QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY REGIMENT

ASSOCIATION

February 2011
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Volume 23 Number 1

          February 2011

What's in this Issue

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President's Report

 

It is customary for people to wish each other seasonal greetings and a good new year.  Following the tragic floods it appears that the new year has not as good as it might have been.  By now you will be aware that the depot was inundated again (as in 1974) but this time the CO was able to take preventative action to preserve documents and important items.  QURA has offered to assist with the units return to normality through financial help and preservation of history.

 

As a result of the flood, the Walcott St Depot will NOT be available as the venue for the `Back to the Regiment` function.  The executive is busy considering other options for the conduct of the `Back to the Regiment (or Flood)` function and final arrangements will be emailed at soon as details are finalised.  It is expected the date will be Friday, 18 March or Saturday, 19 March but will have to be confirmed. Please see the QURA Back to the Regiment (Flood) Function for more details.

 

The Association has in its charter the support for current and ex Regimental members through a “Distress and Benevolent” fund.  Should you become aware if our Regimental family have suffered extreme distress from the number of climatic traumatic incidents please pass on advice to me.

 

The Association conducted the Xmas function at the year’s end of 2010.  It was well attended by members. It was especially pleasing that two old comrades (JDL White and Neil Munro) attended the function.

 

Lately we have been requested to provide information of past events within the Regimental history from members, ex members and private citizens from all over the world.  We have been able to provide answers using the collected unit historical collection.  To assist with this service, we are still recording history onto multi media formats.  Should you at any stage discover any old written documents or photos from your period of service please consider allowing us to have a copy for our historical collection.  We are not only interested in photos etc but in old admin orders, operational orders, newsletters, parade cards and any written item about the Regiment.  You might have exercise instructions.  We are always interested in members recalling their time of service.  You don’t have to write pages of memories.  Short comments from you memories are great to receive. Eg – “Does anyone remember the transition from the 37 pattern web gear to the pattern used around the time of Vietnam. The new webbing was highly sought after but as a personal preference I thought the large 37 pattern basic pouches were by far more useful and comfortable than those tiny jungle green pouches.”  What about a comment about the banning of the conduct of vehicle ambushes?  Yes, some members were injured but the restrictions applied to movement of troops by vehicle appear to be a little over the top.  Were they as bad as they say? How much military training has been changed due to OH and S restrictions!  I would be interested in your comments.

 

I look forward to once again catching up with you at the BTR, once we have arrangements in place.  We will keep in close contact with the unit to ensure that we can provide support for the rehabilitation of the unit’s resources.

 

 

CO's Report February 2011

With all that has occurred in Queensland over the last month, it may seem inappropriate to pay the traditional ‘Happy New Year’ compliments. Nonetheless, may I extend my New Year greetings to all QURA members, and in doing so express my hope that you are all safe and well.

Once again, it has been a very busy start to theyear for the Regiment.  All three training Companies have been in action for many weeks, ably supported by the Log Support Company. Already in 2011 the Regiment has:

 

  • Delivered a 2 week IET course, and commenced a second;

  • Is nearing completion on two concurrent Officer Grade 3 courses; and

  • Has prepared and sent a large number of Officer Cadets to several different FAC Training Blocks, including eight to the final TB5. With all going well, these eight Cadets will graduate as Officers on 19 February, at RMC.

 

It is a source of pride that, despite the significant distractions that the floods have posed, QUR has not blinked an eye in continuing to deliver all its significant training responsibilities.

 

With regard to the floods, QUR’s involvement has been on two levels.

 

Above all, we all need to be very proud of the work done by QUR members who directly contributed the flood relief efforts across QLD.  Very early in the disaster, well before Brisbane was considered to be under threat, MAJ Tony Smith and CAPTs Les Tobin and Primus Parker deployed to act as ADF LO’s in various regional areas, and remained in these roles until only recently, making them among the longest deployed ADF members in the relief effort.  Within the Brisbane area, CAPTs Peter Tuton and Scott Revell worked as LO’s in the Task Force Headquarters, and LT Paul Lilwall worked as a group leader in the suburbs with the clean up teams.  Although QUR was not tasked to provide a body of troops to assist on the ground, the Regiment quickly assembled a group of willing Cadets and offered them to the Task Force.  The offer was gratefully accepted and the team of Cadets was quickly working hard in the thick of the cleanup.  The excellent work by all these people was highly respected by the Task Force commanders and brought great credit to both the individuals themselves, and to our Regiment.

 

The Army is not a self serving organization - it exists to serve others - and when such excellent work is done by members of the Unit, at a time of great community need, it should be a source of great pride to us all.

 

Aside from supporting the Task Force, QUR directly experienced the impact of the flood, with our own St Lucia depot being inundated.  Again, members of the Regiment performed superbly in their response.  Before, during and after the flood, small teams were cobbled together to elevate and remove as many irreplaceable items as possible. These teams, mostly under the leadership of CAPT Mick Sheehan, did mighty work to safeguard as much memorabilia and important working documents as possible.  There was no way to prevent the damage that would occur to the depot, but the work done by these teams served to minimize the loss to our Regimental history and served to ensure that QUR could relocate and continue operations, with minimal friction.  Again, we should all be proud and grateful for all the hard work of these members, this time not performed for the wider community, but for our own Regiment.

