Message From The President

Welcome to our News Review
Team, another year is coming to a close and our Sub-Branch is in great shape and been very active throughout the year.  Our numbers are growing and ongoing membership engagement has been improving. 
This year we had a change of leadership as John Rolfe transitioned out the President role after six very successful years at the top and me taking over in August.  John provided us with a great Tour-of-Duty trips, the last to Tasmania.  He led us to winning the Newdegate Cup for the second year running  (top RSLWA Sub-Branch Award) this year.  Thank you, John, for your stewardship during this period.
Our active social calendar has kept us busy throughout the year, including day trips to the Police Museum, SAS Museum, RAAFA Aircraft Museum, Blackboy Hill and Chidlow WWI and WWII AIF Training and Assembly Areas, and the 4WD group tour out to the Gold Fields. All these trips actively engaged our members and provided us with an excellent review of our military past.
The committee has focussed our attention to improving our access to Advocacy Support for our membership, and for those needing additional support once they have departed the ADF. This has included working towards obtaining additional Advocates, and running a Family BBQ / Open Day to introduce prospective new members to Sub-Branch activities and services, and showcasing what our Sub-Branch provides to the community.
We continue to engage our members with our weekly Wednesday and Friday Walking, Cycling and Kayaking activities at Hillarys Marina, culminating in meeting for coffee and chat at the Gazebo at around 0900hrs.  All are welcome.
We have successfully transitioned our website and branding seamlessly to a more modern and secure system and thank Helen Burgess and Brian Jennings for their dedicated efforts with our websites over the years.  Thanks also to Jon McKenzie for his excellent work with Facebook and exposing our Sub-Branch to a broad audience,
I thank the whole Sub-Branch for their ongoing help and support during the year and wish you and your family all the best for upcoming Christmas and New Year.  

Our first meeting in 2025 is scheduled for Monday 10 Feb 25.
If you have any questions, suggestions or requests, please contact the Secretary or me, as we are always available.

• President Peter Hodgson:             0458 583 8696              northbeach.president@sb.rslwa.org.au
• Secretary Wayne Koch                 0407 478 963                northbeach.secretary@sb.rslwa.org.au

Peter

Our Team

Contact List

Open Day

The Sub-Branch recently conducted an “Open Day / Sausage Sizzle” in the Charles Riley Memorial Reserve to expose veterans of our community to the RSL, and in particular our Sub-Branch.   The day was well advertised with exposure in The West, Perth Now, City of Stirling, the Sub-Branch Signal, and emails to like service organisations.
Peter Bowring and his team organised BBQ’s, displays of our Kayaks, Information Desks, and Jon McKenzie and Lez Young set up their Bush Bash 4 wheel drives and equipment
The day was well attended, and our Membership Officer / Treasurer signed up additional members.
We still aim to reach out to our younger veterans in the community, and those who are transitioning from Service to Civilian life.  We need to take every opportunity to reach out to our veterans and provide them with the support and camaraderie that our Sub-Branch can provide. 
SO, should members be aware of veterans, and younger veterans who are transitioning or have transitioned from Service to Civilian life, invite them along to one of our meetings,  our Wednesday or Friday Coffee and Chat groups.  Younger veterans are often committed to their new career and possibly young families and may be unable to make our meetings, but there is nothing stopping us from reaching out to support them.

What We Have Been Doing

During the last few months North Beach Sub-Branch has conducted a number of day tours of interesting sites, including the Police Museum Highgate, SAS Historical Foundation’s Museum at Campbell Barracks, RAAFA’s Aviation Heritage Museum Bullcreek and the WW1 and WW2 sites at Blackboy Hill and Chidlow.

Blackboy Hill, Greenmount

Many of the Sub-Branch members on this tour had not previously visited the Blackboy Hill Commemorative Site, and all were taken in by its significance and contribution to Western Australia’s military history.

Blackboy Hill at Greenmount was part of an original grant of land to Captain Stirling.  In 1914 a camp was set up on the hill where, during the course of World War 1, 32,000 men, about 11 percent of the then State’s population, were trained for the Australian Imperial Force.  In 1957 the RSL, on learning that the State Housing Commission intended to build housing there, asked for some of the land to be put aside for a commemoration site.

The site was dedicated by Bishop Tom Riley and the first sod turned by Governor Sir Charles Gairdner in 1958.  Bishop Riley was the father of Charles Riley – read his story on our website under Members Stories – RILEY Charles Owen | North Beach RSL Sub-Branch

The precinct incorporates commemorative arches erected in 1962; the memorial seat to honour the Gallipoli Legion erected in 1964; a lone pine tree planted in 1969 from a seed from the original at Gallipoli, and plaques commemorating service and sacrifice. 

