LOCREP Surveillance and Target Acquisition

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1 Highlights Inside Committee Goes Bush Association to Incorporate 20 th STA Regiment Latest Information RAA National Museum Memorial Walk Pavers Defence Long Service Medal Latest Information LOCREP Surveillance and Target Acquisition The Newsletter of the Locating Artillery Association August 2005 Does this look familiar? See President s Message The Eyes and Ears of the Battlefield

2 OFFICE BEARERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Patrons Mr Rusty Priest AM COLONEL Steve Goltz (Commander, Land Command Artillery) President Allan Harrison Vice President/Museum Liaison Officer Joe Kaplun Secretary/Merchandise Officer Diane Wood Treasurer/Membership Officer John Saltwell Minutes Secretary Tony Foster Historian Keith Ayliffe Web Master John Posener Social Secretary W a y n e N a s h Newsletter Editor Allan Harrison Committee Members Ross Baker, Jim Bushel, Ron Hartmann, Graham Johnson, Bob Owens, Phil Paton, Bob Smith Postal Address: PO Box 1042 MANLY NSW 1655 Web Site: info@locatingartillery.org COMMITTEE MEETINGS Committee meetings are held regularly and members are cordially invited to attend. General enquiries may be directed to the Vice President (02) or mobile (6 Apex Ave, Picnic Point, 2213). The Schedule of meetings is as follows: Sep 11 Nov 13 AGM Feb12, 2006 All will be held at Paddington RSL commencing at 1000 hrs. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Greetings. This issue of LOCREP is being published a little earlier than would normally be the case as there are some issues of importance to address. Firstly and regrettably, I wish to draw members attention to a mistake published in the last LOCREP regarding the Defence Long Service Medal. Applications are not yet being sought, contrary to the advice we published. I apologise for the mis - information which was passed on in good faith. Full details appear later in the newsletter At our last Committee meeting (held at the Maitland Ex-Services Club) it was decided that the Association should incorporate. This decision crystallises thinking which has been circulating within the Committee for some time and follows legal advice we have received. More details appear in a separate report. The Maitland gathering was well attended by locals, regular committee members (see cover photo) and partners. I wish to thank Kev Maker especially for organising visitor accommodation, dinner Saturday night, the meeting venue and a BBQ lunch on Sunday. I sincerely thank the locals who came along to the various elements of the weekend. It was a real pleasure to get away from the big smoke, meet some great people and generally enjoy ourselves, while hopefully giving regional-based members an insight into Committee business which they might not otherwise s e e. While handing out thank you s, a special one to John Dellaca for his interest in sending us a report and photos of the Melbourne -based Locators on ANZAC Day More details inside. Finally, a warm welcome home to our Joint Patron C O L O N EL Steve Goltz, following his seven month

3 tour of duty in US HQ (Baghdad) where he was awarded the US Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service. On behalf of all members of the Association, I extend our sincere congratulations. Ubique Allan Harrison President LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We are always pleased to publish (brief) reports from Locators far and wide. Your mates are happy to hear about what others are up to and this newsletter is an ideal forum for your short stories and anecdotes, such as supplied by John Dellaca for this issue. CONTACT LIST This list is included as a separate insert to this newsletter. To get yourself onto this list, please give written or (preferably) permission to the Association at PO Box 1042 Manly NSW 1655 or info@locatingartillery.org This contact list will be posted onto our website and updated as members give permission. MERCHANDISE The following items are available: Stubby Holders $ 6.00 e a $11.00 for two $20.00 for four Car Badges $20.00 B a s eball Caps $15.00 (two types) Lapel Badges $ 6.00 Polo Shirts $30.00 (three colours) Door Mats $60.00 Plaques $25.00 Woven Pocket $10.00 Patch Logos B a r C o a s t e r s $ 2.00 for 10 $ 5.00 for 30 $10.00 for 65 $15.00 For 100 Key Rings ( 2-sided, Assn $ 6.00 & Dragon Logos) For further information, postage costs and orders for current items, please call Diane Wood on (H) or (W) or visit the website. HISTORY OF LOCATING The book "Tracks of the Dragon - A History of Locating Artillery in Australia " is now freely available. An order form is available on our website at or by contacting Keith Ayliffe (07) or John Posener (02) Keith and John have asked the Association to pass on to members, information recently provided by astute Association member Howard Young. Howard served with 131 Bty during , and indicated that there were two former BC s (Majors Pennicook and Bowie ) who should be included in the BC s list on page 192. Enclosed with this Newsletter is an appropriate Erratum. According to the authors, the only documentation indicating that these officers commanded 131 Bty is found in Routine Orders. No mention of their appointments can be found in the personal records of either officer, the BC s Board, citations in books and articles, nor in the authors records of interviews. Also brought to their attention was the omission of Gnr Alan Robb from the FAIO section at FSPB CORAL. No official record of those present is available and the published list was prepared by interviewing people who were present. It has since been confirmed that Alan Robb was indeed present at Coral. RAA NATIONAL MUSEUM Locating Artillery Display working bee dates for 2005 are as follows: Aug 28 Sep 25 Oct 23 Nov 27 (Sydney Locators Re-union) LOCREP 3