 

For the record books, the high water mark in the main building was four steps short of the top floor.  The Standfast Club had water up to its roof, and the Recruiting building was totally underwater.

 

The Regimental Colours are safe, having been relocated to Enoggera the day before the flood, as a precaution.

 

All elements of the Regiment that were based at St Lucia were relocated to QUR’s buildings at Enoggera and were up and running within a few days of the flood, allowing the Regiment to continue operations virtually uninterrupted, albeit with a level of inconvenience.

 

The St Lucia depot is now under the control of a contractor which has already stripped out all the contents of the ground floor, including the internal walls and ceiling.  At the time of writing, the parade ground resembles a garbage dump.

 

We don’t expect to reoccupy St Lucia before September, so, unfortunately, alternate plans will need to be developed for this year’s Back to the Regiment function, ANZAC Day events, and annual Officer’s Mess dinner.

 

All in all, the floods have caused a level of disruption to the Regiment, but nothing that can`t be managed.

 

May I conclude by saying that, on several occasions over the last two years, I have had reason to be humbled by the work of QUR’s members - and the last few weeks have presented another such occasion.

 

The fact that the Regiment could provide such strong support to the flood Task Force while dealing with its own flood issues, and without disruption to its heavy training obligations, is testament to the dedication, professionalism and the breadth of ability that pervades the Regiment.  It is indeed humbling to be associated with of such a fine body of people.

 

Despite being temporarily displaced from our traditional home, the first few weeks of this year has confirmed to me that, yet again in 2011, the Queensland University Regiment will continue to do all that the Army asks of it, and will continue to do it well.

 

I look forward to catching up with members of the QURA in the near future.

 

Scientia ac Labore

Tim O'Brien
Lieutenant Colonel
Commanding Officer
Queensland University Regiment

 

*****************************

 

Photos from the QURA 2010 Christmas Drinks

 

The Annual QURA Christmas Drinks was once again held at the Victory Hotel on Thursday, 2nd December 2010.  Approximately thirty members attended the function.


The following photos were taken at the 2010 QURA Christmas Party by our resident photographer Trevor Luttrell

Pam O`Keefe (guest) gives the `Thumbs Up` to an out of picture Mal Try whilst Ruth Kassulke and Chris Goodhew look on
   
Mal Try (still smirking) on left with Sue Goodhew and Peter Morton
   
John White (JDL) looking particularly scholastic with his greying beard with Bill Beach
   
Orell McKenna (guest) up close and personal with Jenny Cotton (left)
   
Nic Dubravcic (left) and Col Ahern (right) chatting with Garry Collins resplendent in his `over the shoulder` ensemble
   
Dave Ross (left) and Craig Blanch looking rather pleased with themselves at the Victory Hotel
   
Barry O`Callaghan (left) looking somewhat aghast at the prospect of talking to Neil Munro with an empty glass
   
   

 

*****************************

 

 

Correspondence from Members

Please note:  QURA receives emails/letters from time to time requesting contact details of members.  The current policy is if a fellow member requests contact with another member, the contact details are given without contacting the relevant member. 

Where contact is requested by a non-member, the contact is referred to the individual member to follow up the contact if they so desire.

 

==================================================================

 

From:- Tim O`Brien

 

To:- Peter Morton


Subject:-  Floods/QUR

 

 


 Peter,

I thought the members of the Association may be interested to know the impact of the floods on QUR.

In short:

The ground floor of the St Lucia depot was totally flooded.
The water rose to 4 steps short of the top floor.
It is not the case that we can just clean up and get on with life - the ground floor ceiling in most areas has collapsed, many internal walls also collapsed/buckled - effectively the ground floor was totally destroyed and will require a total internal rebuild.
I have not seen inside the Standfast Club yet, nor the recruiting building which was totally submerged.

We were able to save most (not all) of our treasures.
Above all, the Colours are safe and sound. They were relocated to Enoggera as a precaution on Tuesday.
Many other historic items were moved to the top floor on Tuesday; others were raised / recovered during Wednesday amidst the flooding.
A small team of members was cobbled together at short notice to do this work, and the Association can be proud of what they did to protect the Regt's heritage.

My gut feel is that it will be well into 2011 before we can reoccupy St Lucia.
If I were you, I would not plan on having the BTR at the Regt this year - not at the start of the year at least.

In the meantime, we are relocating all St Lucia functions to our building at Enoggera.
We will run the Regt from there until we get St Lucia up and running again.

In due course I will provide more detail.

May I also take this opportunity, on behalf of all members of the Regt,, to extend our best wishes to all members of the QURA at this very difficult time.
No doubt many have been impacted by this tragedy, and our thoughts are with them all.

Best Regards

Tim O'Brien

 

 

==================================================================

 

From:- Joel Barnett

 

To:- Trevor Luttrell


Subject:-  re QUR Flood

 

 

Dear Trevor

 

I hope QUR will get the Colours out. You would recall 1974.

BTW I have been bitten by a red bellied black snake from one escaping floods. It gave me a heart attack but I am OK.