Chidlow

The significance of Chidlow as a training ground for WW2 was not that well known by participants on the tour.

Chidlow Army Camp was designed as a Brigade camp with, Headquarters, three Battalion camps, a Field Regiment and Anti-tank Battery, a Field Company, Field Ambulance, Service Corp and Ordnance.  Three of the nine camp areas could each accommodate 750 men and the other six could accommodate 250 men in each area. Chidlow Army Camp contained the usual kitchens, mess halls, canteens, a movie theatre, showers, ablutions, latrines.  A total of 60,000 military personnel passed through these camps during WW2.

Some of the road layouts for the former Chidlows Army Camp can still be made out.  Many old concrete slabs for former kitchens, ablutions, latrines and offices can still be seen in the bush.  Above ground drainage systems are still evident, along with the remains of sullage ponds.

It was a pleasant surprise to visit this part of Western Australia’s military history, and be greeted by enthusiastic locals from the Chidlow RSL Sub-Branch, Friends of Chidlow’s WW2 Army Camps, Chidlow Progress Association and Heritage Detection Australia.  They made all members most welcome, and put on a morning tea.

Bob Scrivener and his crew from Chidlow guided participants across the military sites and provided valuable information throughout the day.

Following exposure to the site, its history and gaining insight to its heritage value, the North Beach and Chidlow groups adjourned to Chidlow Tavern where lunch was enjoyed.  The publican Norm strongly supports the RSL and the Chidlow Army Camp heritage, and the mural covering one external wall of the Tavern is a testament to that.

Remembrance Day

North Beach RSL Sub-Branch held its traditional Remembrance Day Service at the North Beach Memorial, located within the Charles Riley Memorial Reserve and ably supported by Carine’s 58 Army Cadet Unit and children from the local schools.

A large cross section of the community attended, including some younger veterans recently transitioned from the Australian Defence Forces.  Also, it was most pleasing to see 100 year young Kevin Ryan sitting in the shade of a tree participating in the service.

A Fly Over by the RAAF was followed by the unveiling of Plaques on our Wall of Remembrance for those members of our community who have died, and their families and friends chose to honour their service with a plaque.  This year we unveiled 5 plaques to honour:  Vietnam veterans Gordon Douglas, Ray Carroll, Terry Pryer and World War 11 veterans and North Beach fishing friends, Todd Marsden and Alf Orton.

Following Remembrance Day and the Plaque Unveiling Services, refreshments were served at the North Beach Bowling Club.

The Plaques included those for local North Beach friends and avid North Beach Jetty fishers – Todd Marsden (RAAF) and Alf Orton (RAN).  Thanks must go to Todd’s daughter Catherine and the Marsden family for providing information, and for attending our Remembrance Day Service.

Alf Orton was one of only 13 who survived the sinking of HMAS Yarra during WW2 and drifting for 5 horrific days at sea on a Carly Float before being rescued by a Dutch submarine – his eye opening story is available on our website – Inspiring Members Stories | North Beach RSL Sub-Branch – see Flip Book

Alf never wanted his story told during his lifetime, as he did not want to upset the families of those who did not survive.  However, shortly before his death in 1985 at the age of 68 he asked his fishing mate Todd Marsden, to try and get his story published.  This was done in The Listening Post, and was also mentioned in newspapers and books on the incident.

Alf’s story, and many others, including details of our Memorial and Wall of Remembrance are also on the Virtual War Memorial Australia website.

Virtual War Memorial Australia

The Virtual War Memorial Australia is an outstanding commemorative collection, purpose built to honour the personal experiences of all those who have served the nation in times of conflict, from the Boer War through to Afghanistan. It pays special honour to those who lost their lives as a result of their service and equally honours those who returned, forever changed.

Its Mission is to be the digital commemorative platform of choice in Australia. To provide a worthy home, in perpetuity, for the personal stories, records and memorabilia of individuals who served the nation in times of war and armed conflict supporting a deeper understanding of the impact of service on those who served, their families and communities.

The Patron-in-Chief isGeneral the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC(Mil) CVO MC (Retd).

Brian Jennings has been updating records on this site, including information relating to our North Beach Memorial and Wall of Remembrance.  He has also been loading our members’ stories against individual personal records. 

It is easy to access records, just click on Explore, People or Memorials, and enter the name of the person or Memorial in which you are interested. 

• Our Memorial site has detailed descriptions and photos, including the Plaques on our Wall of Remembrance.
• For People, just enter the person’s name, and access the detail and click on Personal Stories.  Not all have personal Stories entered. 

