4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - February 2019 Edition

Some of you may not be aware of where my career took me after 1971 and so, what follows is a brief summary. On returning from Vietnam, I was posted to 8 Medium Regiment in Holsworthy. I spent the majority of the next couple of years with 131 Div Loc Battery, ending up as BK. However, in 1973, soon after getting married, I decided to resign my Commission and join civvy street. Apart from a few years in Western Australia, I was employed by Alcan for 20 years in a number of management roles, finishing up in Melbourne after other postings in Sydney and Brisbane. During this time, my marriage broke up and I subsequently married Ann - we’ve recently celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. After leaving Alcan, Ann and I bought a franchise which provided Executive Relocation to companies requiring ‘hands-on’ support in transferring their employees and families either interstate or overseas. This work took us to offices in Perth, Adelaide and finally to Melbourne. After a few years in Western Australia, we moved across to northern New South Wales and bought a macadamia farm - just down the road from Denis Byrne who had also served with 4 Field Regiment as an FO. Life on the farm was hard work, thoroughly enjoyable, it kept us both fit, allowed us to learn an awful lot about growing macadamias in a very short period of time and also provided us with a great lifestyle for just over 13 years. Our children are now spread far and wide, living in Sydney, London, Western Australia and France. We sold the farm at the end of 2016 and now live in Lennox Head, mid-way between Ballina and Byron Bay. We were then able to buy ourselves an off-road caravan and plan to spend a significant part of our time travelling the country. Our trip this year will see us tackling the Outback Way (Winton to Laverton) so I hope we can look forward to catching up with some of you ‘on the other side of the fence’! Will look forward to catching up again in Laurieton, if that’s where it’s decided we gather for ANZAC Day.... Best regards, David. ********************************************************************** ANZAC Day is just around the corner but I’m afraid I have not got a lot of happenings to report. Thanks to those who did respond, and a summary of events follows. We did contemplate a day on the far north coast eg Ballina or Byron Bay, but in the end I decided to stay in Laurieton again this year. All welcome to attend. The Sub Branch does a good Dawn Service, march and main service. The local Laurieton United Services (LUSC) Club also puts on a breakfast and lunch at a very reasonable cost. Please let me know well in advance if you would like to commemorate ANZAC Day in Laurieton. ********************************************************************** From Ben Burrow Dear Peter. The 106 Field Battery 1967/68 TURTLE BANNER has usually lined up near the Athenaeum Theatre at 188 Collins Street and in accordance with the 2019 Anzac March Plan/Timing available on the Victorian RSL website prior to the march. In 2018 the TURTLE BANNER was the only Vietnam Artillery Banner in the march and gunners from all units marched behind it. If this should occur again 106 Field Battery Veterans welcome all Vietnam Veteran Gunners to march with us in 2019 in Melbourne, we will hopefully be led in 2019 by Neville Clark MC OAM. 106 Field Battery Veteran John Godfrey OAM the Graphic Designer of GUNNERS VIETNAM 67/68 after his open-heart surgery, is now putting together the finishing touches to a sequel to GUNNERS VIETNAM 67/68. This second definitive history book about an Australian Artillery Unit fighting in South Vietnam will describe in words and mostly iconic photographs the day to day activities of 106 Field Battery Gunners on Operations during 1967/68. The book's title will be "FIRE MISSION 106 FIELD