REVEille caring for the veteran community | spring edition 2015
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance
RSL House
Ex-Service Organisations
106 Memorial Ave, Maroochydore Phone: 07 5443 1719 Fax: 07 5443 7551 email: rslhouse@maroochyrsl.com.au
These groups meet regularly at the RSL House, please feel welcome to attend.
Office Hours
Ex-Service Women’s Association - first Thursday of the month, 10.00am chat, 10.30am meeting
Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Museum Hours Monday to Friday 9.00am - 4.00pm
LEAGUE MEMBER BRIEFINGS Third Monday of the month at 2.00pm Information for members, guests and bona fide visitors. Correct at time of printing.
For more information about upcoming meetings refer to page 22.
Legacy Laurel Club - fourth Friday of the month at 9.00am National Servicemen’s Association - second Tuesday of every odd month, 9.00am chat, 10.00am meeting Naval Association - second Sunday of the month at 10.30am TPI Association - third Wednesday of the month at 10.30am War Widows Guild - fourth Monday of the month, 9.00am chat, 10.00am meeting Women’s Auxiliary - first Monday of the month, 9.30am chat, 10.00am meeting
Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor (preferably typed or printed and no longer than 200 words) should carry the sender’s full name, address and contact phone number, and will not necessarily express the opinion of the Editor or of this Sub Branch. The Editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish any submission. Email: rslhouse@maroochyrsl.com.au 02 | MAROOCHY RSL - caring for the veteran community
Contents Membership................................................ 3 President’s Report....................................... 4 CEO’s Report.............................................. 5 PAWS Report............................................... 6
membersHIP
ANZAC Premier’s Prize............................. 10
Welcome to the spring edition of Reveille magazine for 2015. The cold of winter is fast wearing off and I am sure we are all looking forward to some warmer weather.
Battle of Lone Pine.................................... 12
Undoubtedly our biggest event of the spring quarter is Remembrance Day. Maroochy RSL will be conducting a commemorative service at the Cotton Tree Cenotaph from 10.30am on Wednesday, 11 November 2015 and we invite all members and their guests to join us on this occasion of reflection. In this edition of Reveille you will find some pictures of our most recent League outing to the Brisbane Tram museum and details of our upcoming outings. See the PAWS report for more details. Also in the PAWS report, we are also calling all ‘green thumbs’ to volunteer to start our very own community garden. It is proposed to be on the top of the Maroochy RSL car park with plenty of sunshine and a fantastic view, see our RSL House staff for more details. Our League briefings have been going well with about 40 attendees per meeting. It would be fantastic to get more of our members to the briefings so we can have input from as many of you as we can. We want to make the services we provide as relevant to our members as possible and we can only do this with your help. If any of you know of a member of our community that needs our assistance please see one of our welfare team who will be only too happy to help.
Ian Hicks Maroochy RSL League Administration Manager
Battle of Long Tan......................................14 HMAS Canberra........................................ 16 Operational Slipper/Highroad................... 18 Lost WWI Medal........................................ 20 Evolution of Military Rations...................... 21 ESO Meeting Information ......................... 22
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAILING LIST If you wish to receive emails about current veteran related issues and League information, please email us at: rslhouse@maroochyrsl.com.au www.maroochyrsl.com.au Reveille spring edition 2015 | 03
President’s Report ANZAC Day now seems like nothing more than a memory but none the less one that will always stand tall as a major part of Maroochy RSL’s rich history of support to the veteran community. The centenary of ANZAC continues to be a key point of focus and many of our events are designed to commemorate this event that helped shape our nation. We are privileged to have been able to secure The RSL Spirit of ANZAC Youth Challenge which is a program focussed on local school students and is designed to explore the significance of the ANZAC centenary, the ANZAC spirit and what it means for the RSL. On the subject of youth, the RSL Youth Development Program for 2015 is again open and remains a wonderful opportunity for students who display the ethos of the RSL to be rewarded with financial assistance to continue their efforts in their chosen area of expertise. In the past we have been able to assist students within areas as diverse as sporting through to academic excellence. We are particularly focused on the current venue refurbishment project and especially that within RSL House. The work done by our pensions and welfare staff is central to our core RSL business objectives and we want to ensure that we provide suitable facilities and support functions to ensure that our veterans are provided with the highest level of service possible. We are confident that our final solution will equip us to achieve this goal. The Cenotaph at Cotton Tree remains a focal point of all of our commemorative events and we are thrilled to be able to confirm that the Sunshine Coast Council has installed a reticulated watering system for the gardens and grounds. This will make maintenance of this sacred area considerably easier. We once again thank the Cenotaph volunteers who toil outside in often trying conditions to keep this site in pristine condition. This edition of Reveille is again a great read with a diverse range of stories. For those with a Naval interest one of our key articles is on the New HMAS Canberra. The Canberra Class Amphibious Assault Ship (LHD), also known as a Landing Helicopter Dock, project will provide the Australian Defence Force with one of the most capable and sophisticated air-land-sea amphibious deployment systems in the world. Thanks again to the team at Maroochy RSL, without your support we could not hope to achieve the high standards of service that we meet. Michael Liddelow Maroochy RSL President
