A memorial service for Max is to be held on the 16th of May at the Bingara Memorial Gardens, Finch St. Bingara NSW AT 10 AM,(Next to the RSL) for those wishing to pay their respects.
LEST WE FORGET
Geoff Laurie, President of the RAA Association of South Australia has advised of the death on 4 April 2022 of a long-serving South Australian Gunner, WO2 Hector KORSTEN, aged 91 years. His funeral service is being held on Fri 22 April, and is being live-streamed. Geoff advised that Hector was born in South Africa, and served in the Cape Field Artillery, reaching the rank of WO2, before emigrating to South Australia in the early 1960’s; enlisting in 13 Fd Regt as a Gunner, he soon rose to the rank of WO2 again. His experience and willingness to pass it on to other members was highly respected over many years, and his charismatic manner endeared him to all he served with. He was a long-serving member of the RAA Assoc of SA Committee. He sadly battled a long illness over the past few years, and he will be sadly missed.
RIP Hector Korsten
Ubique
Peter Bruce
Obituary Resource Officer
Len Battley’s funeral is booked for 10:30am, on Wednesday, 27 April at Mt Gravatt Crematorium Chapel.
Brian Iselin
Sadly, Paul Tyler has let us know that Raymond Leslie PADDON-JONES’s funeral was held at the Yeppoon Cemetery at 10am Monday 11 April 2022. Raymond served with 1 RAR April to June 1966, then 6 RAR June 1966 to April 1967.
No other information is available.
Please join with us in offering our deepest sympathy to those who will mourn the passing of a loved one. Another 6 RAR family member, taken too soon.
LEST WE FORGET
Allan Whelan
Secretary
I regret to inform you of the death of Roy (Doc) Savage, OAM, MM at Yeppoon, Queensland. Doc died suddenly on the 7th of April and was 78
Funeral Details:
Finlayson and McKenzie Funeral Directors
Grade side service
11:00 Wed 20 April, 2022
at Yeppoon Cemetery
If you can attend the funeral could you indicate same on Doc’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/roy.savage.927 to help with catering for the Wake.
Dress: coat and medals
Kev Gillett
Secretary/Webmaster
As many of you will be aware, Marko ‘Kiwi’ Gibbons passed away last Wednesday, 6 April.
Please be advised details for Kiwi’s funeral are as follows:
The Gap Sub-Branch is to conduct the Poppy Service, which is to be held Tuesday 19 April, 1030hrs, Garden Chapel, Albany Creek Crematorium.
Medals are to be worn.
Douglas Clendinen
Secretary
The Gap RSL Sub-Branch
0499 560 957
Sadly I need to advise you of the death of Len Battley last Monday night (11/4) due to a massive heart attack in Brisbane.
Len served with 1 RAR on their first tour of SVN and was RTA after being WIA. He transferred out of RA Inf into RAASC until its disbandment then into RAAOC until his discharge from the ARA at Enoggera as the Chief Clerk of 1 Div under then Gen Peter Arnison. He then transferred to the ARes.
I go back over 40 years as both a friend and work colleague in civvy street in the ARes until we were discharged in 1999.
He also was a member of the Greenbank RSL and will be sorely missed in Brisbane on Anzac Day.
Bob Shiels
John Fry, President of Assoc. of QLD Korea Veterans 2012-2019
18 November 1933 – 25 March 2022
John Served in Korean War with 2RAR.
He served as president of Assoc of QLD Korea Veterans for nearly 10 years until his doctor ordered him to stop.
John moved from Gold Coast to Mackay a few months ago to be closer to families.
Now John will be resting in Peace overlooking the morning sunrise in Gold Coast as his plan made many many years ago.
Gravesite Funeral service:
11:00 on 11/4/2022 (Monday),
Mudgeeraba Cemetery
307 Mudgeeraba Rd, Mudgeeraba QLD 4213
It is with sadness I advise the passing of John Raymond THORBURN the older brother of Cpl (later WOI Rosco Thorburn) who joined John at Bien Hoa posted to 3 Field Troop in September of 1965.
John was the older brother of Cpl (later WOI Rosco Thorburn) who joined John at Bien Hoa posted to 3 Field Troop in September of 1965.
A long-serving sapper known to many. When they served in New Guinea together John was nicknamed bootlace and Ross was shoelace.
May they Rest In Peace now together again.
Sadly I have to inform you that Kiwi Gibbons passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday at 1 pm, at Fairview Nursing Home, Pinjarra Hills, Brisbane.
Marco “Kiwi” Gibbons, OAM enlisted originally in New Zealand K-Force in 1953 during the Korean War. He moved to Australia in 1954 and transferred to the Australian Army in 1956. He served with 3 RAR as a Tracker during the Malayan Emergency. Kiwi went on to serve with 2 RAR on both tours of Vietnam and was Mentioned in Dispatches on each deployment. He has served in 1, 2 and 3 RAR. Kiwi Gibbons retired from the Army as an RSM.
Kiwi has a long history of voluntary involvement with associations, particularly 2 RAR, 3 RAR, RSL Queensland, RAR Association Queensland, and the RAR National Memorial Walk, where he was curator from its inception. In 2012, both Kiwi and his wife Margaret were honoured with the award of the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to veterans and their families.
Both Marco and his wife Margaret are Life Members of the Association for their dedication and support to the association over many years.
Further details will be passed on as they become available.