Examples of details and stories that have been recorded on this site are:

• Bill Fielding     Virtual War Memorial | William John FIELDING

• Maud Bown      Virtual War Memorial | Maud Cecilia (Maud) BOWN

Any assistance required to access the site or to request the addition of Personal Stories, please contact Brian as he has updating access and contacts with the site’s administration :

Mobile             0413 605 612
Email               northbeach.newsreports@sb.rslwa.org.au

Members’ Stories

We have a considerable number of our Members’ Stories on our website in easy-to-read format or Flip Book. 

Inspiring Members Stories | North Beach RSL Sub-Branch

Brian is responsible for all our Members’ Stories and can collaborate with you to document your story, or that of a family member so their service is recorded as a keepsake, or to be included in our Sub-Branch records and the Virtual War Memorial Australia.  

Even if you have already documented a story, Brian can review it with you to format it to align with Sub-Branch standards, and should you agree, for it to be published in our Members Stories, and if appropriate, the Virtual War Memorial Australia site. 

Contact Brian for more information.

Centenarian

Bill Fielding reached his century on 21 September 2024, and at its October meeting was presented with his Certificate by Trustee Doug Simpson, representing RSL National and RSLWA Boards.
Bill served with the RAAF during WW2 from 1942 specialising in light radar systems off the east coast of Australia and islands off New Guinea.  Following his discharge in 1946 he continued his career in agricultural science, working in Borneo and extensively in New Guinea. 
Bill had many roles in New Guinea, from District Agricultural Officer, Advisor, Parliamentarian,  work as a chemist in a Port Moresby based brewery and acting as an airline manager.   In 1968 Bill was elected as a Member of the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea.  He was Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, and other Committees developing strategies and frameworks for the country’s transition to independence.  A career move saw him working in the tourism industry in the UK and Canada.
Following retirement he and his wife Jenn settled in Carine where they both actively maintain a large garden and participate in helping charitable organisations.  Bill is a regular attendee at monthly meetings of the Sub-Branch .and is a well-respected and active member.
Before Bill was stationed on Nomanby Island – north east of Milne Bay, he was at Fort Lytton on the mouth of the Brisbane River.  He arrived just after the sinking of the Hospital Ship Centaur, and gained significant knowledge of the events leading up to its sinking.  Fort Lytton is now Queensland’s foremost military exhibit, with extensive fortifications, multiple military museums and a large collection of Australian artillery – that preserves the rich military history of Brisbane.
The Museum was sent a copy of Bill’s Story – see our website and Flip Book for his story:
Inspiring Members Stories | North Beach RSL Sub-Branch
The museum flew Bill and Jenn, Business Class, to Brisbane to record a video of his living history, particularly incorporating his knowledge of the site and the RAAF’s role during WW2.
As a side issue, when Bill and Jenn were booking their flight there was trouble gaining his ticket as the travel agent’s system did not recognise someone with an age of 100.  So a few clicks, a ticket was issued for Bill, with the entered age of 3 years old.  Even though the airline may have thought this 3 year old looked a few years older, all’s well that ends well.

Our Library

Over the years we have had a number of books donated to the Sub-Branch from members of the community, Gavin McIntosh, Ian Goyder, Basil Best, and others.  Currently we have over 80 books and these have all been catalogued.
The Catalogue will be displayed at each meeting, and when the Sub-Branch has suitable secure storage, the books will be properly displayed..  At this stage, all books are held by Brian Jennings. 
The Catalogue has also been sorted by Category, eg History, Military History, Poetry, etc. and it is available as a PDF to members by request from Brian Jennings.
Some of the books that we have in our library include:
– 1888 edition of “Robery Under Arms”, quite a rare book. 
Churchills “The Second World War” – the pride of Ian Goyder’s collection
– “The Struggle for Europe – The Second World War” Chester Willmott
– “Pictorial History of Australia at War 1939 – 1945” by AWM
– “Diggers – The Australian Army, Navy, Air Force in Eleven Wars” 2 Volumes George Odgers
– “Veterans’ Stories Vietnam” by Commonwealth of Australia
– “South Africa to Afghanistan – Lifting the Curtain” by Bill Edgar.

The books will soon be available for short term borrowing, and this will be arranged through Brian Jennings.  When we are ready to open the Library for borrowing, members will be advised of the procedure.

Welfare and Advocacy

The Welfare and Advocacy page of our website www.northbeach-rsl.asn.au contains information and links to services to support members.  Our key contacts are:
Welfare: Greg Gough Wellbeing Support Mobile 0417 911 173 goughy46@iinet.net.au
Advocacy: Ted Leunig Advocate Mobile 0408 177 193 northbeach.advocate@sb.rslwa.org.au
Please note that Ted Leunig has a new email address.