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CEO’s Report As the cold of winter slowly lifts we warmly welcome spring and a busy time at Maroochy RSL. The significant event on the RSL calendar in spring is Remembrance Day. This year, Remembrance Day falls on Wednesday, 11 November 2015 and we will have our morning commemorative service at the Cotton Tree Cenotaph commencing at 10.30am. Members and the community are invited to join us to pay our respects and honour the brave men and women who served our country. Featuring in this spring edition of Reveille is our pension and welfare report where you can get all the details of future outings and any upcoming initiatives we have at RSL House. Please also remember that our fantastic pension and welfare team offer a wide range of services and are available to assist you get the best help possible. Spring Reveille also contains a story on the Australian Navy’s latest investment with the HMAS Canberra being launched this year. She is a feat of engineering and will be an invaluable asset to the Australian Defence Force. With the 100 years commemorations of the landing at ANZAC Cove we have included the reflections of younger generations. Included is an excerpt from one of the Premier’s ANZAC prize recipients, a local Sunshine Coast student, who put into words what a trip to Gallipoli and the Western Front battle fields meant to her. After reading it you will be reassured the ANZAC legacy will live on in our future generations. We were also privileged recently to host the Spirit of ANZAC Youth Challenge which was an interactive day for Sunshine Coast students to discuss and explore the challenges our soldiers faced. This event was keenly supported by many of our Maroochy RSL Board Directors and Volunteers, and we thank them for their participation and involvement. We hope you enjoy the spring edition of Reveille and please remember if you or anyone you know could benefit from any of our services, please contact our RSL House team who are there to assist. We look forward to welcoming you to Maroochy RSL again soon. Clare Paton Maroochy RSL CEO
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PENSIONS, ADVOCACY & WELFARE SECTION (PAWS) REPORT CALLING ALL GREEN THUMBS Have you lost your large garden through downsizing or just don’t have the time, money or expertise to build your own veggie garden and want to eat healthy, organic, wholesome food? We may have the answer for you. We are seeking all former and current defence personnel to get together and build our very own Maroochy RSL community garden. The location would be on the roof of the car park with the most spectacular outlook and would incorporate an area to house our very own fresh grown herbs and flowers. The concept is for a social area with greenhouse, garden shed for tools, picnic bench/chairs with umbrella and a water tank so we can play our part in helping the environment. We will also have a heater so you can have a cup of tea and a chat even in winter time. If you have a spare hour and fancy the idea of a social get together every week as well as the reward of some fresh vegetables home grown, then please register your interest at RSL House or call 5443 1719 for further details. WELFARE Since March 2015 our welfare team has been extremely busy caring for our Maroochy RSL community. Our team has seen 460 patients during 50 Hospital visits and completed 535 volunteer hours between seven volunteers plus 42 home visits for those in need.
LONG TAN BURSARY SCHEME Children of Vietnam veterans who are looking into postsecondary school study can now submit applications for the Long Tan Bursary. Named after the Battle of Long Tan, the bursary valued up to $9,000 over three years can be used to help offset costs such as fees and stationary. Applications close on 31 October 2015, to apply or for more information please log onto the DVA grants website www.dva.gov.au/grants. ASBESTOS HOUSES IN THE ACT 1970 - 1980 Did you reside in Canberra in the 1970s or 80s and are a current or former Defence member? If so you may have resided in one of the residences affected by loose fill asbestos also known in the industry as Mr Fluffy Insulation. On 1 July 2015 the ACT Government Asbestos Response released a list of all affected residences in the Canberra area. If you think you may have been affected through your employment with the Defence Force please call 1800 DEFENCE (1800 333 362) and request to speak with a representative from the Defence Asbestos Exposure Evaluation Scheme (DAEES), or visit http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/ohsc/programs/ Asbestos/ For more information please contact ACT Government Asbestos Response Taskforce at – http://www. asbestostaskforce.act.gov.au/.
