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

From Kevin O’Brien Thanks Peter, At this stage I will be home in April. So keep me posted and I will try to catch up if at all possible. You might be interested that, over the past 3 years, I have been running a series of history lectures on Australians in various wars - with U3A here on the Gold Coast at Labrador. U3A Tweed, who operate out of Tugun I believe, have asked me to repeat my 4 part series on the Vietnam war in 2019 at Tugan. I will keep you posted. Some of our friends who live nearby could be interested in attending. Each session is of 2 hours duration, with plenty of interaction. I held them up here on successive Monday at 10 am, so those interested had plenty of time to get here and could join in for lunch after the session. We had a good roll up – around 20 attended, including 3 veterans. I think everyone found it very enlightening – including myself! One of the older veterans (3 tours) remarked that the series – especially the political and strategic background was an eye- opener. When I get dates confirmed I will advise. Kevin. From Brian Swift (12/12/2018) Hi Peter, Sandi and I have just attended the funeral for one of our old boy drivers, Dave HANCHARD at a funeral home in Nambour. Dave died on 3 Dec aged 71. He was quite crook for a long while and passed peacefully with wife Jo and son John present. Dave’s funeral was well attended by lots of his friends and family. I was the only 4 Fd Regt old boy there and I was given the honour of saying a few words about Dave’s time with the Regt and later in Singapore with 106 Bty. As you will recall Dave was a Popular and lively character and a well-respected Driver. I passed on to his family and friends the condolences of the Old Boys and farewelled him with a few humorous recollections. Just thought I’d let you know in case you want to put the info in our newsletter. Regards and UBIQUE, Swifty From Gordon Pound (29.01.19) G’Day Peter. My ANZAC Day arrangements are a trifle unusual, living in the UK and that! There are celebrations in London but that’s a bit far from where I live down in Hampshire on the edge of the New Forest, but I do have a rather special alternative. A few miles away (miles here, not klix) is the small town of Brockenhurst that during the Great War hosted a hospital for New Zealand service personnel wounded/sick in France. Quite a few patients did not survive and were buried in the church yard of St Nicholas’s Church, the oldest in the New Forest, its foundations dating back to Saxon times. That area of the church yard containing the graves of servicemen subsequently became a Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery. The cemetery includes the graves of two Australians. On the Sunday nearest to ANZAC Day the good people of Brockenhurst hold a service in the cemetery, just like the ceremonies back home, the last post and reveille are played, wreaths are laid and as a final tribute, local school children place posies on each grave. When I first attended the service – complete with hat KFF – I was told, “you’re the first Aussie we’ve had here for ages” but I’m glad to say that in the last couple of years I have been joined by at least one member of the ADF posted to the UK. There’s no march and the convivial gathering afterwards is an afternoon tea but it’s still a very moving way to mark the day so that’s where I’ll be this year. Hope all the parades there go off well, I’ll be thinking of my old mates on Twenty Five April. Ubique, Gordon Pound.