Cheers

Joel

==================================================================

 

From:- Joel Barnett

 

To:- Peter Morton


Subject:- FW: Funeral Notification for COL David John Davies (Retired)

 


------ Forwarded Message
From: "RAA Assn (Qld) Inc" <qld.gunline@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:11:33 +1000
Subject: Funeral Notification for COL David John Davies (Retired)

Gentlemen

For your information and widest dissemination

Ubique

Peter Gore
Treasurer



 From: Metcalf, Greg MAJ [mailto:Greg.Metcalf@defence.gov.au]
Sent: Monday, 31 January 2011 8:19 AM
To: Metcalf, Greg MAJ
Subject: FW: DJ Davies [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

UNCLASSIFIED

 
 Sir
Gentlemen
The passing of another Gunner.
  
 Ubique
Greg
 IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Department of Defence and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914. If you have received this email in error, you are requested to contact the sender and delete the email.

 

 
 <http://www.artillerynsw.asn.au/index.htm> ----- Original Message -----
From: David Davies - <mailto:paceaps@optusnet.com.au>  
To: Dad's demise <mailto:paceaps@optusnet.com.au>  
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 3:28 PM
Subject: DJ Davies

Just to let you know that Colonel (retired) David John Davies passed away early this morning. His funeral will be at the Knox Grammar School Chapel on 3rd Feb 2011 at 11 am. He taught Mathematics at Knox for 21 years.

Richard Davies on behalf of the family
 
==================================================================

 

From:- Joel Barnett

 

To:- Peter Morton


Subject:-  Another old reservist parades above

 

Dear Peter

 I hate to be the bringer of further bad news but Colonel Arthur Page passed away this week. As well as a significant CMF and Reserve service , Arthur was a keen amateur astronomer who recently achieved the honour of an asteroid being named after him.

 

Lest we forget.

 

Best wishes

Joel Barnett

 

==================================================================

From:- Joel Barnett

 

To:- Peter Morton


Subject:-  re VALE ARTHUR RICHARD COX


------ Forwarded Message
From: "RAA Assn (Qld) Inc" <qld.gunline@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:48:50 +1000
Subject: VALE ARTHUR RICHARD COX

Gentlemen,

For your information and dissemination.

Ubique

Peter Gore
Treasurer

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Arthur Burke <arthurburke@bigpond.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 7:06 PM
Subject: VALE ARTHUR RICHARD COX
To:


Dear Fellow Gunners
  
 Sadly, former Warrant Officer Class One Arthur 'the Angry Ant' Cox went to the Great Gun Park up above on 1 February 2011.
  
 The Angry Ant was one of the older Gunners whose service transitioned the past of the post Second World War Army to the (then) modern era of the 1960s and 70s.  This is well illustrated by his active service tours of Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam.
  
 Arthur Cox was born at Mortdale, NSW on 11.7.1928 and enlisted in the new Australian Regular Army on 5.4.1948.  He was part of the School of Artillery's depot 53rd Field Battery before moving to 1st Field Regiment when it was raised in 1949.  He joined 105th Field Battery in Malaya as a reinforcement sergeant on 13.7.1956, serving until the unit returned to Australia on 31.10.1957.
  
 Promoted Warrant Officer Class Two in 1962, he became Captain Don Quinn's Troop Sergeant Major in 102nd Field Battery, deploying to Singapore/Malaysia with that unit on 13.10.1965.  This posting included service in Sarawak, Borneo when the 102nd deployed from 3.5.1965 to 20 .7.1965.  Don recalls him affectionately as an outstanding TSM who kept three over six feet tall gun sergeants on a very firm leash.  He was hard but fair and highly respected by his peers, superiors and the Diggers.  When not on duty, he was a good family man who enjoyed a beer - but never let anyone take advantage of him.
  
 On return to Australia, WO2 Cox enjoyed a posting at the School of Artillery before returning to his beloved 102nd Battery (now in 12th Field Regiment) as the Battery Sergeant Major.  The unit deployed to Vietnam on 3.3.1968 and was in the front line for the Battle of Coral in May that year.  He returned to Australia on 4.2.1969.  Battery Captain Don Tait describes Arthur as 'an old mate' who will be irreplaceable.  On behalf of the members of that 102nd Battery tour of Vietnam, Don says that he is deeply saddened that 'one of us' will no longer be able to parade.
  
 After a posting to the CMF on the ARA cadre with 7th Field Regiment in Sydney, he became the BSM Headquarters Battery of 19th Composite (later 8th Medium) Regiment.  Following a desire to remain in the Sydney area, Arthur in succession served with 23rd Cadet Battalion, 9th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment as the Regimental Sergeant Major, 2nd Training Group and Headquarters 2nd Military District before retiring at 55 years of age on 9.7.1983.
  
 During his 35 years in the Army, Arthur Cox was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
  
 Arthur and Margaret moved to Logan City just south of Brisbane in the last decade.  On behalf of the 105th Battery RAA Association, deepest condolences are sent to Margaret and the family on their bereavement.  Letters of condolence should be sent to the widow at 66 Edenlea Drive, Meadowbrook, Qld, 4131.
  
 WO1 Arthur Cox's last parade will be:
Monday 7 Feb 11 at 1100hrs.
Great Southern Garden of Remembrance,  1774 Mt Cotton Road,  Carbrook, Logan City (just south of Brisbane).
Ray Chapman will conduct the service.
Trevor Luchterhand will conduct the RSL poppy service.
Medals to be worn.
Vale Arthur Richard 'the Angry Ant' Cox - old soldier, highly respected Gunner and loving family man.  Gone to that Great Gun Park up above after 83 years meritorious service on earth.
  