4 Working Bees will commence at 0900 hrs and will conclude with an Association-funded BBQ at 1400 hrs at the North Fort Mess. Association volunteers will now return to the restoration of the second AN/KPQ-1 Mortar Locating Radar for external display purposes. This will be the focus of working bees once the main display areas are r e -instated. The last working bee saw the commencement of the return of major items from temporary storage and some deft landscaping and planting at the entrance to the lower hangar. As indicated in the June 05 edition of LOCREP, plans provide for an historic chronology of Artillery in one hangar, and a series of technical displays in the other. The chronology will feature Locating equipments as appropriate to each period and the Tech display will feature specific Loc items in a dedicated display. Projects such as these require considerable effort by volunteers and we would greatly appreciate the assistance of anyone available to work on Locating Artillery projects, especially midweek. Please contact Joe Kaplun on (02) if you can assist. The Museum is open to the public on weekends, Wednesdays and Public Holidays from 1100 hrs to 1600 hrs. Guid ed tours are provided. Members wishing to become Tour Guides should ring Cliff Dodds (02) , and mention the Association. Museum Manager MAJOR Mike Laurence has come to the end of his term. We wish Mike well for the future and thank him for his interest in Association affairs and for his part in the strong and ongoing relationship which exists between the Museum and the Association. As evidence of the latter, we were invited to send an observer to the Army History Unit Annual Conference in Canberra. Association Vice-President Joe Kaplun represented the Association. NORTH FORT MEMORIAL WALK DRIVE FOR LOCATOR PAVERS The drive for a Locators area in the Memorial Walk at North Fort has taken effect. Our Association s corporate -sized paver is in place depicting the Association s name and Logo. P h o t o C o u r t e s y o f J o e E l k u s c h Individual pavers surround the large paver and to this end, the appeal launched in the June 04 LOCREP remains open and we encourage members to get on board with pavers not only for themselves but for family members as well. Pavers already in place in other parts of the Memorial Walk may be relocated, and members so affected should contact North Fort direct by telephone on A paver order form is enclosed. The list of paver contributors will be posted onto the website and updated from time to time. INCORPORATION OF THE ASSOCIATION For some time, the Committee of the Association has been looking at the question of Incorporation. While representing the Association at the AHU Annual Conference, Joe Kaplun called up a favour or two from the legal brains present and as a result, we received some timely free advice which indicates that it would be prudent to incorporate without undue delay. This action will protect members and office bearers from the risk of prosecution in the event that an individual or group decides to take some form of legal action against us, for whatever reason. Association Treasurer John Saltwell has commenced the incorporation pr ocess which will result in the Association being known as The Locating Artillery Association Inc. The process is not particularly complex but will require the inclusion of some additional material into our constitution, which will form our rules under the Associations Incorporations Act, LOCREP 4

5 20 th STA REGIMENT PROGRESS REPORT Advices to hand from CO-elect LTCOL Phil Swinsburg and RSM-elect WOI (A/CAPT) Danny McGinley indicate that the Regiment will begin to take shape in 2006 and that a possible time for its inaugural parade would be Oct Former locators will be welcome at that parade and the Association is looking at the possibility of a social gathering to coincide with the parade. The Regiment will certainly be in favour of such an event and the Committee will put together an appropriate celebration to mark the occasion. It is too early to speculate on specifics at this stage and members will be kept informed of developments. The 20 t h Locating Regiment Trophy unearthed at the RAA National Mus eum some months back is currently being assessed by a trophy maker. Once restored (at Association expense) it will be held on loan from the museum, by 20 t h STA Regt. ASSOCIATION TROPHY/PRIZES C l o s e-up of engraving P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f D i a n e W o o d On dis -assembling the trophy, the original donor s letter was found inside the base. The letter (pictured below) has been returned to the museum for preservation. At our Maitland Committee meeting, it was agreed that we would seek an estimate of cost to produce an Association Trophy for annual competition at OR level in 20 t h STA Regt. Further, at the suggestion of MAJ Russ Hamsey (member of the IIR Team and BCelect 132 UAV Bty), we will also donate an annual prize to STA Wing, School of Artillery. A Most Outstanding Gunner award already exists in 131 Bty, so the Association s (Regimental) Trophy will be awarded to the outstanding Junior NCO. The STA Wing award will go to the Student of Merit (Gunner Level Courses). The Regimental Trophy will be a shield or similar identifying the Association as donor and naming winners year by year. Each winner will also receive an engraved Association Plaque, a year s honorary Association membership, a copy of Tracks of the Dragon and an assortment of Association merchandise. The perpetual trophy will be displayed, hopefully in the Menz Club, as a tangible link between the serving soldiers and the Association. The STA Wing Student of Merit will receive an engraved Association Plaque, a year s honorary Association me mbership, a copy of Tracks of the LOCREP 5

