April 2010

ב ‏"ה
April
2010

From the desk of
our President
EDITOR:
David Hirsh
editor@jewishmiltaryvic.org.au
PRESIDENT:
Ben Hirsh
president@jewishmilitaryvic.org.au
Tel: 0412 307 031
VICE PRESIDENT:
Judy Landau
webmaster@jewishmilitaryvic.org.au
SECRETARY:
Ian Mansfield
secretary@jewishmilitaryvic.org.au
TREASURER:
Ian Mansfield
treasurer@jewishmilitaryvic.org.au
WELFARE OFFICER:
Eric Gordon
welfare@jewishmilitaryvic.org.au
COMMITTEE:
Pearl Crafti
Louise Dyskin
Harry Groch
Maurice Perlow
LUNCHEON COORDINATOR:
Ruby Grose
ALL MAIL TO:
Ian Mansfield
Secretary VAJEX
PO Box 2121
Moorabbin 3189
secretary@jewishmilitaryvic.org.au
S
ince our last issue of PARADE, your Committee has achieved
m o s t o f i ts p r o po s e d g o al s . O u r we b s i t e,
www.jewishmilitaryvic.org.au has been up and running since
December and thanks goes to our Webmaster, Vice President Dr Judy
Landau for her expertise and hard work involved in this monumental
task. She is also responsible for designing the new pages in our Book of
Remembrance, Memorial Stake inscriptions, invitations, wreath cards
and award certificates - in addition to assisting with PARADE - all in a
professional manner.
Our Remembrance Day Service was greatly enhanced by our guest
speaker, GP CAPT Norman Geschke, OBE JP RAAF (Retd), whose thought
provoking address is on page 6.
The Remembrance Day Luncheon was a great success with the
presence of our Patron in Chief, Rt Hon Sir Zelman Cowen AK GCMG
GCVO QC and Lady Anna Cowen. It was my pleasure to present Sir
Zelman with a JNF certificate for 36 trees in honour of his 90 th birthday.
Our guest speaker was Mr Roland Perry, author and Sir John Monash
biographer.
Certificates of Appreciation were presented to Vice President Judy
Landau, Life Member Ruby Grose, Secretary/Treasurer Ian Mansfield,
Louise Dyskin, Eric Gordon, PARADE Editor David Hirsh, and Henry
Birman of Henry Birman Design, printer of the pages of our Book of
Remembrance.
Our ANZAC Service will be held on Sunday, 2 nd May 2010, in the
Rose Hall of Mount Scopus Memorial College at 10.30am. Guest
speaker will be Mr Denis Baguley, CEO Shrine of Remembrance.
The Pte Greg Sher Memorial Shield in honour of Greg who was killed
in Afghanistan on 4 th January 2009, will be presented later this year to
seven Jewish Day Schools and UJEB (United Jewish Education Board).
Two students chosen from each school will be presented with a special
badge to wear, a certificate and brochure on the life and military service
of Pte Greg Sher Z"L.
Sadly we have lost a few members. VAJEX stalwart Frank A Slutzkin
VRD - a past President of VAJEX and a Federal President; Jack
Rozenblum, Frederick P Spielvogel OAM, Gwidon Gottlieb-Borucki,
William Dunwill and Hymie Wittner. Our sincere condolences and long
life to their families.
A Field of Magen Davids will be on display near the Caulfield Park
Cenotaph, corner of Hawthorn and Balaclava Roads, Caulfield on
Sunday 18 th April at 2.30pm. The Memorial Stakes bearing a Magen
David and Poppy with the name of a deceased service person is one
way of paying respect to our fallen and departed service people. You are
invited to sponsor a Stake in memory of your loved ones.
Our AGM is on Sunday 16 th May in the Library, Blake Street Hebrew
Congregation, 868 Glenhuntly Road Caulfield at 10.30am.
Wishing our members and Jewish friends a Happy Passover and to
our non-Jewish friends, a Happy Easter.
Ben Hirsh
“YOUR
COMMITTEE
HAS ACHIEVED
MOST OF ITS
PROPOSED
GOALS”
PARADE DESIGN:
Layout & Formatting
Judy Landau
COVER:
Obelisk
Melbourne General Cemetery
set in a field of poppies
PRINTER:
IMT Stationers
31 Hall Street, Hawthorn 3122
(03) 9822 9077
CONTENTS
04 VAJEX Office bearers 10 Tribute: Frank Slutkin 18 War Years Recollections
05 ANZAC Day Programme 11 Luncheon Photo Page By Alex Dorevitch
06 Remembrance Day Service 12 Photo Page 20 Remembrance Day Luncheon
Address by Norman Geschke 13 Web Site launched Address by Roland Perry
08 Pte Greg Sher Memorial Shield 14 Vale
09 Upcoming Events 15 Decorations WWI
3

VAJEX OFFICE BEARERS
as at AGM, 24 th May 2009
With Compliments from
President: Ben Hirsh
Vice President: Judy Landau
Hon Secretary: Ian Mansfield
Treasurer: Ian Mansfield
Public Officer: Aaron Kaufman
Committee:
Pearl Crafti
Louise Dyskin
Eric Gordon (Welfare and PR Officer)
Harry Groch
Maurice Perlow (Business Manager)
781 Glenhuntly Road
Caulfield South
With Compliments of...
9523 9696
Address:
18 Camberwell Road
East Hawthorn, Victoria 3123
HEARTY
MAZAL TOV!
70 th
Wedding Anniversary
Nathan & Tula Artenstein
...best wishes from VAJEX
Telephone:
+61 3 9804 0888
Facsimile:
+61 3 9804 0322
Email:
partners@morco.com.au
CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS?
Please advise VAJEX HQ of any changes in your address, as Australia Post are no longer returning
undelivered copies of PARADE. It is important that members notify us of all changes and alterations
to their contact details. Kindly also advise your email address or one where we can contact you.
Please address all correspondence to
VAJEX, PO Box 2121, Moorabbin 3189
Phone: 0412 307 031
email: secretary@jewishmilitaryvic.org.au
4

AGENDA
VAJEX AGM
Sunday 16 th May 2010
Blake Street Hebrew Congregation
868 Glen Huntly Road, Caulfield South
10.30 am
1. Australian National Anthem
2. Ode & Fallen Comrades
3. Apologies
4. Speaker ~ VAJEX Patron
MAJGEN Jeffry Rosenfeld CStJ
5. Minutes of 2009 Annual General Meeting
6. Business arising from minutes
7. President’s Report
8. Hon Treasurer’s Report & Balance Sheet
9. Election of Office Bearers
(a) President
(b) Vice President
(c) Honorary Secretary
(d) Honorary Treasurer
(e) Public Officer
(f) Committee Members
10. Appointment of Honorary Auditor
11. General Business
12. HaTikvah
NOTE:
Nominations for election of Office Bearers must be lodged
not less than 48 hours preceding Annual General
Meeting.
95 th ANZAC DAY SERVICE
Sunday 2 nd May 2010, 10.30 am
Rose Hall
Mount Scopus Memorial College
245 Burwood Highway, Burwood
Enter via Station Street Melway 61 C5
MC: Dr Judy Landau Vice President
Official Welcome: Mr Ben Hirsh President
Address: Mr Yuri Kossovski
President AVWSU (Russian Veterans)
Psalm 23:
Psalm 46:
Psalm 121:
Mr Jack Gotlib
Mr Martin Streager
CAPT Henry Leighton
Prayer:
Chaplain Rabbi Dovid Gutnick
Prayers by Students
Guest Speaker:
Mr Denis Baguley CEO Shrine of Remembrance
Vote of Thanks
Audio Visual
Wreath Laying Ceremony
ANZAC Day Requiem:
SGT Julie Leder
Ode: Mr Ben Hirsh President
Last Post & Rouse: Mr Bart R McDiarmid
Kel Maleh Rachamim:
Chaplain Rabbi Dovid Gutnick
Aleinu: Mr Bezalel Goldberg
Kaddish: (Hebrew & English)
Mr Israel Mos
LT Ross Smith OAM
Poem The Young Dead Soldiers:
PTE David Zimmerman
Australian National Anthem
Refreshments will be served
after the meeting
LEST WE FORGET
Decorations & Medals to be worn
Refreshments will be served after the service
5

