respect means to him. Uncle Roy served in the #AusArmy from 1958 to 1995, before serving as Army’s Indigenous Elder from 2015 to 2020. For Uncle Roy, respect not only means respect between each other, but respect for your unit and respect for the work that you are involved in. To read his full interview, head to the latest edition of Army News here https://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/, page 13.
08.01.2022 Naval Shipbuilding Career Opportunities is out now! If youve joined the Workforce Register, keep an eye out for the latest industry career opportunities in ...your inbox. To receive these weekly updates, join the Naval Shipbuilding College national Workforce Register today http://ow.ly/CwlV50Bh6uL #navalshipbuilding #createyourfuture #careers #defenceindustry
07.01.2022 This set of identification discs was found in Plympton Park on Remembrance Day. To determine proper ownership the surname and number have been blurred. If you are the entitled owner please contact [email protected].
07.01.2022 Did you know... that at least 60 Australians fought on both sides in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1938? Predominantly radical supporters of the Spanish Republic who mainly served in the British, US and Canadian battalions of the 15th International Brigade, some were Spanish-born migrants, but only one is known to have fought on General Franco's Nationalist and fascist side alongside Germans and Italians. Although there was strong support from the Communist Party and... some trade unions for the Republican cause, few Australians were interested in the war, and the Australian government remained neutral towards it. At least 16 Australians were killed fighting in the war. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Lloyd Edmonds, an Australian International Brigades volunteer in the Spanish Civil War. Edmonds unveiled a memorial to the volunteers in Canberra in 1993: ANU The Spanish Civil War Memorial in Lennox Gardens, Yarralumla: Kent Watson via Monument Australia
07.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of Lieutenant Michael Fussell, 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando) (4 RAR (Cdo)), of Coffs Harbour, NSW, who was killed in action by an improvised explosive device during a dismounted patrol in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, on this day in 2008, aged 25. Michael entered the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2002 and graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 2005, commissioned into the Royal Re...giment of Artillery. While posted to the 4th Field Regiment, he became parachute qualified, and deployed to Timor-Leste in 2006 and 2007. He was posted to 4 RAR (Cdo) in January 2008 as a Joint Offensive Support Team commander and deployed to Afghanistan with the Special Operations Task Group. Two other soldiers were wounded by the same IED. Michael left behind two loving parents, his younger brother Daniel and two younger foster sisters Nikki and Nyah. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Michael Fussell: Defence
07.01.2022 5 July 1943: South Australian 4 SQN pilot killed in friendly fire incident in New Guinea Did you know that on this day, FLGOFF James Collier from South Australi...a was killed when his 4 SQN Boomerang was struck by friendly fire during a tactical reconnaissance mission? Although born in Brighton Victoria in July 1921, James Keith Collier grew up in Glenunga, South Australia. He went to Glen Osmond Primary School and Unley High School before being employed as a clerical assistant from 1936 to 1937 and then an electrician apprentice with the Adelaide Municipal Tramways Trust from 1937 to 1939. He enlisted in the RAAF in June 1940 and after completing initial training, completed elementary flying training at Parafield from August to October 1940 and then service flying training school at Point Cook from October 1940 to February 1941. Initially serving with No 23 Squadron at Archerfield, QLD, he was posted to No 21 Squadron completing an operational tour in the Malayan campaign flying the out-matched Brewster Buffalo aircraft. He was wounded when his Brewster Buffalo was damaged by Japanese bombs when taxing into the dispersal area at Ipoh Airfield. Recovering to Australia, he was posted to 5 SQN before attending the School of Army Cooperation in Canberra during May 1942 returning to 5 SQN for the remainder of 1942. In April 1943 he was posted to 4 SQN which was performing army co-operation missions in New Guinea providing ground forces with artillery observation, reconnaissance and close air support. On 5 July 1943, FLGOFF Collier took off from Wau Airfield in the New Guinea highlands on a tactical reconnaissance mission with one other aircraft (A46-89) over the Salamaua area in 4 SQN Boomerang A46-88. With low cloud over the target area, the two aircraft elected to proceed to Nassau Bay located south of Salamaua where the allies were in the process of landing forces. The two aircraft spotted barges and dived to inspect them. The barges were American and fired on the two aircraft believing they were Japanese. FLGOFF Collier’s aircraft was hit at low level before banking and striking the water approximately 50 feet from shore and skidding along the water up onto the shoreline. FLGOFF Collier was killed in the crash, only two days before his 22nd birthday. It was the first operational loss of a RAAF Boomerang in the war. FLGOFF Collier’s body was recovered and buried at the Lae Commonwealth War Cemetery, New Guinea. Tragically, his brother, Lt John Methven Collier was later killed in action serving with the Army at Tarakan in 1945, meaning Mr and Mrs Collier of Glenunga lost two of their three sons that served in World War 2. Lest we forget Photo of FLGOFF James Keith Collier courtesy of National Australian Archives Online Collection Photos of 4 Squadron Boomerangs t courtesy of Australian War Memorial Digital Online Collection (Copyright expired, public domain).