 Ubique
  
 Arthur
 
*************************************************************************
ARTHUR BURKE  OAM - arthurburke@bigpond.com
Colonel (Retired)
Queensland Member
Royal Australian Artillery History Sub Committee
*************************************************************************
 

 

==================================================================

 

 

 

 

From:- John Hammond

 

To:- Trevor Luttrell


Subject:-  WW2 Tank uncovered after 62 years

 

 

Remarkable, and the engine was started after just a few adjustments!

 


 

Found after 62 Years


 
          
WWII Russian tank with German markings uncovered after 62 years.  WWII Buffs will find this interesting.  Even after 62 years (and a little tinkering), they were able to fire up the Diesel engine!

A Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer pulled the abandoned tank from its tomb under the boggy bank of a lake near Johvi , Estonia .  The Soviet-built T34/76A tank had been resting at the bottom of the lake for 56 years.  According to its specifications, it's a 27-ton machine, with a top speed of 53km/hr.
From February to September 1944, heavy battles were fought in the narrow, 50 km-wide, Narva Front in the northeastern part of Estonia .  Over 100,000 men were killed and 300,000 men were wounded there.  During battles in the summer of 1944, the tank was captured from the Soviet army and used by the German army.  This is the reason that there are German markings painted on the tank's exterior. 
 
 On 19th September, 1944, German troops began an organized retreat along the Narva front.  It is suspected that the tank was then purposefully driven into the lake to conceal it when its captors left the area.
At that time, a local boy walking by the lake, Kurtna Matasjarv, noticed tank tracks leading into the lake but not coming out anywhere.  For two months he saw air bubbles emerging from the lake.  This gave him reason to believe that there must be an armored vehicle at the lake's' bottom.  A few years ago, he told the story to  
The leader of the local war history club 'Otsing'..  Together with other club members, Mr. Igor Shedunov initiated diving expeditions to the bottom of the lake about a year ago.  At the depth of 7 metres they discovered the tank resting under a 3 metre layer of peat.  Enthusiasts from the club, under Mr  Shedunov's leadership, decided to pull the tank out.  
 
 In September of 2000, they turned to Mr. Aleksander Borovkovthe, manager of the Narva Open Pit company AS Eesti Polevkivi, to rent the company's Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer.  Currently used at the pit, the Komatsu dozer was manufactured in 1995 and has recorded 19,000 operating hours without major repairs.
The pulling operation began at 09:00 and was concluded at 15:00, with several technical breaks.  The weight of the tank, combined with the travel incline, made for a pulling operation that required significant muscle.  The D375A-2 handled the operation with power and style.  The weight of the fully-armed tank was around 30 tons, so the active force required to retrieve it was similar.  A main requirement for the 68-ton dozer was to have enough weight to prevent slippage while moving up the hill.
After the tank surfaced, it turned out to be a 'trophy tank' that had been captured by the German Army in the course of the battle at Sinimaed (Blue Hills) about six weeks before it was sunk in the lake.  Altogether, 116 shells were found on board. Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with NO RUST, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition.  This is a very rare machine, especially considering that it fought both on the Russian and the German sides.  Plans are underway to fully restore the tank.  It will be displayed at a war history museum in the Gorodenko village on the left bank of the River Narv. 
Preparing to pull it out.

 



Komatsu D375A-2 is ready to go.
Here it comes



Through the muddy bank of the lake






In mint condition.



Hosing off 62 years worth of 'muck.'



Incredibly, after a few minor repairs, they were able to start its diesel engine.  

   
 

 

 

==================================================================

 

From:- Denis Luttrell

 

To:- Peter Morton


Subject:-  Christmas Drinks

 

Peter,

 

My attendance at Xmas drinks is unlikely at this stage – most likely be at Maleny. Will let you know if that is likely to change.

 

Saw the message from Lou Szegedi, and being at Brooloo.  If you have an idle moment, please pass on this email to him, to say that we are in Maleny and that Ian Bunce spends a fair bit of his time on his property at Moy Pocket on the Mary River at the end of Spiller Road off Lowe Road, literally just over the other side of the “hill” from him.

 

Our regards to Lou and Mary.

 

Denis L.

 

 

 

==================================================================

 

From:- Weis Fajzullin

 

To:- Peter Morton


Subject:-  WORST FIRST DATE STORY EVER

 


If you didn't see this on the Tonight show, I hope you're sitting down
when you read it. We have all had bad dates but this takes the cake.

Jay Leno went into the audience to find the most embarrassing first date
that a woman ever had. The winner described her worst first date
experience.

There was absolutely no question as to why her tale took the prize!

She said it was midwinter...Snowing and quite cold... and the guy had
taken her skiing in the mountains outside Salt Lake City , Utah .

It was a day trip (no overnight). They were strangers, after all, and had
never met before. The outing was fun but relatively uneventful until they
were headed home late that afternoon.

They were driving back down the mountain, when she gradually began to
realize that she should not have had that extra latte. They were about an
hour away from anywhere with a rest room and in the middle of nowhere!
Her companion suggested she try to hold it, which she did for a while.
Unfortunately, because of the heavy snow and slow going, there came a
point where she told him that he had better stop and let her go beside
the road, or it would be the front seat of his car.

They stopped and she quickly crawled out beside the car, yanked her pants down
and started. In the deep snow she didn't have good footing, so she let her
butt rest against the rear fender to steady herself.