It
REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE ADDRESS
by GP CAPT Norman Geschke OBE JP RAAF (Retd)
is an honour for me to be asked to address your Remembrance
Day Service. I have visited a number of war cemeteries and
cenotaphs: Gallipoli, France, England, the memorial at Runnymede
and, in the last few weeks, the Bita Paka war cemetery at Rabaul.
As always I left very emotionally distressed. I cannot help but be
upset, particularly when I read the young ages at which many of
these servicemen lost their lives.
At Bita Paka there are about 1000
graves, a surprising number marked
by an unnamed headstone. Many of
those buried were non combatant,
logistic and administrative personnel
who were executed rather than being
treated as POWs. At Runnymede, Bita
Paka and most other war cemeteries,
there are thousands of names of
servicemen missing in action with no
known grave. They had no funeral
service, and for their families there
was just a depthless void without an
appropriate “closure”.
In the last few weeks, in preparing
for today, I have read a number of
what I consider to be relevant books.
Professor Richard Evan’s books “The
Reich in Power” and “The Reich in
War”. Norman Dixon’s book on “The
Psychology of Military Incompetence”.
In the last few days there have been
some articles in the press, including
one about Mrs Annie Whitelaw, who
lost five of her seven sons in WWI.
The event where four brothers serving
together on a naval ship were all killed
in the one action. These books and
reports, together with numerous war
histories and my submissions on the
effects of Agent Orange and the totally
unnecessary loss of life of Australian
Servicemen, caused by the British
Atomic trials in Australia, have created
the cauldron from which my address
has emanated.
Professor Evan’s books are two of
the most depressing I have read. They
appropriately deal with the legalised
thuggery, bestiality and senseless
genocide of millions of people, the
victims of an out of control malignant
dictatorship. Men, women and children
HAD NAZI GERMANY
WON THIS WAR, A
DARKNESS WOULD
HAVE DESCENDED
ON MANKIND ~ OR
WHAT WAS LEFT OF IT
killed simply
b e c a u s e
they got in
the way: they
were shot,
bludgeoned,
gassed and
burnt to death
by people
claiming to be a cultured, civilised and
intellectual society.
If ever there was a case for going
to war, then WWII against Nazi
Germany must be the epitome of
logical justification.
Had Nazi Germany won this war, a
darkness would have descended on
mankind or what was left of it. It would
have been a darkness reaching
depths never seen before; a darkness
when all persons would have been
subject to the diabolical whims of
relentless extremists and deranged
unconscionable thugs. The world
owes a great debt to all those servicemen
and others who thwarted and
destroyed the Scourge of the
Swastika.
But today we are remembering not
only the war against Nazi Germany
and Japan but all the other actions in
which our servicemen have taken part
from the Boer War to our current
actions in Afghanistan. Regretfully
overcoming aggression comes at a
great cost.
It is not just the life of a person that
is lost, it is not just an event which can
be satisfied by a military funeral and
an annual commemoration service.
For the ex-serviceman or woman it
probably means the loss of 50 years
of living. It is the loss of a husband, a
sweetheart and the father of children.
It is a cost to our nation of the
expertise and contribution that would
have been made to our society had
they lived their full entitled life.
I see this service today as not
being just a memorial service to
servicemen whose lives were taken
away, but also to all those who were
affected by the servicemen’s or
servicewoman’s death. And also of the
many cases where there is no
immediate death but years of
suffering; intolerable suffering where
death is often a relief.
Today as a part of this service I
want to reflect on what our nation, or
more specifically, governments have
done or rather have not done for
service personnel.
O n t he ou t brea k o f wa r
Governments and the supposedly
patriotic media promote the glamour of
serving a country using every
emotional device possible. Prime
Ministers mislead parliament, while
rights are arbitrarily taken from
servicemen.
There seems to be a view passed
down from government to government
that when a person volunteers for the
forces or is conscripted by the “death
by ballot system” of the Vietnam war,
he or she puts their life at the absolute
disposal of the government to be used
or wasted or placed in jeopardy at the
whim of irresponsible government or
incompetent and unaccountable
commanders who have little regard for
the lives of their troops. It was Hindenberg
who said “war to me was like
taking the waters.” While his soldiers
were dying by the thousands, he was
comfortably ensconced forty miles
back from the front lines. Field
Marshal Haig, aided and abetted by
some exceedingly incompetent
cohorts, was responsible for the gross
loss of life on the Western front. His
commanders and troops were given
totally unattainable targets where
every assessment of the task showed
it was unachievable and would cost
enormous casualties. He and his
senior officers faithfully followed the
British philosophy of expendability and
of war as an approved method of postnatal
birth control.
Australian senior commanders
could see what was happening and
the unnecessary slaughter but were
subordinate to the vast British
machine and could do little.
The Australian Government did not
suffer the same handicap, but still
allowed thousands of Australians to be
used as cannon and machine gun
fodder. In WWII the government was
more forceful where Australian
interests were at stake.
Gallipoli is today revered as the
catalyst of the Anzac legend. This I
suspect is to partly justify a disastrous
campaign. Ill conceived, ill executed
and at the unnecessary cost of
thousands of lives. A situation where
the enemy were virtually telegraphed
of our plans and any surprise was lost.
In Vietnam, our troops battled not only
the enemy but also the indiscriminate
use of highly toxic chemicals, such as
Agent Orange and others. With no
Page sponsored by Renée & Mark Leach & family
6

Most here today will remember the disgraceful way our Vietnam Veterans were treated...
adequate protective clothing, these
agents not only affected the troops but
also two or three generations of offspring
yet to be born. The effects of
using these Agents were well known,
as was the unwarranted and improper
use of minefields, where the mines
stolen by the Vietcong and used
against our troops caused, it is
believed, greater casualties than our
mines did against the enemy.
Our casualties were about 500
dead and 3000 injured. I understand
that one in 10 of the deaths were
caused by our own mines used by the
Vietcong. The injuries were not always
minor, and could be the loss of two
legs, an arm, or the serviceman’s
eyesight.
This was a war in which we should
not have been involved. The Gulf of
Tonkin episode, which prompted
American entry into the war, has now
been accepted as not having
occurred. It was faked to mislead the
American people and others into
believing the United States had been
attacked and the war was justified.
MacNamara, the US Secretary of
State, admits in his autobiography the
US involvement in Vietnam was a
mistake: a mistake which cost 60,000
American fatalities and over 100,000
injured. A mistake which led to the
heavy bombing campaign which
caused over 800,000 civilian
casualities in Laos and Cambodia.
Will history show that the war in
Iraq was also a “mistake” of a similar
nature? I believe it will.
Most here today will remember the
disgraceful way our Vietnam veterans
were treated on their return to
Australia from the Vietnam war. No
“thank you” for what they did. No glory
for their heroic actions. It took many
years before their contribution was
recognised. These servicemen were
doing what they were asked to do.
That the war was unpopular or
questionable was not the fault of our
servicemen. They deserved the praise
and reverence we have given to our
soldiers of other wars. Iraq and
Afghanistan are also unpopular but we
owe and should give every effort and
respect to our servicemen who are
carrying out our country’s demands.
In Peacetime the lack of regard for
servicemen’s lives has also been
questionable.
In 18 February 1952, Mr Menzies
made the statement on the proposal to
test atomic weapons at sites in
Australia - He said “In close
cooperation with the Government of
the Commonwealth of Australia, the
test will take place at a site in
Australia. It will be conducted in
conditions which ensure that there
will be no danger whatever from
radioactivity to the health of the
people or animals in the
Commonwealth.” Unfortunately this
statement was profoundly wrong.
During these Atomic trials,
Australian servicemen were treated as
guinea pigs, Airman in unprotected
clothing flew through the atomic
clouds on air sampling duties. The
Navy and Army operated in
contaminated areas. Their rewards
were a premature death rate through
cancer in its various forms. A litany of
flawed investigations has allowed
successive governments to cover up
the extent of effects on servicemen
and the suffering which has extended
to wives, and fatherless children.
Servicemen have enlisted to serve
their country and accept that this may
cause death or permanent injury in
war or through accidents in peacetime,
but they do not enlist to be used
unnecessarily in dangerous and
hazardous situations in peacetime at
the whim of an uninformed, callous or
indifferent Government without being
given full knowledge of the risks
through briefings and being provided
with protective clothing and proper
reliable monitoring equipment.
The atomic trials in Australia were
a classic example of a criminally
negligent approach by British
Scientists and both British and
Australian governments which
apparently did not care or believed
that servicemen were expendable as
long as their political objectives were
attained.
There is of course the “Hindsight”
argument. The only justifiable use of
the hindsight excuse is where
knowledge of what may happen is
unavailable, and could not reasonably
be determined. However, before these
trials started there was a wealth of
knowledge of the effects of radiation;
the Pitchblende miners, Madame
Curie, the clock and watch workers
using radium to paint luminous dials,
American trials and the analysis of the
Hiroshima bomb radiation data and
effects. It is now over 50 years since
7
the trials but the government has still
not dealt properly and fairly with the
casualties of this activity.
Then there was the F111 deseal/
reseal program where airmen were
subject to contamination by working
with highly toxic chemicals in the
confined space of aircraft tanks. And
more recently the unbelievable
situation over the pay for SAS troops
fighting in Afghanistan which took over
four months to fix instead of 48 hours.
I fully appreciate that you may not
have wanted a guest speaker to delve
on these matters and I apologise if I
have offended anyone. But the
treatment of service personnel has
concerned me for most of my service
and post service life. I do not readily
accept injustices or unnecessary and
avoidable loss of lives.
Today when we walk away from
this service, are we going to do so in
the comfortable belief that is that for
another year, or are we going to think
a little more deeply about why the
lives were lost and what more could
have been done to save them. How
many lives were unnecessarily lost
because of lack of preparation, a
disregard of whether the war was fully
justified or a disregard for the sanctity
of lives and what we really owe to our
servicemen and their families?
Can we really accept the stupidity
of military incompetence of having four
brothers serving in the same warship
and all being killed when it was sunk,
or that an Army command could be so
callous as to have a number of
brothers killed during WWI without
having the compassion to withdraw
some from action. What sacrifices are
needed before compassion makes its
voice heard?
The scales are far from balanced.
Our servicemen and women deserve
better. Many have lost their lives for
us. We have a responsibility to do our
part and that is to ensure that our
servicemen and their dependents are
not sacrificed by COMPLACENCY,
INCOMPETENCE, IGNORANCE and by
governments and top brass regarding
servicemen as pawns to be used
i n di s c ri m i n atel y a n d wi t h o u t
accountability.
The Guardee’s comment “that he
knows no greater glory than to die for
King and country” should not be a part
of the Australian ethos or a raison
d'etre to justify the unnecessary loss
of life. Australian servicemen are the
best we can get. They deserve that we
should also reciprocate by supporting
them and giving the best we can.
LEST WE FORGET.
After a short period in the Army, Norman
Geschke entered the Air Force where he
served for 30 years. Cont Pg 8