06.01.2022 On this day... in 1950, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, secured a ferry crossing on the Teadong River in Korea. The crossing was on one of only two north-south roads the United States Eighth Army could use to retreat in the face of the massive Chinese Second Phase Offensive launched on 25 November. The battalion secured the crossing and defended it from Chinese and North Korean infiltrators. Ian Smith... Chair Anzac Day Committee Two members of 3 RAR engaging the enemy in November 1950: AWM
06.01.2022 On this day... in 1944, the Australian Academy award-winning cameraman Damien Parer was killed while filming US troops on the island of Peleliu in the Pacific. Parer had won the Oscar for best documentary in 1943 with his film, "Front Line Kokoda". Acquaintances thought that his commitment to filming troops on the frontline would bring about his death. He filmed Australian troops in North Africa, Greece and Syria, New Guinea and Timor then US troops on Guam and on Peleliu bef...ore his death. When he was killed, he was walking backwards behind a tank filming the faces of US Marines advancing under fire. As a war correspondent, he was mentioned in dispatches for "exceptional services in the field". Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee Image of Damien Parer: AWM
06.01.2022 On this day... in 1917, 506 Private Roy Inwood, 10th Battalion, of North Adelaide and Broken Hill, NSW, performed acts of conspicuous gallantry for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Inwood enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in August 1914, and along with the rest of the 10th Battalion, he landed at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915. He fought at Anzac until being evacuated sick to Egypt in September. He remained there until he rejoined his unit on the West...ern Front in June 1916. In August, he fought in the Battle of Mouquet Farm. In 1917, Inwood was with his battalion when it fought in the Battle of Lagnicourt in April, then the Second Battle of Bullecourt the following month. During the Battle of Menin Road in September, he was involved in the elimination of a German machine-gun post and other actions, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He reached the rank of sergeant before being sent back to Australia in August 1918. During World War II, he volunteered for service in the Citizens Military Forces, and reached the rank of warrant officer class one, serving in the Australian Provost Corps and Military Prison and Detention Barracks Service. After the war he returned to work with the City of Adelaide, and upon his death he was buried with full military honours in the AIF Cemetery, West Terrace. His medals are displayed in the Adelaide Town Hall. For more details of Inwood's life see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Inwood A true Australian hero. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Portrait of Roy Inwood VC: AWM
06.01.2022 In September 2020, a No. 36 Squadron C-17A Globemaster aircraft transported a Bell 412 helicopter from Canada to Australia. The helicopter has been acquired by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and will be utilised for rapid aerial response during the 2020/21 Bushfire Season, allowing small teams of firefighters to be delivered into remote locations and combat fires before the can grow out of control. The use of a RAAF C-17A for this airlift task ensured the helicopter w...ill be available in time for the bushfire season, with the RFS also utilising hangar facilities and other aviation services at RAAF Base Richmond for the helicopter's reconstruction and modification. Text from www.defence.gov.au Photograph: CPL Dan Pinhorn RAAF
06.01.2022 On Thursdays we dig into our archives to explore the origins of the Australian War Memorial building, collections and exhibitions. The Australian War Memorial i...n early 1945, as viewed from the intersection of Anzac Parade and Limestone Avenue. The signpost reads that it is 36 and 1/2 miles to Yass, 8 miles to Queanbeyan and 3 and 1/2 miles to Russell Hill Lookout. 085710 Photographer: John Lee #historyoftheAWM #TBT #myAWM #AWMemorial #OurContinuingStory
06.01.2022 Full of emotion and history, northern France is well-known for the battles that took place here during the First World War. Today the moving sites of remembranc...e are part of the landscape where families are inspired to learn their shared history. Plein d'émotion et d'histoire, le nord de la France est connu pour les batailles qui s'y sont déroulées pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Aujourd'hui ces émouvants sites de mémoire font partie du paysage et les familles viennent y découvrir leur histoire commune. Esprit Hauts-de-France Somme Tourisme
