Fellowship of First Fleeters Hunter Valley Chapter

“To live on in the hearts and minds of Descendants is never to die.”

All correspondence to: 1 Higham Rd. Hillsborough 2290 www.firstfleetershunter.com.au

President: Vice President Membership: Secretary: Treasurer: Jane van Woerkom Barbara Gow Cynthia Huggup Barbara Turner Helen Pacey Ph: 49676332 Ph: 49366403 Ph: 49558045 Ph: 49439105 Ph: 40234979

The Coal River Bulletin Newsletter No: 45 - September 2015

We were very pleased to see some new faces at the meeting today as well as new recent contacts. Welcome to: Gail Parsons #8495: FF William Broughton , Roger & Fay Heading: FF James Heading, Sandra & Alan Martin: FF William Bradley, Kerry Neinert: FF John Small & Mary Parker and Margaret Green.

Guest Speaker today was our member Albert Wolfe: FF Thomas Akers. Bert, who is 93 years young, told of his experiences in the RAAF during WW11 - most appropriate in this year with so many commemorations for both WW1 and WW11 being held. A summary of Bert’s presentation follows later in this Newsletter.

The General meeting was followed by the AGM and a very tasty

Soup & Damper Luncheon We certainly have some very good soup makers in our Chapter!

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The following members accepted nomination and were elected to join our Hunter Valley Chapter committee for the following 12 months. Congratulations to:

President : Jane van Woerkom Vice President: Barbara Gow Secretary/Publicity: Barbara Turner Treasurer: Helen Pacey Assistant Treasurer: Johan van Woerkom Membership: Cynthia Huggup Newsletter Editor: Judy Aubin Web master: Phil Aubin Librarian: Bill Gow Catering: Pat Smith Equipment/Maintenance: Don Huggup

Your Committee 2015 / 2016

A message from the President’s Desk As another Fellowship year begins we acknowledge members past and present and give welcome to the new. To Yvonne Bradley, a re-founding group member, we say farewell.

During her time with our Chapter Yvonne has held many positions on the committee and her gracious manner endeared her to members and guests alike. We extend our warmest appreciation and thank her for her years of commitment. The committee shared a thank-you lunch with Yvonne at the Newcastle Museum Restaurant.

Equally we thank the departing Committee members Ray & Jeanette Green and Lorraine Valent and give congratulations to the Committee for 2015/2016. Thanks are also given to Guest Speakers throughout the past year including First Fleet members Ian Palmer, Ron Withington, Delma Burns and Bert Wolfe. It is with sadness we note the passing of several of our members: Ray Meredith – the initial founding President of the Hunter Valley Chapter in 1989, Assistant Treasurer Wendy Swinkels and long term member Irma Foster.

It is fitting that our AGM is in the range of the new season of Spring and we hope the celebration of new growth will equally herald a new year of growth in the Hunter Valley Chapter as well as its consolidation of the aims of the Fellowship which will be spelt out in more detail in my future messages.

In fellowship - Jane van Woerkom - President 2015/2016.

Very best wishes to:

Here is some Canadian humour we picked up on our recent visit to family in Ottawa:

I tried to catch some fog – I mist.

I know a guy who is addicted to brake fluid – he says he can stop at anytime.

I’m reading a book about gravity – I can’t put it down.

Energiser bunny arrested – charged with battery.

A soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

I wondered why the cricket ball was getting bigger – then it hit me.

How does Moses make his tea – Hebrews it.

What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary – a Thesaurus

Broken pencils are pointless.

August

5th Robert Carter 14th Ted Gant 16th Valerie Davies 16th Brian Halson 24th George Gain 26th Lee de Bono

September

2nd Trevor Jones 3rd Andrew Pacey 7th Malcolm Burns 11th Jan Davis 12th Daphne Hughes

15th Joy Pinkerton 18th Norman Hannah 20th Judy Aubin 24th Francis Bailey 30th Garry Ballhause

A summary of Bert Wolfe’s very interesting presentation.

Prior to the commencement of hostilities in WW11 Bert had been signed on as an apprentice motor mechanic with

a Tractor, Farm Machinery and Motor Vehicle trading firm in Pittsworth on the Darling Downs, Queensland and

still had two years of his apprenticeship to complete before his father would grant permission for an

enlistment. He was called up on the 15th. October 1941. For Bert this enlistment had been quite spectacular as he

said he was ‘certainly a real country-bumpkin’ when it came to visiting a city.

