AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION · of July the Air Force Band Concert at the Melbourne Town Hall was attended...

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ATC/AAFC Newsletter August 2017

RAAF ASSOCIATION VICTORIA

ATC/AAFC BRANCH ABN 96 091 342 304

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER Issue No 65 August 2017

President’s Message

Greetings to all members as another month has flown by. I hope this issue finds you in good health and that most of you at least have avoided the dreaded “lurgi” which seems to have plagued so many recently.

VALE: FLTLT Donald McLeod 19/08/1915 – 25/06/2017.

We were saddened to hear of the loss of Don who had, during the past few years been “adopted” as a much respected Honorary Member of our Branch. Don was a truly remarkable and modest man who had served our country well during the Second World War whilst doing a job which was an inherently dangerous one as a Flying Instructor at No. 11 E.F.T.S. at Benalla………. although this fact was one which he casually brushed aside when it was mentioned. We regret that we had only a comparatively short association with Don, during which time we took him to revisit the Benalla Aerodrome, got him into the air again……..”hands on” and had the opportunity of having him join us on a few occasions at our regular monthly luncheons.

Office Holders President Laurie Bell

Vice President Peter Wilson

Secretary Hugh Tank

Treasurer Tony Synhur

Delegate John MacDonald

Branch AAFC Liaison Officer

WGCDR (AAFC) Shaun Young

Newsletter Editor Ian Cohn

Please send your contributions to [email protected]

Or Box 486, Mt Beauty, VIC, 3699

Deadline for next issue - 23July17

Welfare

Branch Welfare Officers Hugh Tank on 03 9877 3424

and Peter Wilson

If you are aware of any member who is unwell please contact Hugh or Peter.

mailto:[email protected]


President’s Message (continued)

On behalf of the Committee and members we have extended our deepest sympathy to Don’s family along with an open invitation to any family members who might like to, in memory of Don, care to join us at some future date for lunch at the Box Hill RSL.

On a happier note, we are pleased to welcome four new members into the Branch, those being Mounir Twadrous, Janina Brown, John Baxter and Lloyd Knight. We hope they enjoy being members not only of the ATC/AAFC Branch but the Air Force Association as a whole.

On the evening of Friday the 16th of June, Vice President Peter Wilson joined me in a visit to 401 SQN Surrey Hills to present the Branch’s personal “Stan Tayler Award” trophy for Cadet of the Year to CWOFF Sam Chu. It was a most enjoyable visit and we thank the Squadron for making us so welcome.

On Sunday the 16th of July the Air Force Band Concert at the Melbourne Town Hall was attended by 30 RAAFA members and I take this opportunity to thank, on behalf of SQNLDR Mathew Shelley, Commanding Officer / Director of Music – Air Force and the band, all of those who were present on the day. SQNLDR Shelley has advised that provision for Reserved Seating will be made available again at future concerts if he is given prior notice of numbers as we did this time.

Best wishes to everyone and enjoy the enclosed fruits of Editor Ian Cohn’s labours.

Laurie.

___________________________________________________________________________________

RAAFA News

News from the AFA (Victoria Branch) Board of Management Meeting July 2017

MEET-A-MATE The next Meet-a-Mate event is being planned for mid-August. Max McGregor will soon send out further details for the event that is planned for the Vietnam Veterans’ Museum at San Remo, Phillip Island. This follows on from the great gathering of the last Meet-a-Mate event that was recently held at the B24-Liberator Replica at Werribee.

ART ACQUISITION The AFA Victoria Division has been gifted a painting from the family of our late patron WGCDR Peter Isaacson. The painting shows WGCDR Isaacson flying his aircraft Q for Queenie, under the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1943. The Division is grateful for the donation of the painting and Tony Pilli the History and Heritage Director, has had it hung in the auditorium to be enjoyed by all visitors to the offices.

Geelong & Gippsland Branches Daryll Topp and Max McGregor are working on re-invigorating the Geelong and Gippsland Branches A meeting in Geelong is planned for August with a Gippsland meeting planned for the September/October period – when it warms up a little!