Her companion stood on the side of the car watching for traffic and indeed
was a real gentleman and refrained from peeking. All she could think
about was the relief she felt despite the rather embarrassing nature of
the situation.

Upon finishing however, she soon became aware of another sensation. As she bent
to pull up her pants, the young lady discovered her buttocks
were firmly glued against the car's fender. Thoughts of tongues frozen to
poles immediately came to mind as she attempted to disengage her flesh from the
icy metal. It was quickly apparent that she had a brand new
problem, due to the extreme cold.

Horrified by her plight and yet aware of the humor of the moment, she
answered her date's concerns about' what is taking so long' with a
reply that indeed, she was 'freezing her butt off' and in need of some
assistance! He came around the car as she tried to cover herself with her
sweater and then, as she looked imploringly into his eyes, he burst out
laughing. She too, got the giggles and when they finally managed to
compose themselves, they assessed her dilemma.
Obviously, as hysterical as the situation was, they also were faced with
a real problem.

Both agreed it would take something hot to free her chill cheeks from
the grip of the icy metal! Thinking about what had gotten her into the
predicament in the first place, both quickly realized that there was only
one way to get her free. So, as she looked the other way, her first time
date proceeded to unzip his pants and pee her butt off the fender.

As the audience screamed in laughter, she took the Tonight Show prize
hands down. Or perhaps that should be 'pants down. 'And you thought
your first date was embarrassing.    Jay Leno's comment...'This gives a
whole new meaning to being pissed off.'

Oh and how did the first date turn out? He became her husband and was
sitting next to her on the Leno show.


 

==================================================================

 

 

From:- Trevor Luttrell


To:-  Peter Morton


Subject:-  The Greek Loan

 

A Greek man walked into a bank in Sydney and asked for the loan officer. He told the loan officer that he was going to Greece on business for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000 and that he was not a depositor of the bank.

The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan, so the Greek man handed over the keys to his new Ferrari. The car was parked on the street in front of the bank. The Greek man produced the title and everything checked out.

The loan officer agreed to hold the car as collateral for the loan and apologized for having to charge 12% interest.





Later, the bank's president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh at the Greek man for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral for a $5,000 loan.
An employee of the bank then drove the Ferrari into the bank's underground garage and parked it.

Two weeks later, the Greek man returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest of $23.07 in full.
The loan officer said, "Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled.
While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a millionaire. What puzzles us is why would you bother to borrow $5,000 when you are a millionaire?"

The Greek man replied, "Malaka, where else in Sydney can I park my car for two weeks for only $23.07 and expect it to be there when I return?

 

 

==================================================================

From:- Rod Hardaker


To:- Peter Morton


Subject:-  Things to Ponder

 

 

Number 10
Life is sexually transmitted.

Number 9
Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Number 8
Men have two emotions : Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich.

Number 7
Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks, months, maybe years.

Number 6
Some people are like a Slinky - not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.

Number 5
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospitals, dying of nothing.

Number 4
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

Number 3
Why does a slight tax increase cost you $800.00, and a substantial tax cut save you $30.00?

Number 2
In the '60s, people took acid to
make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people
take Prozac to make it normal.

And The Number 1 Thought
Life is like a jar of Jalapeno peppers - what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.

 - - - and as someone recently said to me :


"Don't worry about old age - it doesn't last that long."
 

 

 

 

==================================================================

 

From:- Peter McCann

To:-  Robert Cavaye

Subject:-  re QURA AGM/DINNER

 

Hi Peter

 

This was forwarded to me by one of my work colleagues.  I thought you may have been interested.

 

Sorry I missed you at the QURA Christmas bash.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

Robert Cavaye | Operations Manager

 

 

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE,

 MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE. 



I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY,

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO,

IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE. 



I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE. 



NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS. 



WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT,

CAME THROUGH MY MIND. 



FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY. 



THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. 



THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN  DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED,

A TRUE BRITISH SOLDIER. 



WAS THIS THE HERO,  

OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, 
THE FLOOR FOR A BED? 


I REALISED THE FAMILIES,

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.. 


SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE,

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY. 


THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM,

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE. 


I COULDN'T HELP WONDER,

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME. 


THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT,

A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES,

AND STARTED TO CRY. 


THE SOLDIER AWAKENED,

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

"SANTA DON'T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; 


I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.." 


THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP. 


I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL,

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED,

FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL. 


I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE,

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,

SO WILLING TO FIGHT. 


THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,

IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE." 


ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,  
 AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,  

 A ND TO ALL A GOOD   NIGHT.."

 

 

This poem was written by a Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas

The following is his request.

I think it is reasonable 


PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.  Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

 

 

 

 

==================================================================

 

 

From:- Helen Fuller


To:- Peter Morton


Subject:-  HOW TO CALL THE POLICE WHEN YOU ARE OLD!!!


George Phillips , an elderly man, from Meridian , Mississippi , was going
up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the
garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.


George opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw that there
were people in the shed stealing things.


He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?"
He said "No, but some people are breaking into my garden shed and
stealing from me."


Then the police dispatcher said "All patrols are busy. You should lock
your doors and an officer will be along when one is available."
George said, "Okay."


He hung up the phone and counted to 30.


