Salisbury RSL in Salisbury, South Australia, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Salisbury RSL

Locality: Salisbury, South Australia, Australia

Phone: +61 8 8258 6016

Address: 19 Park Terrace 5108 Salisbury, SA, Australia

Website: http://www.salisbury.rslsa.org.au

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25.01.2022 This bloke is a true Aussie hero. Hard-as-nails SAS WO2 Rayene 'Ray' Simpson was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions in Vietnam on 6 and 11 May 1969 while a member of the AATTV. On 6 May he rescued a wounded comrade WO Michael Gill under fire, single-handedly attacked a strong enemy position with grenades and then covered the company's withdrawal while carrying Gill. On 11 May he fought alone against heavy odds to cover the evacuation of a number of casualties. That wa...s on this third tour in Vietnam; on his second tour he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal when, after his platoon was ambushed by the Viet Cong, Ray assumed effective command of the unit, organised it into a defensive position and held on until reinforcements arrived all while suffering from blood loss from a leg wound. He had previously fought in World War II, Korea and Malaya. Rest in peace, Simmo ... you were one of a kind. See more

25.01.2022 #Onthisday in 1941 Corporal John Jack Edmondson was the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross in the Second World War for actions at Tobruk, Libya. The German infantry had breached the defences at Tobruk, establishing machine-guns, mortars, and field-guns. A seven-man section, including Edmondson, charged the position and although Jack was wounded in the neck and stomach, he continued to advance under heavy fire, killing one German with his bayonet. He later killed another two Germans, saving the life of his platoon commander. The following day Jack died from his wounds. He was 26 years old. See here for a photo of Jack's grave at Tobruk: http://ow.ly/wMS850z1EEW

22.01.2022 On this day... in 1942, the Second Battle of El Alamein began in Egypt. Over 300,000 men, 1,500 tanks and 1,500 artillery pieces were involved on both sides, and the fighting continued until 11 November. Australia's part in the battle was played by the 9th Division (part of the British XXX Corps) and No. 3 Squadron RAAF of the Desert Air Force flying Kittyhawks. The 9th was in the thick of the fighting in the northern coastal sector from the very beginning, capturing Point ...29 and defending it from Axis counter-attacks. During this early fighting Private Percy Gratwick of Western Australia was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. The 9th attacked again on 28-31 October and captured Thompson's Post. South Australia's own Sergeant Bill Kibby was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross during the fighting from 23-31 October. The battle ended with a break-through by the Allied forces, and the retreat of the Axis troops. During the four months leading up to and including the Second Battle of El Alamein, the 9th Division suffered 5,809 casualties, including 1,225 killed. Winston Churchill wrote: "It may almost be said, "Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat". Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee

21.01.2022 In 1962, RAAF aircraft flew into the Royal Thai Air Force base at Ubon, Thailand. As part of the South East Asia Treaty Organization plan, No. 79 Squadron RAAF and other supporting units were tasked to assist in defending Thailand from a potential communist invasion from Laos. They remained at Ubon until 1968. While at Ubon, No 79 Squadron undertook air defence duties while the Base Squadron provided airfield services at the base. We thank the RAAF for their service at Ubon. On this day, we remember their hard work and courage. #TYFYS

20.01.2022 On this day... in 1918, the Australian 1st Division repelled several heavy German attacks during the Battle of Hazebrouck. The German Operation Michael was launched on 21 March, beginning their Spring Offensive. In the first week of April, the 1st Division was brought south from Flanders to help stem the German tide. The 1st Division reached Hazebrouck just in time to relieve the exhausted British divisions.... Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee

19.01.2022 On this day... in 1916, a composite squadron of the 8th and 9th Light Horse Regiments captured an Ottoman outpost at Bir-el-Jif-Jaffa in the Sinai Desert, about 60 kilometres from the Suez Canal. The Ottomans had established posts in the area, built cisterns and begun drilling for water, creating a base from which attacks on the canal zone could be mounted. The officers were drawn from the mainly South Australian 9th Light Horse Regiment, with non-commissioned officers and tr...oopers from both regiments. In all, 18 officers, 302 men, 175 horses and 261 camels were selected for the task. The force left their camp in the Canal Zone on 11 April and rode into the desert. At 05:30 on the 13th a reconnaissance aircraft flew over the objective, scattering the Ottomans. The light horse squadron then attacked and captured the post, killing six and wounding five. One Australian was killed, along with one horse. The operation, the first the light horse had conducted in the Sinai, proved that the they had great potential for fighting in the Middle East. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee

