Radschool Association Magazine

Radschool Association Magazine - Vol 43

Page 5

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878 Rookies Course. (27Sept1967)

The next three photos were sent to us by Peter Smith.

Standing L-R: Peter MacLauchlan Qld.; Michael Reiken Qld.; Ray Lambert NSW; Barry Wicks Qld.; Ken Luck Qld.; William Darby NSW; Gordon Jarvis NSW; Peter Smith Qld.; Donald Douglas Qld.; Darryl Stanley Qld.; Colin Broomham NSW; Karan Davidson Vic.; George Turner NSW (formerly Scotland); Greg Vogel NSW; Gerry Hartmann SA; Donald Otto Qld.; Edgar Grabbis SA.

Kneeling L-R: Des Carney Qld.; Gary Wade NSW; Ronald Kelly Qld.; Len Bowers Qld.; Cpl. B Hamilton (Drill Instructor, formerly of the UK); Paul Ambrose Qld.; Frank Frith UK (Course Orderly); Robert Braden Qld.; Owen Krummel Qld.

Peter says, “There were 25 recruits as well as the Drill Instructor in the photo. Queenslanders made up the largest contingent (14) with the New South Welshmen coming second (7); South Australia (2): Victoria (1) and one from the UK.

On our course banner there are 26 recruits listed. The extra one is P Nuske. I can’t remember what happened to him. While on course we did a trip in a DC3 to East Sale to do crowd control for an open day there, 9^th -12^th of September. A guard of honour is also listed on our banner for 15^th of September but I can’t remember what the occasion was”.

Peter says after Rookies, his RAAF career started out at Wagga where he joined 124 Trainee Mechanics Course, held at Forest Hill from 1967 to 1968.

If you can't remember whether or not you called your mother, you didn't!

124 Mechanics Course.

Back row L-R: Bob Clarke PNG.; Sam Barton Qld.; John Glover NSW; Nick Vermuleun SA (originally from the Netherlands); Peter Smith Qld.; ? Mackay; Lee Dean SA; Dennis Weiland Qld.

Middle row L-R: Mike Reiken Qld.; ? Burns SA; Gordon Jarvis NSW; Wayne Henry SA; Sid Slater Qld.; Barry Wicks Qld., Peter McLachlan Qld.; Owen Krummel Qld.; Ray Lambert NSW;

Sitting L-R: Ron Kelly Qld.; Ken Luck Qld.; Richard Holtsbrum Tas.; Robert Cooling NSW; Frank Horne Qld.; Flying Officer Baxter Qld., Wayne Wilson SA; Robin McLaren Qld.; John Williams NSW; John Kiszko WA.

In hospital at the time; George Turner NSW; Peter Ward SA.

The motherly advice you ignore

will always turn out to be the best advice she ever gave you.

23 RMT (Air) June 1968

Peter says, “The Mech phase was from 23^rd May 1968 to 20^th November 1968. The Tech phase was 6^th December 1968 to 22^nd August 1969. Up until shortly before that the Mech phase and the Tech phases were spaced apart (41 RTC was the last Tech only course – tb) The photo was taken by the RAAF Central Photographic Establishment, Laverton, on 13 June 1968.

It shows 26 airmen and I have only recorded their last names on the back of the photo. I have a wall hanging that records the names of the 23 men that graduated from the course. (Three must have dropped out.) The names on the wall hanging have the initials of the first names though.

Back Row L-R: Miller David (QLD), Scotcher Syd, Towle John (NSW), McGuin Mick (course orderly) (QLD), Williams Col (NSW), Vermeulen Nick (SA), Smith Peter (QLD), Burton, Johnson Lyndon (VIC), Sanderson Trevor (QLD), Kingston Graham (QLD), Tyler R (VIC).

Middle Row L-R: Koch H (VIC), Bunker Doug (SA), Veaudry H (QLD), Heath ?, Bruce Greg (QLD), Turner Trevor, Lacey Ron (QLD), Darker Wally.

Front Row L-R: McGowan ?, Kochivathkin R (QLD), Tolley J (QLD), Gurerra ?, Prein Kirk (QLD), Brand Eddie (NSW).