׳â
During this time, he commanded a number of flying and administrative
units, and held senior staff appointments in administration, training,
operations such as Senior Weapons Officer at number 82 Bomber Wing,
Directorates of Operations and Training, and Air Traffic Control. He was
awarded the Queen’s Commendation in 1954 and in 1967 an OBE for his
services as Director of RAAF Recruiting. He was ADC to the Governor
General in 1960.
His Air Force career has had some close calls including a midair
collision while training air gunners in a Mustang; a blocked fuel jettison
pipe causing fuel to flow into the Avro Lincoln aircraft fuselage; a
navigation exercise which had the hallmarks of a disaster when all
airfields in range became closed through thick fog, and that is not all! He
flew a Lincoln through an atomic cloud during the nuclear trials in
Australia.
In 1971, Norman retired with the rank of Group Captain and became
the Business Manager of the Howard Florey Institute, which is the largest
brain medical research institute in Australia.
In June 1974, he was appointed Victoria’s first Director of Consumer
Affairs and in September 1980 he was appointed Ombudsman for
Victoria.
He was awarded Honorary Life Membership in 1992 with the
International Ombudsman Institute in recognition of his service to the
Institute and his outstanding contribution to the Ombudsman idea &
ethos. At the time of his retirement, he was the world’s longest serving
Ombudsman.
Louise Dyskin
BA, ACTT, Grad Dip Social Biol, Grad Dip Special Ed
PSYCHOLOGIST
DEALING
WITH:
THE PTE GREGORY SHER
MEMORIAL SHIELD
Pte Gregory Michael Sher
1 Commando Regiment, ADF
úîùðì äø÷åäáå äëøòäá
ì æ״ éåìä äîìù ïá ìàëéî ïåìéâ
è ñùú״ úáè ç׳ ~ è״ìùú åìñë
May His Memory Be Blessed
When our youngest member, Greg Sher (Z"L) was killed in
action in Afghanistan on 4 th January 2009, the Committee
was unanimous in voting to honour his memory. VAJEX
president, Ben Hirsh, spoke to Greg’s parents, Felix and
Yvonne, and it was decided to institute a Memorial Shield. It
was offered to each of the Jewish Day Schools in Melbourne
and to UJEB. Every year, the school will select two students
to be honoured as recipients of this award, for their scholastic
achievements or other worthy tasks performed in the
community.
Seven of the day schools accepted our offer as did UJEB -
the United Jewish Education Board - which teaches Jewish
values to students who don’t attend Jewish day schools.
The Shield is made of dark mahogany wood with a large
VAJEX badge at the top and an inscription that says:
THE PTE GREGORY SHER MEMORIAL SHIELD
inaugurated by
THE VICTORIAN ASSOCIATION OF
JEWISH EX-SERVICEMEN & WOMEN
For an appointment please ring
9505 3559 or 0413 046 789
louisedyskin@optusnet.com.au
24 Neerim Road Caulfield 3162
Below it are three double columns of 10 spaces for the
recipients’ names and the year award is made. A plaque with
suitable engraving, in Hebrew and English is below the namecolumn
and below that, another plaque:
Presented to (name of) School and Date
Each student chosen for the award will receive an engraved
lapel badge, a certificate and a brochure with information on
the late Greg’s life.
The Shield and lapel badges are still in the production stage
and the presentations to the schools will be announced in the
Australian Jewish News prior to the events.
HERALDIC DESCRIPTION
Star of David ~ Symbol of Judaism
Clasping Hands ~ Comradeship & Helping Hands
Kangaroo ~ Allegiance to Australia
Lion
~ Lion of Judah
Laurel Wreath ~ Symbolising Supreme Sacrifice & Peace
8

he Shrine of Remembrance, which was opened in
T 1934 as a memorial to the fallen of the First
World War 1914-1918, marked its 75 th last year.
General Sir John Monash was one of the chief
proponents for a non-denominational memorial to all
Australians who have served and died in war. Much
has been added since it was opened and every day
sees a large number of visitors - both local and
overseas tourists - as well as school groups.
VAJEX will be holding its first Service at the
Shrine on Sunday 1 st August 2010, 11.00am
with the participation of our Chaplain, Rabbi Dovid
Gutnick. We have arranged for VAJEX to hold a
Service at the Shrine on the first Sunday in August
each year. The VAJEX flag will be raised at the
Shrine’s forecourt
for the first time in
our 80 year history.
ur ANZAC Day Service will be held in the
O Rose Hall, Mount Scopus Memorial College,
245 Burwood Highway, Burwood
Entrance via Station Street
Sunday 2 nd May 2010, at 10.30am.
Guest Speaker: Mr Denis Baguley
CEO Shrine of Remembrance
AJEX is planning to hold a Service at the
V graveside of WWI hero SGT Issy Smith
VC. He served in the British Army in India and
after his discharge came to live in Melbourne.
When WWI broke out Issy Smith, being a
reservist, returned to England and joined his
regiment when, in the thick of fighting in 1915,
was recommended for the highest award for
bravery, the Victoria Cross - for bringing in
wounded soldiers under heavy enemy fire. He
returned to take up residence in Melbourne,
died on 10 th September 1940, and is buried in
the Jewish section of Fawkner Cemetery.
Photo: Judy Landau
T
he City of Glen Eira will hold its ANZAC
Ceremony on Sunday 18 th April at
2.30pm. VAJEX is invited to participate and
we will put out the Memorial Stakes as a
“Field of Magen Davids.”
Members and the public
are invited to sponsor any
deceased Jewish serviceperson
with a Memorial
Stake. An application form
is enclosed or can be
obtained from the website
or by phoning 0412 307 031
and a form will be posted
to you. Each person
h o n o u r e d c a n b e
sponsored for a donation
of $36.00. With your
support, it is anticipated to
have a larger display next
ANZAC Day.
he annual commemoration of the
T death of General Sir John
Monash, GOC (General Officer
Commanding) Australian Army Corps
in France, 1918, who died on 8 th
October 1931, will be held at
Brighton Cemetery on a date to be
arranged.
Photo: Judy Landau
www.jewishmilitaryvic.org.au
ur end-of-month social gatherings in the home of
O Committee members Louise Dyskin and Eric Gordon
have proved very popular. On the last Sunday of each
month a guest speaker is invited to give a talk. A variety of
speakers from barrister to Antarctic adventurer have given
interesting talks and a Kosher supper provided by our hosts
brings our members together more frequently. The end-ofyear
BBQ in December was a great success and we are
grateful to Louise and Eric for their wonderful ongoing
hospitality.
To be announced in new Mid-Year Newsletter
for members
9