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VETERANS AND VETERANS FAMILIES COUNSELLING SERVICE (VVCS) VVCS is a free, confidential 24/7 counselling service for Australian veterans, peacekeepers and their families. Please contact VVCS on free phone 1800 011 046 for more information on services, support and eligibility. Revision of Assets Test For Service Pension: On 1 January 2017, a Government Budget initiative designed to improve the fairness and sustainability of the pension system will take effect with a revised assets test relating to pensions entitlements to be implemented. This involves changes to the asset value limits and the taper rate used to determine the rate of pension. There is a belief that if this test resulted in a loss of part service pension that in some cases it would also result in a loss of a veteran’s Gold Card. DVA have confirmed however that members who do have their pensions cancelled under the terms of this new system will still retain their Gold Card. Link Between Toxic Jet Fuel and Birth Defects: The Department of Defence is “actively considering” a major review of all scientific evidence to see whether exposure to toxic jet fuel and other chemicals caused birth defects in the children of military personnel. Defence is considering an examination of all existing scientific literature on the capacity of fuel to cause foetal abnormalities and reproductive problems. They have confirmed that they will not be conducting their own research.
Corrected Official History Of The Vietnam War: A new official medical history of the Vietnam War is to be rewritten to correct the record on the Agent Orange controversy. The decision is based around a long running campaign by veterans dissatisfied with the original account relating to Agent Orange’s harmfulness. The veteran’s complaints in part centred on the fact that the original history omitted two key findings of the Royal Commission on the effects of chemicals on Australian personnel in Vietnam. The new history is due to be completed by 2019 and will also include other medical issues such as PTSD. Continuation Of Greenslopes Hospital: There has been some confusion over an article in the recently released issue of Vet Affairs which refers to the ‘disposal of Greenslopes’ and has caused concern to the exservice community. The Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane, Queensland, owned by Ramsay Private Health, will continue to provide hospital services to veterans and other entitled persons. The article should have referred to Budget funding to remediate blocks of land which were once part of the former Greenslopes Repatriation Hospital, but which the Commonwealth has leased to the Australian Red Cross from the 1940s until earlier this year. The Commonwealth now has vacant possession, and it has been determined they are surplus to requirements. The Department is now working through the legal processes to dispose of them.
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MEMBERS ACTIVITIES – BRISBANE TRAM MUSEUM Our outing in July was to the Brisbane Tram Museum. On arrival we enjoyed a fantastic morning tea provided by Jan and Andrena from the Woman’s Auxiliary before we headed onto the first of four trams. The visit provided nostalgia for the members, both young and old. The museum had workshops and over 20 trams on site, some fully refurbished and others being restored by the many volunteers who keep the old Brisbane Tramway era alive. We rode on four of the oldest trams which had been brought back to their original condition including the old “toast rack” as it was commonly known. The tram rides provided the inspiration for many stories from the group like the countless school boy pranks or the old unspoken rule, ladies at the front and men at the back, After our Tram Museum experience we made our way to the Gaythorne RSL for some lunch before heading home to the Sunshine Coast.
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The next 3 outings are as follows: Event Number
5
6
Date
2 Sep
30 Sep
Cost $22.50 - League members. $27.50 - Concession (Partner) $32.50 – Adult (Partner) $22.50 - Child of league member (3-14 years), Inclusive of return transport, and entry.
Australia Zoo – See over 1,200 animals including those found in the new African Savannah, and South-East Asia exhibits. Feed the kangaroos, dodge the roving wildlife throughout and watch the various shows and exhibitions on the day.
$15.00 per person
Bushman’s Lunch at Cobb & Co Glasshouse Mountains. Tour the restored original Cobb & Co Coach and more. View the building progress of the 82 seater Cobb & Co’s Leviathan Coach. Then enjoy a Bushman’s Lunch country style.
Inclusive return transport, entry to museum and bushman lunch
$47.50
7
25 Oct
Location
Inclusive of return transport, morning tea, 3 course dinner show with drinks (duration of the show).
High Country Legends, the new iconic Australia Outback Spectacular Show. Enjoy and be amazed and memorized by the amazing animals, stunts and aerial performances and be taken back in time to follow the story of the young 7 year old Aussie sold to the circus. Enjoy a 3 course dinner with drinks throughout the show. This is one not to be missed!
All outings must be pre-booked and paid for up front at the time of booking. Bookings open one month prior to scheduled date so be sure to get in and get your name down quick as these are first come first serve basis. For more information please contact RSL House.
