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Makan No. 167
Sept., 1965

COMMITTEE

Dear Dig,

There's lots of news in this 'Makan' so I hope you'll forgive me for being so long winded in giving you the news of the lads once again.

ANNUAL SUBS: These are coming in quite well but could be a little faster & we hope that those who have not yet paid their dues will do so as soon as possible. Peter Moore writes from Lakemba with his usual subs, as does Joe Roxburgh from Crows Nest. Both wish everybody all the best.

Subscriptions in from Stuart Ploughs of Cecil Park, NSW, and from Clarrie Latimer of Kyogle.

A letter came in from Ernie Willis' wife. You remember the three of them, Ellis and Willis with poor old Pluis dead some years now. Ernie has not been in the best of health but he's still farming & has now shifted to Altona, Goonumbla. Ern has given up share farming as his health has not been the best with some sort of heart condition & he finds that although he is still doing farm work it is a little easier for him than share farming. Ern makes fairly frequent trips to Sydney for Repat. purposes & usually stays with Ernie Ross in Auburn.

Life Members - you'll be pleased to hear Wally Eather has at long last become a Life Member of the Association. Wally is a 'big noise' in R.S.L. circles in the Tamworth district.

We receive many changes of address notified to us in various ways, but we remind members once again that if they have changed their address over the last two or three years would they kindly notify Bessie Ellis. The latest change of address is from Andy Hyslop who has shifted from Strathfield to Woy Woy.

Mrs. Madden sent in her, what she calls, Ross's bad debts again - in other words, subs. If it were not for the wives of the members of this battalion our subscriptions would dwindle to practically nothing.

Derek Smith from Bargo was in Kiama some months ago and ran into Harry Brown, ex A. Coy., looking very fit; Curly Simpson of Minnamurra & Ron Cody from Shellharbour. They had a pleasant evening from about 6 o'clock till 1 a.m., talked over old times, had a few beers, and so on. These three boys whom Derek met are all interested in the Association, but have not yet joined and ask for news of old friends. This is a bit hard. We all have had the opportunity to send in the few shillings required to join the Association & team up again with old friends. If we will not do this it is unfair to ask Bessie Ellis to supply 'Makans' to people who will not take the trouble to send in a name and address. Harry Brown was a good fellow from A. Coy - he is now a dairy farmer at Oak Flats making a few bob, we hope. Ron Cody with his brother in fairly good health & Curly Simpson is not doing too badly either. Curley is a farmer.

We heard from Bobby Gibbs recently. He's at a little place called Turrawan. Bob, you might recall if you were an ex-A. Coy., was one of the hardest physical types probably ever to go to Malaya and was a man who had every known disease that one could think of and came out of it quite well. Bob's wife writes that Ron McBurney visited them recently and they often see Ross Madden in Armidale.

Les Southwell's wife sends along his subs. Les lives at Braddon in Canberra. You will remember he lost a leg.

David Lloyd is very happy about the 'new look' "Makan". David works at Bowater Paper Co. Pty. Ltd.

We received one letter which brought back a few old mem­ories and it came from Rex Rowe's wife. Everybody will rem­ember Rexie Rowe of course, Sgt. of A. Coy. and of his tragic death at the Courthouse in Muswellbrook in 1958. Rex & his wife had two children, Richard - 10 years old at that time, and Anne - 6 years of age. They moved to a new house - a new War Service Home, which was built for them and was almost completed. Rex and his wife had planned to finish it off as funds allowed. Now it's been completed after 6½ years and Rex's wife has worked and done part-time work and so forth and has battled through with the kids till now Richard is a six-foot edition of his Dad and is at the Armidale School. He is dead keen to do architecture at the University of St. Lucia, and Anne, the daughter, has her heart set on being a physiotherapist. This created a few prob­lems as they must be resident in Queensland for them to attend St. Lucia. So in this letter from Mrs. Rowe the house was up for sale and they hope to move lock, stock and barrel to Brisbane. There is one little point of great interest though which came from this tragedy and that is this, that all the papers in connection with the house were marked 'The Estate of R.W. Rowe, Decd' and it was on these grounds, and these grounds only that Mrs. Rowe was able to apply for a War Widow's Loan from the War Service Homes. She was told, and this probably will be of interest to members, that if the house had been in their joint names she could not have applied for a loan in her own right. We hope that everything comes out all right for her and that good luck will go with her the rest of her days. It certainly was nice to hear from her.

Monty Montgomery has sent in his subs. So has Neal Sellers.

