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Privacy Policy | Editorial Policy | Profit Policy | Join the Association | List of Members | Contact us | Index | Links |
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Back Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Back to Start
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News and Reunions!
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Contents:
Compensation and Rehabilitation for Veterans inquiry.
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Ron Raymond, who served for 25 years in the RAAF, has compiled his memoires into a book titled “Over the Rainbow”. It initially focuses on Ron’s early time in the RAAF and his early to establish himself as a professional aviator before his selection as a General Duties Pilot. It describes training methods in the 1950s and 1960s, handling the WW2 heavy bombers, the Lincoln Mk30 and Mk31, fast jets, air instruction, tactical air operations (Vietnam and Papua New guinea), and Air Staff career assignment and finally appointment as the Chief Flying Instructor at the RAAF’s Basic Flying School at Point Cook.
His last flight while in uniform, was at Point Cook on the 1st November, 1974.
Ron has had the book printed by Austin Macauley Publishers in the UK and if you would like a copy you can order one from HERE.
Hard copy books cost GBP£9.09 (about AU$16.60) and GBP£6.29 (about AU$11.50) for the paper back. If you’re into eBooks, you can order one for GBP£3.50 (about AU$6.40).
I’ve read it, it’s a great read and there’s a fair chance you’ll recognise a few names in there. |
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TelsTech Mustering get-together.
On 29 November 2019, it will be 30 years since the TelsTech mustering disappeared and as nobody, except perhaps George Mellick, has suggested a venue to celebrate or commiserate the disappearance, a decision has been made. We were looking for an area that had some sort of connection to the mustering and so Penrith was decided on. The preferred venue in the first instance, was the Penrith Leagues Club, but they wanted 'an arm and a leg’ just to use their facility, by charging $800 just to hire the dining room, so our faithful 'servants' Jon Wye and Nick Marathakis went to the Penrith RSL - what a 'breath of fresh air' they were, we booked their dining room for 29 November and they didn't charge anything up front. Their dinner menu is equal to that offered by Penrith Leagues Club, and quite considerably cheaper, allowing for pre-dinner nibblies, as well as entree, main course and sweets for dinner.
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What's more, we found out later that 'Jock Cartwright' is the Assistant Marketing Manager at the RSL, so that may help as well. The plan is to have a sit down dinner from 6:30pm on Friday 29 November at the Penrith RSL - A meet and greet is planned to be held on the previous Thursday evening, at a venue to be decided, and other activities will be decided in the next few months to entertain you during the day on Friday, and may even have something planned for an 'after glow' on the Saturday.
Now that the venue has been decided, the committee would like an indication from those who could make a reasonably firm commitment to attend, so we can decide on the makeup of attendees, i.e. Just ex Telstechs, or ex Telstechs and their partners. We are restricted to approximately 125 seated for the dinner, but with a bit of a stretch, they can accommodate 150 - plenty of notice has been given, so please give it some thought. |
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The 2020 East Sale Box Packers and Friends reunion will be held in Albury NSW over the weekend 16 – 18 October, 2020.
There’s more info HERE.
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Just before I die, I’m going to swallow a bag of popcorn kernels, the cremation is going to be epic.
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RAAF Apprentice Intakes (1948 - 1993)
We have just completed our first reunion committee meeting regards to the next all Apprentice Intakes Reunion to take place in Wagga in 2021. We shall also be celebrating the one hundredth year of the RAAF formed on the 31st March 1921.
Some details at this early stage of the following.
Friday 23rd April 2021 Registration day. Welcome to Wagga night at the new The Range Function Centre.
Saturday 24th April Either a rest day or private visits or individual intake functions.
Sunday 25th April ANZAC Day, Dawn Services, March down Baylis St, Two-up and a few brown lemonades.
Monday 26th April Public Holiday. Reunion Dinner at The Range Function Centre.
Tuesday 27th April Breakfast catered by AIRCARE at the Wagga Botanic Gardens.
As you can see, there are no exact times for events at this very early stage. This notice is to inform all in advance for your Diary entry.
The RAAF Heritage Centre at the Base main gate is open all days except Fridays, however it may be open if they have a volunteer for this special occasion. The RAAF base is an area out of bounds to all public, but if we have enough starters, we will try to have a guided tour arranged for the Tuesday 27th either am or pm hours.
The Temora Aviation Museum will have a flying display over the ANZAC weekend.
In approximately 12 months from now we will be posting out mail and you will receive 2 forms.
Form 1: Will be yours to retain and will give you the itinerary for times, locations, and costs. etc...… Form 2: Very important to return to us ASAP through the AIRCARE mail box. This will give us the number attending the different venues, so we can organise all requirements.
One last item. For all you grey nomads. The Range Function Centre have their own caravan Range Function Centre parking facility with 56 sites having power and water. If you wish to book a site early or wanting to know more, (dogs are allowed) ring 02 6938 2121 or on the web HERE
Let me say, on behalf of the committee I hope to see you all in Wagga in April 2021.
Just remember if Bob Gnezdiloff does not have your postal address, he cannot send you a registration form.