A FULFILLING LIFE WELL LIVED
F
rank Albert Slutzkin, was born on 16 th January 1924 to
Sholom and Gladys Slutzkin in Melbourne. He had five
older brothers, Leo, Ivon, Alan, Peter and Bob, an older
sister Shirley, twin sister Valda and younger sister Nona. Only
Bob, aged 92, and Nona survive him. It was a strict religious
upbringing but the children still managed to have a lot of fun
and get up to lots of mischief.
Frank attended school at Wesley College and courted
Meryl Cohen, who was attending PLC. He used to work out
his coming home time from school so that he could be on the
same tram as her!
Both sang in Rev Kowadlo’s St Kilda Synagogue
Children’s Choir. Their service to the choir continued for
many years after the War and Frank took over the
Choirmaster duties following on from his brother Leo.
Frank served in the War in the RAN,
enlisting as soon as he could in
1942. He rose through the ranks to
Lieutenant, serving on HMAS
Geelong, which was sunk off PNG in
1944, and then on HMAS
Hawkesbury. He served in many
areas off PNG, Borneo, Singapore
and Phillipines, and was one of the
first in to Changi to release the
POWs and states it was a sight he
will never forget. He continued to
serve after the war in the Naval
reserve in the rank of Lieutenant
Commander and was awarded a
VRD for those services.
He joined VAJEX (Victorian Association of Jewish Ex-
Servicemen & Women) after the war and served in many
capacities including as its President in 1956 and then as the
Federal President. He was very active in the blood donor
aspect of VAJEX and organised the donors out to the
Repatriation Hospital in Heidelberg every month. Frank was
also involved with prevention of anti-semitic activities with
VAJEX, investigating suspect groups and providing security
to important Jewish buildings.
Frank married the love of his life, Meryl in May 1946 and
they first lived in a house in Dixon Street, Malvern with their
beloved springer spaniel, Plonka.
Frank initially went into business with his brother Leo but
then ventured out into his own fashion agency in Capitol
House on Swanston Street and was successful in that for
many years. He served as President of the Fashion Agents’
Association.
He and Meryl produced two loving children, Sandra and
Colin, and lived all of their family life in Fosbery Avenue,
Caulfield with various dogs, birds and fish. They created a
warm, loving, kosher family home and taught their children
the importance of caring for others, charity and community.
Meryl was a role model for charitable work with her long
involvement with Jewish Welfare and Ezra, but Frank also
served as a Probationary Officer for troubled youth for several
years.
Frank and Meryl moved to their unit in Northcote Avenue,
Caulfield nearly 30 years ago. Their grandsons Ben and Paul,
fondly remember Friday night dinners there and then the fun
of sleeping over at Nanna and Poppa’s house and being
spoilt by Nanna in the morning!
When Frank decided to leave the fashion industry, he
joined his brother Ivon in the manufacture of masonic regalia
for many years.
He was then approached to become CEO of Montefiore
Homes. He was initially reluctant to do this as he felt he had
no experience in the field, but with his flair for business and
FRANK ALBERT SLUTZKIN
16 Jan 1924 ~ 5 Dec 2009
organisation, he was able to make a great success of it and
was popular with both residents and staff.
Frank was successful in whatever he has attempted due
to his dedication and commitment to the task. Over the last
22 years, he worked as Secretary to the Queen Elizabeth
Centre Foundation in a fund-raising capacity and was proud
to be part of the building of a new complex in Noble Park. In
recognition of his work, he was appointed a Life Governor. He
was retiring in his role at the end of the year and was looking
forward to a function that was being held in his honour. He
never felt that he should retire as he never felt too old to work
and contribute! His brain was still so active!
He thoroughly enjoyed his very long involvement with
Freemasonry and many years ago, was very proud that he
was offered the honour of being Grand Master. He made
friends all over the state through Freemasonry.
He thoroughly enjoyed the community work and friendships
he developed over 20 years through Prahran Rotary
which he attended weekly and readily participated in their
fund-raising and charitable work. He was President of
Prahran Rotary from 1992 - 1993 and was honoured a few
years later with a presentation of the highest award in Rotary,
the Paul Harris Award, for his community service.
He was one of the many loyal supporters of the St Kilda
Football Club and was devastated by last year’s Grand Final
result. He went with Sandy and Lionel to all the home
matches and happily watched replays of wins time and again!
Frank was a loving family man and loved Shabbat dinners
at Sandy and Lionel’s, surrounded by his children and
grandchildren. He was proud to see his grandsons happy and
settled in their personal and professional lives and got a thrill
out of their successes.
He was an avid stamp collector and had an amazing
stamp collection consisting of 37 albums which he had
collected and lovingly worked on all his life. He had many
passions apart from football, including cricket, reading,
gardening, the arts such as music and opera, and a game of
poker. When they were younger, he also loved to travel with
Meryl and had a great knowledge of the world. Since Meryl’s
passing, Ruth has been a wonderful companion for him and
we appreciate all that she has been to him.
After Frank’s stroke a few years ago, which weakened his
left side, everyone imagined this
would devastate him. But with his
amazingly resilient nature and the
help of the wonderful carers from
Silver Circle who came every day
to shower and dress him, he was
back driving himself to work and
into his busy lifestyle, much to the
admiration of us all.
Sandy wants to make mention
of the fantastic love and care that
Lionel showed to his father-in-law.
Lionel had been a surrogate son to
Frank with his son, Colin absent
for 30 years in South Africa. Lionel has done everything from
helping shower Frank to including him on holidays. Frank
would often ring to ask Lionel to fix something for him that
had to be done “right now”, or assemble some complicated
thing he had bought. Lionel, Frank loved you like a son and
appreciated all you did for him.
Frank has had a wonderfully rich and fulfilling life. He will
be very sadly missed by his family who loved and admired
him so much and by all his friends who enjoyed his good
humour and companionship.
Written by Sandy Walvisch ~ Frank’s daughter
10

After various setbacks &
holdups, on 20 th December 2009, Webmaster Judy Landau
published the first page of our website. STEVE TUSAK reports.
The story of the VAJEX website.
During committee meetings which included
discussions of how to raise the staid profile of the
venerable Association, the committee brainstormed
various methods of modernising the Association to
make it attractive to new members. Bearing in mind
that the Association’s numbers were reducing at an
alarming rate with the passing of senior members and
the lack of new recruits, the constitution was changed
to allow family to become members, but still more
needed to be done. The committee decided to
investigate the concept of a website as one of the ways
of publicising the existence, aims, and benefits of our
Association to current and potential members as well
as to the general public.
The decision was made to go ahead with the
planning and investigation of the website concept.
Unfortunately, there was a noticeable lack of
volunteers to take the matter further. This can be partly
ascribed to the lack of computer knowledge and
expertise of the more senior generation comprising
most of the committee.
What you will find under the tabs…
CONTACT US: Email addresses and phone
numbers; Message to ADF Personnel
ABOUT US: Who’s Who; Our Chaplain; Association
History; Services Provided; Sponsorships; How to
Donate; Our Constitution
MEMBERS: Join; Member Stories; Our Fallen; Book
of Remembrance; Tributes; Greg Sher Memorial
Shield; Guest Speaker addresses; Rank Humour
(The Pages from the Books of Remembrance
have all been scanned and hyperlinked to indexes
of all the names of our fallen.)
NEWS: Military History (Under Construction);
PARADE; PARADE Archived Feature; Mazal Tov;
Vale; Useful Links
EVENTS: Upcoming Events (a comprehensive
calendar of VAJEX events, candle lighting, Yom
Tovim dates, public holidays etc); Past Events;
Ceremonial Flags & Wreath; National Anthems
(with sound & downloadable words); Psalms &
Poems (can be downloaded for participants to use
in our services); Prayers (can be downloaded);
Bugle Calls (with sound & music score)
PHOTO GALLERY: photos of our events
Judy felt as the one of the few members of the
committee with some level of computer knowledge, that
the task would have to fall on her. So with zero
knowledge of how to build a website, she took on the
task of investigating options with persons suggested by
committee members, her associates and also
investigated commercial options.
A commercial option was quoted at between
$15,000 - $30,000. Obviously this was way beyond any
realistic budget that could be allocated by VAJEX.
In her usual “let’s get it done” manner, Judy
personally took on the task of investigating suitable
packages to use to make the design of the website
affordable and to make ongoing maintenance easy,
with the intention of finding a lower cost option or
resource to actually design and implement the website.
It is now history that the resource WAS Judy.
So she designed and set up a few sample pages
of the website to discern whether or not it was feasible
for her to do it. All major tasks are subject to start up
difficulties, however, Judy is not one to be perturbed by
such small issues as insurmountable difficulties.
After experimenting and consulting with an
industry professional, she changed packages and after
only one hour of tuition, she invested all four weeks of
her unpaid annual leave working up to 16 hours daily,
six days a week, to personally enter in all the data,
design the graphics and organise the architecture of
the website.
She personally scanned almost 600 pages from
the Books of Remembrance, liaised with committee
members and the results are there for all to see.
The website is the new front face of VAJEX, the
result of a brilliant job that will be a valuable asset and
major resource to all VAJEX members. It will also
significantly lift the profile of VAJEX within the wider
community and help recruit new members including
those amongst the current serving ADF members.
A task well done with Judy’s usual standard of
excellence, that deserves the thanks and appreciation
of all VAJEX members.
11

