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Makan No. 161 Dear Dig, It's on again! The Annual Meeting. And this year we'd like you to really make an effort to attend. 8 p.m. on April 3rd. The Annual Meeting is probably the best meeting of the year. This is the opinion of those who have not missed it for many years. It's a lot of fun & it's a little quieter than the Annual Re-Union and, as middle age creeps on & past some of us, we appreciate a quiet meeting where we can talk and have fun. The meal at the venue is most enjoyable. The venue, of course, is known to us all as "the Chows" at Dixon Street, but officially is called 'The Eastern Cafe' where Mrs. Lee makes us most welcome. COME ALONG TO THE ANNUAL MEETING - the way it is these days, this could be your last opportunity! ANZAC DAY We never have trouble getting a big roll-up for Anzac Day, and we anticipate another good attendance this year. This is our one public demonstration of faith to the memory of our comrades and of the Supreme Sacrifice that many of them paid during the war & for the premature deaths of many since the war. The Anzac Day March is NOT a picnic, but is a commemoration which may be participated in by only a privileged few. We are of that few & we should be happy to avail ourselves of this great privilege. ''The Old Man'' will lead the March as usual, & Dave Clarke has been selected to carry the banner. The Assembly Point will be in front of the old Mint Building & extending to Queen's Square &, if necessary, to King. Street. The March may be a little difficult this year at Park Street where it turns into College Street. At this spot there is a median strip & we are told that it will be particularly difficult due to the angle of the strip. The columns will divide into eight on each side of the strip. After the March we will attend “The Rawson’ where a good time will be had by all. It is after the March that we again have the privilege of mixing with our friends and enjoying a glass of beer in good circumstances. ANNUAL PICNIC It’s strange that more members haven’t attended the picnic in previous years. If you haven’t children of picnic age, don’t worry – you’ll still have a good time because the picnic is a good day. There are still plenty of kids in the Battalion of all ages, & this is obvious from the races for mothers & daughters and fathers & sons. We have hot tea on, sweets & chocolates for the kids, all sorts of prizes & so forth, and there is no strain. Come dressed as you like, go when you like, but be sure that if you come you will enjoy it. WILL YOU come this year and we mean WILL YOU? LAST POST It was a bad business because he was not ill before his death. He took a bad turn - 'a slight heart attack', they said, and spent only a short time in hospital before being allowed home after few days. He came home, watched a little television on his first night home and complained about feeling tired. He died the next morning leaving a great gap in the people who knew him on the North Coast. Tom was a good man and well liked. The boys flocked around and gave him a great funeral. E. Stratford, J. Newman, A. Carroll, A. Power, J. Matthews & H. Riches were his pall bearers & how could any Battalion man wish for better pall bearers than the friends he'd soldiered with in years gone by? A personality was Tommy in his district & Des Kearney recalls that each time he went through Lismore he always called at the same pub to have a drink with Tom. He only ever had one drink with him and, if he missed Tom, Des always left the price of a pint for him with the barmaid. This was a funny little habit but it used to tickle Tom no end and it became a ritual over a long time. To Tom's next-of-kin we send our sympathy and express our sadness at their great loss. Bits About The Boys Karl Sinclair of Armidale has not been well during the year, but is now on the mend. He recently went to Greta & renewed acquaintance with Bob Mackinnon whom the boys of 16 Platoon will remember left us at Bathurst & subsequently went to New Guinea. Bob looks well & is in the newsagency at Greta. Clive Bates was another cobber Karl saw at Greta. Clive is married with a family. Jack Logan has a small business at Coolangatta now. We are not sure whether he has left his previous town altogether now or whether he is expanding. They've got a nice little custom on the North Coast of having a little picnic each year on Boxing Day. This year they had one at Brunswick Heads & poor old Tommy Gardiner was, incidentally, the life of the party at that picnic. Cec Palmer of Scone writes that Tom Massey & wife spent a night with them last year when they were caravanning to Queensland. Cec reports that Bill Elliott & Bert Stevens work & live in Scone as well. Harley Forrester is definitely not doing too well. He has had bad luck in a big way with sickness & injury & just plain bad luck. Some people have bad luck & others are more fortunate & seem to miss out on these shafts of fate. We hope that Harley's lot will be brighter this year. SUBS Bessie Ellis is putting the screws on us to put the screws on you, or those of you, who have a "PLEASE PAY" stamp on this 'Makan'. Don't forget - send along your 10/- subscription today! BATTALION TIES NEXT-OF-KIN We must thank the many next-of-kin who write & thank us for sending on 'Makan' to them. This is one of the few things we can do for the next-of-kin. It is a privilege & we would like to send more. If you know of any next-of-kin who do not receive 'Makan' and would like one, please let us know. It will be our pleasure to send one to them. SUNDAY 15th FEBRUARY Some of you might have seen a photograph in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' of the 'Old Gent' with a group of ex-8th Division, everybody gonged up except the 'Old Gent' after an attendance at a Church Service on 15th February. The 'Old Man' was escort to Mrs. Gordon Bennett & when I tackled him about it he said quite bluntly that he would like everybody to know that he is definitely opposed in principle to any ceremony on 15th February for reasons well known to us all, & it was only as a mark of respect to the late General Gordon Bennett that he was escort for Mrs. Bennett this day. 14th JANUARY Anniversary of Gemas It was a most moving ceremony, particularly so as there are practically no pedestrians or spectators at 7.00 p.m. and this gives it a much more private atmosphere than when big crowds are present. It was our ceremony and ours alone, and for those of you who missed it, we are sorry because we think you would have felt the privilege of paying tribute to your departed friends. After the ceremony, next-of-kin, members and wives retired to the Combined Services R.S.L Club in Park Street where we had a very pleasant little evening at a cost, I think, of approximately 5/- per person. Try and be there next year. HOSPITAL VISITATION Hospital visitation is still proceeding and we are pleased to advise that on 11th February we had only five people in hospital - Sid Stokes, Ward 520, B.
Coy DISCHARGED: Jack Commons, Frank Dowley DON’T FORGET 1. Annual Meeting – April
3rd * don’t forget! Cheers, Dig Stan Arneil Editor Back to 1964 index or Main Index |