06.01.2022 Over the period 17 to 21 October 1942, elements of the 25th Brigade, following up the Japanese withdrawal, reached Templeton's Crossing on the Kokoda Trail, and launched a series of attacks to dislodge the Japanese from their positions there. The battalions of the 25th Brigade (less the 2/31st Battalion, which was trailing further back) reached the northern meeting of several tracks at Templeton's Crossing on 16 October. As the 3rd Battalion advanced, the Japanese position wa...s identified in the late afternoon. It straddled the track on the high ground to the east of Eora Creek and about 450 metres north of the crossing. The ad hoc Japanese force known as the "Stanley Detachment" had occupied two parallel spurs running toward the creek from the main ridgeline. The 3rd Battalion concentrated its forces for an attack on the 17th. Attacks on 17 and 18 October were directed from the high ground on the Japanese eastern flank by the 3rd Battalion and A and D Companies of the 2/25th Battalion but failed to achieve a decisive outcome. During the morning of 19 October, the 2/2nd Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Cedric Edgar pushed forward to assist the 3rd Battalion, while the remaining two battalions of the 16th Brigade, under the command of Brigadier John Lloyd relieved the 2/25th and 2/33rd Battalions. On 20 October, the 2/2nd Battalion mounted an attack employing four companies from the high ground to the east. This attack was to be renewed the following day, 21 October, but the Stanley detachment had withdrawn in the night. General Horii's main force had been withdrawn to KokodaOivi. When the Stanley Detachment was forced to withdraw from Templeton's Crossing, he sent all available reinforcement to man the final position at Eora Village, which was secured on 27 October. Casualties amongst the Australians on the Kokoda Trail between 22 July and 16 November 1942 were 39 officers and 586 men killed and a further 64 officers and 991 men wounded, for a total of 625 killed and 1,055 wounded. Three battalion commanders were killed or captured in the first month of fighting. Non-battle, or sickness, casualties are not accurately recorded but are stated to have been about two to three times the battle casualty figure. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Portrait of Private Vasil (Basil) Albert 'Babe' Lucas who initially enlisted on 20 June 1940, aged 15, and was killed in action on 25 November 1942 on the Kokoda Trail. He was one of nine brothers from Bega, NSW, who enlisted in the Second AIF: AWM
05.01.2022 Did you serve in Australias military forces? Are you a family member or friend of someone who has served? Do you have a military tattoo? Share a photo of your ...ink on social media using the hashtag #InkintheLines and tell us what it means to you. Your tattoo could be shown on their digital display within the Ink in the Lines exhibition at the Memorial or on the Memorials website. Ink in the Lines will open 25 September 2020. See whats been shared and book your free tickets at awm.gov.au/ink #InkintheLines
05.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of VX45889 Lieutenant Albert Kitchener Westendorf, 2/6th Commando Squadron, a farmer from Dimboola, Victoria, who was killed in action during the Battle of Kaiapit in New Guinea on this day in 1943, aged 27. His sacrifice is commemorated in the Lae War Cemetery, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. The 2/6th Commando Squadron captured Kaiapit, killing over 200 Japanese, at a cost of 11 killed and 23 wounded. It was one of th...e most spectacular small unit actions of World War II. Throughout the course of the war, the 2/6th Command Squadron lost 58 men killed in action or died of wounds, while a further 80 were wounded in action. Members of the squadron received one Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, two Military Crosses, one Distinguished Conduct Medal, two Military Medals, 23 mentions in despatches and one US Silver Star. No battle honours were awarded to the squadron, as these were awarded to its parent formation, the 2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Portrait of Albert Westendorf: AWM
05.01.2022 Great to see the final touches of the renovation of the SPF Hall at the Repat, next door to the Veterans’ Wellbeing Centre. Honour boards recognising the service of nurses in various ways line the walls. Looking great, and will be a fantastic venue once again.