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Local students presented with the Premier’s Anzac Prize Five local students who were selected as recipients of the Premier’s ANZAC Prize in late 2014 were recognised for their efforts at Maroochy RSL in May 2015. The recipients of the Premier’s ANZAC prize travelled to Gallipoli and the Western Front battlefields during the WWI centenary commemorations this year where they visited many significant WWI sites and attended the ANZAC Day dawn service at Gallipoli. The selected students, Alice Tilleard, Elly McSwan, Jessica Cherry, Madison Vievers and Mia Jones, represented five out of 70 successful applications chosen to take part in the once in a lifetime opportunity. Upon their return, Maroochy RSL hosted the students, their families and teachers to hear what they had gained from their experience. Below is what one of the students, Mia Jones, took from her journey. It is comforting to know the ANZAC spirit is not lost and is in good hands for the future. A word from Mia Jones… “There are many reasons why one might enter the Premier’s ANZAC Prize; there is the necessity to learn, the opportunity to travel, and the occasion to commemorate the soldiers of World War I and beyond. In truth, I was passionate about gaining perspective. I am a spoiled child, but not in the sense of economic status or upbringing or material possessions; it is because of the time that I was astoundingly fortunate enough to be born into. All the struggles to earn what I have been given occurred one hundred years ago.
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I was aware of my spoiled status and lack of sufficient gratitude, so I endeavoured to go on this tour to cure myself of this inadequate understanding. Which is why I submitted a substandard film into competition in which, I, by some outstanding miracle, won a place. There unfolded a physical and mental quest to gain some measure of understanding of the ANZAC legacy. We read names carved in stone on both gravestone and wall. We listened to service people’s stories and clutched both our hats and our composure. At the Dawn Service minute’s silence, there was only the sound of the tide in a crowd of thousands. We were each given two service people to commemorate during the tour. I was appointed with trooper James Henry Kimber and Lieutenant Andrew Anderson. Mr Kimber was a labourer who died at the age of 19 at Gallipoli, while Mr Anderson was an apprentice engineer who died at the Menin Gate at the age of 23. Even after researching them for hours on end, I still do not feel like I know them. Which is exactly what motivated me to dedicate my thoughts to them at every single service during the tour. Isn’t it as important to commemorate strangers as your own kin? I remember the moments after I commemorated the life of Mr Anderson at the Menin Gate memorial. I was alone with his cross and feeling slightly rebellious. I passed by the clusters of crosses gathered along the wall and placed his cross and photograph in a solitary viewpoint overlooking the lake. I suspect that he would have appreciated the view. As for my perspective? Perhaps there are some things that are too momentous, too unthinkable, and too poignant to be truly perceived. Perhaps my efforts were doomed from the start, but that does not mean that they were inconsequential. I am not particularly intelligent, nor excessively philosophical. I am quite young, easily misled, and largely unaware of the workings of this world. But I
ask you to set aside these trivialities and listen to the one thing that I learned on this arduous, wonderful and harrowing tour. I have oftentimes heard the flippant phrase, ‘It’s a free country.’ It is served with a generous hand and a defensive tone. It is offered to justify the actions of the rash, the unkind, and the negligent. But is it a free country? Are we truly living in a free county? Are the hundreds of graves I passed by the constituent of free? Were James Henry Kimber and Andrew Anderson worth nothing? Did the horrors of one hundred years ago, and every conflict before and in between, not have a cost? I have read the names of dead men and women carded into century old stone. I have shared my lunch with a dead man on the shore of Ari Burnu. I have stood in the crowd of the centenary Anzac Day ceremony and watched the tide ebb and flow. Yes, we are free. But we should cut away a precious piece of freedom and give it back, and instead shoulder a burden. A burden that I am sure most of us in this room have already accepted willingly. It is our duty to remember, but there is another responsibility – another obligation that I had never considered. They gave us our lives, therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we do the absolute best we can with them. They gave us our freedom, our motivation, our legacy. As corny as this may seem; if we do not show our gratitude by becoming the best people we can be, achieving the highest we can, helping as many as possible, then what is it all for? Is it all to waste? If we sit on our couches and go on Facebook rather than extending our potential, then did that man in that grave die for nothing? Achieving and discovering as much as you can in the time we have left is not a choice, it’s an obligation, because otherwise what did they die for?”
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The Battle of Lone Pine One of the most famous assaults of the Gallipoli campaign, the battle of Lone Pine was intended to be a diversion from attempts by the Australian and New Zealand units to force a breakout from the ANZAC perimeter on the heights of Chanuk Bair and Hill 971.