Aarons Harold Davis Alexander Isaacs William Marks Alfred Rabinovitch Eliezer
Aarons Maurice Edelsten Hartley Jacobs Louis Marks Lionel Raphael Frederick
Abraham Albert Ehrenberg Samuel Jonas Benjamin Marks Marcus Rosenthal Samuel
Ansell Herbert Ettingove Samuel Joseph Horace Mendoza Howard Rosenwax Charles
Beaver Wilfred Fink Gordon Joseph Joseph Michaelis Frank Roth Karl
Benjamin Alfred Frankel Simeon Joseph Sydney Michaelis Grant Samuel Edward
Benjamin Stanley Freadman Zavel Kaufmann Cuthbert Miller Joseph Samuel Howard
Bishop Samuel Fromer Harry Kozminsky Maurice Moss Louis Samuels Herbert
Blaubaum Eric Goldstein Leon Kunin Gregory Nathan Alfred Shallberg John
Bloch Felix Goldstone Aaron Lambahirt Theodore Nathan Myer Silverman Abraham
Bloom Julius Hallenstein Dalbert Lazarus Isaac Nathan Robert Solnick Ernest
Cantor Benjamin Harbert Gershun Lazer Lionel Nyeman Abraham Symons Emanuel
Cohen George Hart Henry Lee David Nyeman Charles Weingott Alexander
Cohen John Hart Horace Levi Keith Phillips Samuel Wittner Hyman
Cohen Joseph Hart John Levy Albert Pirani Carl ♦
Cohen Maurice Hart Leslie Levy Alwyn Pizer Edward ♦
Cohen William Hyams William Marcus Reuben Rabinovitch Bezelle ♦
Benjamin Rudolph Earl George Jacobs David Morris Allan Schwartz Max
Bennett Alexander Fine Bernard Jacobs Peter Opas Athol Schwartz Zelman
Berliner Harris Frieze Berrol Joseph David Orbuck Laurence Shapir Morris
Berliner Leon Goldman William Joseph Graham Oshlack Charles Shemberg Henry
Bernstein Harry Goldstone Morris Joseph Harold Oshlack Joseph Shmith Robert
Beth-Halevy Abraham Harlem Athol Kan Alexander Patkin Leo Silverman Herbert
Brand Norman Harris Myer Klitenik Szymon Pearlman Leslie Stolarski Chaim
Britnell David Harris R Kurtz Abraham Pincus John White Bernard
Burman Leonard Harris Syme Laufer Ulrich Raises Braham Winston John
Chester Leonard Hirschfeld Werner Letwin Gerald Rose Max ♦
Ciddor Merton Hoffman Adolf Lipp Bencion Rosen Sidney ♦
Cohen Joseph Honig Amichai Lubansky Harry Saulwick Laurence ♦
Dyte Alan Isaacs Gerald Marks Zalick Schott Keith ♦
Sher
Gregory
VALE
Our Annual Remembrance Day Luncheon Ceremony will honour all VAJEX members departed
since our last Luncheon with their details inserted in our Book of Remembrance
26 Apr 2009 Frederick P Spielvogel OAM 18504 CPL 87 SQN RAAF
17 Nov 2009 John H Rozenblum 368672 SGT 3 Div Sigs Army Res
5 Dec 2009 Frank A Slutzkin VRD 158986 PTE Melb Uni Rifles Army
PM5471 LTCDR RANVR
29 Dec 2009 Gwidon Gottlieb-Borucki CPL Polish Army
23 Jan 2010 William Dunwill CPL Polish Army
28 Jan 2010 Hyman Wittner VX25881 LCPL 1 Aust Army Corps Army
14

DECORATED FOR BRAVERY &
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE WORLD WAR I
alphabetical list of Jewish Service-persons in the AIF who received decorations for gallant and distinguished service,
An 1914-1918. The ranks and decorations are as at the time of award. Many were gazetted after 1918 and some of the
people listed were promoted to higher ranks. Foreign awards are included. Every effort has been made to achieve accuracy.
This may not be a complete list.
AARONS Daniel Sidney CAPT 16 th Bn MC & Bar
BARNETT Max Morris SGT 1 st PNR Bn MiD, MSM
BENJAMIN Ernest L/SGT 2 nd PNR Bn MM
BERCOVITCH Maurice PTE 16 th Bn MM
BLASHKI Roy Hector LT Artillery MiD
BLOUSTEIN Herbert Morris CQMS 5 th Bn MSM
BREITMAN George PTE 3 rd Bn MM
BRODZIAK Cedric Eric M MAJOR 3 rd MG Bn DSO
CARO Phillip LIEUTENANT 2 nd TUN COY MBE
COHEN Arthur Francis TEMP CAPTAIN AUST ENG MC, MiD(2)
COHEN Harold Edward LT COL 6 th FAB CMG, DSO, MiD (2)
COHEN Karl Morris SGT 6 th FCE Belgian Croix de Guerre
COHEN Oram Edward GNR/LT 12 th FAB MM
COHEN William Raymond PTE 4 th Bn MM
COLLINS Harold Emanuel WO2 AFC MSM
DIAMOND Sydney PTE 6 th Bn DCM
FREEDMAN David Isaac RABBI (ANZAC Chaplain) MiD
FRYBERG Louis LCPL 7 th Bn (later AFC) MM
GOLDSMITH Henry LT 5 th DAC MC
HARLEM Bertram Julius PTE 21 st Bn MM
HYMAN Arthur Wellesley MAJOR 51 st Bn OBE, MiD (2)
HYMAN Eric Montague MAJOR 12 th LHR DSO
HYMAN Joseph DRIVER 14 th FAB MSM
ISAACS David Joseph CQMS 3 rd MG Bn MSM
ISRAEL Henry CPL 6 th Bn DCM
ISRAEL Morris Samuel 2 nd CPL 1 st SIG Sqn MM
JACOBS Cecil John LCPL 3 rd PNR Bn MM
JACOBS Harold CAPT 1 st Bn MiD
JACOBS Harold Leslie LT 11 th FAB MC
JOEL John SGT 4 th Bn MM
JONSEN Otto Carl PTE 7 th FD AMB MM
JOSEPH Coleman Henry T/MAJOR 4 th DIV SIGS MC, Mid(2)
JOSEPH Oliver Harold PTE 46 th Bn MM
KAYE John Henry LCPL 8 th Bn MM
KEESING Gordon Samuel LT 12 th FCE MiD
KESSEL Izard CPL 1 st Bn DCM
KEYSOR Leonard Maurice LCPL/LT 1 st Bn/42 nd Bn VC
KRANTZ Samuel Harold LCPL 11 th FAB MM
15
Cont Pg 16

LAWRENCE Keith Francis PTE 6 th FD AMB MM
LEEDMAN Charles Herbert CAPT AMC MC and Bar
LEVI Keith Maurice CAPT AAMC/RAMC MiD
LEVY Albert SGT 39 th Bn MM
LEVY Henry Samuel PTE 6 th FD AMB MM
LEVY Solomon George SGT 6 th Bn DCM
LEVY Theodore Harold LT PROV MBE
LEWIS Mark PTE 1 st Bn/1 st FD AMB MM
LEWIS Morris CAPT 44 th Bn MC
LIPMAN Leo Benjamin WO ADMIN HQ MSM
LISSNER Hyman SGT 1 st PNR Bn MM
LITTMAN Solomon PTE 51 st Bn MM
LOFFMAN Philip PTE 16 th Bn MM
MARGOLIN Elazar Lazar MAJOR 16 th Bn DSO, MiD
MARKS Cecil Henry PTE 25 th Bn MM
MENDELSOHN Harris CAPT 21 st Bn/6 th FD AMB MC
MONASH Sir John LT GENERAL GOC Aust Corp GCMG, KCB, MiD (8),
CdG (Blg), CdG (Fr),
GOf, LdHon (Fr),
GOf, OCR (Belg), DSM (USA)
MOSS Aubrey CAPT 3 rd PNR Bn MiD
PHILLIPS Philip David LCPL 3 rd DS Coy MM
PHILLIPS Morris CPL 56 th Bn DCM
PYKE Clarence Abraham CAPT AASC MC, MiD
ROSEN Leslie William LT 2 nd Bn MC
ROSENBERG Julius Myer PTE 2 nd PNR Bn MM
ROSENTHAL Leah STAFF NURSE AANC ARRC
SAMUELS Louis LT 1 st FAB MC
SANDER Cyril LCPL 30 th Bn MM
SANDERS Algernon Benjamin PTE 6 th FD AMB MM
SELIG Oscar Moritz PTE 13 th Bn MM
SIMMONS Ernest PTE 29 th Bn MM
SIMONSON Paul William CAPT 46 th Bn MBE, MiD
SOLOMONS Maurice PTE 19 th Bn MM
STEIGRAD Max T/CSM 26 th COY, ASC MiD
STEINBERG Laurence Solomon PTE 44 th Bn MM
THOMAS Henry Lamert PTE 30 th Bn MM
TOFLER Louis Judah LT 53 rd Bn MC
WALTERS Philip SGT 28 th Bn MM
WAXMAN Clive Raymond SGT 22 nd Bn MM
WOOLFE Hyman Ellman DVR 5 th FAB MM
ZANDER Waldo Hyman LT 30 th Bn MiD (2)
16