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Steve Jobs, the past boss at Apple, died a billionaire at age 56. This is his final essay:
“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In some others' eyes, my life is the epitome of success, however, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, my wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on my bed and recalling my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in have paled and become meaningless in the face of my death.
You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. Material things lost can be found or replaced but there is one thing that can never be found when it's lost - Life. Whichever stage in life you are in right now, with time, you will face the day when the curtain comes down.
Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well and cherish others. As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that a $300 or a $30 watch both tell the same time. You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down - you go down with it.
Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, that is true happiness! Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy so when they grow up they will know the value of things and not the price. Eat your food as your medicine, otherwise you have to eat medicine as your food.
The One who loves you will never leave you for another because, even if there are 100 reasons to give up, he or she will find a reason to hold on. There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only a few really understand it. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you die. In between, you have to manage!
The six best doctors in the world are sunlight, rest, exercise, diet, self-confidence and friends. Maintain them in all stages and enjoy a healthy life."
Most people with 60 or more summers under their belt can remember where they were on the 20th July 1969. That was when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, tucked away inside the Apollo Lunar Module, safely landed on our moon, while their mother vehicle cruised above with Michael Collins at the controls – or so say most of us.
Apollo 11, the mother vehicle, was launched by a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Centre on Merritt Island, Florida, on the 16th July.
The Apollo spacecraft had three parts: a command module with a cabin for the three astronauts and the only part that returned to Earth; a service module, which supported the command module with propulsion, electrical power, oxygen, and water; and a lunar module that had two stages – a descent stage for landing on the Moon, and an ascent stage to place the astronauts back into lunar orbit.
Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface six hours after landing and Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later. They spent about two and a quarter hours together outside the spacecraft and collected 21.5kg of lunar material to bring back to Earth. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21.5 hours on the lunar surface at a site they named Tranquillity Base before re-joining Collins in the command module in lunar orbit.
They then jettisoned the little bus that brought them up from the moon’s surface and propelled the command module out of the last of its 30 lunar orbits and headed for home where they splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24 after more than eight days in space.
I was in the radio section at 38Sqn at Richmond at that time. Queer trade CO back then was Kev Carroll and in those days 38Sqn did its own maintenance, radio section fixed all its own equipment and had a bunch of work benches and thousands of dollars of test equipment. 1969 was also only 13 years after the introduction of TV into Australia and most people had a black and white set which being valve operated, often failed. Most of us back then were valve trained, (those transistors were but a passing phase) so we could handle the odd TV set without much trouble and if there was a problem, there was always the late Bill Coyer to call on. There was always at least one set belonging to someone in the Sqn under repair in the back section and on that fateful day, we made sure one was serviceable and hooked up to one of Bill Coyer’s classic antennas.
On Wednesday, at 12.56pm, just after lunch, as Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, half the Sqn had climbed the stairs and was in the back room at 38Sqn radio to watch it happen.
One of those moments you’ll never forget!!
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My wife was going through her wardrobe, she said "look at this, it still fits me after 25 years". I said "it should, it's a scarf." |
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Outgoing Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Leo Davies, AO, CSC, handed command of the Royal Australian Air Force to Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, AO, DSC during a ceremonial parade in Canberra on the 3rd July 2019.
The parade included Australia’s Federation Guard, the Air Force Band, a didgeridoo performance by Wing Commander Jonathan Lilley, and a flypast featuring aircraft introduced during Air Marshal Davies’ tenure as Chief of Air Force. |
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Air Marshal Leo Davies, AO, CSC receives the retired Pennant from Warrant Officer Air Force, Warrant Officer Robert Swanwick, before transfer of command of the Royal Australian Air Force to Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, AO, DSC.
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Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, AO, DSC.
Air Marshal Davies retired after a distinguished 40-year Air Force career.
Click the pic below to see the RAAF video of the ceremony |
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This is an early warning message to all members and other interested ex-3TU people, that the Association has planned a celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of 3TU. At a committee meeting on 10 July it was decided that the event would be a formal dinner at the new RSL ANZAC Club (currently under construction) on Friday 15 October 2021. Located in the Perth CBD, the Club is ideally located for hotel accommodation and public transport. In addition to the dinner, it is planned to conduct a visit to RAAF Pearce for those wishing to refresh old memories.
Details of costs will be determined and advised at a later date but likely participants can make a note of the date and start saving your pennies. This info will be circulated on Facebook by Ken McLennan, to reach those non-members not on the Association email list. Please respond to Ken or myself if you are likely to attend the grand celebration.
Cheers John Stewart Secretary 3 Telecommunication Unit Association (Inc).
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Compensation and Rehabilitation for Veterans inquiry.
The final report into A Better Way to Support Veterans has been released by the Australian Government/Productivity Commission.
The Commission wishes to thank all those who participated in the inquiry. The report is available for free download HERE and printed copies of the report can be purchased from our publications agent, Canprint Communications
Contact Ingrid Ottaway Ph: 02 6240 3307 | Email: veterans@pc.gov.au Compensation and Rehabilitation for Veterans.
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