05.01.2022 On this day... in 1942, the W-class destroyer HMAS Voyager was damaged beyond recovery after grounding while trying to deliver troops to Betano Bay, Timor. The ship was damaged by Japanese bombers while trying to refloat, then was scuttled by her crew. HMAS Voyager had begun her life as HMS Voyager in the Royal Navy, into which she was commissioned in 1918. In 1933 she was transferred to the RAN. Soon after the outbreak of World War II, Voyager was sent to the Mediterranean, ...where she was part of the Australian Destroyer Flotilla that was derisively referred to by the German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as the "Scrap Iron Flotilla". She served as a convoy escort, and on 27 June 1940 she was part of an escort force that forced the scuttling of the Italian submarine Console Generale Liuzzi off Crete. Two days later the same force sank the Italian submarine Uebi Scebeli. She was involved in the Battle of Calabria as an escort to the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle. She spent the rest of 1940 escorting convoys to and from Malta, and supporting ground forces in North Africa. In March 1941, Voyager was part of Operation Lustre, the transfer of an Allied expeditionary force to Greece, then the evacuation of these forces in April, Operation Demon. After this, she became part of the Tobruk Ferry Service and did eleven runs to the besieged port before being withdrawn to undergo a refit. In March 1942 she returned to Australian waters. Following the capture of Timor by the Japanese in February 1942, and despite initial appearances that all Allied soldiers were captured or killed, it became evident that the 2/2nd Independent Company, supported by other surviving Australian and Dutch troops, were mounting a guerrilla campaign against the Japanese. Throughout late 1942, a haphazard supply service began, and Voyager became involved when a sizable troop landing (400 commandos from 2/4th Independent Company) and evacuation (the 2/2nd, plus any Portuguese women and children) was planned for September 1942: the need for a large capacity, speed, and surprise requiring the use of a destroyer. After grounding on 23 September, at 13:30 the following day Japanese aircraft spotted the ship, and while one bomber was shot down, a fighter aircraft escaped to report the situation. At 16:00, a flight of Japanese bombers attacked Voyager, damaging her beyond hope of repair. None of the ship's company were killed or wounded, and they were evacuated by two corvettes the following day. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee HMAS Voyager: AWM
04.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 404181 Sergeant Edward McCormack, No. 112 Squadron RAF, of Brisbane, Queensland, who died in an accident in the Middle East on this day in 1941, aged 22. His sacrifice is commemorated at the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Thousands of RAAF aircrew flew with Royal Air Force squadrons under the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II. No. 112 Squadron RAF was first raised in late World War I as a fighter squad...ron defending London. It was re-raised in May 1939 and initially served in Egypt equipped with obsolete Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters. It lost a flight to No. 14 Squadron in June 1940, and early the next year joined the expeditionary force in the ill-fated Greek campaign. It withdrew to Crete and then to Egypt, from where it rejoined the North African campaign, supporting the Eighth Army. During July 1941, the squadron was one of the first in the world to become operational with the Curtiss Tomahawk, which it used as a fighter and fighter-bomber. This was later replaced with the P-40 Kittyhawk. The squadron had personnel from several nations, including Poland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and later, South Africa. For most of 1942, it was commanded by the highest scoring Australian air ace of the war, Clive Caldwell. After the invasion of Sicily the squadron moved there, and then to the Italian mainland, before being re-equipped with North American Mustangs which it flew for the rest of the war. Eleven Australian members of the squadron were killed in action or otherwise died during their war service. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Original grave of Edward McCormack: AWM
03.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of Warrant Officers Class Two Kevin Arthur "Dasher" Wheatley and Ronald James Swanton, both of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, who were killed in action in the Tra Bong valley, Quang Ngai, South Vietnam on this day in 1965. Kevin was 28 and Ron was 29. Kevin's sacrifice is commemorated at the New South Wales Garden Of Remembrance, and Ron's at the Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens & Crematorium. Kevin and Ron were... on a search and destroy mission with a platoon of the Civil Irregular Defence Group on 13 November 1965 when it was attacked by the Viet Cong. The platoon broke in the face of heavy fire and began to scatter. Swanton was shot in the chest. Although told that Swanton was dying, Wheatley refused to leave him. Under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, he half-dragged and half-carried Swanton out of open rice paddies into the comparative safety of nearby jungle. He refused a second request to withdraw, pulled the pins from his two grenades and waited with his motionless colleague while the enemy approached. Two grenade explosions were heard, followed by several bursts of fire. Wheatley and Swanton were found at first light next morning, dead from gunshot wounds. For refusing to abandon a wounded comrade in the face of overwhelming odds Wheatley was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. He had also been awarded the United States of America's Silver Star. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Kevin Wheatley and Ron Swanton: VWMA
