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  Makan – No. 12

Patron: Brig. F.G. Galleghan, D.S.O., O.B.E., E.D.
Hon. President: J.H. Cooper, Esq.,
Hon. Secretary: S.F. Arneil, Esq.
Hon. Treasurer: R.E. Ellis, Esq.

Vice Presidents: N. McG. Johnston E.D. and E.E. Heckendorf
Committee: D.C. Blanshard, `W.’ Clayton, R.L. Friend, A.K. Thorburn

Dear Dig,

Jack McKell died recently in rather tragic circumstances and the Association has extended its sympathy to his family and relatives.

A notice in one of the daily newspapers gave the impression that he was found dead, in a wine saloon, at Rooty Hill. The impression given was quite erroneous. Jack had been working on the vineyard at Rooty Hill and was quartered in an old shed, once used as a wine saloon. He got out of bed during the night and suffered a heart attack, from which he died. Jack had been granted a 50% pension on account of his heart and should not have been doing such heavy work. He did not even know of the pension grant as all efforts to locate him had been unsuccessful.

I have given you these facts to correct the mischief which could have been created by a reading of the newspapers. Most of the newspapers have done little or nothing to help the P.O.W.  gain any just rewards and it is a poor show to attempt to slur a man's memory when he dies.

Monty Montgomery of the band is living at Springwood - he is not keen on the city life and finds the mountains very soothing. He is having a little landlord trouble at the moment, but who isn't.

Ken Lacey has been observed at Maitland looking very fit. He is doing well in the building game.

Lal Anderson of "A" Company works in the bar of a Golf Club at Newcastle. The job suits him very well and he is getting very tubby. He says that the smell of the beer is putting the flesh on him but all barmen say that and nobody believes them.

Bertie Hodge, "A" Company is working for the Shire Council at Gilgandra. It is hard work but he is fit and well and has just returned from a trip to South Australia.

Carl Rope, has been sighted at Dubbo, looking prosperous. Cannot say what he is doing.

Ernie Spencer is raising chickens at Clear Hills, Duckmaloi.

Bruce Greer is an Estate Agent at Petersham.

Wal Eather is still walloping the kids at Tamworth and he tells me that he often has a drink with Gordon MacKnight, who works in one of the local garages, and with Sgt. "Stonger" MccMahon, who works in one of the local banks. "Stonger", of course, is a happily married man of at least one year's standing.

Tommy Davis is shooting well as a member of the Grafton Rifle Club. He lives at 8 Garden Street, Grafton, and invites any of the lads who are passing that way to drop in for a glass of ale and a chat.

Jack Logan is as fat as a bull and is running a furniture shop at Narrabri.

Gogo Lloyd has bought a home at Lindfield and is very interested in gardening. His wife loves to see the house filled with flowers and, of course, Gogo used to take them home by the armful until the Council placed barbed wire fences around the gardens in the local parks. Mind you, I am not saying that Gogo would pick flowers from a public park, but you know what those stories are like. Anyway, he grows his own now.

A reminder from Treasurer, Reg Ellis, that subscriptions for 1948 will now be thankfully received.

A first reminder that, on the 22nd December next, a Christmas Carnival Dance will be held at the Rose Bay Soldiers Club; full details in next months newsletter.

This month we extend a welcome to Alf Welch of North Arm, Queensland, and to Jack Brooks, "A" Coy., of Crookwell, who have joined the Association.

Our membership is increasing each month by ones and twos, but we would like to see many more. If you bump into any of the boys who are not yet members, try and rope them in, they will not regret it.

Congratulations to Jim McGoldrick and Reg Napper on their recent marriages. Also, all the cobbers of Jackie Chatfield of "A" Coy, will be happy to learn that he is to be wed shortly. Chatty is another North Queensland member and is doing well.

More babies as usual - this time our congratulations to Rus Perkins and Cp. Isaac for their now daughters, and to Doug Hicks, George Cambourne, Norm Wilding, Fred Bladwell,

Ron Chippa, Red Ned MacCauley and to Paddles Clune for their new baby sons. There might be some truth about the old tale that more boys than girls are born after a war; so far, the ratio of boys to girls for our Unit is about four to one.

If any of you lads want to take your wives or girl friends out for a really nice meal in congenial surroundings, take her to the "Bay Tavern" Restaurant at the corner of Ithaca and Elizabeth Bay Roads, Elizabeth Bay. It is run by Ron Foster of our own unit and is just the place for a quiet little dinner, with all the trimmings, at a reasonable price. Ask for Ron Foster when you walk in and make yourself known. A bottle of beer or two may be had for the asking and, if any of the lads like to make a little party of it, then Ron is the boy to fix you up. I haven't been there yet myself but I am trotting along shortly. The 'phone number is FA.2216.