19.01.2022 Today we remember "The Rats of Tobruk' Siege, where some 14,000 Australian troops fought with allies in Libya to defend our freedom. The importance of this battle was embedded in Australian folklore as our outnumbered diggers stopped the German forces in the North African campaign. Nazi propaganda radio broadcasts spoke contemptuously of the Tobruk defenders as rats. In defiance, our diggers proudly adopted this nickname and have been known by it ever since. It's important to remember the sacrifices and bravery of these servicemen whilst embodying the ANZAC Spirit, and keeping their memory alive.

18.01.2022 I would like everyone that needs to do shopping and if you can drop into Foodland on Saints Rd. They rang and asked us for some memrobillia they could sell for us to help us out. Also a small "corner shop" on Amanda St contacted me and also asked for memrobillia to sell for us, so a big thank you to Mausam from Mausam 7 day super deli and convenience store (great hamburgers) once again on behalf of the RSL thank you. If anyone needs something drop into the 2 stores helping us out or contact Michele at the club. So if you can support local shops that support us.

18.01.2022 On this day... in 1942, the Battle of Ioribaiwa concluded on the Kokoda Trail. The fighting was the last of three major defensive battles on the Trail. Although the Japanese were able to push the Australians back to Imita Ridge, the Australians withdrew in good order and this was as far south as the Japanese managed to advance during the campaign. The Japanese had reached the limits of their supply lines, and defeats at Milne Bay and on Guadalcanal meant that they had to with...draw back to the northern beaches. During the battle, 49 Australians were killed and 121 wounded. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee

14.01.2022 On this day... in 1951, the Battle of Kapyong began. The most famous Australian action of the Korean War, the battle involved the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, defending against advancing Chinese troops who were trying to breakthrough to Seoul during their Spring Offensive. Also involved were the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and a battery of the Royal New Zealand Artillery. 3 RAR's valiant stand over several days against a force that... outnumbered them five to one helped prevent a Chinese breakthrough and the battalion was awarded a United States Presidential Unit Citation for their stalwart defence. The same award was presented to 2 PPCLI and a US tank company. Australian losses were 32 killed, 59 wounded and three captured. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee

13.01.2022 Malaya & Borneo Veterans' Day Today we commemorate Malaya & Borneo Veterans Day, honouring two historical campaigns involving Australian Defence personnel The Malayan Emergency and the Indonesian Confrontation (Konfrontasi). 39 Australian servicemen were killed in Malaya and a further 27 were wounded, most of whom were in the Army. ... A further 23 Australians were killed during the Indonesian Confrontation. A further 8 were wounded. Lest We Forget Learn More: https://zcu.io/frs

13.01.2022 Today marks the 50th anniversary of Operation Hammersley. #OpHammersley began as a routine operation, where #OurPeople from 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, a troop from 1st Armoured Regiment and 1 Field Troop, Royal Australian Engineers, were deployed to the foot of the Long Hai Hills, Vietnam, to secure a quarry site. What followed was a costly operation resulting in the loss of 12 men and 59 wounded. ... We say thank you to those who fought on this operation and we reflect on their bravery and sacrifice. #LestWeForget

12.01.2022 On this day... in 1942, Sergeant Bill Kibby, 2/48th Battalion, of Glenelg, South Australia, a plasterer in civilian life, was killed in action during the fighting for Thompson's Post in the Second Battle of El Alamein. From the first day of the battle on 23 October, Kibby had gallantly led his platoon in the intense fighting. First, he went forward alone and silenced a German machine gun post. Next he provided inspirational leadership to his men and mended his platoon's telep...hone line under heavy fire, and in the incident which took his life, he pressed forward under withering fire and helped his company capture its objective. For his actions over the period 23-31 October, Kibby was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee

12.01.2022 On this day... in 1945, six days after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Emperor Hirohito of Japan announced Japan's unconditional surrender, ending World War II. Now marked as Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day, 15 August 1945 saw the end of the deadliest military conflict in history, which had cost the lives of some 70-85 million people. In total, over 40,000 Australians had died during the war, including 700 civilians. Another 40,000 had been wounded. Of the 21,...467 Australians captured by the Japanese, only 14,000 survived. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee Image of POWs on the Thai-Burma railway: AWM