With his call-up to Brisbane he felt he was really a ‘country-ite’ in the big city for the first time, and especially

when the group was given a free hand to wander around Brisbane until it was time to catch the train to Sydney.

They were again let loose in Sydney until time to catch the overnight train to Melbourne, where they were again let

loose to wander around Melbourne - then it was the overnight train trip to Adelaide. Four cities visited in four

days! Bert’s comment: “This suited this country bumpkin very well thank you”.

He spent three months on a basic training course at the Adelaide Technical College. These three months went very

well. Then he was sent to Ascot Vale in Melbourne where he spent another three months completing training to

become a Flight Mechanic. During the entire time Bert was with No. 24 Squadron. He worked with the section

referred to as the Servicing Party which was completely separate from the Flight Crews as these 'back room

boys” didn’t have anything to do with flying or the aircrew. Their sole purpose was to carry out major

inspections and repairs.

The success of the Japanese Zero was a major factor in Japan’s decision to further extend their offensive into Indo-China. During the Malay campaign the Japanese Zero (or Zeke) made short work of the Australian Brewster ‘Buffalo’ fighters stationed in Malaya. Australia was in dire need of aircraft capable of engaging the Japanese forces.

He was posted to Townsville to join No. 24 Squadron and was just in

time to join in with the Battle of the Coral Sea activities even if it

was only in a minor basis. The ‘Wirraway’ aircraft were only armed

trainers but still carried out submarine patrols during the Battle

carrying two 150 pound anti-submarine bombs.

Australia was still short of efficient aircraft to counter the Japanese offensive

and the RAAF was able to obtain quite a number of light bombers in the

form of the Lockheed 'Hudson' but they definitely could not take the fight to

the Japanese. Eventually they were able to obtain some 250 Consolidated

Vultee Vengeance Dive Bombers from the States and 18 aircraft were

assigned to No. 24 Squadron at Bankstown.

On the 31 August 1943 a group of ground staff, aircrew and 8 aircraft of 24 Squadron were sent to Papua-New

Guinea to Dobodura. They were to specifically oust the Japanese from this position, after which the whole group

would be returned to Australia. The ground staff arrived on the 1st September and the aircrew and aircraft a

few days later. However, when the aircrew arrived at Port Moresby they were informed that the A.I.F.

had ousted the enemy from the position and they were no longer were required and would be returned to

Australia. This made for a very unhappy crew as they were ready to show the world what the aircrew and dive

bombers could do. Somehow they received permission to remain and were attached to an American unit who

supplied all needs, accommodation, food, shelter, bombs, fuel and fighter cover when required.

They were eventually moved to Kiriwina Island, but as it was surrounded by

water it was not such a good idea to have single-engine aircraft flying over

such a span of water. The next move was to Nadzab on the Papua-New

Guinea mainland and gave support to the 7th and 9

th Division AIF and

to various elements of the American Army. However the area became

overcrowded and the whole of No. 24 Squadron was returned to

Lowood to be equipped with the Consolidated Liberator Bomber.

Wirraway bomber

Vultee Vengeance Dive Bomber

Japanese Zero

Consolidated Liberator Bomber

Bert was posted out of the squadron and ended up at Oakey where he felt he had the best job of all.

Twelve Engine Fitters, in three groups of four, worked around the

clock testing V12 Allison aircraft motors. One group fitted the engine

into the cradle; one group started the motor and ran it on test for about

seven hours twenty one minutes, then at 3000 revs for 5 minutes with

no thought of ear muffs. Bert worked for 6 months on the Allison

liquid cooled engine. In Bert’s words: “no wonder many suffered

bunged up ears”.

If the test was successful the third group removed it from the cradle and prepared it for delivery to a

‘Kittyhawk’ squadron in the islands. If the motor failed a test it was removed and returned to the

workshop for further attention. Four men were engaged at a time testing the Allison motors and were

stationed 'out in the sticks' because of the noise produced. These teams were therefore exempt from parade.

They had to report to the cook house when going on duty and collect food, usually one piece of steak for

each man, some potatoes and frequently a squash or similar which they had to cook - they were the best fed

airmen at Oakey!

