The RAM - Vol 56. Page 20

Vol 56

Page 20

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News and Reunions!

Anzac Day 2017 – Radschool.

We’ve had several emails asking whether the Radschool Association is going to march in Brisbane next Anzac Day, under its own banner, similar to what it did in April earlier this year.

If there is sufficient interest there in no reason why not, we have the banner here in Brisbane and the RTFV-35Sqn Association would welcome the Radschool bods to their “Post Mortem” celebration at the Jade Buddha after the march. To test the waters, we’ve included a form below which we’d ask you to fill in if you would like to march under the Radschool Banner. If there are enough starters, we’ll get the ball rolling.

Results next issue.

There are some nice people in this world.

We recently received the following email: “Hello, I was wondering if you could please help me contact either Gary or Robyn. I own a taxi company in Calgary, Canada, and Robyn left her purse in one of our taxis. We would like to get it back to her. If you could please help us do that. She could email me at XXXXX. Thank you. Kim”. (We’ve kept the surnames out – tb)

Isn’t that amazing, when he found the purse, Kim did a Google search on Gary and Robyn’s names and found them in one of the earlier Radschool Magazines, he then got in touch with us, we got in touch with Gary and Robyn and bingo! Robyn got her purse back.

Suggy’s Men – RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam.

For some time, a few blokes had been working on the book and now it’s finished. The book is about 200+ A4 pages with many photos of those who were there and of some events of that time. It is not a story per se but more a collection of articles and recollections of the members who were part of the original deployment. It covers pre-deployment, the deployment, the early days of the formation of RTFV together with the challenges of setting up facilities at Vung Tau, which were rudimentary at best.

The book focuses on the CO at that time, Sqn Ldr Chris Sugden, (right) who was the ideal man for the task of establishing RTFV and one who was respected and admired by all who served under him. He was aided by Flt Lt Chummy Wade, the little Englishman who many would have known.

RTFV in its early days was unique. It had brand new aircraft which were operated throughout South Vietnam by crews, who were given quite significant latitude by the CO to get the job done, a situation that unfortunately changed as more RAAF units arrived.

The book is available through Don Pollock at a cost of $25 plus postage of $13.50 (200 pages A4 size is heavy). If you would like a copy, Don can be contacted at dnrpollock@bigpond.com

Frognall Fusiliers.

Garry Bates is organising a reunion for all those that spent time as a Radio Appy at that wonderful old building in Canterbury - Frognall. (Canterbury being a suburb of Melbourne.)

The Reunion will be held in Maroochydore (Qld Sunshine Coast) from Friday to Monday 17 - 20 February, 2017..

This is the plan for the weekend:

Friday 17th February: QLD Country Pub evening, transport arranged.

Saturday 18th February: Free day to surf, swim, sunbathe, stroll, spend, stare or stupefy at your choice in preparation for an evening dining at the Maroochydore RSL Club Function Room.

Sunday 19th February: BBQ Brunch either at adjacent Cotton Tree Park or Alexander Headlands, probably weather dependant.

Monday 20th February: Hinterland Excursion including, mountain views, boutique shopping, coffee houses, wineries, gastronomic gluttony and more.

Accommodation: Accommodation is plentiful and within strolling distance of the venue within the Maroochy CBD precinct and stumbling distance to Ocean Street and the Plaza hot spots. Alternatives in Mooloolaba and Alexandra Headlands are adjacent for those not needing walking frames or mobility scooters.

Costs: Garry has obtained a waiver of the cost for the hire of the venue, being military-like folk, and the meal is about $60pp. Drinks are affordable and yes, there is wine in these hotter climes north of the boarder.

Please advise your best intentions of participation based on the precise engineering criteria of: ‘Definitely, Maybe, Longshot or You’ve got to be Kidding,’ to Garry HERE.

Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Award.

Stew Bonett advises that this unit award has been awarded to all members of RTFV and 35SQN that served in Vietnam and are listed on the Honour Roll.

This should take place in the New Year and could possibly entail each person making a separate application for the award.

This award is the result of many years of hard work undertaken by Lee Scully.

More information will be made available as it comes to hand.

Djinnang Reunion.

The Djinnang Association will hold their annual AGM/Reunion in 2017 in a new venue in Brisbane. Due to the closure of the Public Service club, the reunion in 2017 will be held in the Transcontinental Hotel which is at 482 George St, directly opposite the Roma St railway and bus terminal.

Click HERE for their flyer.

All Appy Reunion.

Dick Tracy advises that the annual All Appy and JEATS Reunion will be held at the Werribee RSL on the 21^st January 2017. Doors open at 1.00pm. Click HERE for the flier.

The Earth is going Green.

Carbon dioxide emissions have driven a huge growth in trees and other plants. A new study says that if the extra green leaves prompted by rising CO² levels were laid in a carpet, it would cover twice the continental USA.

Climate sceptics argue the findings show that the extra CO2 is actually benefiting the planet.

But the researchers say the fertilisation effect diminishes over time. They warn the positives of CO² are likely to be outweighed by the negatives. The lead author, Prof Ranga Myneni from Boston University, told BBC News the extra tree growth would not compensate for global warming, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, ocean acidification, the loss of Arctic sea ice, and the prediction of more severe tropical storms.

The new study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change by a team of 32 authors from 24 institutions in eight countries. It is called Greening of the Earth and its Drivers and it is based on data from the Modis and AVHRR instruments which have been carried on American satellites over the past 33 years. The sensors show significant greening of something between 25% and 50% of the Earth's vegetated land, which in turn is slowing the pace of climate change as the plants are drawing in CO² from the atmosphere.

Just 4% of vegetated land has suffered from plant loss.

The extra growth is the equivalent of more than four billion giant sequoias – the biggest trees on Earth. This is in line with the Gaia thesis promoted by the maverick scientist James Lovelock who proposed that the atmosphere, rocks, seas and plants work together as a self-regulating organism. Mainstream science calls such mechanisms "feedbacks".

The scientists say several factors play a part in the plant boom, including climate change (8%), more nitrogen in the environment (9%), and shifts in land management (4%). But the main factor, they say, is plants using extra CO² from human society to fertilise their growth (70%). Harnessing energy from the sun, green leaves grow by using CO², water, and nutrients from soil.

"The greening reported in this study has the ability to fundamentally change the cycling of water and carbon in the climate system," said a lead author Dr Zaichun Zhu, from Peking University, Beijing, China.

If you’re interested, you can read more HERE or to get an alternate view, watch the video below.

He's now officially old.

Seen celebrating his milestone birthday recently was that man about town, the people's champion, John "Sambo" Sambrooks. We heard that the PM was considering whether or not to declare it a public holiday but because the celebration was held on on a Sunday it was felt most people were not at work anyway and they were able to attend.

We believe there was a cast of thousands at the Arana Hills Leagues Club to help Sambo relive all those years and to share a beer or two with him.

Happy birthday mate.

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