December - RAAMC Assn. Home Page

34
The Allied forces consisted of Australian, British India, British
Palestine, Transjordan, Free French Forces and Free Czechoslovakia.
The Axis Forces were Vichy French, Syria, Lebanon and Germany.
The Allied strengths were 34,000 troops, 50 ( plus ) aircraft, 1 Landing
Ship, 1 Cruiser, and 6 Destroyers.
The Axis Forces were 45,000 troops, 90 tanks, 289 aircraft, 2
Destroyers and 3 submarines.
Casualties:
Allied were 4,052 and 27 aircraft.
Axis Forces were between 6,352 and 8,912 and 179 aircraft.
VICTORIA CROSS;
Two Victoria Crosses were awarded;
Roden Cutler (later Sir) in the Battle of Merdjayoun and Private (later
Sergeant) Jim Jordan in the Battle of Jezzine.
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(2) Tobruk House News (Vic. Branch)
I have received their August and October (2011)
editions and if any member would like to read them, I
would be pleased to post them to you. I applaud two
of our members who were on their committee—Neil
Barrie and Tom Pritchard, both are 2/5th veterans. Well
done.
A very thoughtful poem was inserted in their August
edition, and with the kind permission of the author—
Mr. Dave Wotherspoon—Tripoli Rifle Range—I have
written it below;
SEEING IT THROUGH
When you are fed up with the army and you’re feeling blue
When the Parade Drill drives you balmy,
and you’re sick of eggs and stew.
Why there’s only one thing for it,
square your shoulders and see it through.
When you’ve sent your last quid spinning,
at the game soon after pay,
Then bite a mate who’s winning,
‘till you owe a heap of hay.
Marleesh, just keep on grinning,
your luck must change some day.
When the girl whose snap you’ve carried
since you left old Aussie’s shore,
Writes and tells you she is married,
to a gob from Baltimore,
Square your chin and keep the Arak,
you’ve got a lot to thank him for.
When the Syrian sun is burning,
on a route march long and dry,
And you get a wishful yearning for a cool, blue Aussie sky
Cheer up mate, the others made it, and so will you and i.
Some day as we are steaming, far across the miles of blue,
You may lie back planning, scheming all the things
you’re going to do.
You’ll be proud to be an ANZAC, with guts to see it through.
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(3) Mrs. Pattie HARRINGTON wrote us a nice letter to
thank us for posting her a Reserve Forces Day
Recognition Medallion for the service given by her late
husband, Ray.
Ray had 33 years’ service and Pattie had 2 years’ service
with the RAANC. She said the memento will be very
much cherished by her.
(The RFD Committee may still have some ‘spare’ Medallions to
purchase. If they have any left and you would like to purchase
one ($25-postage included) please let me know.)
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(4) BOER WAR Celebrations
Our President, Derek Cannon, kindly sent me an
‘extract’ from his local paper (Hawkesbury District
Independent News—Issue 17, Sep. 2011 by kind permission of
Michelle Nichols & Jonathon Auld) which contained a brief
story with old district photos, on the homecoming
after the Boer War…..
“When word was received that the troops were coming home
from the war, about 400 locals, at a few hour’s notice, gathered
at the Windsor railway station to welcome home six soldiers!
A few weeks later, a much larger crowd of around 800 was
present at an organised event which was held in Richmond
Park, embracing day and night activities.
It included a Grand Parade of about a quarter of a mile in length
which included 20 Returned soldiers from the Hawkesbury area,
local dignitaries, Mounted Police, Hawkesbury Squadron of the
NSW Lancers, members of the Fire Brigade, a number of local
Masonic Lodges with their colourful Banners, several bands and
a contingent of students from the Agricultural College with
some of their farm animals.
A Dinner afterwards, at 9pm, was held in the School of Arts
building to honour the soldiers’ homecoming. Toasts were
made to King and Country and a responding speech by LT
Greenwell said he was grateful for the reception shown to the
returning soldiers.
The residents of Windsor raised money to establish a Memorial
to honour the memory of the soldiers who died whilst serving in
the Boer War in South Africa from 1899-1902.
The Memorial stands in McQuade Park in Windsor and has four
names recorded; George Jennings DICKSON, Charles John
GOSPER, Thomas Moore MITCHELL and George Archie
MONTGOMERY.
The article mentioned another soldier, Edward SULLIVAN who
apparently died of wounds in 1900 and a Memorial Service
was held in Richmond—it did not say why his name was
omitted?”
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(5) TWO NEW BOOKS ‘LAUNCHED’
(With kind thanks to an email friend, Ian Pfennigwerth)
Early in March, Ian sent me a ‘Media Release’ con cern -
ing 2 new books that our members may be interested
in reading.
One is titled… ”More than Bombs and Bandages —
Australian Army Nurses at work in WWI”. It was
‘Launched’ by MAJGEN John Caligari who said that the
author, Dr. Kirsty Harris, has paid a great tribute to the
RAANC.
It is a well-researched book which presents a view of
nursing life during the horrors of WWI.
The second book is titled… ”The Australian Army
Veterinary Corps 1909-1946”. It was ‘Launched’ by
MAJGEN Paul Symon AO, who praised the author, Dr.
Michael Tyquin, for his well-presented and researched
history regarding the services of the AAVC.
Michael’s book gives an insight to how our animals
were extensively used in war, until they were replaced
by machines in 1946.