4 Fd Regt Old Boys Newsletter - September 2020 Edition

This night we fired two hundred rounds. We covered tracks and paddy grounds Our shells ploughed fields we cannot see. Ending lifelines that will never be. Looking back after fifty years through the curtain of age and fears. So many rounds from cannon’s mouth; spent fire missions, from North to South. Young Gunners show such noble bearing. Two years’ service with mateship sharing. These carefree lads changed to men in foreign lands when they were then. Young men served and hid their fears. Mothers and wives give way to tears. Any war a slur on our human race and statesmen all will save their face The guns now quiet as statues stand. Used old pieces just second hand. Gunners too have had their day. Many have fallen along the way. These make my dreams, I do recall. Those ordered days I gave my all. Now I wish those dreams to cease. Please may we all live secure in peace. My children felt those after years. They survived the pain, they hid their tears. Now my fervent wish of kind - bring harmony to greater mankind. Written in honour of Woody, Dick and Ken. MB. Links Various (note the Army classification!) if you are interested. https://www.rferl.org/a/broken-city-budapest-after-world-war-two/30599400.html#main https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+tube+movie+battle+of+long+tan&&view =detail&mid=553AEFD64B64071E3F5B553AEFD64B64071E3F5B&&FORM=VDRVRV BBC News - The Nazi who planned a UK invasion via the Donegal Gaeltacht https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53528692 David Troedel sent me these two links. Find yourself some quite time and listen to both these interviews. Very interesting perspective of PTSD in the second one. General George B Harrison (USAF) (Phantom Pilot during Vietnam) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUZ5foAuv4w Colonel Robert G Certain (USAF) (B52 Navigator during Vietnam and POW) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAzEzsP-30w PJ Smith forwarded this link re Operation Coburg and FSB Anderson. An interesting read. http://rarasa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/FSB-ANDERSEN-A-NIGHT-OF-THE-YEAR-OF-THE- MONKEY-1968.pdf I picked up this link from a fellow RSL Sub-branch member. https://www.afr.com/news/policy/defence/bad-moon-rising--how-australians-avoided-a-massacre-at-nui-le- 20171004-gyu4hl