DUBBO

Some months ago I was at Dubbo and they were preparing there for a grand 8th Division Reunion. It was a reunion which had been held in previous years under the title "Ex­ P.O.W." and to which The Old Man had refused to attend on account of that name which he doesn't like. The Committee changed the name to "The Ex-8th Division Reunion" and from the tales which I heard from them there, and from newspaper reports it was a fine reunion with people coming from all over the State and many people coming especially to hear The Old Man. He went along with Harry Collins, Sammy Hall and Porky Moore and told me to express his personal appreciation to them not only for the transport which was good anyway, but for giving him one of the most enjoy­able weekends he has had for many years. Apparently they roasted him from Sydney to Dubbo but he made certain that he got his own back whenever he could - but outnumbered and fighting valiantly he couldn't do much more than take it for hours & hours & hours.

The boys enjoyed the opportunity of tearing him to pieces. His talk at the reunion was reported in many papers in the west & it was apparently one of the best addresses that had been given at Dubbo R.S.L.. He left an impression in the town which will always remain, and brought great credit not only to himself but to the Battalion and the 8th Division.

HOSPITAL VISITATION

Hospital visitation goes on as usual and is much appreciated by the patients. Some of the names who have received a call recently were J. Martin, F.R. Murphy, Harry Weber, W. Jackson, Eric Arps who has not been well over the last two or three years. Len Turner at the Cottages with Jim O'Connor and Cec Larkin.

THE PICNIC

The Family Picnic has been and gone and it may be that we will not be holding any more picnics of that type as the Committee thinks that the picnic has outlived its usefulness. Of course there are var­ious opinions about these things, and if ten people attend a function, probably the ten people think it is all right. We held our last picnic and 14 families attended. We had races, gave the kids lollies and so forth and it certainly was a fine day for all those who attended. In fact it was one of the most enjoyable outings I personally have had for a long time. Quite relaxing and fun with the kids enjoying themselves. Apart from the children the adults really loved it. Some people like picnics and some people just hate them. But I like picnics and most people who were there have attended for many years anyway. The Committee thinks that the response is not big enough to warrant holding an official picnic and therefore the picnic in its present form has been suspended. This year Joe Geoghagan's wife made a beautiful cake which was raffled for the Unit and, to my great joy, my wife won it and I must say, it was a BEAUTIFUL cake!

We might do something different next year in the matter of a BARBECUE. There have been thoughts about whether we try for a Battalion Barbecue starting about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, but with ample opportunity for the kids & everybody to get there after lunch and play around as they have done for many years.

BATHURST - ANZAC DAY

We sent an official party to Bathurst for Anzac Day this year - Ray Simmonds, Bruce Greer and Milly MacLeod. Ray brought back a very good report. He said things are a little topsy-turvy with regard to our cairn because it is in a position on the road where vandals like to throw their bottles on their way to work on Monday mornings and, worse than that, there is a water table there which endangers the cairn itself by the danger of scouring the gravel from beneath it. Various suggestions have been made and it has been recommended that the cairn be moved to the back of the present site on a little patch of ground which Mr. Prattley will ensure will be bought for the Battalion and looked after by his family in perpetuity. The townspeople of Bathurst have adopted the Memorial and go to tremendous trouble to make a good show there on Anzac Day. It might be that next year we will send a strong body of members to the cairn on Anzac Day, something like a platoon.

The report on that day was a good one. There is no question about it that our official representatives were well received by the R.S.L. and by the townspeople themselves. After the Ceremony, on the next day as a matter of fact, and this is always the best day to write anything at all, after the event has happened and when the thing is fresh in one's mind, we received a long letter from Milly Macleod. It is so good I want you to read it as we read it ourselves. I am sure you will enjoy it and I am sure that it will show you that the people of Bathurst are preserving the memory of our friends who will never be with us again.   

26th April, 1965.

My dear Stan,

As I told you when I rang you this day last week, I intended going to the memorial service at the 2/30 Battalion Cairn at Bathurst. I have just got home, and I felt that I could not lose the mood before writing you about the trip.

My son Paul works in the Bank of NSW at Orange, so I drove up on the Saturday afternoon and stayed with him. He is a boy who loves the army, and although he's only 18, he is thinking very seriously of making it his career. He's read Galleghan's Greyhounds so much I think at times he knows as much of the history of the battalion as I.

We drove back to Bathurst from Orange on the Sunday morning. It was such a day as if the gods were determined to make amends for any of their weather shortcomings in the past. Paul suggested we stop at Vittoria, where the battalion made an overnight stop that time we marched back from Orange. I'd told him about that little shop which the men descended on like locusts and how I recalled it being jammed with bodies and the proprietor struggling up with goods via a ladder which led down to a store cellar below.