If you are passing St. James Station, look in the ticket box for Alf Harding. He is the little follow, of "A" Coy., who always amazed the lade with his prodig­ious knowledge of race horses and all the scandal that goes with them. He is in good drinking form and will leave the box like Shannon itself to have a glass with any of his friends.

Bill Evans writes from the west to report that last year he worked for twelve months on a share farming basis and saw all his efforts go for nothing because of the lack of rain. It was a bad blow but he is shearing this year and, so far he is doing well.

Now, once more, about the Smoko, this is your second last reminder. It will be held at Sargent's, Market Street, on Friday night, 5th December. We apologise for the Friday night, but it was unavoidable.

Bobbie Gibbs has had a good season at Narrabri and will probably be married on the strength of the season's cheque.

Ross Nann of Moree spends all his spare time following the horses, which are trained by his father.

Ted Lawty is making money at the carpentering trade.

Congratulations to Alan Good on his recent wedding. Reg Friend almost made a hash of the ceremony by losing the ring and then swearing at the Minister. Reg was best man, and meant well.

Wal Eather cut off the top of one of his fingers while chopping wood at the local schoolhouse.

Gordon McKnight is working in a garage at Tamworth.

Bill Daly ex A Coy, is driving a bus at Katoomba. We send our congratulations to him on two accounts - the first is that he has married and the second is that he has a house.

If there is a cabinet maker on the receiving and of this newsletter, contact me if you think that you could spare the time to make a trousseau chest, to a special design. One of the lads is to be married and his fiancee wants such a chest. You know what women are like when they want some­thing, so you may be able to help him out.

A little news from Singapore. Garry Rickwood said that it is a common spectacle over there now to see the boongs in procession under the old Hammer and Sickle banner.

Costs are soaring to astronomical heights and theft and roguery are worse than ever. After having had the wheels stolen from his car a few months ago, he asked Messrs.

MacDougall and Watt, building contractors, to fit burgler­proof doors to his garage. Here is an extract from his letter :­

"Things are settling down a lot but there is still a lot of crime here. I told you I had the wheels of my car pinched; well, about three months ago I got a new car so, to be on the safe side, I called the great firm of Macdougall Watt & Co. who, as you know are contractors, to make my garage burglar proof. Two days later, I looked down the drive in the early a.m. and there was the famous door leaning on the side of the garage. Thank the Lord the lock on the car was better than Macdougall's locks because they couldn't start it and they must have been too big a shots to be bothered with wheels. I went to the phone, rang Mac up and told the b......d he ought to go back to Changi and keep ducks. I was very lucky because it's still very hard to get new cars, we still need a priority."

This Makan is a little early because the Brigadier, the President and the Committee want to wish you a Happy Xmas. We hope everything will come your way - at least for that one day - and if you feel that things are fairly tough at the moment, what with the price of things and the lack of bottled beer, or if you are savage at the Government, high taxes, mother-in-law, or just this and that, then we very humbly ask you to cast your mind back to 1944 and read what you ate in Changi that day -

Breakfast:
Savoury Gruel  -
½ a pint
Sweet Gruel     - ¾ a pint
Two Rice Rissoles

Lunch:
Nazi Goering    - l½ pints
Two Rice Rissoles

Dinner:
Vegetable Soup - ¼ pint
Hors D'oevre    - 1 Cheese Cup
Fried Whitebait - 1 Tablespoon
Fried Towgay   - 1 Tablespoon
Fried Potato Tops - 2 Tablespoons
Baked Bringel   - 1 piece
Baked Tapioca - 1 piece
One Vegetable Pasty
Tempe Doover

Sweets:
Coconut doover with sweet sauce

The look of that once luxurious and long awaited for menu may help you to regard Xmas dinner this year in a slightly different light.

Christmas time is always a happy day and one of thanksgiving so spare a prayer or a little thought on this day to the four hundred and four lads whom we left in the East, You could have been among their numbers yourself instead of reading the Makan.

They were all good fellows and their little faults sink into nothingness now. When one sits and thinks back to those years, little pictures fall down into one's mind - Charlie Annand working himself to death, in the rain, because he couldn't bear to see a weaker man do something he could do himself - Dicey Blackwood roaring a battle cry as he used his bayonet in the road above Gemas, the night before the main fight - Mossey Doolan joking quietly as he died in No. 3 Camp, Sonkurai - Frankey Smythe drowning in the Straits of Johore after the abortive night patrol by canoe - big, jovial Tommy Pearce, lying on the road behind Gemas, with a bullet in his back - the lads who died in A Force - in Japan - and those who died on the Sandakan March. They were always happy and would want us to be too, so here's a last good wish to you and yours for the happiest Xmas yet, from Brigadier Galleghan and the Committee, per medium of -

STAN ARNEIL.

PS. It you are in town on January 15th, be on the G.P.O. step at 1.30 to assist the Association to lay a wreath in memory of fallen comrades.

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