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Back to 1963 index or Main Index Makan – No. 160 Dear Dig, The Annual Reunion Dinner took place on November 30th, and was held at the Great Southern Hotel in George St., Sydney. We have had many changes in the type of Reunion Dinner we hold, but the opinion of most was that this Reunion was the best yet. It was a "sit-down" dinner with a choice of menu, the food was first-class & the service was good. Refreshments were available as required, and the general atmosphere of the dining room contributed to the success of the dinner. Over 100 attended & enjoyed listening to the speeches, with the highlight of the evening being centred on the Toast to the Regiment given by Gentleman George Ramsay. It was the type of speech you would expect him to give - interesting - to the-point, & very much in accordance with our traditions. We wish that more had been there to hear him. Apologies were received from Rowley Richards of the 2/15 Field Regiment & from those of our members who were unable to attend.. There were a few new faces at the Reunion, including that of Paddles Clune who came from Taree for the occasion. One incident of years ago in which Paddles was the prime mover was recalled by one of the boys and rather amused us. It was the incident when Paddles was proceeding to work at dawn one morning at No.3 Camp, Thailand. It was raining and half light. You'll remember that poor old Pad had feet too big for regimental boots, & at the time he was a serious case of “yak” feet which were so painful that he could hardly place his feet on the ground. The boys in the Cholera Camp were .watching the workers from a distance of 40 or 50, yards, & closely scrutinised the rear guard, our old friend; Paddles Clune. Pad was very daintily making his way through the mud with two picks & one shovel aloft. He was half bent over & was gingerly placing one foot after the other on the ground. He was looking closely at the ground & considering every step. The whole column exploded into laughter when one of the onlookers cried out: "Who do you think you're sneaking on, Paddles? Even Paddles laughed through his pain, & it was the standard joke of the Company for months after. Paddles' feet are all right now, but the rest of his health is poor. Dick Fisher of Lemon Tree Passage made one of his rare appearances at the Reunion & received a great welcome.. Dick is a mighty man in Lemon Tree Passage where the R.S.L. membership numbers eleven - all the men in the village! Alf Lamacraft enjoyed himself although we persuaded him at one stage not to prove that his voice was as loud as it used to be. For some minutes the position was fairly serious & nearby members hastened to batten down all glasses & moveable objects which would surely have been shattered had he given a demonstration. GEMAS DAY Jan. 14th Once again we will commemorate the deaths of our comrades on the anniversary of this the first day the Australians fought in the Japanese war. It is a significant day for us & is an opportunity for members to show publicly that the sacrifices of their friends were not in vain. It is an effort, perhaps, to attend such a ceremony, but if one thinks about it, it is not really a difficult matter. We hope as many as possible attend the function & we would like to see your wives come also. After the ceremony, members & wives may proceed to the Combined Services Club for a chat & refreshments. The assembly point is the G.P.O. steps opposite the Cenotaph & members should be assembled there by a quarter to seven. The wreath-laying will be at exactly seven o'clock. ANNUAL PICNIC The Annual Picnic for members & their families will take place in May next year at Lane Cove National Park. Further details will be given in the next "Makan". However, although this is only an advance notice, we would like you to decide NOW to come. Whether you have little children or not, do make it a really big show. If you come you'll enjoy yourself, for those who have attended previously it is a must. We would like more people to share the enjoyment of this day. OFFICIAL RECOGNITION FOR THE OLD MAN Members will be most interested to know that Organisations outside our own Association are pressing for the recognition by the Government for an appropriate award in the next Honours List for our own “Old Man". It has not been unknown to our members for many years that The Old Man is deserving of the highest award appropriate to his standing for the service he has given to this country. He was commissioned in the Cadet Corps on the 13th June.,1913, & after 50 years is still serving as Honorary Colonel of the same Corps to which he was first commissioned. His service in a civilian capacity is well known & he still continues to assist people through Legacy, the Royal Humane Society & the Canteen Service Trust Fund. It is gratifying to know that his worth to our country has been recognised by people outside our Unit, & that they are attempting to give him the honour which they believe is his due. We suggest that it would be a good thing for all those who may have some influence to support this move very strongly. BITS ABOUT THE BOYS Bob Howells was recently in Singapore on a business trip & met Woo Weng Kay, one of the Chinese Friends of some of our troops. Kay drives a taxi, he is married & has been blessed with a family. Bob enjoyed his trip to Singapore but unfortunately it was a very short stay as he was returning from a quick trip to Japan. Bob Morrison has been posted to the Canberra Branch of the A.N.Z Bank as Sub-Manager. His new address is Red Hill, A.C.T. Bob was unable to attend the Reunion but donated £2 towards exes. Andy Noble has been accepted as a member of Sydney Legacy, making six members of our Unit in Legacy. Perhaps this is a record for any unit. Vince Leonard has a permanent engagement on Saturday nights. He plays in a band. For this