Feeling a bit foolish, for after all, this happened a long time ago, we went in. The place is called the Half Way House. Sure enough, there was the trap door still in the floor. I asked the woman behind the counter whether she'd been in business there twenty four years ago. She said yes, she had been. I then asked if she recalled the occasion when a battalion had camped overnight there and bought just about everything they had.

After all this time, she got a hunted look on her face. "I'll never forget that night as long as I live," she told me. "We didn't have a lot of stock but I'm sure those men would have bought anything. Why do you ask?"

I told her I'd been one of those men. She called out to her husband and introduced me. I don't imagine they do a lot of business there, so that night was burned into their memories. As a matter of fact, we talked for longer than I'd intended and we arrived at Bathurst after the march had com­menced, so I wasn't able to take part.

Paul, being in the militia (2 NSWR) was in uniform, although he'd been given leave to attend the ceremony with me. When he was asked why he'd put on his uniform, he gave a num­ber of answers that seemed to me to be pretty good ones:­

a. He was proud of it, and wanted people to see he was pre­pared to do his bit.
b. The 50th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli was a pretty important day and he felt it was appropriate.
c. He thought I'd like it (He was right. I was very proud of him.)
d. There'd be no argument about him getting into the R.S.L. after the ceremonies for a beer as there may have been otherwise, seeing he's only eighteen.

We listened to the service, and I saw Bruce Greer and Ray Simmonds. We arranged to meet later at the R.S.L., but before that there was something I wanted to do. I wanted to take my son out to the old camp. I suppose both of us are a bit sentimental, but he wanted to see it, too.

We drove out along the road I'd known so well so very long ago. But how the camp had changed! No guard house at the entrance and of all those buildings that had been there in those days, only one remains. As close as I can recall it, it must have been one of Headquarter Coy's huts. There is very little left to indicate that at one time a thousand men worked and lived there. A few concrete slabs that may have proved too troublesome to move are still there, but I suppose in time these too will go. What had been the old parade ground is now ploughed and over the rest the Bathurst thistle has spread thickly.

I explained to Paul how it had been. Here had been Battalion Headquarters, here the CO's orderly room. Next had been Bill Melville's office, then Don Coy's lines. The trees on that little ridge to south west didn't seem any bigger. The road leading down to the old lines is still in good repair, and I showed him the part we'd marked out exactly the size of railway carriages so we could practice how we would entrain at Kelso.

We stood there looking over the brown ground that had carried so many men, and had heard their voices and their laughter. I could see faces of men long since dead: Lofty Ambrose, and his son killed in Malaya; Mick Clemens, killed the first day; Arthur English, who died a prisoner; Sid Palmer, the band sergeant, who died in Borneo. As I stood there, I could faintly hear Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. Do you recall how we won the band competition with that?

The huts on the higher ground are gone, too. A few of the foundations are still there, but the road has had the bitumen surface removed and we could drive over it only very slowly. There is little left of where A, B and C Coy's had lived. The sergeant's mess is gone. I saw the face of Ted Cline and his prematurely grey hair. I heard Jimmy Peebles soft burr. And others, so many others.

'We drove along the road past where Brigade HQ had been and towards the lines of the 26th. and 29th. I told Paul of the fighting at Muar and on the west coast of Singapore, and how these two fine battalions had been matched against overwhelming odds. We couldn't go very far, for a fence had been put across the road. Suddenly, I didn't want to go on. It was too sad, there were too many memories.

We drove back to the camp entrance and then north for a little way. We crossed the fence at the side of the road and struck out westwards towards what had been C Coy’s training area. Yes, the gentle hills were still there and the re-entrant. Here we'd dug weapon pits, here we'd done exercises, section strength, and platoon strength. Once, I think I'd known every blade of grass, every depression, every mound in this piece of ground. Memories, hell! the place was lousy with them. Away to the east, the rugged hills that I'd once described in a letter home as looking like a shaggy, crumpled rug. I didn't say anything to Paul, but I had to get out. The place was getting me down. Looking at him, I realised with a shock that I was but four years older than he is now when I'd been there.  1

Back at the R.S.L., there was a warm welcome waiting us. There was the inevitable game of two-up and money changed hands at an alarming rate. We found Bruce and Ray and before long a circle of new friends were pressing beer on us with alarming frequency. There was an atmosphere of belonging, and through it all, Paul listened to the stories that flowed, to the reminiscences, to the bald descriptions of bloody little forays. He drank drink for drink with these men, and he said afterwards, "I felt as if I belonged there."