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The attack was launched by the 1st Brigade AIF in the late afternoon of 6 August 1915, where Australian forces faced formidable, entrenched Turkish positions, sections of which were securely roofed over with pine logs. Soldiers were forced to break through the roof of the trench systems in order to engage the defenders. The main Turkish trench was taken within 20 minutes of the initial charge but it was just the beginning of four days of intense hand-to-hand fighting. Hundreds of one-on-one battles broke out in the trenches and often due to confusion and the sheer mayhem, Turks were attacking Turks and Australians killed Australians. Both sides hurled bombs at each other which were thrown back and forth until they exploded. The Turkish trenches were flooded with the bodies of dead and wounded soldiers from both sides. As the counterattacks intensified the Australians brought up two fresh battalions. Finally, on 9 August the Turks called off any further forays and by 10 August offensive action had ceased, leaving the Australians in control of the position. The battle was said to be a success for Australia but the reality is it cost the lives of over 2,000 soldiers while approximately 7,000 Turks were killed or wounded. The Turks had cut down all but one of the Aleppo pine trees that grew on the ridge of the trenches. It was the lone pine that remained which became known as the Lonesome Pine to Australian soldiers. The solitary tree standing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey thereafter marked the site of the Battle of Lone Pine. The tree was obliterated during the battle, however, some pine cones remained attached to the cut branches over the trenches and were retrieved by two Australian soldiers and brought home to Australia.
Lone Pine trenches, August 1915
Now thousands of resulting pine trees grow in Australia propagated from the Gallipoli cones. One tree raised from a seed now also grows in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Gallipoli. Maroochy RSL has been lucky enough to acquire eight seedlings which are descendants from the original lone pine in Gallipoli. The RSL has cultivated and cared for the pines with the intention of gifting them to local schools as a lasting, tangible link to the events that occurred on the Gallipoli peninsula. Maroochy RSL will present the trees to schools on the centenary of the famous battle. The schools will then take charge of caring for the trees to maturity before planting them in a suitable place of recognition within school grounds. Maroochy RSL also hopes to plant one tree at the Cotton Tree Cenotaph as a reminder of the battle of Lone Pine and the sacrifices that were made for our country.
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The Battle of Long Tan One of the most significant Australian engagements of the Vietnam War occurred near the abandoned village of Long Tan on 18 August 1966.
The engagement was fought between members of D Company 6 RAR (supported by a New Zealand FO party) and Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces in a rubber plantation, about 27 kilometres north east of Vung Tau in South Vietnam. The D Company Group was 108 strong and after incident reports estimated that the combined enemy strength was between 1,500 and 2,500 from the Viet Cong 275th Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. In the days leading up to the battle Viet Cong forces had bombarded the Australian Task Force (ATF) base at Nui Dat. One theory for this bombardment was that it was designed to draw out the Australian combat forces so they could be ambushed.
D Company 6RAR was tasked to locate the firing points for the enemy mortars and their withdrawal route. They were patrolling in the area of the rubber plantation when the lead platoon encountered a small group of Viet Cong fighters. These were likely a standing patrol for the larger force which was following. One theory is that the large enemy force was preparing to attack the ATF base at Nui Dat. The aggressive patrolling continued until approximately 4:08pm when the main enemy body was encountered. The battle lasted just under four hours and for a large part was fought in the middle of a tropical downpour with the last contacts occurring around 7:10pm. A relief force of A Coy mounted in APCs
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from 1 APC Sqn eventually reached the D Coy location and were able to turn the battle with the enemy eventually disengaging. Throughout the engagement the Australians were supported by accurate artillery fire co-ordinated by their New Zealand Forward Observer Captain Maurice Stanley. Ammunition was able to be resupplied by air from two RAAF Iroquois. Despite being heavily outnumbered, D Company fought off a large Viet Cong force. In total eighteen Australians were killed and 24 were wounded, while at least 245 Viet Cong soldiers were killed. It was a pivotal Australian victory and is often used as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation. The battle is said to have reinforced traits for which Australian soldiers had become world renowned, including courage, determination, mateship, teamwork, leadership, tenacity and compassion. Each year Vietnam Veterans’ Remembrance Day, which was originally known as Long Tan Day, is
commemorated in Australia on 18 August. The Vietnam War was the longest war Australia was ever involved in and was marked by controversy and significant levels of public opposition to conscription and concern about casualties. It was also the first war to be broadcast on live television through frontline reports. The war lasted from August 1962 until May 1975 and a total of 521 Australians died, including three servicemen who were declared missing in action. The Australian commitment consisted predominantly of army personnel, but significant numbers of air force and navy personnel and some civilians also took part. According to the Nominal Roll of Australian Vietnam Veterans almost 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan and once again we will remember those who fought for our country. Lest we forget.
