A message from the RARA SA & National President Mike von Berg MC OAM

What Has Happened to our Warrior Ethics

Read it here   http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/

TOP DOG: 2RAR dominates in the Duke of Gloucester Cup to claim bragging rights. – FRONT PAGE, CENTRE

STREET SKILLS: Australians train Iraqi soldiers in urban combat in preparation to defeat Daesh.- PAGES 2-3

DNA MATCH: Mobile forensic laboratories in Afghanistan are helping to convict Taliban bomb-makers. - PAGE 18 

Here are a few photos of our highly successful dinner.  As always, by selecting a photo you will be able to view a better photo as well as the caption for it.

And some nostalgic memories of our May 2013 Regimental Dinner

See a selection of photos taken at the Long Tan Day Service held at the Torrens Parade Ground.  As always, click on the photos for improved viewing and captions.

Friday 08 September, 2017
10.45am – 12pm
Presentation of the Scroll at Torrens Parade Ground followed by March along King William Street
City of Adelaide, Civic Events Team – 8203 7400

The Presentation of the Scroll at Torrens Parade Ground followed by the March along King William Street. The Challenge will be conducted in front of Adelaide Town Hall, and then march onto Victoria Square for dispersal

The conferral of the right, title, privilege, honour and distinction of Freedom of Entry to the City of Adelaide for a unit of the Australian Defence Forces provides an entitlement to march through the streets of the City on ceremonial occasions, in full panoply with swords drawn, bayonets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and colours flying.

The practice can be traced back to 1661 when the Lord Mayor of London was notified when military units entered the city to raise recruits. The granting of Freedom of Entry provides a dignified and satisfactory means of enabling the Council to honour a distinguished unit of the Australian Defence Forces where a close association exists between the citizens of the municipality and the unit.

You can view it here ministers statement

You can read it here FINAL Ministerial statement on veterans and their families

Please view the latest news on the RCB campaign here RCB Update

There is an extensive history to this campaign under the Advocacy tab (above).

Please note on the first page, the important statement concerning the RARA  SA Inc.  Our future has been secured at Linden Park!

This is as a result of the massive effort made by Mike von Berg, Rod Graham, Steve Larkins and Patron Laurie Lewis.  The work they have done has also secured the immediate future of the SA Branch of the RSL.  An outstanding achievement by them all.

Infantryman August 2017

Here is the latest Holdfast.  In this edition, there are numerous excellent articles and photos including one of 5 RAR’s Sergeant Rod Lees after the mine incident in June 1969 – the photo was supplied by Rod.

http://tunnelrats.com.au/pdfs/newsletters/Holdfast-31.pdf

There is a very interesting article about FSB Andersen during February 1968.  Many of our 3RAR comrades will remember this Operation

http://tunnelrats.com.au/pdfs/newsletters/Holdfast-30.pdf

Here is the link to the Tunnel Rats Newsletter page

http://tunnelrats.com.au/newnewsletters.php

The day “kicks-off” at 10:30 h with the Forbes-Allen Trophy followed at 13:00 with the Short-West Trophy. 

The Forbes-Allen is named after LTCOL Andrew Forbes and WO1 David Allen OAM For those who don’t know these two, both were long-time servants of 5/7 RAR (MECH) and integral members of the Battalion First XV Andrew Forbes (Forbo) went on to be CO of 5 RAR and Dave Allen…well…RSM 7 RAR and soon to be RSM FORCOMD.

The Short-West is named after BRIG Peter Short DSC and WO2 Adam West DSM Again, for those who don’t know these two, both were long-time servants of 5/7 RAR (MECH) and integral members of the Battalion First XVIII Peter Short was CO 5/7 RAR (MECH) and Westy has just been picked up for his first RSMs gig, no doubt looking to return to either 5 or 7 as the Stick. 

The community of Brighton is supporting the day and the more Old Tigers and Pigs that we can get to the game the better.

Free entry, free parking and both Brighton AFL and Rugby Clubs will have their bars and canteens open

I’m expecting some notable members of the Battalion’s past to be in attendance, including those named above.

 It should be a cracking day. The more ‘old boy’s we get, the greater the atmosphere

The Casualty List has been off line for some time, here it is revived.

Note by clicking on the sub-headings, unit or coy/pl for example, you can then filter your searches.

http://www.thecasualtylist.com/

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/us/for-army-infantrys-1st-women-heavy-packs-and-the-weight-of-history.html?emc=edit_th_20170527&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=26642543&_r=0

An interesting article in the New York Times concerning women who have just completed their Infantry training.

Here is the April 2017 edition Infantryman April 2017

You can view the November 2016 edition here Infantryman November final 16.11.2016

the August 2016 edition here Infantryman August

and the April 2016 edition here Infantryman+April+2016

There are numerous excellent articles and a list of activities at HQ for the foreseeable future.

Archived Infantryman are under the Infantryman tab.

Courtesy of the 5RAR website, here is some historical information which may help revive a number of fading memories

http://www.5rar.asn.au/history/information-book-for-nashos.pdf

The RSM and CO of 7RAR presented a flag to the RARA SA on 14 December 2016.  This flag represents one of the 7RAR soldiers Killed In Action and was flown over the 7RAR base in Iraq during September 2016.

A number of photos to view, as ever, click on the photo to increase the size

Mike had this to say: ” Proud to speak to the 5 RAR Recon Platoon and then present the Student of Merit prize to Private Howard after the recent Recon Selection Course. Its great to see a young bright soldier like Private Howard who has only been in the Battalion for six months blitz the field.”    As always, click on the photo to enlarge.

The RARA National Conference was held in Adelaide Monday and Tuesday 3 & 4 October.

Here are a few photos of a number of the participants;

An interesting article concerning Jock Buchan, KIA 11 December 1969, his ashes found in Scotland!

You can read it here  Buchan Article

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Further to the above article, comments and a link from Paul Jackson, Jock’s Platoon Commander.

Hi Fred, 

What a special journey. It is hard to believe that after almost 50 years we have finally completed Jock’s story. We have come so far over the past year or so. A little over 12 months ago those involved in the action, Jock’s closest mates, did not even know where his body had gone after watching him being wrapped in a hutchie, tied on to a jungle penetrator and then winched slowly up to the hovering Dustoff chopper. Due to the tireless and dedicated work of a group of committed brothers-in-arms, Jock’s sacrifice has now been properly recognised, first with a Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial and now with your special service at his gravesite in far off Scotland. 

Most of you reading this email would not be aware that Jock Buchan’s death holds a very special place in our Vietnam war history. On the day of the action, an official Army photographer was moving with the company and took a series of photographs immediately after the contact. Of the many thousands of photographs taken during the Vietnam War, these are the only ones that actually record the death of an Australian soldier. For this reason I believe that Jock’s death has become symbolic of all those Australians who lost their lives in that conflict. Too graphic and politically sensitive to be publicly released at the time, the images are a poignant reminder of the human cost of war. 

The importance of this series of photographs is also well recognised by the AWM who have been corresponding with me recently seeking help identifying other members of the platoon captured in those iconic images. With your agreement Fred I would like to send your article to the Head Curator, Photographs, Film and Sound at the AWM. She has already expressed interest in the Dundee ceremony. I believe that this would also be an appropriate place for ‘Jock’s Story’ to be recorded.   

On behalf of all Jock’s 12 Platoon brothers, well done and thank you. 

Regards 

Paul 

ps For those interested, the AWM link to those photographs is attached below: 

https://www.awm.gov.au/search/all/?query=11+december+1969&submit=&op=Search&format=list&section%5B0%5D=collections&filter%5Btype%5D=Photograph