Then he phoned the police again. "Hello, I just called you a few seconds
ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you
don't have to worry about them now because I just shot them." and he
hung up.


Within five minutes, six police cars, a SWAT Team, a helicopter, two
fire trucks, a paramedic, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips'
residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.


One of the policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot
them!"


George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"

Don't mess with old people
 
 

==================================================================

 

From:- John Hammond

 

To:- Trevor Luttrell

 

Subject:-  The Blackbird SR-71

 

 

 

 

The Blackbird: 
 An interesting story


 

SR-71 Blackbird ... Amazing history lesson.

In April 1986, following an attack on American

soldiers in a Berlin disco, President Reagan

ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's

terrorist camps in Libya. My duty was to fly

over Libya and take photos recording the

damage our F-111's had inflicted. Qaddafi

had established a 'line of death,' a territorial

marking across the Gulf of Sidra, swearing

to shoot down any intruder that crossed the

boundary. On the morning of April 15,

I rocketed past the line at 2,125 mph.


 


 

 I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane, the world's

fastest jet, accompanied by a Marine Major (Walt),

the aircraft's reconnaissance systems officer (RSO).

We had crossed into Libya and were approaching

our final turn over the bleak desert landscape when

Walt informed me that he was receiving missile

launch signals. I quickly increased our speed,

calculating the time it would take for the

weapons-most likely SA-2 and SA-4 surface-to-air

missiles capable of Mach 5 - to reach our altitude.

I estimated that we could beat the rocket-powered

missiles to the turn and stayed our course, betting

our lives on the plane's performance.


 
 After several agonizingly long seconds, we made

the turn and blasted toward the Mediterranean  .

'You might want to pull it back,' Walt suggested.

It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles

full forward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6

seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was

the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles

to idle just south of Sicily, but we still overran

the refueling tanker awaiting us over Gibraltar.


 


 

Scores of significant aircraft have been produced

in the 100 years of flight, following the achievements

of the Wright brothers, which we celebrate in

December. Aircraft such as the Boeing 707,

the F-86 Sabre Jet, and the P-51 Mustang are

among the important machines that have flown

our skies. But the SR-71, also known as the

Blackbird, stands alone as a significant contributor

to Cold War victory and as the fastest plane

ever-and only 93 Air Force pilots ever steered

the 'sled,' as we called our aircraft.


The SR-71 was the brainchild of Kelly Johnson,

the famed Lockheed designer who created the

P-38, the F-104 Starfighter, and the U-2. After

the Soviets shot down Gary Powers' U-2 in 1960,

Johnson began to develop an aircraft that would

fly three miles higher and five times faster than

the spy plane-and still be capable of photographing

your license plate. However, flying at 2,000 mph

would create intense heat on the aircraft's skin.

Lockheed engineers used a titanium alloy to

construct more than 90 percent of the SR-71,

creating special tools and manufacturing

procedures to hand-build each of the 40 planes.

Special heat-resistant fuel, oil, and hydraulic

fluids that would function at 85,000 feet and

higher also had to be developed.

In 1962, the first Blackbird successfully flew, and

in 1966, the same year I graduated from high school,

the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions.

I came to the program in 1983 with a sterling record

and a recommendation from my commander,

completing the weeklong interview and meeting

Walt, my partner for the next four years. He would

ride four feet behind me, working all the cameras,

radios, and electronic jamming equipment. I joked

that if we were ever captured, he was the spy and

I was just the driver. He told me to keep the pointy

end forward.

We trained for a year, flying out of Beale AFB in

California , Kadena Airbase in Okinawa, and RAF

Mildenhall in England. On a typical training mission,

we would take off near Sacramento, refuel over

Nevada, accelerate into Montana, obtain high Mach

over Colorado , turn right over New Mexico, speed

across the  Los Angeles Basin, run up the West Coast,

turn right at Seattle, then return to Beale. Total flight

time: two hours and 40 minutes.

One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring

the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us.

First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers

to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied.

 A Bonanza soon made the same request.

'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply. To our

surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a

ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was

doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator

in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the

bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed

was 'Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground,'

ATC responded.

The situation was too ripe. I heard

the click of Walt's mike button in the rear seat.

In his most innocent voice, Walt startled the

controller by asking for a ground speed check

from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace.

In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied,

' Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground.'

We did not hear another transmission on that

frequency all the way to the coast.


 

The Blackbird always showed us something new,

each aircraft possessing its own unique personality.

In time, we realized we were flying a national

treasure. When we taxied out of our revetments

for takeoff, people took notice. Traffic congregated

near the airfield fences, because everyone wanted

to see and hear the mighty SR-71. You could not be

a part of this program and not come to love the

airplane. Slowly, she revealed her secrets to us as

we earned her trust.

One moonless night, while flying a routine training

mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky

would look like from 84,000 feet if the cockpit lighting

were dark. While heading home on a straight course,

I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the

glare and revealing the night sky.

Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would

know and somehow punish me. But my desire to see

the sky overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting

again. To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside

my window. As my eyes adjusted to the view, I

realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse

of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the

sky.

Where dark spaces in the sky had usually

existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling

stars. Shooting stars flashed across the canvas every

few seconds. It was like a fireworks display with no

sound.