Division Governance The Board is working at improving the governance of the Division to ensure its compliance with legal requirements and to help ensure the sustainability of the AFA itself. Several workshops are planned to formalize policies and procedures. Branches will be asked for their input.

Care parcels Di Hoopert, the Director of Welfare along with John McCrystal recently packed almost 200 parcels destined for Air Force members serving in the Middle East. These parcels contain personal items that are difficult to obtain in foreign lands, but the favorites are always the packet of Tim Tams – apparently great bargaining collateral with other troops in the region.

REVISED DIVISION WEBSITE The Division’s new website hopefully will be operational on August 1st, 2017.

___________________________________________________________________________________

AAFC News

Congratulations to CUO Jesse Spithill 418SQN who was recently presented with an Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) Education Award as recognition of outstanding achievement shown during his application to join ADFA. The ADFA Education Award is presented annually to Year 12 students in recognition of outstanding achievement exhibited during the recruiting process for entry to ADFA. It is presented on behalf of the Navy, Army or Air Force to the 120 most suitable applicants who have applied for entry to ADFA.

CUO Spithill hopes to join the navy in 2018 as a Maritime Warfare Officer.

402SQN WIN ROGAINING CHALLENGE Congratulations to 402SQN Watsonia, the AAFC winners of the 2017 Schools, Scouts & Cadets Rogaining Challenge with a score of 780 points. The winning team is pictured - Brett McBain, Tom Russell and Nicholas Page. In chilly Spargo Creek (near Daylesford), 402SQN competed with 403, 407, 414, 416, 417, 418, 427 and 428 SQNs comprising of 80 individuals and rose to the occasion yet again, with a simple strategy - "try to run in a straight

line". In the overall challenge, 402SQN combined team scored a respectable 3rd place!


Promotion Courses 02/17 at RAAF Williams (Laverton):

JNCO 224 CSE DUX & OVERALL JNCO DUX: LCDT Nikitha Kurian Anna 401SQN Surrey Hills

JNCO 223 CSE (Joint) DUX: LCDT Reuben Iywan 401SQN Surrey Hills LCDT Layla McKenzie 420SQN Wangaratta LCDT Kate Sherwood 419SQN Shepparton

SNCO 126 CSE DUX: CCPL Alexis Chabrol 418SQN Point Cook

DETCDR Certificate of Recognition: CUO Owen Brond 420SQN CUO Jacob Sell 418SQN

Congratulations to CCPL Collins for making history as the first cadet in 418SQN to receive the prestigious cross rifles badge for above 85% accuracy! Certainly a very difficult badge to earn!


LCDT Leau Alaat took to the skies in his very first solo flight on the 10th June.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ The Women’s Air Training Corps From Laurie Bell The Women's Air Training Corps was a voluntary civilian organisation which was established at Archerfield in Brisbane, Queensland on 17 July 1939 by Mrs Bell, the wife of Group Captain J.R. Bell. The group comprised a number of local girls who were attempting to train themselves at Archerfield airfield to be ready to undertake aircraft work in the event of a war. The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force was not approved by the Australian War Council until 9 January 1941. Flying Officer M.T. Bell was the Commanding Officer of the WATC from 1939 to 1941. When Mrs Bell moved to Melbourne when her husband was transferred she was asked by the Women's Voluntary National Register to establish a WATC group in Melbourne. In no time Mrs Bell had established 10 Squadrons each of 100 girls. Two of these squadrons trained on motor transport and one each in wireless telegraphy, stores, cooking, photography and draughting, clerical work, as aircraft hands, on aero engines, and on miscellaneous duties. More Divisions of the WATC were then formed in Tasmania, then New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. Mrs. Bell then went on to become the Australian Commandant of the WATC. The WATC provided voluntary service to the RAAF as drivers, clerks, etc. Mrs. Bell was then appointed acting Director of the WAAAF in 1941 when it was formed. She resigned from that position in 1941.