6 Dragon and an assortment of Association merchandise. REGIONAL CONTACTS A full contact list appears as an insert to this edition and will be a regular feature of Locrep in future. We encourage members to be in touch with their regional contacts so that local networks can grow and members can take part in nearby activities, especially on significant occasions such as ANZAC Day etc. Similarly, we ask that Regional Contact volunteers maintain contact with Newsletter Editor Allan Harrison, preferably by to allan@harrisonsolution.com.au or at PO Box W43 Abbotsford NSW Notifications re local activities will be placed on the website notice board and will be published in Locrep. RESERVE FORCES DAY 2005 This year, the theme revolved around the 90 t h Anniversary of recruitment drives during WWI (e.g. the Coo-ee march from Gilgandra to Sydney). The Sydney march saw a small contingent of Locators march, followed by a Gunner gathering at the Sporters Bar, Menzies Hotel. DEFENCE LONG SERVICE MEDAL Contrary to the report published in the June 05 edition of LOCREP, applications for the Defence Long Service Medal are NOT YET being accepted by the Department of Defence. That claim was made in good faith in our newsletter following its publication on the Reserve Forces Day website. We are grateful to Tony Foley in particular for drawing our attention to the mistake. We have in turn drawn the error to the attention of the RFD Committee and their website has been cor rected. Association Vice President Joe Kaplun has been in touch with the Directorate of Honours and Awards (Dept of Defence) and we have been assured that applications sent in to date will be kept on file and handled when the assessment of eligibility is complete. Nevertheless, we ask members who are considering applying for the medal to wait until we have official advice that applications are in fact being accepted. We will keep you posted and re-print application forms at the appropriate time. 40 TH ANNIVERSARY - VIETNAM VETERANS RE-UNION AUGUST 2006 The Coffs Harbour Branch of the Association is putting together a Gunners re-union to mark the 40 t h anniversary of 1 ATF Vietnam. The event will be based at the Coffs Harbour Ex-Servicemen s Club and will include social events, bowls, golf, deep sea fishing, a Freedom of the City march, a shopping bus trip for the ladies and appearances by performers who entertained the troops in SVN. The program is looking like this: Thurs 17 t h 1700 Cocktails, m e e t & g r e e t Fri 18 t h 0800 B r e a k f a s t 1700 Memorial Service (Cenotaph) 1701 Dinner and entertainment Sat 19 t h 0800 B r e a k f a s t 0900 Golf, bowls, fishing, shopping 1600 Freedom of the City March 1800 Regimental Dinner Sun 20 t h 0800 B r e a k f a s t, f r e e morning 1230 BBQ Lunch, Farewells Accommodation can be booked through the Coffs Harbour Visitor Info Centre (toll free ). Please quote RAA Re -union Tracking # 97. Enquiries: David Auld divloc131@hotmail.com David Doyle ddoyle@tpg.com.au David & Jane Gow reunion2006@ceinternet.com.au The legendary Coffs Harbour re-unions have gone from strength to strength over the years and this one looks set to top them all. It would be a good idea to get LOCREP 6

7 in soon and book your accommodation and travel arrangements. More information and updates on the Association website: ANZAC DAY 2005 (MELBOURNE) We thank John Dellaca for a report and photos of the Locators Melbourne turnout. Lofty Hayes made a guest appearance at the Melbourne march along with Eric Marques and Shorty Gow. Thanks for the info John. M e l b o u r n e L o c a t o r s A N Z A C D a y P h o t o s C o u r t e s y o f J o h n D e l l a c a LOCREP 7