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HMAS Canberra sets sail More than 100 years ago the Royal Australian Navy completed their first amphibious operation and now, a century later, the largest ship ever designed and built for the Australian Navy has been welcomed into the fleet as the HMAS Canberra is formally commissioned for service.
The $3 billion HMAS Canberra weighs in at a massive 27,000 tonnes and has an effective range of 9,000 nautical miles. The new ship’s capability and versatility signify a new and serious commitment to maritime operations. Designed by Spanish contractor Navantia, the HMAS Canberra is the lead ship of the two Canberra class Amphibious Assault Ships. Both ships will contribute directly to the defence of Australia and allow the ADF to provide largescale humanitarian assistance in Australia or internationally. The HMAS Canberra was built in a number of pieces or modules and then fitted together which assisted in speeding up the construction phase of the ship. The construction of the hull to the level of the flight deck and the majority of fit-out was completed at Navantia’s shipyard in Ferrol, Spain.
The hull was then transported by Heavy Lift Ship, MV Blue Marlin, to BAE Systems’ shipyard in Williamstown, Victoria for final construction and fitout, including the consolidation of the superstructure and installation of the Combat and Communication Systems. The ship has a conventional steel mono hull design with the island superstructure located on the starboard side of the flight deck. She is designed with the shallowest possible draft to operate in secondary ports and harbours as well as manoeuvre in the shallow waters common in the littoral regions. Canberra has two vehicle decks (one for light vehicles, the other for heavy vehicles and tanks) which between them can accommodate up to 110 vehicles. The well deck will carry up to four LHD landing craft while the flight deck can operate six MRH-90-size helicopters or four Chinook-size helicopters simultaneously. A mix of MRH-90
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transport helicopters and S-70B Seahawk antisubmarine helicopters will be carried and up to eight can be stored in the hangar deck, and the light vehicle deck can be repurposed to fit another ten. HMAS Canberra will be able to conduct amphibious operations and land a force of over 1,000 embarked personnel along with all their weapons, ammunition, vehicles and stores. She is capable of conducting large-scale humanitarian and disaster relief missions. The medical facility is of a size and scale of which would rival some regional hospitals and is equipped with two operating theatres, an eight bed Critical Care Unit, and a variety of low and medium dependency beds. In addition, the medical facility has dedicated areas to accommodate pathology and radiology services, x-ray, pharmacy and dental facilities.
The need for a new ship was recognised following East Timor’s successful bid for independence from Indonesia and the Australian Defence Force’s role in facilitating the uneasy peace that ensued. As a result the Australian Government decided that protection of Australian interests and the stabilisation of the region may require significant military force to be deployed beyond our borders. As such, the ability to be able to conduct amphibious operations off shore was confirmed with HMAS Canberra providing the capability to conduct such operations. Finally, after seven years in the making and completing sea trials in February, the ship was officially commissioned by the Prime Minister and handed to her Commanding Officer Captain Johnathan Sadleir in March this year. HMAS Canberra has been formally designated the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy.
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Operation SLIPPER/HIGHROAD Australia’s military contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan was deployed under Operation SLIPPER. The operation commenced in late 2001 and ended on 31 December 2014, being replaced by Operation HIGHROAD.
The scope of the operation and size of the forces deployed have varied over the course of the operation and ADF involvement has included two major activities centred on Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. These activities have seen the deployment of naval, air and land forces that have taken part in combat and combat support operations as part of a coalition of forces from several countries including the United States, Britain and other NATO countries. In mid-2014, the operation’s scope was limited by the Australian government and several components, such as the naval and logistic support operations in the Persian Gulf, were redesignated as separate operations designated “MANITOU” (maritime security operations in the Middle East and counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden) and “ACCORDIAN” (support operations to Slipper and Manitou from a number of locations in the Gulf States ) During the first phase of Operation SLIPPER, the ADF commitment to Afghanistan consisted of a Special Forces Task Group (SFTG) and RAAF Boeing 707 air-to-air refuelling aircraft. Two RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft flew maritime patrol missions in support of maritime interdiction operations in
the Persian Gulf. RAAF C-130 Hercules transport aircraft were also involved in providing logistic support for deployed forces. This level of commitment to military operations in Afghanistan remained consistent until the end of 2002 when allied operations shifted from combat missions to reconstruction activities. At that time, the Australian Government announced there were insufficient tasks to warrant keeping Special Forces elements in Afghanistan. As a result, the 200-strong Special Forces Task Force was withdrawn in November 2002. It was not until August 2005 that Australia reentered the Afghanistan conflict. In July 2005, the Government announced that, at the request of the Afghanistan Government, the US and allies, Australia would deploy a force for a period of 12 months to undertake security tasks similar to those of 2001, 2002. Initially a SFTG was deployed in August 2005 and a detachment of two CH47 Chinook helicopters from the 5th Aviation Regiment were deployed in March 2006. The Australian SFTG was withdrawn in September 2006 and the helicopter detachment returned to Australia in April 2007.
