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QUEENSLAND TPI JOURNAL
December Edition 2014
NAVY - ARMY - AIRFORCE
DIFFERENT CONFLICTS - SAME SACRIFICE
ON THE 25 APRIL 2015 REMEMBER THE 60,000 AUSTRALIANS
WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRFICE IN WORLD WAR 1
2
BEENLEIGH Mr. Alan Harbour PO Box 522 Beenleigh Q 4207 Ph: 3807 4710 (m) 0410 574 710 [email protected] BUNDABERG Mr. Ted (Ian) Stokes PO Box 1505 Bundaberg Q 4670 Ph: 4155 0593 [email protected] CENTRAL QLD Mr. Charlie Bartkus PO Box 514. Rockhampton Q 4700 Ph: 4921 4644 [email protected] FNQ CAIRNS Mr. Noel Perry PO Box 111 Westcourt Q 4870 Ph: 4033 7608 [email protected]
SUNSHINE COAST Mr. Anthony Creswick-Jackson PO Box 615, Cotton Tree Q 4558. Ph: 5493 4719 [email protected] TOOWOOMBA Mr Peter Hermann Toowoomba Office PO Box 3079 Village Fair Toowoomba Q 4350
GOLDCOAST Mr. Peter Buckler PO Box 1862 Broadbeach Q 4218 Ph: 5539 9282 [email protected] IPSWICH Mr. Robert Mackenzie PO Box 175 Ipswich Q 4305 Ph: 3281 0368 [email protected] MORETON BAY SOUTH Mr. Kent (Ken) Logue 6 Loraine St., Capalaba Q 4157 Ph: 3823 5494 [email protected] REDCLIFFE Mr. Michael Karolak PO Box 288 Redcliffe Q 4020 Ph: 3283 1721 [email protected]
QUEENSLAND SOCIAL CENTRE S
The Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Servicemen and Women (Queensland Branch) Incorporated.
Patron Mr K Payne. VC, OAM
90 Enoggera Road, NEWMARKET, QLD. 4051
Hours: 10.00am - 2.00pm Wednesday to Friday Administration: Ph.: 07 3040 3330
PO Box 3161, NEWMARKET, QLD. 4051 Email: [email protected]
STATE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
State President: Ken Savage
Vice President: Chris Richards Secretary: George Robinson
Treasurer: George Mialkowski Member: Robert Johnston
Welfare Coordinator: Phil Allen Veterans’ Children Education Scheme - Alan Reece 3203 5384
Members please note that the
State Office will be closed from
20 December 2014 to 13 Janu-
ary 2015 (inclusive).
3
FFrom the Editor,rom the Editor,
As 2014 comes to a close. I wonder what politicians must As 2014 comes to a close. I wonder what politicians must
think, when they review their performance during the year. think, when they review their performance during the year.
Especially, their decisions which have effected the Military fam-Especially, their decisions which have effected the Military fam-
iillyy ppaasstt aanndd pprreesseenntt.. TThheeiirr ccoonnttrriibbuuttiioonn ttoo bbeetttteerr tthhee lliivveess ooff
current serving members, excurrent serving members, ex--serving members and their fami-serving members and their fami-
lies has been pitiful to say the least. Unfortunately, they have lies has been pitiful to say the least. Unfortunately, they have
not eased the burden of poor health due to overseas deploy-not eased the burden of poor health due to overseas deploy-
ments and training injuries. Pension indexation is being tam-ments and training injuries. Pension indexation is being tam-
pered with … once again and, they have even had the temerity pered with … once again and, they have even had the temerity
to try to remove a week of annual leave and fail to pass on the to try to remove a week of annual leave and fail to pass on the
full CPI increase to wages of current serving members.full CPI increase to wages of current serving members.
When will they stop? Apparently never! The Military family is When will they stop? Apparently never! The Military family is
not only cannon fodder but economic fodder to politicians. Can not only cannon fodder but economic fodder to politicians. Can
you imagine a politician being on duty seven days a week, man-you imagine a politician being on duty seven days a week, man-
ning a machine gun on a cold, rainy night and doing two hours ning a machine gun on a cold, rainy night and doing two hours
on and four off?on and four off?
It is time they leaned to appreciate the hardships associated It is time they leaned to appreciate the hardships associated
with service life. Is a politician’s wife expected to wave her with service life. Is a politician’s wife expected to wave her
husband good bye for months on end, not knowing if he will husband good bye for months on end, not knowing if he will
return home safely? No? But the service wife is and during that return home safely? No? But the service wife is and during that
time she is expected to stay home and raise the children alone time she is expected to stay home and raise the children alone
and wonder whether she will have to endure another removal and wonder whether she will have to endure another removal
on his return, due to a new posting.on his return, due to a new posting.
