4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - September 2024 Edition

From Ben Burrow via email back in August. St Barbara's Day is celebrated by Artillery forces on each December the 4th. On December the 4th 2024: 106 Battery Veterans of 1967/68 have been invited by the Commanding Officer of the Australian 4th Regiment of Artillery based in Townsville to join the Gunners there for a ceremony to unveil the original 106 Battery Banner in the Michael Williams MM Gunners Bar. In order to obtain a security pass you will need to ring Bruce AKA Banjo Patterson before September the 1st 2024. Banjo's Phone Number is :0408 137 377 15 of our Veterans and family members were present with the Townsville Gunners on the occasion of the 50th Birthday Celebration. This was a most welcoming occasion as well as being incredibly informative in seeing the advances in Australian Artillery hardware and functions. Regards from Ben. Canungra Vietnam War Memorial Service A dual-purpose service was held at the VietnamWar Memorial, Canungra on Sunday 18 August 2024. A number of plaques were laid by members of major units who served in Vietnam. Included, was an RAA plaque, listing all the Regiments, their Gun Batteries and their Headquarters Battery, and the Detachment 131 st Divisional Locating Battery. The plaques form a guard of honour around the main focus of the memorial, a statue, nicknamed “the little digger,” so named because he is a couple of inches shorter than originally planned. Once laid, the plaques were blessed by the presiding Padre, Michael Quested. The combined RAA plaque was laid by Peter Bruce, President of the 4 th Field Regiment (SVN) Association, on behalf of all RAA Units. A memorial service to commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day followed with the guest speaker, Brigadier Kevin O’Brien, CSC (Rtd). Wreaths were laid, including a wreath dedicated to all Gunners who died in Vietnam or subsequently as a result of their service. The RAA wreath was laid by Patron of the 4 th Field Regiment (SVN) Association, David Anderson. Both Kevin and David had been present at the oƯicial opening in December of 2023. A crowd of around 300 veterans, family and friends, attended the service and were well looked after by kids from the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program. Doug Henderson, OAM, himself a Vietnam Veteran, and Founder of the Kokoda Youth Foundation, was instrumental in the reestablishment of the memorial from inside Kokoda Barracks to its current location outside the wire. Kids from the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program, had also volunteered their time to help with landscaping around the memorial in its new location. Local RSL Sub-branches were involved throughout the project with the Project Co-ordinator, Graham Gordon from Runaway Bay RSL Sub-branch. The local Canungra RSL Sub-branch, under President David Day, hosted all present for lunch and drinks following the service. Around 40 Gunners, and family members attended the Service and lunch that followed.