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A Reconstruction Taskforce (RTF) began arriving in Orúzgán Province in southern Afghanistan in early September 2006. A 300-strong SFTG was deployed to support the RTF in April 2007. In early 2009, a number of Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) were embedded into the Afghan National Army (ANA) battalions as part of the Australian mission to mentor and partner with the ANA within the province. Consequently, the RTF was renamed the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF). The last combat troops were withdrawn on 15 December 2013, however approximately 400 Australian personnel are deployed as part of the new mission, including personnel in mentoring and advisory roles, as well as medical personnel, force protection and logistic support. Operation SLIPPER concluded on 31 December 2014, with Australia’s “train, advise and assist” mission in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission being conducted under the codename Operation HIGHROAD after this date.
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World War I medal traced back to relatives Maroochy RSL Volunteers Drew Wall and Len Thompson have spent the last few months tracking down relatives of a solider whose war medal was found in New South Wales.
The WWI British Service medal was found by a young girl swimming in a tidal pool at Cronulla Beach and now decades later it will be returned to descendants of the veteran. Maroochy RSL Deputy President, Len Thompson said the medal made its way into the hands of the RSL by a WWII veteran and Life Member of the Maroochy RSL, Cedrick Barnes. “A 14-year-old girl was swimming at Cronulla in Sydney and saw something glistening at the bottom of the pool. She dived down and it was the medal,” “She is now in her mid-70s and has held onto the medal all this time. She lives on the Sunshine Coast these days and passed the medal onto Cedrick as she thought it might be nice if someone could find relatives of the owner,” Len said. Cedrick Barnes then contacted Len who began his own research in the hope of tracking down the soldier’s descendants.
Len said his first point of call was to check whether the medal was a genuine WWI artefact. “On the edge of the medal is the inscription of the person’s name and army number and that’s how you tell an authentic medal.” “So then with these details I did a fair bit of research and ended up with a wad of papers. I tracked down an area I thought the soldier must have come from being Goulburn in New South Wales and then handed the research onto Drew Wall.” After extensive investigation by both Len and Drew, relatives were tracked down and the medal was found to belong to Private George Annesley West who served in the 14th Australian Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 2nd and then 54th Infantry Battalions. Maroochy RSL has mounted the medal and are going to have it returned to the West family.
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Evolution of Military Rations Armies of antiquity often foraged for food or plundered crops and livestock as they advanced an unpredictable and uncontrolled approach. The Ancient Egyptian army introduced the practice of placing food depots along a campaign path. Following the domestication of chickens, eggs become a cheap, accessible staple of Ancient Egyptian soldiers. Other foods that could be easily stored and transported included onions, beans, figs, dates and some meats. Ancient Greek soldiers ate fruit and vegetables supplemented with fish whenever possible. Some long-lasting foods such as onions, thyme and salt were used. It was the Roman army, however, that introduced a logistics system for transporting quantities of food comparable in quality to that offered at their garrisons. Much as we do today, the Romans selected rations taking account of cost, availability, portability, shelf-life stability and ease of preparation in the field. Non-perishable individual rations carried by Roman soldiers were, however, limited to grain and buccellatum. There was little progress in military rations during the Middle Ages. Responding to the French military’s offer in 1795 of a prize of 12,000 francs for a way to conserve food, Nicholas Appert developed ‘canning’. This involved sealing partially-cooked food in canisters (original glass jars were later replaced with steel cans), which were then boiled. Canning thus provided the first reliable and safe technology for long-term preserving of food for soldiers. Importantly much of the nutritional value of food is retained through canning.