The famous Australian Aviatrix, Nancy-Bird Walton, was the New South Wales (NSW) and Australian Commandant, of the Women's Air Training Corps (WATC) from 25 July 1942 to 1 November 1944.

http://www.ozatwar.com/raaf/watc.htm

http://www.ozatwar.com/[email protected]

http://www.ozatwar.com/[email protected]

http://www.ozatwar.com/waaaf/waaaf.htm



http://www.ozatwar.com/raaf/nancybirdwalton.htm

http://www.ozatwar.com/raaf/watc.htm


Events - 2017 Friday, August 4th Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL Friday, September 1st Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL Friday, October 6th Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL Saturday, October 14th Branch General Meeting, Upton room, Box Hill RSL Friday, November 3rd Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL Sunday, November 19th 1100 hrs Combined Service of the RAAF Association’s Annual Pilgrimage

to Point Cook & the RAAF Nashos’ Memorial Day Sunday, December 17th CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON Upton Room Box Hill RSL.

_____________________________________________________________________________

June Meeting 2017

President Laurie Bell shows off the Fred Cowell Trophy awarded to the Branch at the Air Force Association’s AGM and State Conference held on the 11th of May.

New member John Baxter is welcomed by President Laurie Bell. John has contributed book reviews to our newsletter and was a Cadet with No 4 Flight in the 1960s.

_____________________________________________________________________________

July Meeting 2017

______________________________________________________________ Member Profile This is your opportunity to tell us about your career or the story of other notable members in the ATC/AirTC/AAFC/RAAF as a Cadet and/or Staff member. Send us a one or two page story about your illustrious progress, preferably with pictures. Send it by email text or as an attachment in .txt or .doc file format to [email protected] or mail it to the Editor. Any print pictures received will be scanned and the originals returned to the owner.



The Year Was 1960

From Allan Hobby

In 1960 I was in my final year of training as a RAAF apprentice, Armourer at RAAF Base Wagga, NSW.

During that year (Year three) my course, amongst other things studied explosive demolition. It was a very interesting subject, although I must admit there was never much opportunity in succeeding years to actually practice it. Nevertheless there were a couple of activities which highlighted the precariousness of the whole activity, and

I suppose this encouraged me to not to get involved as long as my backside pointed towards the ground. Here are two such experiences.

The first demonstration to our training course of 14 young apprentices was conducted on the ‘wasteland’ on the far side of the RAAF base airfield. This was a safe distance from base personnel and its facilities.

The demonstration was of the safe processes and procedures for initiating an explosive and the effects of that explosion. The demo involved selecting a safe site, agreeing on the safe distance to position ourselves from the detonation, determining the safe length of igniter fuse to allow a timely retreat and the setup for the fuse, initiator and the (one pound or Kg?) block of TNT. The instructor went through the whole process then invited a couple of course members to go through the same process for the experience. After the instructors’ critique we then all watched as the instructor did the final setup and ignited the fuse.

We all walked (very quickly) to the waiting truck – engine already running, and driver at the ready – and ‘hi-tailed’ it outa there to a safe place to watch the result. At the safe place we watched the ‘big boom’ with great satisfaction.

To ‘wrap up’ we then returned to the site of our detonation to assess the damage and ‘clean up’, as required.

We had decided to float our explosive package on a piece of wood into the middle of a rainwater filled crater. The site had been magically transformed from a small lake – into an empty lake. However, the lake was filled with dead cats and dogs (several hundred Kg) placed there conveniently over the months by our diligent Service Police, probably on night watch.

The resultant effect was quite striking, and smelly – and probably remains in the minds of all surviving course members to this day.

The second demonstration some weeks later took the task to the next level. The objective of this demonstration was not only to have a ‘big bang’ but to extend the previous setup to destroy an unwanted piece of weaponry in the form of a warhead, all be it, a reasonably small one! Even more interesting – and potentially terrifying!

The warhead was a ‘medium’ sized artillery shell the design of which was adapted to fit to a 3 inch rocket motor, and launched from Vampire and Sabre aircraft directly at targets on the ground. Only guided by pilot skill. In this case the safe place for this test would be three or four times the distance of the first test. A thousand yards rings a bell. Serious stuff!

To digress slightly, I was lucky to witness this very same weapon launched at a ground target at ‘Salt-ash’ bombing range near RAAF Williamtown a few months earlier. Our course was flown to the base as part of our in-field introduction. Travelling by Hercules was the first time I had ever flown in an aeroplane! And the second flight was in a Vampire! More on that flight some other time.