Let’s hope in 2015 politicians wake up and give the Military Let’s hope in 2015 politicians wake up and give the Military
family their full entitlements and stop tinkering.family their full entitlements and stop tinkering.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
The EdThe Ed
CONTENTS
Office Bearers & Social Centres 2
Editor/Contents 3
SMC Annual Reports 2014 4 - 6
The Caribou 7
The Australian SAS 9 - 15,17
On Board the Indian Pacific 16
DVA 17
The George Medal 18
Annual Subscription Form 2015 20
THE IRAQI FOOTBALLER Eddie McGuire flies to Baghdad to watch a young Iraqi play Aussie rules and is suitably impressed and arranges for him to come over to Collingwood. He's signed to a one-year contract and the kid joins the team for the pre-season. Two weeks later the magpies are down by 6 goals to Carlton with only 10 minutes left. The coach gives the young Iraqi the nod and he goes in. The kid is a sensation - kicks 7 goals in 10 minutes and wins the game for the magpies! The fans are thrilled, the players and coaches are delighted, and the media are in love with the new star. When the player comes off the ground he phones his mum to tell her about his first day of AFL. 'Hello mum, guess what?' he says, 'I played for 10 minutes today, we were 6 goals down, but I kicked 7 goals and we won. Everybody loves me, the fans, the media’. ‘Wonderful,' says his mum, 'Let me tell you about my day. Your father got shot in the street and robbed, your sister and I were ambushed and beaten, and your brother has joined a gang of looters, and all while you were having such a great time.' The young Iraqi is very upset. 'What can I say mum, I'm so sor-ry’. 'Sorry? You're sorry?' says his mum, 'It's your bloody fault we moved to Collingwood in the first place!'
4
STATE PRESIDENT
This year has slipped through too quickly, it's almost Christmas a time when we spend time with the children and grand-children, for a short time only. It’s good to see them but it's sometimes great when they go home. We have had a change of staff at the office unfortunately we are on our second Office Manager, this time I think we found a keeper, Melissa Hill seems to be born for the position, some of your members may have met her as she volunteers at Greenslopes Private hospi-tal, the last one, Linda, wanted to extend her family.
Two trips to Canberra again this year, the AGM turned out to be the most amicable meeting I have attended in the three years, it also turned up a new Federal Sec-retary, Robert Johnston, from the Gold Coast, I wish Robert well in his new ave-nue of his life.
Earlier this year I took the train to Mackay to visit the Centre, just in time for their AGM. I thank Brian Jansen for putting me up for the three nights in Mackay. Now for the bad news, Mackay has very little inter-est so the centre will close
Logan Centre has closed with the death of their President, the members have either transferred to Beenleigh or Unattached List.
It has always been, with this Committee that we were going to tighten our belts and save money, when you read the Treasurer’s Report you will see the end result, I must thank George Mialkowski for this.
Vice President Chris Richards takes on three committees, he is a member of the Premiers advisory council, while our Wel-fare Officer Phil Allen, is on the board of VVCS.
We have approached DVA about the TPI being taken into account with child sup-port, I know of two members affected in this way, it seems that I will have to push even further as local are not concerned.
You may have noticed that the Journal has been cut from four to two per year, but we are working on a Members Handbook that will contain concessions and, State and Federal entitlements, when this is finished every member will receive one free, but if you want a replacement it will cost you, as this will be a fairly concise publication.
It seems that some centres have not been receiving emails from the State Office, I can only say this, we don't know unless we are told, there are two ways to do this, one is to send an email to say that you are not receiving updates and the other way I won't listen to.
Wishing you all the best for the Season
Ken Savage
Qld State President
VICE-PRESIDENT
During the year I have represented the Association at DVA Consultative Forums, Queensland Ex-Service Forum and as an appointed member of the recently formed Queensland Premier's Veterans Advisory Council (QVAC). Outcomes of meetings are passed to the Secretary for electronic dissemination to the membership. I have also attended regular SMC meetings and the state HQ office. I also arranged for regular advertising in the DVA news to encourage membership of the Associa-tion. I also undertook to rewrite the wel-coming spiel on our updated website em-phasising we are the 'official' QLD voice of TPIs and that we are here first and fore-most to help our members as best we can. These actions have pleasingly realised an increase in new members. I have also act-ed as the liaison point with ADSO and, along with the SMC, negotiated our union with that organisation for the betterment of our members. I have also continued to maintain our Twitter Account @QLDTpi to publicise and inform of our actions or views. Followers of this account range from the Minister DVA, Shadow Minister to serving ADF personnel - so if you want something said then let us know as it can be a powerful forum.
Of note, membership of QVAC has al-lowed the Council to recommend to the Premier to support federally that the NOK of deceased serving ADF personnel, who have died on duty, receive recognition in the form of a medal as done in the UK and Canada. Also, I prepared a submission to government, through the Council, sug-gesting an entry method through the QLD Job web site to assist ex-service people in gaining Queensland Government employ-ment - a copy of this paper is available for perusal if required. To date this proposal has been well received and it is hoped an outcome will see younger veterans assist-ed during the often tumultuous transition period from service to civilian life. I should
add that QVAC is ably chaired by Danny O'Kearney (ex-ARMY and Naval Reserve) who is doing an excellent job in giving us an effective voice to the state govern-ment.