I knew I had to get my eyes back on the

instruments, and reluctantly I brought my attention

back inside. To my surprise, with the cockpit lighting

still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In

the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of

my gold spacesuit incandescently illuminated in a

celestial glow. I stole one last glance out the window.

Despite our speed, we seemed still before the

heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater

power. For those few moments, I felt a part of

something far more significant than anything we

were doing in the plane. The sharp sound of Walt's

voice on the radio brought me back to the tasks at

hand as I prepared for our descent.


 


 

San Diego  Aerospace   Museum

The SR-71 was an expensive aircraft to operate.

The most significant cost was tanker support, and

in 1990, confronted with budget cutbacks, the Air

Force retired the SR-71.

The SR-71 served six presidents, protecting America

for a quarter of a century. Unbeknownst to most

of the country, the plane flew over North Vietnam,

Red China, North Korea, the Middle East, South

Africa, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Libya, and the

Falkland Islands. On a weekly basis, the SR-71

kept watch over every Soviet nuclear submarine

and mobile missile site, and all of their troop

movements. It was a key factor in winning the

Cold War.

I am proud to say I flew about 500 hours in this

aircraft. I knew her well. She gave way to no plane,

proudly dragging her sonic boom through enemy

backyards with great impunity. She defeated every

missile, outran every MiG, and always brought us

home. In the first 100 years of manned flight, no

aircraft was more remarkable.


The Blackbird had outrun nearly 4,000 missiles,

not once taking a scratch from enemy fire.


On her final flight, the Blackbird , destined for

the Smithsonian National Air and Space

Museum, sped from Los Angeles to Washington

in 64 minutes, averaging 2,145 mph and

setting four speed records.

 

 


==================================================================

 


 

 

  *****************************

 

QURA Back to the Flood - 18/19 Mar 2011 (To Be Confirmed)

 

Due to the recent Brisbane flood, the Annual `Back to the Regiment` Function has been cancelled.  HOWEVER, the Association Executive is looking into the possibility of holding a `Back to the Flood` Function in lieu.  The Regiment has relocated to Enogerra whilst the Depot is repaired after the flood.  The Executive is currently looking at an alternative location to hold our annual St Lucia Function.  Current thinking is that the `Back to the Flood` will be held on  the evening of Friday 18 March 2011  from 1800 hours or Saturday 19 March 2011 from 1330 hours depending on availability of a suitable venue.  Please feel free to bring along partners and friends to help us celebrate. 


To help the Executive make an informed decision about the function, could members please EMAIL a reply to the membership Registrar by pressing the appropriate link and entering your name - please reply by Wednesday 9th February to allow the Executive to firm up the function arrangements by Friday 11th February. 

 

  •  I would be willing to attend a Friday evening event at an appropriate venue like a local hotel or the University Staff Club (if available),

                    please press `ATTEND FRIDAY EVENING` to send your preference.

 

  •  I would be willing to attend a Saturday afternoon event in a park near the QUR Walcott St Depot.  Function would need to be during daylight hours with possibly a Spit Roast/BBQ catering arrangement,

     

                        please press `ATTEND SATURDAY AFTERNOON` to send your preference.

     

  •  I do not intend to attend this function,

                    please press `NOT-ATTENDING to tender your apology.

 *****************************

 

War Quotes

You appear much concerned at my attacking on Sunday. I am greatly concerned too; but I felt it my duty to do it.

‘Stonewall’ Jackson, Letter to his wife, March 1862

 

If the people raise a howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not popularity seeking. If they want peace, they and their relatives must stop the war.

W.T. Sherman, letter to H.W. Halleck, 4  September 1864.

 

Only in the trenches (on both sides of No Man’s Land) were chivalry and sweet reasonableness to be found.

Charles Edmonds, A Subaltern’s War 1929

 

In the West the armies were too big for the country. In the East the country was too big for the armies.

Winston Churchill, The Eastern Front, 1931

 

I forbid myself to use the word ‘strategy’. We chop a hole. The rest follows. We did it that way in Russia.

Erich von Ludendorff, quoted in the Official History 1918              

 

We have not lost this war, but we are overdrawn on the Bank of Miracles.

W.J. Brown, quoted in the Observer, 16 August 1942.

 

This is not the end. It is not the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Winston Churchill, at Mansion  House, 10 November 1942, after victory in Egypt.

 

Older men declare war. But, it is youth that must fight and die.

Herbert Hoover, at the Republican national Convention, Chicago, 27 June 1944.

 

We sure liberated the hell out of this place.

Anonymous US soldier, in a Normandy village, June 1944

 

The dominant feeling of the battlefield is loneliness.

William Slim, addressing the 10th Infantry Division June 1942

 

Victory is no longer a truth. It is only a word to describe who is left alive in the ruins.

Lyndon B. Johnson, in New York, 6th February 1964

 

No country without an atom bomb could properly consider itself independent.

Charles de Gaulle, quoted in the New York Times, 12 May 1968

 

Things to Think About

 

Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?

Why do we have noses that run and feet that smell?

Why do they sterilize needles for lethal injections?

If fire fighters fight fires, and crime fighters fight crime, what are freedom fighters doing?

If a butcher backed into a meat grinder, would he get a little behind in his work?

Why is it that most nudists are people you don’t want to see naked?

Would a ice factory eventually melt?

Why don’t they put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans?

Why is it that nearly everyone who grew up in the 90’s has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator?   