12.01.2022 Did you know... that almost all of the Australian "Rats of Tobruk" were withdrawn from the besieged port in September and October 1941? The Australians, consisting of the 9th Division and the 18th Brigade of the 7th Division, supported by British armour and artillery, fought off repeated Axis attacks from April until their withdrawal and replacement by the British 70th Division. Supplies were brought in by the Mediterranean Fleet, which included a number of Royal Australian N...avy ships. HMAS Waterhen and HMAS Parramatta were both sunk on supply runs into the port. The troops on the ground were also supported from the air by the Desert Air Force. The defence of Tobruk cost over 3,000 Australian casualties, including 832 killed and nearly 1,000 taken prisoner. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee

10.01.2022 Yesterday, we partnered with RAAF Edinburgh in holding the inaugural Victory in the Pacific Ceremony at the Air Force Memorial, Torrens Parade Ground, to acknowledge the 74th anniversary of the end of World War 2 in the Pacific. We recognized those RAAF members who served our nation in the Pacific War, honoured those veterans who are still with us today and remembered those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. In his keynote address, WGCDR Glenn Orton, Commanding Officer 24 SQN, ...detailed the tragic stories of two RAAF airmen who died in the closing stages of the war. He noted the sacrifice of FSGT Arnold Lockyear, an indigenous airmen of 24 SQN, who was able to bail out of a B-24 Liberator after it was shot down in early August 1945 only to be killed by his Japanese captors on 21 August six days after the Japanese surrender and PLTOFF Ted Quinn, a young South Australian airmen who is believed to have been one of the last RAAF airmen killed in combat when his Kittyhawk was shot down on 9 August 1945. Meanwhile, WGCDR Simon Van der Wijngaart, Commanding Officer 11 SQN, a World War 2 Squadron that operated Catalina aircraft, recited the poem Black Cats which is about a Catalina sortie during World War 2. It was a special ceremony with 24 SQN parading, six World War 2 veterans in attendance and approximately 40 other attendees paying their respects to those RAAF airmen who fought and gave their lives in World War 2. Wreaths were laid by Hon Andrew McLachlan CSC MLC, representing the Premier of South Australia, GPCAPT Brendan Rogers CSC CSM, Acting Senior ADF Officer, Edinburgh, and Mr Robert Black AM, President of RAAF Association

08.01.2022 National Servicemens Day - 14 February Today we honour and reflect upon those who served our nation in times of need through compulsory military service. Australias most recent period of national service was 19641972. Though not full-scale conscription, rather Nashos were chosen from men of 20 years of age using a ballot system held twice a year, more than 60,000 were called up to serve. Of these, more than 15,000 served in the Vietnam War, where some 200 were killed a...nd more than 1,200 wounded. Read more about the National Service Scheme https://www.awm.gov.au/ar/encyclopedia/conscription/vietnam Image: National Service recruits with their luggage lined up on the parade ground waiting to be allocated sleeping quarters. Puckapunyal, Victoria, Australia. 1967- 68 Photo: Greg Woodward P05394.001

08.01.2022 Today is the anniversary of the famous counterattack by the Australian 13th and 15th Brigades on 24/25 April 1918 during the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. The Germans had captured the village on the morning of 24 April, opening the way for the capture of the critical railway centre at Amiens. The Allies determined that the village had to be retaken, and the 13th and 15th Brigades were chosen for the task. They attacked at 10pm with the 15th Brigade north of the village... and the 13th Brigade to the south. Facing heavy German machine gun fire which caused many casualties, the Australians pressed on, with numerous German machine gun posts charged with the bayonet. Many Germans escaped as the ring closed around the village, but by Anzac Day the village was in Allied hands, which remained the case for the rest of the war. A senior British officer and Victoria Cross recipient, who observed the battle, wrote that it was "perhaps the greatest individual feat of the war" for troops to attack at night, across unfamiliar ground, at short notice and with no artillery preparation. The two Australian brigades suffered a total of 2,473 casualties in the fighting. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee

07.01.2022 On this day in 1941, the Siege of Tobruk began. Tobruk was surrounded on three sides by Axis forces in April and remained besieged until December. It was able to be resupplied by sea thanks to a motley group of older destroyers called the "Scrap Iron Flotilla" which regularly ran the gauntlet into the port. Most Australians left Tobruk between August and October. They are known as the famous "Rats of Tobruk".... About 744 Australians were killed during the siege, along with 1,974 wounded and 476 missing. Australians bore the brunt of the casualties, making up over half of the total Allied casualties suffered. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee

05.01.2022 The anniversary of the Battle for Australia Day is commemorated every year on the first Wednesday in September. The Battle for Australia Day marks the first defeat of Japanese forces in the Battle of Milne Bay. Mainland Australia came under direct attack from the Japanese four days after the fall of Singapore in February 1942. Two air raids were launched against Darwin on 19 February with heavy loss of life and enormous destruction. In May 1942 the battle of the Coral Sea w...as fought, and later that year from July to September, the Japanese advanced through Papua New Guinea towards Port Moresby until they were held and then defeated on the Kokoda Track and at Milne Bay. Meanwhile, Japanese submarines continued to operate along Australias eastern waters, attacking Sydney Harbour on May 31 and continuing their campaign until June 1943. Air raids persisted against Northern Australia until November 1943. Australia was defended by more than half a million full time Navy, Army and Air Force personnel and the womens services during this time. We remember and thank today all of these brave individuals who defended our freedom and kept Australia young and free. #lestweforget

05.01.2022 On this day... in 1943, the Australian 9th Division captured Finschhafen in New Guinea, losing 73 killed and 285 wounded. Nearly 400 were evacuated sick. The fighting was part of the Huon Peninsula campaign against Japanese forces. The 20th Brigade advanced on the town from the north, having landed at Scarlet Beach, and the 22 Battalion advanced from the south, having landed near Lae. After the capture of the town, the Japanese withdrew then counter-attacked, endangering the ...landing beaches, causing another 49 killed and 179 wounded. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee

05.01.2022 On this day... in 1914, South Australia's own 10th Battalion was formed. On 25 April 1915, the battalion took part in the landing at Anzac Cove, coming ashore during the initial stages of the operation as part of the covering force. Members from the 10th Battalion penetrated the furthest inland of any Australian troops during the initial fighting, before the Allied advance inland was checked. After this, the battalion helped defend the beachhead against a heavy counter-attack... in May, before joining the August Offensive, a failed Allied effort to break the deadlock. Casualties were heavy throughout the campaign and in November 1915, the surviving members were withdrawn from the peninsula and in early 1916 the battalion was reformed in Egypt. After a period of reorganisation, during which the 10th provided the nucleus of the newly formed 50th Battalion, the 10th Battalion was transferred to the Western Front in March 1916, and for the next two-and-a-half years took part in trench warfare in France and Belgium until the Armistice in 1918. The last detachment of men from the 10th Battalion returned to Australia in September 1919. During the war, over 9,000 men served in the 10th Battalion, of whom 1,015 men were killed and 2,136 were wounded, many on multiple occasions. Three Victoria Crosses were awarded to members of the battalion. The battle honours and traditions of the 10th Battalion are carried on by the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australian Regiment. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee

05.01.2022 #OTD Battle of Cambrai The Battle of Cambrai, fought between 20 November and 7 December 1917, was the first battle in history involving the employment of tanks en masse. After a series of failures, largely due to the impassibility of the mud, during the Ypres offensives the proponents of the tank were keen to prove its worth my mounting a massed raid on the German line west of Cambrai Cambrai in northern France. This raid evolved into a full scale attack employing six inf...antry divisions, two cavalry divisions, over 1000 guns and 476 tanks, which was launched at dawn on 20 November. The initial assault was a spectacular success, demonstrating the power of the tank when employed in a shock role, and ripped a hole almost ten kilometers wide and six kilometers deep in the German line. Mechanical failures among the tanks, the deployment of German reserves, and the obstacle presented by the St. Quentin Canal sapped the attack of its momentum after the first day. The fighting swayed to and fro for the next nine days, with the British unable to capitalize on their early gains and the Germans unable to force them back to any extent. On 30 November, however, the Germans launched a counterattack employing twenty divisions. By 7 December, they had recaptured all of the ground lost since 20 November. The operation cost approximately 45,000 British, and 50,000 German dead and wounded. --------------------------------------------------------------- If you spot an error, please send me a message. Join our group here: https://business.facebook.com/groups/2626189084317964