Returning to the subject …..

With a thousand yards separating us from the demolition, we again alighted to a medium sized truck, drove to the viewing point and formed a group about 30 yards to one side of the vehicle. At the appointed time, the fuse ended, big bang, sizeable puff of smoke and dirt. Then silence.


Success! But wait! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT NOISE! DUCK – THERE IS SOMETHING COMING TOWARDS US!

30 yards on the other side of the truck and on exactly the same radius from the target as ourselves, a piece of the warhead – the spigot to connect the rocket motor – impacted the ground. Made enough of a hole to bury a good sized dog – or cat – or one of us!

From that day on I tended to avoid even fireworks, wherever possible.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Movie Review Dr Strangelove. Of recent times the editor has become a bit depressed about international relations especially those between the hermit kingdom and our great and powerful friends. So to cheer himself up he acquired a copy of the classic Stanley Kubrick/Peter Sellers Movie “Dr Strangelove”. Strangely, the Editor has also recently read the book “A Beautiful Mind” about the troubled Nobel Prize winning mathematician, John Nash. John Nash was a colleague of another mathematician involved in the design and deployment of the first atomic bombs, John von Neumann, who was reputed to be one of the models for the character of Dr Strangelove.

Review from Wikipedia “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 political satire black comedy film that satirises the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. The film was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, stars Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, and features Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, and Slim Pickens. Production took place in the United Kingdom. The film is loosely based on Peter George's thriller novel Red Alert (1958). The story concerns an unhinged United States Air Force general who orders a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. It follows the President of the United States, his advisers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Royal Air Force (RAF) exchange officer as they try to recall the bombers to prevent a nuclear apocalypse. It separately follows the crew of one B-52 bomber as they try to deliver their payload. Dr. Strangelove is considered one of cinema's best comedies.”


AAFC/AIRTC Historical Items

Please send in any of your old ATC/AAFC photographs with a small explanation of the circumstances. A picture is worth a thousand words. Heard of the Air Training Corps/AAFC Memorabilia Collection? Located at Benalla Aviation Museum at Benalla Airport in Victoria, this display is highly recommenced for a group visit. See more at www.benallaaviationmuseum.org.au/

Vic AirTC Gliding School visiting RAAF East Sale – 1990 From John Rule

_________________________________________________________________________________

Internet Links of Interest Another time lapse storm movie from Mike Oblinski https://vimeo.com/226958858

RAAFA ATC/AAFC Branch page raafavic.org.au/branch-information/atc-aafc/

Air Force News - www.airforce.gov.au/News/Air-Force-Newspaper

Australian Air Cadets Alumni Network www.aircadetsalumni.org.au Friends of the RAAF Museum www.friendsraafmuseum.org.au/

http://www.benallaaviationmuseum.org.au/

http://www.benallaaviationmuseum.org.au/

https://vimeo.com/226958858

http://www.raafavic.org.au/bi_atc.php

http://www.airforce.gov.au/News/Air-Force-Newspaper

http://www.aircadetsalumni.org.au/

http://www.friendsraafmuseum.org.au/


Mystery object – What is it? Answer next edition.

____________________________________________________________________________________

RAAF ASSOCIATION VICTORIA

ATC/AAFC BRANCH

ATTENTION - ALL ADULT MEMBERS of the

AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE CADETS

The AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION (Victorian Division) would welcome you as a member of our Branch. As part of this proud Association with its long standing record of Service, the

ATC/AAFC Branch membership consists of former ATC, AirTC and former and currently serving members of the AAFC. Associate memberships are available for partners.

For membership enquiries, please contact:

Laurie Bell – Branch President

43 Stenhouse Av, Brooklyn, 3012 Vic. 03 9314 6223 or 0412 505 887

[email protected]

Hugh Tank – Branch Secretary

11 Paulette Court , Blackburn South, 3130, Victoria.

General Enquiries The Air Force Association:

03 9813 4600 [email protected]



AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION · of July the Air Force Band Concert at the Melbourne Town Hall was attended...

Documents

Transcript of AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION · of July the Air Force Band Concert at the Melbourne Town Hall was attended...