Without warning, Bert was posted to No.79 Spitfire Squadron at

Moratoi, an island in the Halmahera group, and was again in a

Servicing Party carrying out the usual major inspections and repairs.

The Spitfire was considered one of the best fighter aircraft to be flown

by RAAF pilots.

When the Pacific war ended, there was a great exodus of aircraft and personnel from the numerous islands

inhabited by RAAF crews. However, No. 79 Squadron was retained for the sole purpose of delivering

pamphlets to the various Islands where it was known Japanese troops still remained, advising them that the

war in the Pacific had ceased and included instructions on what to do to prepare them to return to Japan.

Apart from the ground staff maintaining and attending to the Spitfires, Bert was landed with the job of

maintaining various power plants around the island and did not arrive back in Australia for five months,

until Christmas time.

With the war over, Bert was posted to Survey Flight in Canberra which

was equipped with the de Haviland ‘Mosquito', a twin engine mostly

wooden aircraft. The unit was involved in photographing the entire area

of Australia. Bert was discharged in February 1947 and returned to

Brisbane where his parents had moved in the meantime.

Vice President Barbara Gow thanking Bert Wolfe for sharing his very interesting WW11 experiences with us.

Spitfire

de Haviland 'Mosquito'

Did you notice our new Hunter Valley Chapter ‘logo’?

This new logo is of an 1820 painting by an unknown artist of Nobby’s, then known as Coal Island or Nobby Island. It includes the incomplete pier which joins it to the mainland – then known as Macquarie Pier - today known mostly as Nobby’s breakwater.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie visited Newcastle in 1818 and approved the huge undertaking to build a causeway 30 ft. wide from South Head (the later site of Fort Scratchley) to Coal Island.

Captain Wallace proposed it be called Macquarie Pier and a foundation stone was cut and engraved accordingly. As well as giving access to the coal deposits on the Island the pier provided safer access for shipping as it entered Newcastle Harbour.

Work began shortly after Macquarie’s visit and continued till 1822 when Newcastle ceased to be a penal settlement. At this stage some 625 yards of the 930 yard long wall had been completed at a cost of £25,000.

The government allocated more funds and from 1833 work progressed slowly as repairs first had to be made to the original dilapidated structure.

In September 1866 the Newcastle Chronicle reported the Pier had been completed and included a railway line to access the coal seam on Nobbys - a permanent lighthouse had been installed for shipping.

Nobby’s Beach and Lighthouse complex today

We now have First Fleet cards for our Chapter with the 1820 painting on the cover + envelope.

They are blank inside for your personal message - available from Barbara Gow.

Cost: $10 for 10.

Our new ‘logo’: Watercolour - 23rd

January 1820

Artist unknown. State Library of NSW

Nobbys Head 1887

September Outing

A visit to Historic Stroud

On Monday 21st September we will car pool for a visit to Stroud. We will meet at 12 Mile Creek rest area on the Pacific Highway, just

before the left turn to Stroud, at 9 am.

We will then continue our drive to Stroud and have morning tea at Silo Hill (BYO). This will be followed by a guided tour of Silo Hill, Quambi House (convict built in the 1830’s), Stroud Court House (1840 & 1877) and St. John’s Anglican Church (convict built 1833). Cost of tour is $7 to be paid at morning tea.

More visits are also being arranged including the Post Office, the Hermitage - a Franciscan Brothers Monastery - and if time permits the well known Showground where Don has organized some interesting activities!

Lunch is at own expense – bring your own – or the Stroud Central Hotel comes highly recommended – cost <$20.

Contact Don 49558045 or Yvonne 49574758 for more information. __________________________________

You are cordially invited to our next general meeting

Monday 19th October 2015 Where: Senior Citizens Hall, Brunker Rd. Adamstown Time: 10am for 10.30am start Guest Speaker: Karys Fearon FFF Chapter Liaison Officer Topic: Role of First Fleet House

Cost: $5 pp. Tea and coffee on arrival Kitchen Roster: Morning tea: Bill Gow, Judy Aubin Lunch: Wendy & George Gain, Bob Walker

Please bring a small plate of finger food to share for lunch.

For your Diary:

Christmas Meeting

At our usual venue on the 2nd Monday in December Monday 14th December More details next Newsletter. Your Editor, Judy Aubin

Quambi House – convict built 1830’s

105 Cathedral St. Woolloomooloo