“8 of the blokes in the pic didn’t graduate with us, they are Scotcher, Burton, Heath, Turner, Darker, McGowan and Gurerra. I don’t know if they graduated on a later course or remustered.

Missing from the pic and who did graduate with us are 4 blokes who I think came down from an earlier course, they are Cummmings L (NSW), Element A (QLD), Haynes G (WA), Henley R (NSW) As was usual at the time, the bulk of the course was made up of Queenslanders.

After Radschool, I went on to 481 Maintenance Squadron, Cyrano Section, at Williamston.”

If you think you have any secrets from your mother,

remember who was it changed your nappies.

Some nostalgia from Rod McLeod.

L-R: Ken Western, Dennis Smedley, John Baker, Rod McLeod, Bob Davis

This will scare you http://rod-stuff.com/RAAFband.html

Never lie to your mother!!

And if you do, never think you got away with it – because odds on, you didn’t!.

1971 Ground Radtech Course.

Emma Husband send us this pic, she asks: “Can anyone identify any of the people in this photo? It was (we believe) taken at a Ground RADTECH Course in 1971 at RAAF Laverton. End of Course drinkies. We don't know the Course number - can't read the banner unfortunately. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

Please let us know if you can help and we’ll pass it on.

Mothers offer advice on only two occasions: when you want it and when you don't.

Last of the WRAAFs at Ballarat - (1961)

Audrey Webb, who was Audrey McDonald back then, gave us these photos. Unfortunately the pics aren’t all that clear, but back then the cameras weren’t all that smart either.

Left: Maureen O’Sullivan (is that a cigarette??)

L-R: Pat Elder, Mavis Cordwell and Judy Gale.

L-R: Sylvia Baldwin and Kay Nicholls.

Audrey (right) says she and Mavis Cordwell, Judy Gale, and Kay Nicholls went down to Laverton, so they can say they saw the closure of one base and the opening of the other.

Audrey is a lovely person, but unfortunately she barracks for Carlton, what a shame!!!

Today I broke my personal record for most consecutive days lived.

Kev Trimmer sent us these pics.

Lockheed P2V-7 (SP-2H) Neptune.

There were two Neptunes on display at RAAF Townsville until Cyclone Yasi in 2011 wiped out Aircraft 279 and then a tornado in March 2012 wiped out aircraft 280. This is the wonderful result of both aircraft re-assembled to make one and then displayed at the front gate.

Iroquois A2 488 on display at the end of the strip where Duckworth Street meets Ingham Road, Townsville.

DHC-4 Caribou A4-199, outside the quarters of RAAF Townsville. The pic was taken through the perimeter fence

The longer it's been since you cleaned your house,

the more likely it is that your mother will visit.

Panic Night – Rookies, 1987.

Chrissy Hart, who was Christina Martin in her WRAAF days, sent us these pics.

Below, attacking the floor with the old polisher. These things had a mind of their own and if you weren’t watching what you were doing they would take over and bash into things with the force of a D9.

L-R: Jane Raymond and Sue Mayor

Polishing the floors of Block 95, 1RTU RAAF Edinburgh.

Wonder what happened to them when Panics were finally done away with, the RAAF must have had hundreds of them.

Below, Block 95 pre inspection, Tuesday morning, before heading off to work for the day, hoping everything is OK as there is nothing more demoralizing than a re-Panic!!

L-R: ACWRs Tracey Smith, Jane Raymond, Lisa Vorgias and Sue Mayor, 1987.

Nice bedrolls!

ANZAC Day in Darwin, 1989.

Medasst girls L-R: Shirley Bouma, Tracey Kenworthy, Carrie Hussin and Chrissie in the old Truscott Club beer garden. ANZAC Day 1989.

The Truscott Club was the Airmen’s boozer, built in the 1970s. It became very popular in the 80s and 90s, rumour had it that it was the most profitable boozer in the RAAF. I remember counting the takings during one exercise when I was on the club committee when it made 10 grand in one weekend (remember this was the early nineties!). Unfortunately the old club was bulldozed in the name of progress during the late nineties and is now a car park. I will always remember the pool party night where everyone got drenched with the fire hose!

Mothers can always tell you a better way to do something - after you've already done it

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