04.01.2022 #OTD Final Japanese air raid on Darwin On the 12th of November 1943 between 0353 to 0530 local time, Darwin was subject to its 64th and final air raid. Fortunately, there were no casualties during this raid, although there was slight damage around Darwin near the Parap, Adelaide River and Batchelor airfield. This raid would also mark the final air aid made on Australia during WWII.... In total there were more than 97 attacks on northern Australia. Over 260 people were killed and more than 410 were wounded between the 19th of February 1942 and the 12th of November 1943. It is an interesting fact that more bombs were dropped on Darwin than at Pearl Harbour. Lest we forget. --------------------------------------------------------------- If you spot an error, please send me a message. Join our group here: https://business.facebook.com/groups/2626189084317964

04.01.2022 South Australia COVID-19 Health Alert - 15 November 2020 ALERT - Lyell McEwin Hospital Emergency Department SA Health is in the process of contacting everyo...ne who was in the Emergency Department at Lyell McEwin Hospital between 5:30pm Friday 13 November and 4:00am Saturday 14 November who may have been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. However, if you visited this location during at this time, and have not been contacted by SA Health, you should self-quarantine immediately and call the SA COVID-19 Information line 1800 253 787 (open until 8pm). ADVICE - Parafield Plaza Supermarket If you visited Parafield Plaza Supermarket on Thursday 12 November between 10:30am and 11:30am - you do not need to self-quarantine but you should monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if symptoms appear. TESTING REMINDER Any South Australian who develops symptoms, no matter how mild, should seek testing as soon as symptoms appear: fever or chills cough sore throat runny nose shortness of breath loss of taste or smell To find a testing site near you visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/covidtesting

04.01.2022 Today marks 76 years since the Thai-Burma Railway was completed. More than 60,000 allied Prisoners of War (POWs), including roughly 13,000 Australians and 200,000 Romusha (civilian Asian labourers), worked on the railway. When completed, the railway stretched some 415 kilometres between Nong Pladuk in Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Burma (now Myanmar). The railways purpose was to supply Japanese forces in Burma, bypassing dangerous sea routes. ... One section of the railway that has become synonymous with the Australian experience is Hellfire Pass. Hellfire Pass was a cutting that Allied POWs and Romusha had to carve through rock to create a passage for the railway. It was 75 metres long and 25 metres deep . The name Hellfire Pass came from the appalling conditions at the work site, and from the flickering light cast by the flames from the lamps that lit the cutting at night. By the time the railway was complete, some 12,000 POWs including more than 2,700 Australians, had lost their lives. Many more Romusha also died during construction of the line. To find out more information on the Thai-Burma Railway, visit: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au//thaiburma-railway-and-hell #TYFYS

04.01.2022 Vietnam Veterans Day is commemorated on 18 August every year. The day was originally known as Long Tan Day, chosen to commemorate the men of D Company, 6RAR who fought in the Battle of Long Tan on the 18 August 1966. On that day, 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought a pitched battle against more than 2,000 North Vietnamese and Main Force Viet Cong troops in a rubber plantation not far from the small village of Long Tan. The ANZAC's prevailed, but only after fightin...g in torrential rain for three and a half hours. They were nearly overrun, but were saved by a timely ammunition resupply, accurate artillery fire from the nearby Australian base, and the arrival of reinforcements by Armoured Personnel Carrier. Sadly, eighteen young Australians - 11 of them conscripts - lost their lives and 24 were wounded, the largest number of casualties at that time in one operation since the Australian Task Force had arrived a few months earlier. After the battle the bodies of 245 enemy soldiers were found, but there was evidence that many more bodies had been carried away. On the third anniversary of Long Tan, 18 August 1969, a cross was raised on the site of the battle by the men of 6RAR. Veterans from the battle gathered at the cross to commemorate the fallen, and the day was commemorated by them as Long Tan Day from then on. Over time, all Vietnam veterans adopted the day as one to commemorate those who served and died in Vietnam. In 1987, following the very successful Welcome Home parade for Vietnam veterans in Sydney, Prime Minister Bob Hawke announced that Long Tan Day would be known as Vietnam Veterans Day. Since then, it has been commemorated every year as the day on which the service of all those men and women who served in Vietnam is remembered. Lest We Forget the 18 young boys who made the ultimate sacrifice on 18 August 1966, along with the other 503 Australians and the 37 New Zealand personnel killed there. More than 3000 Australians and 187 New Zealanders were also wounded. Many veterans and their families have continued to suffer ever since. We also pause to remember the terrible waste of young Vietnamese, American, South Korean, Thai, Cambodian, Philippine lives as well. Honour these men and women at services tomorrow or, raise a glass to them in their name or, maybe take your family and friends to watch our film to gain a little more insight and understanding into our veterans and our serving military personnel who put their lives on the line in the service of our beautiful countries, Australia & New Zealand. #LestWeForget #BattleofLongTan #VietnamVeterans