Key to abbreviations.
AWARDS: VC = VICTORIA CROSS - the highest award for valour
ARRC = Associate of The Royal Red Cross Order (Royal Red Cross Order 2 nd class)
CMG = Companion of The Order of St Michael and St George
CdG = Croix de Guerre (War Cross) awarded by both Belgium and France
DCM = Distinguished Conduct Medal
DSM = Distinguished Service Medal
DSO = Distinguished Service Order
GCMG = Knight Grand Cross of The Order of St Michael and St George
GOf = Grand Officer - grade equivalent to Knight Commander (Belgium and France)
KCB = Knight Commander of The Order of The Bath
LdHon = Legion d'Honneur (France)
MBE = Member of The Most Excellent Order of The British Empire
MC = Military Cross
MiD = Mentioned in Despatches
MM = Military Medal
MSM = Meritorious Service Medal
OBE = Officer of The Most Excellent Order of The British Empire
OCR = Order of The Crown of Belgium
RANKS and UNITS:
AANC = Australian Army Nursing Corps
AFC = Australian Flying Corps
ASC = Australian Army Service Corps
AUST ENG = Australian Engineers
Bn = Battalion (about 1000 strong)
CPL = Corporal
CQMS = Company Quartermaster Sergeant
CAPT = Captain
DAC = Divisional Ammunition Column (Artillery)
DIV SIGS = Divisional Signals
DVR = Driver
FAB = Field Artillery Brigade
FCE = Field Company Engineers
FD AMB = Field Ambulance
GNR = Gunner - in Artillery equivalent to Private
LCPL = Lance Corporal
LT = Lieutenant
MG Bn = Machine Gun Battalion
Sqn = Squadron
PNR Bn = Pioneer Battalion
T/ = Temporary
TUN COY = Tunnelling Company
T/CSM = Temporary Company sergeant major
WO2 = Warrant Officer 2 nd class (Sergeant Major)
NOTES:
Captain Daniel S Aarons, MC and Bar, became Sir Daniel Aarons. Major Eric M Hyman commanded a squadron in the famous
charge at Beersheba in October 1917, was recommended for the Victoria Cross but that was downgraded to the DSO. Philip
David Phillips MM, later became Sir Philip David Phillips.
Among the recipients of awards listed above, many received honours and promotions after WWI; of the above, many also
served during WWII and received additional recognition as well as being involved in politics, the legal system, commerce,
charity work and welfare for families of ex-servicemen and women.
Their loyalty and courage under fire inspired generations which followed them.
Ben Hirsh
LEST WE FORGET
17

nitially our unit was recruited in Victoria. We trained in
I Queensland for nine months before sailing for New Guinea
in early 1943.
After settling into what one would call normal army
routine, the different denominations commenced attending
their church services on a regular basis. The Jewish
contingent was no exception.
We used to meet every Friday night to conduct our
services. As the Jewish chaplains, or rabbis were few and far
between we usually had a chaplain from the Catholic or
Protestant faith who was in charge of the service. The only
two rabbis that ever visited us briefly were Rabbi L M
Goldman of Toorak and Rabbi Reuben Sachs of Perth, WA.
They did a wonderful job being very knowledgeable and
proficient. They fitted the bill nicely, and we were very
thankful.
Talking about different religions, reminded me of an
incident which happened to me around that time. After a
day’s work I went for a swim, changed into a fresh set of
jungle clothes and went for a walk along a jungle trail, not far
from camp.
Photo: Alex Dorevitch on right
There on a log, sat a native chewing betel-nut. He was
completely naked except for a ‘lap-lap’, a piece of fabric
covering his front, held in place by a bamboo belt. We began
a conversation, and to my surprise he spoke very good
English. Naturally I asked him where he learnt his English
and he replied, “In a missionary school.”
He then continued by asking me which church l
belonged to. I told him, “Temple Beth Israel”. He did not catch
on. So, l told him, that I go to synagogue. He still did not
understand.
Finally I told him I belonged to the Jewish Church. He
repeated it a number of times, “Jewish Church? Jewish
Church?” Then all of a sudden he caught on, instinctively
saying, “No good! No good!”
I’d like to emphasise here, I must have been the first Jew
he had ever seen in his entire life.
He came from the highlands of Papua. If his father was
not a cannibal then I am sure his grandfather must have been
one! Yet he had the audacity to tell me, “No good, No good!” I
say it without prejudice; he was a product of his mentors.
On a separate occasion I was walking along the beach, a
fellow came up to me stating a rhetorical question, “You are
Jewish? I am pleased to meet you.”
He introduced himself as Lionel Falk, Rabbi L A Falk’s
WAR YEARS' RECOLLECTIONS
by Alex Dorevitch
18
son from Sydney. He had
noticed the golden chain and
Mezuzah which I wore around
my neck at all times. It was a
gift from my mother who had
instructed me to wear it all
through the war years, and I
had been only too happy to
oblige.
Lionel wanted to form a
Jewish circle to meet regularly,
however it never eventuated as
we were always on the move.
While I was in New Guinea,
l found out an old close friend of mine was in the Buna-Gona
district, by the name of Ben Lipp. He served in an Army
Engineers Unit. In his very young years, he had also served
in the Haganah in Palestine.
l got his army number and we commenced corresponding.
I exchanged letters with him a few times however then all of a
sudden, his letters ceased.
To my great sorrow, I found out a short while later Ben
had died tragically by drowning in a fast flowing river while
attempting to lay a swinging bridge across it. After heavy
rains the river had swelled quickly and formed a torrent. He
had been a good swimmer, but they never recovered the
body. He was a great guy and they did not come any nicer
than Ben.
As time went on, more American troops landed in the
Milne Bay area and with it an influx of Jewish soldiers. The
American troops were estimated to number around 100,000.
As the Jewish population of the USA was estimated at the
time to be about two and a half percent, the Jewish soldiers
could be assumed to have numbered about 2,500.
They soon organised themselves and were holding
regular Friday night services. They extended an open
invitation to the Australian Jewish soldiers, and I attended a
number of them. They had scores of Jewish chaplains who
were in charge. After service they would stay on and sing
Jewish songs, solo or in unison. They were not short of
talented singers, fine voices and very warm Jewish folk
songs.
While being so far away from home and all of us
complete strangers, we felt a certain bond between us. “How
sweet it is, to dwell in one’s own tents” & “How goodly are
your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places O Israel.”
The jungle is full of surprises. One evening as I was
walking along a narrow track on my way to Friday night
service, I was astonished to see a bright light illuminating
from amongst the bushes in a circular form. I stopped to
observe in fascination. The light did not alter in any form. It
came to my mind, the biblical story of the Burning Bush. The
bush was burning yet it was not consumed. I imagined a loud
voice saying to me at any moment, “Take off your shoes you
are standing on Holy Ground.” I approached slowly to
investigate further. The mystery revealed itself to be a cluster
of mushrooms. The mushrooms were impregnated with
phosphorus, hence the large luminous light. The light was so
strong it would have literally been possible to read a paper in
front of it!
One day, a week before Passover, I received a parcel
addressed to Alex Dorevitch, VX46464. On opening it, I was
delightfully surprised to find a packet of matzos, a bottle of
wine, a tin of gefilte fish, nuts and raisins, and a Haggadah
book - a special edition for the Armed Forces.
It had been generously provided by a Jewish war effort
circle from Melbourne. It was a nice feeling knowing we were
not forgotten.
Page sponsored by Dr & Mrs Abe Dorevitch & Family