At three o'clock, we attended a short but simple and moving ceremony at the cairn. I was surprised at the number of people who turned up. There must have been in excess of a hundred there. Stan, these people REMEMBER us. There was one mix up. It had been arranged that Ray was to make the response on behalf of the battalion, but to my concern, it was my name which suddenly came out. I sincerely hope that what I said was appropriate. I know it was sincere. There was something quite touching, to me, in these people coming there to honour men who had left here nearly a quarter of a century earlier.

I spoke with Mr. Prattley, who property adjoins the camp. As you will know, it is he who does such a wonderful job in the maintenance of our cairn. He said this, quite simply, "As long as I have the strength, this memorial to your battalion will be maintained." I know he meant every word.

I feel I must say this. These people have a memory of us that is quite startling. It seems to me that it would be very fit if we could organise a somewhat bigger party to attend the ceremony each year. I am fully aware that I am in no position really to offer opinions in this matter. After all, I have been horribly lax in attending battalion functions and this was the first occasion I'd made the attempt to attend the cairn ceremony. But when I see the respect these people have for the battalion, I feel they should be given every encouragement by us. Certainly, I will try to again.

You have no idea how gratified I am that I went. Sure, the memories are overwhelmingly sad, but then, there were lots of happy times, too. Looking back, I wonder what has happened to those years. They seem to have flashed away. So much has hap­pened, and yet, how little. I found it humbling to look at those hills that haven't changed. They are permanent, and we are here for so little time. But somehow, I feel the memory of the battalion will continue long after we are dead, being maintained then by people who never knew us but who have heard the story from their fathers and mothers.

It was a journey into yesterday, and for me made all the more memorable because I experienced it with my son.

Afterwards, we returned to the R.S.L. where they plied us with beer as if the breweries were going out of production the next day. They are a bunch of very fine chaps, and they set the seal on a day that will live with me, and with Paul, for a long time to come.

Yours sincerely,
GRAHAM McLEOD

2/30th Comforts Fund

This year it will be 25 years since the battalion was formed and we received a very nice letter from Mrs. Margaret Hendy who is the Past-President of the 2/30th Battalion Comforts Fund.

These people have actually been working for 25 years and meeting regularly. They work now, I believe, for the old ladies at Newington. They are composed of mothers of deceased members of our unit and other mothers of returned soldiers of our unit and they find that their little group has become a very friend­ly one, and over the years they have built up close friendships with each other. Mrs. Hendy has very kindly given us a resume of what they have been doing over the past 25 years and as this information is not known to many of our members we print it here for you as it was received. On behalf of the Committee we would like to congratulate Mrs. Hendy for compiling it.

'When the 2/30 Bn was formed in November, 1940 an inaugural meeting was held in Sydney by women relatives of the men to form a Comforts Fund. And for years we met every Thursday in the city to work together for the purpose of sending parcels to the men of the battalion. Unfortunately, in February, 1942 Singapore fell, and so as the battalion was in a P.O.W. camp, no parcels were allowed to be sent in. From then the activities of the Comforts Fund were turned to raising money to give them on their return, and an association would then be formed to handle the affairs of the battalion. We were proud to give a cheque for a good amount to the Treasurer.

When the 2/30 Bn Association was formed our services as a Comforts Fund were no longer required, and then a few of us turned our efforts to helping the inmates of the Newington Old Ladies Home. This was most rewarding work for about 4 years, and the women meet at the home of one of their friends, and great work was carried out by knitting and making garments for the old ladies and then taking a lovely afternoon tea with us, all going to the home to give the presents. Now we meet socially once a month at each others' home for lunch and naturally the 2/30 Bn is always mentioned.

Those meeting now are: Mesdames Hendry, mother of Jim, dec; Jenkins, mother of Bern, dec; Musgrave, mother of Ray, dec; Lamacraft, mother of Alf; Walker, mother of John; Arps, mother of Eric; and Hendy, step-mother of Len.

A Xmas Party is held every year under the name we have adopted; PURPLE AND GOLD, the Battalion's Colours, and it is well attended, several ladies coming from the country. Anyone connected with the Battalion is most welcome to come, and please ring Mrs. M. E. Jenkins, XM 2249 early in December for full particulars.

We are proud to have been associated with the 2/30 all these years and for the unbroken friendship of 25 years we women share with each other, having first met when we joined together to work for the battalion.'