reason he was unable to attend the Reunion as the cost of a replacement, plus his ticket would have totalled a tenner and that makes it a very expensive reunion. Vince's eldest boy is studying engineering at Granville Technical College. WAR GRAVES COMMISSION Pte. H.E.J. Phillips, a QX member of our battalion, was listed as missing during the Malayan campaign. Captain Claude Pickford of A.S.C 22nd Brigade found the body, read a service over it & correctly recorded in his diary the position at which he buried the body. There was some misunderstanding a short time ago as to the place & death of Pte. Phillips, & Capt. Pickford supplied full details to Brigadier Vincent OBE, who is on the headquarters of the Australian Forces at Singapore. Brig. Vincent & his staff located the body from the details supplied by Capt. Pickford & have reinterred it at Kranji where Pte. Phillips will remain forever with his deceased comrades. Last issue mentioned Porky Evans playing "good gold". After shooting the typist we discovered she thought Porky had taken out a Miner's Right when all he was doing was getting out of a bunker? Stan Arneil recently spent a few days at Broken Hill organising Credit Unions. The Board of BHP is still considering his take-over offer. DAZED & WEAK IN JAPAN or Harry Carries Arch Harry Collins' Diary Stan has demanded that I give you a word-by-word description of the trip abroad that Arch Thorburn and I (AND OUR WIVES!) have had recently. He also wants it in instalments, so I'd better begin at No.13 Wharf Pyrmont on Tuesday,l5th October.... Bett & I were having a real "whacko” farewell party on the Iberia with my grog drinking relatives seeing us off. The only fly in the ointment was that half an hour before sailing time there was still no sign of Arch & Daphne. However, just as the last visitors were leaving the ship, A. & D. came staggering up the gangway carrying their own luggage as all the porters had gone. I was so relieved to see them that I raced down to the cabin to get a reviver, only to find that the aforesaid relatives had drunk the lot! Now, for the benefit of all you old “Johan van Oldenbarnevelt" & "Esperance Bay” men, let me explain that hammocks are no longer the thing on boats - everyone has his own cabin!!! (And the least said about that the better - they are only to sleep in.) If you invite anyone in for a drink, you have to go outside while the guest goes in for his drink. One good thing about these big boats - you just can't get seasick. As soon as the sea gets rough, the stabilisers are extended & the boat rides like a car. The first few days were very relaxing. Arch & I ate our way through the menu at each meal to the great amazement of our wives. We played deck quoits each morning, slept in deck chairs in the afternoon & went for a swim each night before dinner to work up an appetite and then rounded off the day with coffee & Benedictine in the lounge....There should be more of it.... We arrived at Suva on Saturday, 19th October & went ashore immediately after breakfast. The whole half mile or more to the town was lined on both sides of the road by Fijian footpath traders offering almost everything under the sun for sale at widely differing prices. We went to the native market to get some of the big Fiji bananas one hears so much about, but it must have been the wrong season as they were all short and thin. We were then initiated into Kava drinking, but we found it to be a highly over-rated drink. We took a taxi for a drive around the Island and saw a really wonderful show. Fijian men, women & children were dressed in their native costumes, performing their tribal dances. It was an enthralling show and, for once in my life, I was jealous of the Yanks. There were a few there from the "Monterey" armed with movie cameras & tape recorders getting the whole show on film & tape, whilst Daphne Thorburn & I dashed around the outskirts trying to get it all on our little 35mil. cameras. We visited the native villages where the kids showed us their "bures” or houses, and then climbed the cocoanut trees for us. (Shades of Singapore ....remember Doug Blanshard's burnt legs when he slid down the tree without stopping?) Back to the ship between the rows of footpath traders where prices were 70% less than they were in the morning! From the 19th to the 27th we spent at sea, eating, sleeping and playing deck quoits. Next episode we land in Japan.... MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT The success of our November Reunion - in my opinion our best to date – showed that the Battalion spirit is stronger than ever. We can ensure that that spirit will continue if, and only if, we all - not just a few of us - do our best to keep it alive. Let us all continue to work together to that end. A happy Christmas and a good New Year to you all. Arch Thorburn. Christmas Greetings from the “Old Man" I am always pleased to send a message of goodwill to the 2/30 Battalion, but at this time of the year I get added pleasure, and so to you all & to your families; I send the "Old Man's” best wishes for Christmas & 1964. And I hope 1964 treats you kindly &, above all, gives the world peace. 1963 concluded with our Reunion on the 30th November, & I was most impressed with the arrangements. I think it was the best yet &, with Colonel Ramsay proposing the Toast to the Battalion, it seemed like old times. We are all indebted to the President and the Committee for the hard work they put into organising this Reunion, as well as conducting our Association's affairs during the year. 1964 has demands, & the first is not to forget our departed comrades on GEMAS DAY, on the 14th January, 1964, and, secondly, we must consider more contact with the widows & orphans of our comrades. Have a good Christmas and a prosperous 1964, & God bless you all. The Old Man. Seasonal greetings too from Stan Arneil Editor Back to 1963 index or Main Index |