RAAF

Media Release

70th Anniversary Celebration for RAAF at Evans Head

Plans for a 70th Anniversary Celebration for World War II RAAF and WAAAF who served and trained at Evans Head are well underway according to The Evans Head Living Museum Vice-President Lil Colless who is chairing this year ’s event.
The celebration is being held over the long weekend in October, the time when the Veterans normally return each year to Evans Head to remember fallen comrades, to visit old haunts and relive memories of many years ago.
A full three day program is being developed which will include a Memorial Service at the Evans Head War Cemetery on Sunday where a number of those who were killed during training are buried. 
There is to be an official plaque unveiling on Saturday to celebrate the 70 year Anniversary of the RAAF connection with Evans Head and to recognise the State Heritage Listing of the site in November 2002.
The No 1. Bombing and Gunnery School at Evans Head was the first of the Empire Air Training Scheme Stations to be established in Australia.  Approximately 20% of all RAAF personnel losses during World War II trained at Evans Head. 
The Empire Air Training Scheme was organised to provide Great Britain with trained personnel to support the Empire’s War Effort.  Personnel from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Rhodesia were trained and sent to England to support existing RAF squadrons and eventually to form units of their own. Personnel served in many theatres of war.
The weekend program at Evans Head promises to be very full with a market and aircraft and other displays. 
The public is cordially invited to attend many of these events and a formal program will be listed once it is finalised.

Further information:  Lil Colless, Vice-President  Tel 02 6682 5282 or at the Museum 02 6682 6410
For immediate release          

National Service Day 14th February

Trooper Donaldson VC. See full story Thru the Links page @ Australian War Memorial

BATTLE FOR AUSTRALIA DAY PRO­CLAIMED
See link @ Stories

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"NATIONAL SERVICEMENS MEMORIAL "

AT AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL IN CANBERRA

The National Servicemen’s Association of Australia (NSAA), has issued an invitation to all National Servicemen, their partners, interested groups, and individuals, to join with them to raise funds for the erection of a National Servicemen’s Memorial to be established at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra.

The Memorial honouring the 212 National Servicemen who died on Active Service, and commemorating the 287,000 young men called up for training in the Navy, Army, and Air Force between 1951 and 1972, will stand in it’s own garden at the right hand side of the entrance to the Australian War Memorial.  

The concept is for a Fountain consisting of a Sandstone Plinth topped by a polished Black Granite slab, supporting a Bronze Bowl, with flowing water. The Fountain will use recycled water harvested from the roof of the AWM, but can stand alone if water is not available. The design has progressed through the planning stage and will shortly be released for comment throughout Australia before the final design has been approved.

The area will be paved, with seating, and hedges of Rosemary. The view from the seats will be down Anzac Parade to Lake Burley Griffin and the Old and new Parliament Houses.

The Memorial will bear a simple inscription:
In memory of National Servicemen who died on Active Service.

The Obverse (front) of the Australian National Service Medal, will be reproduced in bronze on the side of the Plinth closest to the Australian War Memorial, with the Navy, Army, and Air Force badges, on the other three sides. In keeping with AWM protocol there will not be any Association insignia displayed on the Memorial. A nearby plaque adjacent the seating will tell the story of National Service in Australia. This Memorial will be the first thing most visitors to the Australian War Memorial will see.

Dedication of the Memorial is expected in 2010, or 2011, which would mark the 60th Anniversary of National Service.

The Federal Government has provided an initial grant of funds of $150,000 with the Appeals Committee intent on raising $400,000 from donations etc.

National Servicemen are actively seeking donations to this very important project, as this will be an everlasting Memorial to all who were called up to serve our Country.
The Chairman of the National Memorial Appeal Fund advises that donations are Tax Deductible, and can be directed to;

Mr Douglas BLACK
Chairman
NSAA National Memorial Fund
2 Grasmere Court
HALLAM      VIC     3803

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Medal for post-war Korean service
Mark Dodd April 07, 2009
Article from:  The Australian
DEFENCE force personnel who served in post-armistice Korea between 1953 and 1956 have a new medal to show for their effort: the Australian General Service Medal - Korea.
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support Mike Kelly yesterday announced the medal, fulfilling Labor's pre-election commitment to veto a Howard government decision not to award a Korean armistice gong.
News of the new medal has been warmly endorsed by the Returned Services League.
The Queen had given in-principle approval to the awarding of the medal, Mr Kelly said.
"The AGSM will be issued to those former defence force personnel who completed 30 days in South Korea during the post-armistice period from 28 July, 1953 to 19 April, 1956," he said yesterday.
"Although the AGSM has now received in-principle approval, it still needs to be formally established through the development of letters patent and regulations, which again require approval by the Queen."
Until now, Korean veterans could wear only the UN Medal for Korea, the Korea Medal and the Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75.
Returned Services League chief Bill Crews yesterday welcomed the announcement of a new medal.
"There was an examination done several years ago about how we might better recognise post-armistice Korea," Major General Crews said.
"That report was considered by the previous (Howard) government but not specifically acted upon because of the difficulties it saw in implementing some of the recommendations.
"It's been picked up by the incoming Government and we (the RSL) are comfortable that those who served in Korea will now get some recognition of their post-armistice service."
Mr Kelly said applications were being accepted from former Australian defence personnel who served in South Korea during the armistice.
A total of 17,164 Australians served in the Korean conflict, of whom 339 were killed.

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2009 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Will be held on the 18th July 2009 at the East Maitland Bowls Club, Banks St, East Maitland. Commencing at 11.00am Posted 10/4/2009

AWM : Gallery Developement News. Click Here

Defence Honours and Awards Newsletter Nov 2007 Click Here

2008 Annual Branch reports appear under the relevant branches

NASHO MEMORIAL UPDATE

WHAT IS RESERVE FORCES DAY?

Inaugurated on 1July 1998, Reserve Forces' Day commemorates the service and achievements of the Reserve Forces of the Australian Defence Force, both past and present, and today, the 6111 anniversary of the re‑raising of the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) in 1948. It is also a means of thanking and acknowledging families and employers for their support.
Defence Reserves have played an important part in Australian history since colonial days and have contributed to every major conflict in which Australia has been involved. A 500‑strong CMF battalion accompanied the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force to New Guinea in 1914, and militia battalions fought in the epic Kokoda and Milne Bay campaigns of 1942. Three militia divisions ultimately served in New Guinea during the Second World War.
In recent years members of the Defence Reserves have served alongside their full‑time counterparts in providing humanitarian relief to devastated communities, and in peacekeeping operations in a number of diverse locations including Rwanda, East Timor, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, Solomon Islands and Iraq. Reservists have also been deployed to provide assistance with security at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. The Defence Reserves, moreover, make a valuable contribution to the community in times of natural disasters such as floods, droughts and bushfires, and in emergency rescue operations.
Reservists join the Navy, Army or Air Force as part‑time members. There are currently 38,000 active and standby Reservists; this represents approximately 40 per cent of the Australian Defence Force.
The annual observance of Reserve Forces Day continues to raise the community's awareness of the importance of our Reserve Forces.