Within the following two days we received word that the
American Jewish Forces were inviting us to their Seder night.
They appropriately dubbed it The International Seder. The
Australian authorities gave us the night off and provided us
with transport to prearranged junction points.
When we arrived, we entered a huge well-lit native hut.
White sheets covered all the tables in place of table cloths,
and the utensils were laid out in an orderly fashion.
Out of the 2,500 soldiers, well over a 1,000 attended the
Seder night. Of course not all of them could be present for
obvious reasons. The Australian contribution in numbers
must have totalled between 60 - 70 men.
As no hut was big enough to accommodate all of us, we
had to divide ourselves between four or five huts. Ours was
the biggest. Foreign correspondents and photographers were
present and keen to take photos for overseas newspapers.
The atmosphere was happy and joyful and spirits were high.
Prior to commencing the formalities, the senior chaplain
was searching for the youngest soldier. They commenced
with 19 year olds, who were numerous. Then they asked for
18 year olds and finally under 18 years.
Six 17 year olds were left standing. The youngest of them,
who was only just 17 years, had to ask the Four Questions.
He looked a boy and we admired him greatly.
When it came to reciting the verse Slaves we were in the
Land of Egypt, there was a lot of food for thought. We had
always believed how horrific the suffering was. And yet, 3,000
years later in Nazi Germany, to be a slave was a luxury. How
many millions would have liked to be temporary slaves and
were never given the option.
With Compliments from
David Hirsh
Medal Mounting
Swing & Court Style
Miniatures & Replicas supplied
Ribbon bars made up
Phone/Fax: 9571 5469
davehirsh@yahoo.com
Monday - Friday
10.00am - 5.00pm
12 Hawson Avenue, Glen Huntly 3163
With Compliments from
Our leaders today have not grasped the seriousness of
the time. The collapse of Hitler should have been declared a
Jewish holiday!
After two long years in the steamy jungle, like the
Egyptian Jews of old, l too, was ready for my exodus from the
lands of the Fuzzy Wuzzies.
Much has passed since the end of the war years. Lots of
memories of well over 60 years ago remain deeply embedded
in my mind.
However of all the lows and highs, those particular
experiences during the years of war service will never be
forgotten. I treasure and remember them fondly and with
much nostalgia, in particular that Passover night of 1943 in
the jungle.
Alex Dorevitch VX46464
4 th Field Ambulance, AIF
Milne Bay, New Guinea, 1943
Suppliers to the
Clothing & Textile Trade
HUGE RANGE
of items
always available
53~57 Cambridge Street
Collingwood
Phone: 9419 9411
Fax: 9419 8679
Page sponsored by Mr & Mrs David Dorevitch & Family
19

THE AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE
By Roland Perry
In
case some of you are wondering what “Light Horse”
represents, it’s not midgets on a Shetland pony. It’s a
lightly armed (rifle and bayonet) mounted riflemen. The
Australians were never trained infantry. Most were horseman who
were good shots, and could wield a bayonet, and late in the war, a
sword. The British cavalry, who fought alongside them, were
trained soldiers who could ride.
The main battlefield commander in
the Middle East conflict of World War
One, where this book is mainly set,
was an Australian lieutenant-general
Sir Harry Chauvel. At the peak of the
war he had 34,000 troopers and
cameleers under his command. 65 per
cent were Anzacs. The rest were
British and Indians. It was the biggest
such force in history, bigger than
anything that Napoleon ever put in the
field, and far more powerful with the
armaments it had.
The prime legacy of the Light
Horse was to end the Ottoman
Empire, the reign of the Turks, in the
Middle East. In all there were four
noteworthy legacies that rolled out
over the next 90 years. The second
legacy was the creation of the
circumstances for the development of
independent Arab states; the third was
laying out the conditions for Jewish
migration into the Middle East, near
impossible before the defeat of the
Turks at Gaza-Beersheba in early
November 1917; and the coincident
signing of the Balfour Declaration of
early November 1917. In a nutshell,
this official British “statement” said,
that under expected British rule in
Palestine, increased Jewish migration
could occur there.
Without the Light Horse defeating
the Turks, there would be no British
control or mandate. Without British
control or mandate there could be no
Jewish migration, and in the future, no
Israel.
And a fourth legacy was the
development of easy access to oil for
the swallowing up by rapacious
Western societies over the next 90 years.
In literature, films, articles and
exhibitions over the last 90 years,
Lawrence and the Arabs, NOT THE
LIGHT HORSE, have dominated and
taken credit for the end of the Ottoman
Empire (the Turks) in the Middle East
in World War I, 1914-1918. Lean’s
film, surely one of the finest classics of
the 20 th century, and the mighty
performance of Peter O’Toole, have
much to do with it. So has T E
Lawrence’s literary masterpiece
Seven Pillars of Wisdom, on which
Lean’s movie was based.
In reality, Lawrence and Harry
Chauvel, half-way through the war
came under the same Commander in
Chief, General Sir Edmund Allenby
(played by Jack Hawkins in Lean’s
movie.)
The defining moment for a chance
at victory against the ruling Ottoman
(Turkish) Empire in the Middle East
occurred not on the battlefield, but in
Allenby’s Cairo office early in July
1917. Allenby had been kicked out of
the more important Western Front by
his rivals in the British Army. He was
shipped off to command the sideshow
war in the Middle East. Allenby was
downcast and irritable when he
arrived. But within a week or so his
attitude changed. He met the two most
important commanders in the Middle
East. In the movie, we only see one of
them: the puckish, jut-jawed
Lawrence, wearing sandals and Arab
dress, who paddled his way into
Allenby’s office and announced that
he and a contingent of Arabs had just
“taken” Aqaba in Southern Arabia. He
claimed he could garner the Arabs
tribes on Allenby’s right flank to aid in
the defeat of the Turks in a push north
to Damascus.
But a far more important meeting,
which you did not see in the movie,
happened within days of the
encounter with Lawrence: that was
when Allenby met Harry Chauvel.
Allenby was impressed by the
fine-boned, diminutive Australian’s
demeanour and his impeccable
record. Where other generals were
more bluster than substance, Chauvel
was measured and laconic. Allenby
himself was bull-like in manner
terrorising his staff and officers. But
this tactic could not work with the
self-possessed Chauvel.
Allenby eventually promoted him
above all the other Generals in his
Middle East army and put him in
charge of the formidable Deserted
Mounted Corps. It was the dominant
field Commander’s role. The
appointment was controversial.
Chauvel leap-frogged over several
worthy British Generals. His success
or failure would define Allenby’s own
level of accomplishment after his
humiliating “demotion,” and his place
in history.
Allenby was rejuvenated. He had
m et two different styles of
commanders, one whose record and
manner suggested he could lead the
offensive to destroy those two Turkish
Armies in Palestine and Syria; the
other promising to provide a hit-andrun
guerrilla force of local inhabitants.
They would disrupt a third Turkish
Army parked in hundreds of forts on
the vital Hejaz Railway, which ran
from Syria in the north to deep into
Southern Arabia.
Chauvel sent the Australian 4 th
Light Horse to take Beersheba in the
daring six kilometre bayonet charge of
800 mounted riflemen. Against all
odds, they smashed through the
Turkish lines of 4800 soldiers, ignoring
all weapons fire and attempts to stop
the horses in the late afternoon blitz.
The breakthrough and taking of
Beersheba opened the way for the
Army to defeat the Turks at Gaza a
few days later. This in turn delivered
the opportunity for Allenby to direct
Chauvel and Lawrence to command
their respective forces towards
Damascus.
It would take nearly another year.
In that time one army of Turks and
Germans were pushed north up the
Mediterranean Coast. Another enemy
army was shoved north east over the
Jordan River.
Once Chauvel and his force had
pushed the Turks back up the
Mediterranean Coast by late 1917, he
based his Desert Mounted Corps HQ
at Khurbet Deiran (now Rehovoth), a
pleasant Jewish village, 7 kms inland
and south east of Jaffa. It had
abundant olive and orange groves,
and vineyards that extended to sea
and for 13 kms north west. There was
plenty of water in the area.
20

