Commando News Magazine edition 4 2020

Recent Activities
Due to the COVID 19 restrictions all the
Association social and commemorative
activities this year to date have been
cancelled and those for the remainder of the year are
currently under review. The Association Annual General
meeting has also been deferred until late 2020.
The Shrine of Remembrance service on Sunday, 27
September was conducted by Shrine staff and posted
online and accessible on YouTube at…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7w8GuiASo4&feature=youtu.be
Funeral of VX141557
Corporal Bernard ‘Berny’ Crutchfield –
2/6 th Commando Squadron
It was my sad duty and also a great privilege to be
given the opportunity to perform the military com -
ponent of the eulogy for Berny at his funeral on 2 July
2020 just prior to Melbourne going into another
COVID lockdown. Berny was the last remaining
member of 2/6 th Commando Squadron in Victoria. It
was a privilege for me in that this was also the last
occasion that I would wear an Army uniform after 49
years of full and part time service as I retired several
weeks after the funeral due to age.
Berny was a long-standing member of the M&Z
Commando Association Victoria and then ACA, and
frequently attended post war ANZAC days and
Doug Knight, President, ACA VIC delivering the military service
component of the eulogy.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
September 2020
reunions. However, after relocating from Melbourne to
Mt Macedon his remoteness and age inhibited
attendance in later years. It was fascinating to hear of
Berny’s lifelong commitment to his community and
there was significant representation at his funeral by
volunteer members of the local Country Fire Authority
where Bernie was a very active member for many
decades until his death. He was also active on many
other local community activities. A separate article on
Berny’s service is in the Vale Section.
Presentation of Motorised Submersible
Canoe (Sleeping Beauty) Model
Once again long
standing Association
member CAPT Don
Bergman, OAM, RFD
(Retd) has been busy in
his ‘mancave workshop’
during the Melbourne
COVID lockdown and
has produced a scale
model of the officially
named Motorised
Submersible Canoe
(MSC) and locally known
as the ‘Sleeping Beauty’.
The MSC was originally
intended to be the
attack craft during 1944
Operation RIMAU raid
Don Bergman with his latest
Motorised Submersible Canoe
(Sleeping Beauty) Model
at 1:30 scale.
into Singapore Harbour, however of these craft were
discarded and Folboats used once the parent craft had
been compromised by Japanese forces.
This cross-section model will be an invaluable
display piece within the Historical Collection along with
MV Krait and enable ACAV to loan out quality
exhibition materials of WW2 Special Operations
activities.
Commando 4 Life
Doug Knight
Email: dougknight88@gmail.com
Phone 0400877323
COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 4 I 2020 15