I have received sad news from RARA NSW regarding the passing of one of our original 65th Battalion members.
WO1 Burns served from 1945 until 1982 in a career spanning 5 decades.
Deepest condolences to all his family and friends and many thanks for a lifetime of service,
Rest In Peace Sir
LEST WE FORGET
It is with great sadness we advise of the passing of Bob (Slim) Ullock on Wednesday 26th of July 2023 following an illness.
Bob was 23rd Intake Radio Mechanic graduating in 1970 and became a RAEME Calibrations Technician.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, 8th August 2023, at 10:00 am at Bowra & O’Dea’s Chapel, 131 Great Eastern Hwy, Bellevue, WA.
Burial at 11:30 am, Guildford Cemetery, Kalamunda Road, South Guildford.
There will be a small reception held afterwards at 1:00 pm for a light lunch & refreshments at ‘The Swan River Hotel’, 1 Epsom Avenue, Ascot, WA.
Arte et Marte
Rest in Peace
Barry Shipway (Welfare Rep)
Dear Members,
I have just received the following very sad news from RARA National Secretary.
Deepest condolences to family, friends and Veterans of Coral
REST IN PEACE SIR
Please be advised of very sad news from the Generals son Steve has just advised officially that his father, GENERAL SIR PHILLIP BENNET AC, KBE, DSO, passed away peacefully on Tuesday 1st August at Kyneton, Victoria
He will be farewelled on Thu 15 Aug 23 at 10am at the, Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT, at the ANZAC Memorial Chapel of St Paul and after at Duntroon House
More to follow when it comes to hand.
Many Thanks
Keep Well & Travel Safe
“Keeping the Spirit Alive”
Supporting The Virtual War Memorial https://vwma.org.au/
Regards
Greg
G J DECKER
Secretary RARA National
Could you please advise your members that the Funeral service for John (Pud) Darlington on 8/8/23 at 1400 hours – because of the interest – will now be live streamed and the link can be obtained via web page (clink on the Link) of Funeral Director J Kirk and Sons Maryborough Q.
Regards Greg Darlington
We are sorry to inform all our members, of the passing a fellow Blue Mountains Vietnam Veterans Association member Ross Burns from 5RAR.
Ross’s funeral will be on Monday 7 August 2023.
Penrith RSL Sub-Branch is organising a 20 seater bus to transport people to his funeral.
The bus will leave Penrith RSL at 9:30am.
Please contact Penrith RSL Sub-Branch for more details on (02) 4728 5225 or John Fenton on 0412 679 802.
Kind regards
Wendy
Wendy Humphrys
Office Administration
I have been advised by Greg Darlington the brother of John Darlington who served with 4RAR from Day one and was still a member of the Battalion when they disbanded (one of only about a dozen original soldiers who were still present when they became 2/4 RAR.) He was also an original and founding member of the infamous 4RAR SPU Club. Sadly, John passed away on Thursday the 27th July 2023.
Johns’ funeral will be held at the Maryborough Q Cemetery on Tuesday the 8th of August 2023 at 1400 hours.
Funeral Directors J Kirk and Sons Maryborough – there will be no streaming.
Condolences may be sent to the family via:
Greg Darlington at Greg and Joan Darlington <[email protected]>
LEST WE FORGET
Sincerely,
Wendy M McLean
Secretary
4RAR Association Qld Inc.
My apologies for the late notice. We have been advised of the death on 18 July 2023 of Brett David Atkinson. He was 50 years old. Brett enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in October 2009 and was allocated to the RAA.
After initial employment training he was posted to 1st Field Regiment where he deployed on Queensland Flood Assist in 2011 and Operation Astute in 2012. Ater a posting to 53rd Battery at the School of Artillery, he successfully completed his trade transfer to Operator Uncrewed Aircraft Systems and was subsequently posted to 20th Regiment in 2017.
After a posting to the 1st Recruit Training Battalion in 2022, Brett returned to 20th Regiment in 2023.
RIP Brett David Atkinson
Ubique
Peter Bruce, OAM
Obituary Resource Officer
Fellow Sappers and shipmates,,
It is with sadness that I advise of the passing of Bruce Mansfield on the 15th of July 23.
Bruce will be sadly missed at re-unions of the 32 small ship Sqn and 17 Const Sqn.
He was a shipmate with an enormous sense of humour with the rare skill of using himself as the joke teller as well as being his own straight man.
To his Family and Friends condolences are offered.
His funeral has been held and I apologise for the late notification.
My kindest regards at this sad time,
Hans-Joachim (John or Speedie) SAHARIV
Fellow Shipmate
It is in sadness and respect that I offer this Commemoration (attached) for Jim our fellow Sappers passing around 1300hrs yesterday.
To his family and friends Condolences are offered for a stalwart of the unit, one of those who set up on that beach in 1966 the unit we all ended up serving in in much more comfort.
Thanks to Jimmy and his cohort of those early years in country.
He had many a tale to tell, which kept us entertained in the years following the war, as we all have, about the ups-n-downs of that sandy place.
To his family and friends’ condolences are not enough (in my opinion) but, the thanks to them, for having Jim be a part of our lives also.
I first met Jim in country when serving on the LSM AV 1355 Vernon Sturdee. At that time, the De Long Pier was being constructed alongside the hard the Sturdee was beached.
The hammers were knocking in the massive pylons and shaking the innards out of our ship. I had a bitch to Jimmy about the rattle and noise, and he quickly offered to change units with me
and see if I would like the sandy beach side area of 55. Needless to say, I declined. At our many meetings into later years, his first greetings to me were “Wanna swap Speedie” (Aha! The truth is out!)
Aye, the lad from Birkenhead England, will be sorely missed by us all!
I wish to thank Rod Bourke for his call yesterday afternoon with the sad news, and Mick Salienko our erstwhile Chief and 55 Custodian for his confirmation.
On a personal note, you may have not heard much from me in the past year or so, suffice to say, I have been unwell and through a heap of help from the medical fraternity, hospitals and last but not least,
DVA who have done so much to assist in my domestic and other et al issues. I am on the mend and as Jimmy would say “bugger off Speedie get of your arse and live again” which I plan to do with some moral help and assistance from those who have persevered with me.
Might also add that I send my notices of this kind (and AM PLEASED TO CONTINUE WHERE I LEFT OFF) on to the Sapper Fraternity et all for their information.
My kindest regards at this sad time
Hans-Joachim (John or Speedie) SAHARIV
Update on Vic`s Funeral
East Maitland RSL sub Branch received a request this afternoon From Fry Bros to conduct a RSL tribute & Eulogy for Vic.
His Funeral will be held on Tuesday 1st August at 11am at Fry Bros Funeral Chapel on the New England Highway Rutherford ( Maitland).
I will conduct the RSL Tribute and military service part of the service, it will be a privilege as a fellow veteran and member of the 173rd Airborne Association .
Regards
Neil Cromarty OAM
East Maitland RSL sub Branch
Secretary Chapter 11 173rd Airborne Association