BITS 'BOUT THE BHOYS

To hand, a little letter from Dick Thompson in Hobart. It is some months old, of course, but he makes the crack that the only reason that we did not go to the Chinamen's this year for our Annual Meeting was that he was not there to work out the bill.

This I think really is a fact because usually by the end of the evening most of us aren't capable of working out those things, and Dick Thompson always came to the rescue, worked them out and made us the correct charge.

Bessie Ellis' mother died recently. For many, many years Bessie has been looking after her mother, working with her and had been making great sacrifices for her. Bessie has been an example of what a daughter should be, although this is not really surprising when one knows her. Anyway, our great sympathy on the loss of her mother.

Mr. Clayton died some months ago and it might be as well to remind members that this generous and noble man has been helping the Battalion ever since 1940. He worked all through the war years in the Battalion Comforts Fund and assisted the Battalion generously with printing and help ever since the war.

He was a wonderful old man, very kind and very generous. He was respected by all people and for his efforts on our behalf he was made one of the few Honorary Life Members of our Association.

Our sympathy to Bill Clayton and to all Mr. Clayton's next-of-kin.

Bruce Upcroft, member of our Committee, now is in Sydney as you know, as Assistant Manager for the Common­wealth Development Bank of Australia, N.S.W. Branch. Bruce was the Manager for Tasmania of the Commonwealth Development Bank. Bruce has a lot of energy and drive and we can understand why he has been given this respon­sible position. He likes work, is not frightened to say what he means and gets things done.

Des Kearney was in Lismore many months ago or somewhere near Lismore and he ran into Laddie Newlands. As a matter of fact he went to see Laddie because Laddie was in A. Coy in 8 Platoon - one of the worst soldiers in ­the Platoon and one whom Des Kearney was unable to control.

Laddie was a character and when Des knocked on the door of his home, Laddie was in the right pose. Lying back on the lounge, feet up, glass of beer in his hand and all his little kids running around doing everything.

They had a great night, talked about old times, had a few bottles of beer and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Laddie says the only reason he drinks beer is because he LIKES it!

ALAN McNICKLE IS LIVING IN SYDNEY. HIS LITTLE BOY, WILLIAM, PLAYS FOR THE UNDER 7's FOR LONG REEF RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL TEAM. ALAN HAS BEEN LIVING IN MOSMAN.

The thanks of this Battalion must go to Kevin Ward for his tremendous enthusiasm with regard to Hospital Visitation.

Don Garner was in Queensland recently at a gathering and saw the Rev. Paddy Walsh at the Dinner, or rather Paddy Walsh saw the Afghan and came around and made himself known. Paddy has been transferred to Rockhampton, I think probably so that he will be closer under the eye of the Bishop.

Dick Henderson, his wife, and two boys were in Sydney recently. Dick has sold his property at St. George, and intends to build a home and settle in Toowoomba.

REUNION 1965

This year is the 25th Anniversary of our Battalion and we hope to make our Battalion Re-union one which most people will remember.

We've had some good reunions in the past, but for many years they have been falling off, not only with the chaps who are now gone, but other people find that they do not make the effort now as they did in years gone by.

WE CANNOT MAKE THE REUNION, THE REUNION MUST BE MADE BY THE PEOPLE WHO ATTEND.

On the part of most people, there is no better reason for attending a re­union than for the reason that there is one being held. For others, we would just like to ask this. It is 25 years since our Battalion was formed and members drop by the wayside every year. It is good to meet one's friends and good to renew acquaint­ances with these fellows who soldiered with you in years gone by, and who have remained within the bonds of the Association for these 25 years.

COME ALONG IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN.... WHETHER YOU ARE IN THE CITY OR COUNTRY.

If you are in the country and you can't afford to come down we will find accommodation for you somewhere.

WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE EVERYBODY TURN UP.

We want to have you hear THE OLD MAN again. He's still in as good a voice as ever.

The food will be beautiful. The appoint­ments are excellent. The company will be good.

REUNION
SATURDAY 20th NOVEMBER
GREAT SOUTHERN HOTEL
723 George Street Sydney

The usual cost of £2.0.0.
(if you can't make the cost, don't be embarrassed - we'll pay for it and nobody will know. we want to see you there!)

DON'T FORGET THE DATE:
November 20th

RING YOUR CALENDAR - PUT IN YOUR POCKET DIARY
"November 20th - I MUST attend the Reunion!"

See you, Dig!

Stan Arneil

P.S. Don't forget your subs ....

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