4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - February 2016 Edition

From November 1967 through to February 1968 we had approximately 31 Reinforcement men come into 106 most were National Servicemen with only 6 months training in OZ.. They joined us on two Operations. When 106 left SVN most of these men transferred to 102 Field Battery. We have had limited contact with these men, 3 have turned up at reunions on a rare occasion and two have marched with us on Anzac Day. Terry Lawler the paymaster with HQ Battery 4th Field Regiment has greeted us when we have got together in Canberra and we have some other men from HQ Battery who have shown an interest in 106 1967/68. Michael O Sullivan and Shane Oxenham were the only 106 Field Battery 1967/68 men who went back over with the second 106 Field Battery and we 1967/68 have had no contact with the second 106 Association apart from Mick and Shane. At least 60% of 106 Field Battery 1967/68 were National Servicemen the largest group of our surviving 106 Veterans reside in Qld, next in numbers would be VIc, one in Tas, two in SA, 6 in WA and NSW would only see 2 or three march in Sydney. One chap is married to a Filipino and he lives with her when they are not fighting and in Vietnam and OZ on and off, and one until recently lives in Dien Bein Phu for long stretches. So the book will really only be about the original 106 Field Battery men who were collected in Wacol during 1966 and early 1967. We can only make mention of the 31 reinforcement men and extol their role in the Battle of Coral but we hardly even see their faces in the hundreds of photographs we have been supplied with. Initially the book is being published at a low cost for 106 Field Battery Veterans and other Veterans who express a desire to have a copy. We have approached OS printers as well as local and the OS companies can produce at a price far far lower than Australian so until we have copies in our hands we cannot detail a launch location. Regards from Ben and John. From Johno Greg Young and “Grandad” in Singapore in March 1970. Sadly, Bob Thorne is no longer with us. The reason he was called “Grandad”, he was 24 when he got called up after finishing his apprenticeship. I suppose we should have called all the Sergeants and above – POP! Cheers, Johno. Remember we had to wear polys but carry a “plain shirt” on a hanger to wear when we got off the plane in Singapore. Well, that’s all for now. Please let me know ASAP if you are going to Melbourne so we can confirm numbers with our venues. One or two either way won’t matter, but if we have an extra 20 or so turn up it could prove awkward. Regards to all, Peter Bruce.