03.01.2022 On this day... in 1915, the Battle of Lone Pine was launched. Intended to be a diversion for the August Offensive, the three-day battle was particularly bloody, with Australia suffering more than 2,000 casualties in the largely close-quarters fighting, and the Ottoman forces losing over 5,000 in the initial fighting and many counterattacks. While the Battle of Lone Pine was an ANZAC victory, the overall August Offensive was a failure. An incredible seven Australians were awar...ded the Victoria Cross for their actions during the battle, two of which were posthumous. Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair ANZAC Day Committee

03.01.2022 8th August 1918 was described by German General Ludendorff as "der Schwarze Tag", the black day of the German army. The Hundred Days Offensive was the beginning of the end of the Great War. In South Australian military history the Battle of Amiens is significant as the first time during the war that SA's 10th, 27th, 32nd, 43rd, 48th and 50th Infantry Battalions were all in action at the same time. Setting out from their positions near Villers-Bretonneux and Hamel, the Austra...lian troops in two hours had accomplished all their objectives, and the Canadian troops that had begun the attack alongside them had advanced several kilometres. The speed, decisiveness and effect of the Allied offensive particularly in the sector south of the Somme (Australian and Canadian sector) completely overwhelmed the German defenders. In just over three hours, the enemy's front line had been overrun. In total, the Allied forces captured 29,144 prisoners, 338 guns, and liberated 116 towns and villages. Battle of Amiens information: https://vwma.org.au/explore/campaigns/14

02.01.2022 #OnThisDay in 1943 Sergeant T.C. Derrick DCM, 2/48th Battalion, was awarded the Victoria Cross at Sattelberg, New Guinea. Thomas Derrick was born on 20 March 1914 in Adelaide. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 5 July 1940. Derrick embarked for the Middle East with the 2/48th Battalion and soon proved himself to be an excellent soldier, gaining promotion to corporal while his unit was in Tobruk. In July 1942 he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his... bravery and leadership at Tel el Eisa. At the end of that month Derrick was promoted to sergeant. By October his unit was in action at El Alamein, where he again served with distinction. Derrick's unit returned to Australia in February 1943, training in north Queensland and Papua before helping to capture Lae in September. In November the 2/48th were in action at Sattleberg, overlooking Finschafen. Fighting amidst rugged terrain and under heavy fire from Japanese machine guns, Derrick performed the feat that earned him the Victoria Cross. Scaling steep cliffs, under fire, hurling grenades and using his rifle he cleared ten machine gun posts, making possible the capture of Sattleberg. The 2/48th returned to Australia in February 1944 and in August Derrick was posted to an officer training unit. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in November. On 1 May 1945 he took part in the landing at Tarakan, Borneo. Later that month he led his platoon against a heavily defended position code-named Freda, gaining all but the highest knoll. That night a Japanese machine gun fired into the Australian lines. As he sat up to check that his men were all right, Derrick was hit by five bullets from the gun's second burst. He had been lightly wounded before, but recognised that this time his wounds were mortal. He died on 24 May 1945. Read more: https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/fiftyaustralians/14

02.01.2022 FOR VALOUR Sergeant William Henry Kibby (Posthumous) 2/48th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force 23-31 October 1942, El Alamein, Egypt... "Throughout the attack that culminated in the capture of TRIG 29 and the re-organisation period which followed, Sergeant Kibby moved from section to section personally directing their fire and cheering the men, despite the fact that the Platoon throughout was suffering heavy casualties. " Read Sergeant Kibby's story here: https://zcu.io/PXc9

02.01.2022 On this day... in 1942, Darwin was bombed by the Japanese for the first time, in the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia. Across two separate raids, 242 aircraft bombed the town, ships in the harbour and two nearby airfields. Casualties included 236 killed and over 300 wounded, and 30 aircraft were destroyed, 11 vessels were sunk and 25 ships were damaged. Darwin was bombed another 63 times up to November 1943.... Lest we forget. Ian Smith Chair Anzac Day Committee