1972

The End of National Service

by Peter Cimbaljevic

It was 1972 and my two years of National Service were coming to an end.  I was a Bombardier in 101st Field Battery, 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.  Posted at Sanananda Barracks, Wacol Queensland.   I decided to transfer to the Australian Regular Army for a period of three years.  As I believed, early next year I would be posted to Malaya, along with other 1st Field Regiment Personnel.  Unfortunately, due to the Federal Government Election held in December this deployment was cancelled.

As a living-in member, I was in charge of all personal living in our hut M26.  Having 12-14 Gunners in the hut during National Service to having only 4 members the next day was indeed a shock.  Right Section of Gun Troop that day ended up having only 6 Gunners on Parade.

In June of 1972, the National Servicemen of the Regiment were able to return to civilian life, regardless of how long they still had to complete their two years of service. They were transported in the back of Mark 3 trucks. To either the Southbank Railway Station or the Brisbane Airport for discharging at their respective home Personnel District Command Centres to the State from which they were conscripted in.

National Serviceman:	Gunner	L.M.	Conscripted:	27 January 1971
			Discharged:	26 July 1972	(In Western Australia)
			Total Service:`	1 Year and 182 Days
	From 1965 to 1972, over 15,300 national servicemen served in the Vietnam War, with 200 killed and 1,279 wounded.   Once again the issue of conscription provoked debate within the Australian community, with university students and other members of the community taking part in large anti-conscription and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations.   The National Service scheme was abolished on 5 December 1972 by the newly elected Labor Govenment.
Click Image to Enlarge