CRP which aim to satisfy four primary requisites: nutritional value and balance, stability when stored and transported under challenging conditions, packaging suitable for military use and palatability. We have come a long way from the days of the Duke of Marlborough who is quoted as saying ‘No soldier can fight properly unless he is properly fed on beef and beer’. Today, through nutrition and food sciences, we have an understanding of the dietary needs of soldiers and technology to better process and preserve food. New technologies include retort pouches in place of cans and freeze-drying. We are also gaining a greater understanding of the ‘human preference’ aspects of taste, appearance, convenience along with the social and morale aspects of eating in groups.
In the First World War the US Trench Ration was made up of canned food and other non-perishable items such as coffee, salt and sugar. The Reserve Ration provided the same food but in hermeticallysealed containers to be opened only if no other food was available. Australia introduced an Emergency Ration consisting of just a tin of bully beef with a hardtack biscuit or a chocolate. At the start of the Second World War the C-ration was used by the US, Canada and the UK. The much improved K-ration, developed originally for paratroopers, was adopted for all-service use in 1942. Australia introduced its first combat ration pack (CRP), the O2 Operation Ration, in 1943. These may be considered the forerunners of the modern
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Returned & Service League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Maroochydore Sub Branch Inc. RSL House 106 Memorial Ave, Maroochydore Phone: 07 5443 1719 Fax: 07 5443 7551 e-mail: rslhouse@maroochyrsl.com.au Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm Museum Hours Monday to Friday 9.00am - 4.00pm 2015 League Briefings 21 September 2015 19 October 2015 16 November 2015
Naval Association of Australia
The Maroochy Waters Sub-Section meets at RSL House, Maroochydore on the second Sunday each month at 10.30am. 2015 Meetings 13 September 2015 11 October 2015 8 November 2015 Expressions of interest and all enquiries should be directed to the Secretary at PO Box 615, Maroochydore QLD 4558 Phone: 07 5443 1719
QLD TPI Association
(Sunshine Coast Branch)
The Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Servicemen and Women (Queensland Branch) Inc. The above organisation is a member of the State and Federal Body operating on the Sunshine Coast and meets on the third Wednesday of each month at RSL House, Maroochydore at 10.30am. 2015 Meetings 16 September 2015 21 October 2015 18 November 2015 Please feel free to come along to the meetings, partners are most welcome. For any additional information please contact Tony Cresswick-Jackson, Secretary on 07 5493 4719 or 0400 576 118 e-mail: farmerjaxon@hotmail.com
Legacy Laurel Club
Maroochydore
Meetings are held at RSL House, Maroochydore on the fourth Friday of each month at 9.00am. 2015 Meetings 25 September 2015 23 October 2015 27 November 2015 All eligible widows are most welcome. Sunshine Coast Legatees are always available to assist with any concerns members may have. For additional information contact: Nita on 07 5453 4329 or Barbara on 07 5445 4768
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National Servicemen’s Association
Maroochydore
Meetings at RSL House on second Tuesday of every odd month at 10.00am (9.00am chat). 2015 Meetings 8 September 2015 No Meeting in October 10 November 2015 For more information call Don Holt, 07 5446 5953
Ex-Service Women’s Association
Women’s Auxiliary
Maroochydore
Meetings are on the first Monday each month at 9.30am for a cuppa and chat, meeting starts at 10.00am. 2015 Meetings 7 September 2015 No Meeting in October 2 November 2015 For more information call the Secretary, Andrena King on 07 5496 9081
War Widows’ Guild Maroochydore
Our meetings are happy ones and well attended. The ‘Healthy Away’ days, the social activity that takes place between meetings, also have a good turnout at Cotton Tree and continue to be an enjoyable outing for all. New members, from all Services are always welcome. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month.
We aim to protect the interests of all War Widows and offer a program of social activities to promote friendship. Meetings are on the fourth Monday of each month. Morning Tea from 9.00am, General Meeting 10.00am. Members are invited to meet afterwards at the Club for a bite to eat and chat.
2015 Meetings 3 September 2015 1 October 2015 5 November 2015
2015 Meetings 21 September 2015 26 October 2015 23 November 2015
Where: RSL House, Maroochydore is still the place to be for a cuppa and a chat at 10.00am with the meeting commencing at 10.30am. Cost: $5.00 per annum. We look forward to seeing all the older members and many new.
Contact: Shirley Murphy 07 5437 6560
Come and join us. Contact: Larraine on 07 5448 6037
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Remembrance Day Commemorative Service wednesday 11 November 2015 Cotton Tree Cenotaph Commencing 10.30am