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Makan – No. 177a
February, 1968
Dear Dig,
My humblest apologies for the non-arrival of the Christmas Makan. I have been a little overwhelmed with work this summer. I was unable to make the Reunion at Tamworth, but from the many accounts I have had, those who were able to attend voted it quite a success. The first event was, of course, the Civic Reception. We had tried to arrange a guard of honour by the local cadets for the Old Man at this function, but some Colonel Blimp decreed otherwise. One would think that as the ex-Commandant of the Cadet Corps, and as one who is still in demand to take the salute at Cadet Passing Out Parades, the powers that be would have been delighted to provide a guard of honour, but apparently there is some rule that says any boy who takes part in a ten-minute parade one Saturday afternoon, near the end of the year, cannot possibly pass his exams. I believe this rule was promulgated by the late Oliver Cromwell, and anyone who suggests altering it is taken out in the cold grey dawn and shot.
The Dinner itself, prepared and served by the Ladies' Auxiliary, was excellent, really excellent, and they deserve our very special thanks.
Wal Eather proposed the Toast of the Battalion. I was a little apprehensive about this, as in recent years, Wal has done quite a lot of lay-preaching in various Anglican Churches in the diocese, and I thought he may forget where he was going, and show up in a long black cassock, but my fears were groundless.
The Old Man responded in the way everyone expects of him. If he did not breathe fire and brimstone every time he speaks, people would be most disappointed.
Thirteen pipes and drums led the march to the Memorial on Sunday morning, and, as usual at Tamworth, there were one thousand flies per man. The Old Man laid a laurel wreath on the Memorial, and was later accused of placing it upside down, but as usual in these matters, he was right. The Ancient Greeks decreed (and it is this custom we follow) that when a wreath is laid in mourning, it shall be placed so that the leaves point to the ground. Whoever put the "Lest We Forget" ribbon on the wreath apparently had not known this.
The Service was conducted jointly by the Catholic and Anglican Padres. With all this transcendental poppycock going on lately, it was very pleasing to see ecumenism at work.
Ron Stoner read the Lesson, and the Old Man surpassed all his previous efforts with the Occasional Address.
A fourteen-year-old blew Last Post and Reveille on a bugle that was used by the Light Brigade during their famous charge at Balaclava during the Crimean War.
The above is a photo of the interior of the bus to Tamworth. It is reproduced for the benefit of those who didn't go to point out where they might have been sitting if they had gone. Those who did go have been opaqued out to confuse the issue.
Those who were interested were taken by bus on a tour of places of interest, and this was followed by a barbecue lunch.
What a wonderful weekend; what a marvellous opportunity to renew old associations, but only for one hundred and twenty people.
Leaving out those who could not go, leaving out those who could not afford it, there would still be another one hundred and twenty who just could not be bothered making the effort.
Are you aware that we could not even half fill a 45 seat bus from Sydney, at $5.00 per head? For all the work, for all the effort that went into this show by so many people, in so many places, the result can only be described as poor.
The 9th Division recently unveiled a Cairn at Bathurst. It is on the opposite side of the road to ours, on the left of the old camp gates. When they had finished their own ceremony, those present were asked to move across the road to our memorial, where they laid a wreath, and blew the Last Post.
This was a really wonderful gesture, and I like to think that we would have done the same, had there been another Cairn there when we unveiled ours.
Stewart Peach, O.B.E. - that indestructible soldier - is off to Vietnam shortly. The O.B.E. was for the work he did in Laos, so Vietnam makes his third war. This time he is in charge of entertainment for all Australians in Vietnam. Knowing what a good job he does of everything he undertakes, the troops are assured of first-rate entertainment, although not by Stewart personally. You will remember that he succeeded the Old Man as Commandant of the Cadet Corps, and the value of the work he did is reflected in that Corps today.
The Battalion tendered him a dinner recently. Bob Jack organised it at very short notice, but by spending a couple of days glued to a 'phone, he came up with a good cross-section of the Battalion. "Red" McCauley was over from New Zealand and was able to attend, although his health is very poor.
The 14th February was reasonably well attended. We do not have record attendances on Sunday nights for some reason or other, but all the regulars were there. A few of us went round to the Old Man's place afterwards, and drank him out of house and home. Incidentally, the Old Man had a few days in Concord just before Christmas, but is back in form again now.
Noel Johnston has completely recovered from his operation. (It was a long and painful process.) He retires from the Department of Education in a couple of months' time, and he and his wife are then going on a world tour.
Short Hart - you will remember he played the side drums in the Battalion band - has not been in good health lately. He does not meet many of his old mates, as he lives in Melbourne.
Kevin Ward recently holidayed on the North Coast. He had intended calling on many Battalion members whilst up that way, but, unfortunately his bad leg played up on him, and he was confined to bed in Ballina for a fortnight. He has made a good recovery, and is now back at work. He is a tower of strength to the Association. He keeps tab on everyone in hospital, and organises members, on a roster system, to visit them. He rings each member of the Committee to remind them of the next meeting, and does anything at all that is asked of him - what we would do without him, I don't know.
It is with regret that we record the passing of Bede Ryan of A. Coy., and Ab Mahoney of Don Coy. Bede was a good soldier who originally came from Byron Bay, but had lived in Sydney since the war, and was a regular Anzac Day marcher. Ab attended the Reunion at Tamworth, and was taken ill soon after he returned home. The sympathy of all our members goes out to their families.
The Old Man has asked me to make a special point of this next item:
The Association is always anxious to pay its respects to our departed comrades, but often are unable to do so, as the usual notice on the back page of The Herald gives us no indication, but if the words "ex 2/30 Bn." are included, it would ensure that the Battalion would be represented, by a number of members.
I have been sent part of a Legacy Bulletin by the Old Man, and he strongly recommends all members of the Btn, to follow the advice it gives. It is reproduced, with our sincere thanks to Legacy.
"It is self-evident that the first essential in preparing a case in support of a claim for a War Widow's Pension is comprehensive information about the medical history, both during and after service, of the ex-member. Unfortunately, however, it frequently happens that such information is inadequate thus making much more difficult the task of our Pensions Committee, Advisors and others who might be concerned. In the case of Service medical history, inadequacy may arise from the deceased ex-member having suffered in silence and failed to report sicknesses, etc., to treatment having been on an informal basis and not recorded, or to circumstances having been such that the keeping of records was not a practical proposition. In the case of civilian history, there is again the tendency for an ex-serviceman to put up with things or to keep illnesses and even medical treatment from his family rather than worry them with the details."
A pro forma of the sort of document which might be compiled and faithfully kept up to date is enclosed with this issue of the Makan.
STOP PRESS!!
Bill Skene, ex C. Coy., is recuperating from a lengthy illness. He was in Mona Vale Hospital, but that is out of Kevin Ward's territory, so, unfortunately, no one knew he was there.
ANNUAL MEETING
THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE OCCIDENTAL HOTEL, CORNER OF YORK AND ERSKINE STREETS, SYDNEY, ON SATURDAY 23rd MARCH.
THERE WILL BE A SMORGASBORD DINNER, SO COME ALONG AND HAVE YOUR SAY.
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