4 Fd Regt Old Boys Newsletter - September 2020 Edition

Part of the Concluding Paragraphs of an article about WWI Artillery – Author Unknown. By 1918, the strength of Australian artillery had swelled from its pre-war RAA strength of one battery and two cadre staffs, to a total of over 1200 guns, including 13 field artillery brigades, two heavy siege batteries, five divisional ammunition columns and a host of light, medium and heavy trench mortar companies and brigades.91 However, it was the AFA's participation in the Great War that irrevocably changed the perspective of artillery's role. Its predominant position in the provision of firepower arguably remained unchallenged until the Vietnam War, and continues to be fundamental to the generation of combat power. 90Travers, op. Besides the enormous growth of the AFA, the adoption and development of war-proven doctrine and practise was vital to the RAA's continuing ability to provide effective and timely fire support, to the present day. The importance of all-arms cooperation, the theories of sound-ranging, survey, calibration and met, and the concept of neutralisation as an effective application of artillery, are some of the lessons learnt on the Western Front that still apply. From John Derbyshire Hi Peter, I have recently been passed a copy of your Old Boys Newsletter Number 40. It was great to receive news about some of the “old” SVN team. When you get a chance can you send me the necessary detail so that I may receive future copies of your newsletters. Glad to hear that both Keith (Hall) and “Killer” Kilpatrick are on the mend. As you may know Sue and I live in Adelaide so I do see Wally Walford, Bo Plenty and a few other 4 Fd Regt (particularly 107 Bty) guys quite regularly. Please pass my regards onto those from your neck of the woods who may remember me. Cheers, John Derbyshire From Mike Berriman. Hi Peter, I wrote this poem some time ago, the work is self explanatory. I don't know when you call for contributions if it includes Gunners poetry, but here goes. I like the work you do with the newsletter. Fred KALB and I talk every week and John (Doc) Pranevicius is still going strong. Regards Mike Berriman. ( Guns, Glory, Guilt. A call to arms and man the guns, our crew of gunners, St Barbara’s sons. Once were boys, now are men, ordinary blokes, Woody, Dick and Ken. Young at heart, these are our best. Superbly trained, they pass the test. Rainstorms first then tropical heat, their dedication hard to beat. What gunner hasn’t flinched in awe, alongside cannon’s mighty roar; And moved away from that rebound of sudden recoil and cracking sound. Feeding rounds, a closing breech that sliding block within arm’s reach The guns are barking on charge seven, dropping shells between hell and heaven. And this mission will morph late in night with muzzle flashes so loud so bright Ammo teams maintain supply. Punching sparks into the sky. What is this cannon’s name we see? This red over blue in square 43. Six are named from Alpha to Foxtrot and 106 Battery covers the lot.