02.01.2022 On Thursdays we dig into our archives to explore the origins of the Australian War Memorial’s collections and exhibitions. When the Australian War Memorial was ...opened on Remembrance Day 1941, Japanese Minister to Australia, Tatsuo Kawai, was the first diplomat to lay a wreath. A month later he was being held under house arrest, after the Empire of Japan attacked the British Empire. Kawai was repatriated to Japan in August 1942, carrying the ashes of the Japanese sailors who had died in their midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour. After the war Kawai worked to rebuild relations between Australia and Japan, and maintained a lifelong love for Australia. This photograph is of Kawai with the Governor General of Australia, Lord Gowrie VC. #historyoftheAWM #TBT #myAWM #OurContinuingStory 006092
02.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 2/411093 Bombardier Barry Algar, 111th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, who died in a vehicle accident on this day in 1964 during the Indonesian Confrontation, aged 26. Barry had emigrated from the UK to Sydney and joined the Australian Army, and had previously served in the Malayan Emergency with the 101st Field Battery. He fell from a truck at RAAF Butterworth, and died of his injuries at Penang General Hospital. His daug...hter Vicki was six months old at the time of his death, and his wife Jan didn't received a war widows' pension until 2001. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Barry Algar in Malaysia: Maitland Mercury
02.01.2022 Our #MobilityMonday crews had to pack their thermals for this trip. The first flight of the season for Operation Southern Discovery has delivered supplies, equ...ipment, vehicles and personnel to Wilkins Aerodrome in Antarctica. It's a 7,000km round trip for our No. 36 Squadron C-17A Globemasters. Since 2015 we've been supporting the antarctica.gov.au with a quick and flexible means of transporting large items of cargo and urgent supplies from Australia. #AusAirForce
02.01.2022 Photo and names of soldiers from Port Pirie who enlisted early in WW11 and served in the 2/10th Battalion
02.01.2022 Did you know... that at Federation on 1 January 1901, the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces consisted of the military units of each of the colonies, comprising 28,923 colonial soldiers, including 1,457 professional soldiers, 18,603 paid militia and 8,863 unpaid volunteers? The individual units continued to be administered under the various colonial Acts until the Defence Act 1903 brought all the units under one piece of legislation. This Act also prevented the raising o...f standing infantry units and specified that militia forces could not be used in industrial disputes or serve outside Australia. However, the majority of soldiers remained in militia units, known as the Citizen Military Forces (CMF). Major General Sir Edward Huttona former commander of the New South Wales Military Forcessubsequently became the first commander of the Commonwealth Military Forces on 26 December 1901 and set to work devising an integrated structure for the new army. In 1911, following a report by Lord Kitchener the Royal Military College, Duntroon was established, as was a system of universal National Service. In 1916, the Commonwealth Military Forces were renamed the Australian Military Forces (AMF). In 1980 the AMF was renamed the Australian Army. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee South Australian troops of the Commonwealth Military Forces parading for Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and York (later George V) at Victoria Park, Adelaide, in 1901: SLSA
02.01.2022 Battle of Britain commemorative service held in Adelaide 12th September 2020.
01.01.2022 Completion of the Thai Burma Railway Over a year after construction first began, the two tracks of the Thai Burma railway were connected at Kon Kuta, Thailand o...n October 16th, 1943. The railway spanned 420 kilometres, consisting of more than 600 bridges and passing through near impenetrable rock and jungle. This incredible feat of engineering came at the cost of at least 2,815 Australian lives, not to mention a further 11,000 Allied prisoners and 75,000 Asian labourers. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au///completion-of-the-thai-burma-railway
01.01.2022 The RSLSA is delighted to announce we have secured Dr Peter Brune as our Keynote Speaker for the Breakfast of Remembrance. Peter is a renowned military historian and author of several books including A Bastard of a Place, which is highly regarded as a record of the Australians in Papua New Guinea. Peter will delve into how WWII changed Australia. Book your ticket today through Humanitix! https://bit.ly/3hemGYY
01.01.2022 It is critically important for veterans with DVA claims to use currently qualified advocates who are endorsed by an ESO. This helps ensure veterans get the correct advice for their situation. Attached is the list for SA as at 30 September 2020, along with contact information, and information about advocates and their role.
01.01.2022 This evening we commemorate the service and sacrifice of 1056 Corporal Herbert Wilhelm Sauer, 27th Battalion, of Nuriootpa, SA, who died of his wounds in London on this day in 1916, aged 23 years. His sacrifice is commemorated at the Nunhead (All Saints) Cemetery. Herbert was born and raised in Nuriootpa, attending the Nuriootpa Public School before working as a store assistant. He enlisted in the AIF on 17 May 1915 in the aftermath of the Gallipoli landing and joined the se...cond battalion to be raised in South Australia, the 27th Battalion. During the war, the 27th Battalion suffered casualties of 762 men killed or died on active service, as well as a further 2,155 wounded. 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. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee Portrait of Herbert Sauer: VWMA
01.01.2022 The Army Museum of South Australia is pleased to announce that it will reopen to the public on Sunday afternoons, noon to 4pm, from 20th September 2020. New display cabinets and exhibits enhance the experience of viewing the history of SA military from colonial times to present day. The museum is just inside the main entrance gateway of Keswick Barracks, ANZAC Highway, only a short distance from the city. Ample, free parking available. Covid-19 compliant practices apply. More information at https://amosa.org.au/
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