She took after her mother, who took after her father, who took after the maid.

Heredity runs in our family.

Today’s teenagers are alike in many disrespects.

I always wanted to spend some more time with my kids. Then one day I did.

You know when you are old when your back goes out more than you.

By the time a man can afford to lose a golf ball, he can’t hit that far.

A geriatric is a German cricketer who captures three successive wickets.

A bachelor is a man who is footloose and financee free.

A bachelor is a man who believes he is entitled to life liberty and the happiness of pursuit.

Was Handel a crank?

A word of advice. Don’t give it.

Give orthopaedic surgeons a break.

Knock firmly and softly. The world needs soft, firm knockers.

Don’t be ashamed of your police record. Have the courage of your convictions.

 

Quotable Quotes

 

It’s said that power corrupts, but actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane  are usually attracted by other things than power.

David Brin

 

Political history is far too criminal a subject to be a fit thing to teach children.

W. H Auden (1907-1973)

 

Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game,and dumb enough to think it is important.

Eugene McCarthy

 

A statesman is a successful politician who is dead.

Thomas B Reed

 

Atrophy is a reward for long political service.

Alan F G Lewis

 

What this country needs is more unemployed politicians.

Edward Langley

 

If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal.

Anonymous

 

A politician can appear to have his nose to the grindstone while straddling a fence and keeping both ears to the ground.

Anonymous

 

Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.

Plato (427-348 BC)

 

And one for our lawyers:

Talk is cheap until you hire a lawyer.

Anomymous


  *****************************

FUNCTIONS - 2011

 

MEMBERSHIP DUES - PAYMENT REMINDER

 

Please check the Members Page to ensure that your membership is current.

If you pay your membership fees on a year by year basis

payment is now due for 2011

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO PERUSE THE Members Page AND CHECK THE ENTRIES WITH AN ADDRESS FLAG OF `N`.  WE HAVE LOST CONTACT WITH THESE MEMBERS AND REQUIRE EITHER AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR POSTAL ADDRESS TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT

Membership status codes are:

  • SMEMB - Special Member (no fees)

  • LMEMB - Life Member (no fees)

  • PUOM - Paid Up Ordinary member (no fees but can transfer to 10 year membership for $50)

  • NEW - New member (no membership fees received as yet)

  • 2005 - 201? membership fees paid to year indicated

  • 199? - 2000 membership fees due for 2011

 

Annual dues are $10 and a 10 year paid-up membership can be had for $70.  

Cheques should be forwarded to:

The Treasurer

QUR Association

24 Walcott Street,

St Lucia 4067

For those members with internet banking, payments may be made direct to the QURA Bank Account.

Details are BSB 064 129, Account 0090 4500, Account Name QUR Association Inc

Please ensure your name is supplied in the payment details.

 

*****************************

EMAIL ADDRESSES

The Executive Committee encourages all members to provide a current email address to allow quick and easy communication of important notifications and reminders of upcoming events. 

If you know of any ex-members of QUR who are not in the association, please contact the Membership Registrar (Peter Morton) with any contact details that you have.

THE ASSOCIATION WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO EXIST BY RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS

For members wishing to provide a new email address, please send an email to Sectretary  to ensure your address is received and entered onto our contact list.

 

*****************************

HISTORY OF QUR

Have you considered purchasing a copy of the History of QUR magnificently complied and edited by Paul Smith?

It contains 128 pages of stories, photographs and has a coloured badged cover.

          COST :            $15 per copy.

What about a CD containing over 100 images of the history of the Regiment.

COST :            $10 per copy.

Why not treat yourself to a copy or buy copies for your friends.  These are collectors items so don't miss out.

How to purchase copies:

Ring                        Trevor Luttrell      0437 442 964

Email                    Historian

Send your payment to:

The Treasurer, QUR Association, 24 Walcott Street, St Lucia Q 4067.

For those members with internet banking, payments may be made direct to the QURA Bank Account.

Details are BSB 064 129, Account 0090 4500, Account Name QUR Association Inc

Please ensure your name is supplied in the payment details.

 

*****************************

Association Office Bearers

 

Back to the Flood                  Friday 18 March 2011  (TBC)  (1800Hrs)   
Anzac Day                             Sunday 25 April 2011 (Gunfire breakfast at Walcott St, St Lucia)
Regimental Dinner                Saturday 7 May 2011 (TBC) - By Invitation from QUR
AGM                                     Friday 9 September 2011 - ( 1900Hrs for 1930Hrs)
Christmas Function              Thursday 8 December 2011 - 5.30 PM (Victory Hotel)

*****************************

 
Position Name Bus Hrs A/Hrs Email
President Trevor Luttrell 0437 442 964 3345 2754 President
Vice President Paul Smith 3221 1275 0417 629 885  
Secretary/Treasurer Bruce Davis 3622 1777 3878 2920 Treasurer
Membership Secretary Peter Morton 3114 2010 0419 484 736 Secretary
         
Committee Members       Executive
  Greg Adams 3264 5544 0418 744 678  
  Col Ahern 3896 9510 3278 1862  
  Chris Backstrom 3863 9238 3359 6262  
  Garry Collins   3359 5993  
  Ruth Kassulke 3119 9789 3314 6818  
  David Ross 3227 6974 0402 904 204  
  John Hammond   0409 575 848  

 

End of Newsletter