We do have others in the Sub-Branch that may be able to provide support, so don’t hesitate to contact the above, or our Secretary Wayne Koch.
Also, with our increasing membership, Greg has a larger number of members who he contacts and visits to ensure their welfare needs are met, and to show that we care.   This is an area where members can support Greg, by volunteering to contact and visit those of our members who are not doing well.
If you know of one of our members who is unwell or not travelling as well as they should be, discuss it with Greg to see how they can best be supported by our Sub-Branch.  It is the responsibility of all of us to support each other.

Health

There is time in all our lives when we are impacted by some form of health issue.  It is important that any health issue is not ignored, get it checked out by the medical profession.  Ignoring symptoms and health issues is not recommended, and could result in serious outcomes.

Overheard at coffee recently when a person was discussing health and some problem they were having that could have been serious, “I’ll just wait and see”.  An offsider said, “you spend more looking after your bloody car than you do on your own health”.  Sometimes we need to be brutal to get the message across about what is important for them and their family.

This doesn’t apply to all, but it’s good advice – take action now.  We have a great health system, despite some negative press.

A Positive Note

One person praising our medical system is Tom May, who recently successfully completed his lengthy treatment.

With the encouragement of the Clinic, Tom was convinced to wear his jacket and medals, as his last treatment was just after Remembrance Day.  Also encouraging Tom was Jess Welfare, who was there to photograph the event.  Jess also donned her late husband’s medals for the occasion.

Tom said that “I was fully supported by the medical team during my treatment, and this was a great help in remaining positive”. He also recommended that men ask for PSA to be included in their regular blood tests, and that if Prostate cancer has been diagnosed, to suggest that their sons discuss regular PSA screening with their GP.

What’s New

Veterans SmartRider

Refer to this link for detailed information relating to travel benefits that you may be entitled to.

Veterans SmartRider

The website states that:

“Who is eligible?

If you are a DP (Disability Pension 70 -100%), GCH (DVA Gold Card Holder), EDA, INT, POW, TPI, OIP or TTI pension recipient you are eligible for a Veterans SmartRider card for free travel and parking for your registered vehicle.

If you are a Wholly Dependent Partner, War Widow or War Widower who doesn’t receive the Income Support Supplement (ISS) you are eligible for a Veterans SmartRider card for concession travel.

As part of the application process, we need your consent to check with Centrelink or the Department of Veterans Affairs about your eligibility for a Veterans SmartRider. Once we have your consent, we can automatically confirm your eligibility every year.

Purchase cost and initial minimum value.

Veterans SmartRider for free travel

Your Veterans SmartRider for free travel costs nothing for an initial or replacement card and you don’t need to add any value to it.

Veterans SmartRider for concession travel

Your Veterans SmartRider for concession travel is $5.00 for an initial and replacement card. You need to buy a minimum $10.00 initial value.

How to obtain

Applications by mail

Send a completed Application for a Veterans SmartRider form with two current passport-sized photos to the address on the form. We will put your photograph on the card.

Applications in person

Apply in person at the Elizabeth Quay Bus Station InfoCentre on Mounts Bay Road, Perth. Please bring identification that verifies your entitlement. While you are there, we will take your photo and issue your Veterans SmartRider card on the spot.

Veterans SmartRider Registration

Registration of your Veterans SmartRider card is automatic. For more information, go to Register SmartRider.”

General Meeting Dates

Meeting dates are on display in Our Corner of the Bowling Club, and also accessible from the Home Page of our website. www.northbeach-rsl.asn.au

Just remember, our meetings are the second Monday each month  (except January) commencing 1700 hours (5:00 pm, big hand on 12 and little hand on 5) at the North Beach Bowling Club, 7 Kitchener Street, North Beach.

Coming Soon

Our events and day trips are being organised now by Peter Hodgson, Deb Thatcher and supporting team. For all details read more at: Upcoming Events | North Beach RSL Sub-Branch

Blast From The Past

Who Am I

Taken some time between Nov 1968 to November 1969 Vietnam.  I am well known for doing 10 things at once, also very prominent at each meeting, all our events and activities.
 
No prize for guessing.
 
See below for Answer

ANZAC Day 1999

Poppy Appeal 1999

From “Diggers’ Verses” WW1

The Charge of the Third Brigade

The Listening Post December 1947 – Employment Opportunity 1947

Tune in to The Listening Post every Monday 1800-2000, Capital Radio 101.7 FM, Capital Digital and from anywhere via www.capitalcommunityradio.com  Perth’s only radio program specially for Defence personnel, past and present, their families and friends.