Without British control or mandate there could be no Jewish migration, and in the future, no Israel.
Jewish settlers were mainly from
Southern Russia with a minority from
Romania, Spain, Britain, and the US
and even Australia.
The Jewish population had built
towards 10 per cent of the Palestine
population of 700,000. There were
also about 70,000 Christian-Orthodox
residents who spoke Arabic. About 80
per cent, 560,000, were Muslim, of
whom only a small percentage were
Bedouin. Most Jews had entered the
country since 1880 (starting with a
trickle, a few hundred, in 1850).
Russian Pogroms led to a greater
i n f lu x. Th e m i g ra n ts b e g a n
agriculture, with an emphasis on
citrus fruits mainly oranges around
Jaffa. They cultivated the vine and
exported wine; they drained swamps;
they planted Eucalypts. There were
more than 60 Agricultural Settlements
by 1917; local Arabs resented the
intrusion.
The new settlers ran into the fury
of the Young Turks, who developed a
policy of action (genocide in the case
of the Armenians) against all non-
Turks. But then the Light Horse made
the Beersheba breakthrough and
everything changed forever, and for
the better for the settlers.
The Australian historian for the
Middle East War, Henry Gullett, noted:
The sense of straight-planted streets,
the little white houses with their red
roofs and gay gardens; and the wide,
rolling orchards and vineyards along
the sand-hills, were an unfeigned
delight to those simple, veteran
campaigners.
At Khurbet Deiran, Chauvel
occupied the empty house of a Perth
businessman, who had returned to
Perth for the duration of the war.
On 22 September 1918 from the
orange groves of Jaffa, Chauvel’s
Light Horse force galloped through a
breach opened up in the Turkish 8 th
Army lines by the British Army. The
Light Horse swept across the plains of
Armageddon in northern Palestine
(now Israel) to Lebanon and Syria,
destroying most of the two Turkish
armies (the 7 th and 8 th ) with back up
from the British infantry and air force,
including the Australian Flying Corps.
In the meantime, Lawrence and
the Arabs stepped up attacks on a
third Turkish Army on the important
Hejaz railway, harassing it constantly
and distracting the enemy force from
helping their beleaguered comrades in
the 7 th and 8 th armies further west. By
the end of the week to 29 September,
the cavalry had ridden to aid the Arabs
in their battles with the remaining
Turkish force in Jordan.
On the night of 30 September
1918, the Light Horse and the Arabs
were poised in two different camps
outside Damascus, ready for the most
important strike in the Middle East
War. Taking the Syrian capital would
be the precursor to pushing the Turks
north and back over the border into
Turkey. But there was a problem.
Twenty thousand Turkish soldiers
were believed to be in two garrisons,
one on the town’s outskirts; another in
the Damascus itself. The Arabs were
reluctant to storm the city, despite a
growing number having already
infiltrated its precincts in the previous
few days. Their fighting style was “hit,
hinder and hide,” not to hit head-on as
the Light Horse preferred.
There was also confusion about
what Chauvel and his Light Horse
force was meant to do. Uncharacteristically,
Allenby (travelling 100 kms
behind the front) had been vague in
his directives to Chauvel, whom he
had left to devise the plan for the
Cavalry’s sweep through to Syria and
the conquering of Damascus.
Chauvel was told to make contact
with Lawrence, who would guide him.
But Lawrence was nowhere to be
found. Allenby was under British
Government orders to let it seem as if
the Arabs had taken Damascus. Their
attempt here was to keep open the
chance to double-cross the French,
who were also in on the proposed
carve up of the Middle East once the
21
Turks were forced out. The French
had been promised Syria. But
Lawrence and some members of the
British Government wanted to keep
them out.
This scheme was never conveyed
to Chauvel, except that his horsemen
should surround Damascus but not
enter and take it, unless it was
absolutely necessary to contain the
Turks.
The British deception backfired
because of the diligence of the
all-conquering Light Horse. They
blocked off every artery into
Damascus, but they could not find a
route to the road north from the city.
The only way to block it was to go
through the Damascus.
At 5 am on 1 October 1918, a 400
strong contingent of the West
Australian 10 t h Light Horse,
commanded by Colonel A C N Olden,
set out from the Barada Gorge, 30 km
west of Damascus.
Artist: Ron Marshall
Chauvel had chosen the 10 th for
this mission especially. This mighty
regiment had been decimated (along
with Victoria’s 8 th Light Horse) on
Gallipoli at the Battle of the Nek.
Three years on and after 26 major
cavalry battles, Chauvel wanted the
10 th to have the honour, if there was to
be any conquest of Damascus, the
ultimate prize. Cont Pg 22

En route they captured a train full
of Turks and a cache of gold. They
were shot at by Turks in the 12,000
strong garrison outside the town. But
the Turks inside it were in no physical
state to take on even a few hundred
Light Horse. Their leader Mustafa
Kemal had fled north in the hope of
fighting another day. Seeing this, the
troops thundered on into Damascus,
where they were greeted as
conquering heroes by the populace.
The Turks in the city had either fled
or were holed up in a garrison with no
intention or capacity to fight. Olden
stopped his column at Government
Hall and hurried into the building with
three lieutenants to find the Governor.
They found an official welcoming party
led by Emir Said, who the Turks had
left in charge. He was very keen to
surrender Damascus, expecting to be
retained as Governor. Olden, showing
presence of mind and flair, accepted
the formal surrender. He was aware
(cynically) that he was now in the line
of some of the great names in history,
including Egypt’s Rameses II,
Greece’s Alexander and France’s
Napoleon. Once ordained as Syria’s
new conqueror, he left in a hurry,
leading the column north in pursuit of
Kemal and his escaping force.
When Lawrence arrived with his
cut-throat band of bodyguards and
other Arab leaders two hours later, he
was shocked and angered to find Emir
Said, not his choice, in charge of the
city. Using force, he over-turned the
situation and appointed an Arab as
Governor.
Chauvel sent a crack Regiment in
to stop the rioting and looting in the
city. A day later when order was
restored and the bazaars opened, he
sent a parade of his force into the city
to show where the real power lay in
the overthrow of the Turks. Lawrence
was incensed at this but had to bow to
Chauvel’s superior rank and influence.
Allenby arrived on 3 October for
one of his quick, decisive conferences.
It included Chauvel, Prince Feisal (the
son of Arabia’s ruler Sharif Hussein)
and Lawrence. The Commander-in-
Chief cut to the salient points. Allenby
told them that the French were to have
Syria, and that Feisal was to
administrate it. He would have no part
in controlling Lebanon or Palestine.
Feisal was furious. But he could do
nothing until the Middle East was
officially carved up at the Paris Peace
conference in a few months time, early
in 1919. He had to obey Allenby’s
dictates. Feisal was most upset and
left the meeting. That left Lawrence.
He was badly compromised by the
decisions regarding French control
and the impotency of the Arabs. He
said he would have to go back to
England, which he did right then.
Chauvel told the Chief he thought
he had been ‘a little hard’ on
Lawrence. Allenby relented saying he
would arrange an audience for him
with the King (George V), and write to
the British Foreign Office on his behalf
so that he could explain ‘the Arab
point of view.’
As a last gesture of goodwill after
days of tension between the two,
Chauvel gave Lawrence a Rolls
Royce for the long drive back to Cairo
and an exit from the war. That scene
of him leaving in the Rolls is the only
bit in Damascus that is authentic.
Lawrence wrote in Seven Pillars of
Wisdom four years later: “I have come
to feel that the trouble between us [he
and Chauvel] was a delusion of the
ragged nerves which were gangling
me to distraction these days. Chauvel
won the last round.”
The Australian and his Light Horse
also won the entire contest against the
Turks. Over the next four weeks,
Chauvel pursued them, pushing
Mustafa Kemal north over the Turkish
border.
This ended 400 years of Ottoman
rule in the Middle East and was the
prime legacy of Chauvel and the Light
Horse’s success.
Summing up the three other
legacies were:
1. The transfer of power in Palestine
from the Turks to the British. Thus the
precursor conditions were in place for
the eventual State of Israel 30 years
later in 1948;
2. The creation of Arab States. The
Turks, if still in control of the Middle
East, would never have allowed the
development of Arab States;
3. The access to oil in the Middle East,
the fuel for the development of
rapacious Western countries for nearly
the next century.
Roland Perry began his writing career
as a journalist for a Melbourne newspaper,
The Age from 1969 to 1973. After five
years in England making documentary
films, his first book which was a novel titled
“Program for a Puppet”, was published in
1979 by WH Allen and Hamlyn Books. It
became a best-seller that was translated
into eight languages. It allowed Mr Perry to
work full-time as an author. He has
published 23 books and several of them
have been international best-sellers. They
have ranged in a variety of genres from
biography and politics to espionage and the
military, sport and fiction. His book titled
“The Australian Light Horse” which is about
Lawrence of Arabia and the Australian
Light Horse’s achievements under General
Chauvel in the Middle East in WW1, has
just been published. This year Mr Perry will
publish “Changi Brownlow: one man, one
family, one nation at war”. This concerns
Prisoners of War at Changi and on the
Burma-Thai railway in WWII.
Roland Perry has written biographies
on General Sir John Monash, “Monash:
The Outsider Who Won a War”, a US KGB
agent, Michael Whitney Straight “Last of
the Cold War Spies”, communist journalist
Wilfred Burchett “The Exile”, British
espionage agent Victor Rothschild “The
Fifth Man”, and for relief, actor Mel Gibson.
Mr Perry’s political books include “Hidden
Power - the Programming of the President”,
which is about the election and Presidency
of Ronald Reagan.
In 1985, he wrote and directed part of
the ABC TV series “Strike Swiftly” on
Australia’s reservist military force. A recent
production was “The Tracking of a Galleon’s
Ghost”, about an Australian syndicate’s
effort to raise the treasure from a Spanish
Galleon sunk off Guam’s coast in 1691.
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