I have also listed on our AGM agenda the discussion topic of extending our Associ-ate Membership to include DVA white card holders as we already do for Gold Card holders. This item is just for discus-sion, among your local members, as I feel we really need to be looking to the future to encourage the younger veterans to become involved in ESOs like ourselves, and to ensure future renewal - keeping in mind many of us were White Card holders ourselves on the road to TPI. I would think this move would show us to be a progres-sive ESO and allow older experienced members to give younger ex veterans the benefit of their experience, plus extend the camaraderie we enjoy to a new gener-ation. If you think we should consider this further then please advise the President/SMC accordingly.
Unfortunately the SMC were hampered at times by IT glitches that affected our com-munication link to members, hopefully this is now rectified.
On a positive not I also wish to welcome our recently new office manager Mel who has the added benefit of being ex-service (Navy) and active as a volunteer in veter-an welfare.
Chris Richards State Vice-President
SENIOR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (SMC) ANNUAL REORTS 2014
It's important to have priorities in
life.
5
State Secretary
This year has been very busy, completing a number of projects. The database was rationalised to accurately reflect the member-
ship. A new website has been implemented which is regularly updated and reflects the latest information. We have a new NAS and
automated backup. A wireless security camera has been installed in the Newmarket Hall.
Currently we have implemented a new database application running on our internal server, and are in the process of porting from
our old hosted database to our new internal one.
The GSR ballot was run again this year with, six winners and six reserves have been notified. At this time four reserves will be going
as some of the winners have withdrawn. All winners and reserves have been notified in writing, and the website reflects the cur-
rent status.
A new office manager Melissa Hill has been employed who is capable of handling all queries. Our old office manager Linda
Strazzeri had to leave for family reasons. For the times when the office is unattended we have an excellent voicemail system. And
all calls are followed up.
It was sad to see Logan and Districts Social Centre close this year, and also Mackay Social Centre will be closing after Christmas. I
will also note that membership has slightly increased over last year as the following figures will show.
Membership Details
Deceased Members 43
Total Ordinary Members 982
Total Associate Members 84
Total Life Members 25
Total Members 1091 (Total Members 2013 1069)
Remember the state office is closed from 19 December 2014 to 09 January 2015
George Robinson Qld State Secretary
Social Centre Name Ordinary Members Associate Members Life Members
Beenleigh 34 0 1
Bundaberg 44 0 1
Central Qld 48 0 0
Far North Qld 95 1 1
Gold Coast 110 6 4
Ipswich 77 2 4
Mackay 16 0 0
Redcliffe 102 58 3
Sunshine Coast 95 12 2
Toowoomba 71 0 1
Moreton Bay South 30 1 2
Unallocated 260 4 6
Logan 0 0 0
Two Irishmen looking through a mail order catalogue.
Paddy says "Look at these gorgeous women! The prices are reasonable too."
Mick agrees "I'm ordering one right now"
3 weeks later Paddy says to Mick "Has your woman turned up yet?"
No" said Mick "but it shouldn't be long now though. Her clothes arrived yesterday!!
6
TREASURER’S REPORT
FINANCIAL YEAR 2013/2014
Dear Members, I am pleased to advise that the Association has achieved a surplus of $1,326 in 2014 after many years of running deficits and we are in a sound financial position. Our cash position improved which enabled us to transfer an additional $27,068 into the investment account. However, I must re-iterate that if we do not monitor our funds carefully we will quickly reverse the situation and once again run a deficit. I thought it would be easier for members to understand our financial position by depicting it in graphs.
This year our expenses have increased by $3,600. This has been due to:
Land Tax Retrospective (3 years) $9,250
AGM Costs $4061
Insurance Newmarket Hall $4,000
Wages decreased by $12,337, which offset the majority of the increases
Net assets as at 30 September 2014 total $822,933,. George Mialkowski State Treasurer Adv. Dip Acct, Dip Acct, Dip FP
Expenses for 2014 Major sources of income during 2014 were: Grant ANZAC Day Trust $10,248 Membership Fees $24,714 Management Fee $10,909 Rental Income $63,279 Other $9,388
Admin $24,327 Capitation Fees $2,394 Conferences $8,104 Insurance $4,908 IT & Copier $19,149 Journal $7,307 Rentals (Rates, Body Corp, Agent Fees) $51,024
7
A4 DHC-4 Caribou
When the decision was being made in the 1960s on the elusive "Dakota replace-ment", it was not an easy choice; the air-craft which best measured up came from the rugged lineage of the de Havilland Air-craft of Canada (DHC) stable. The RAAF was already familiar with the DHC Beaver and Otter, and the short take-off and land-ing (STOL) field performance of the Cari-bou was ideal for a transport for Army support work. The Caribou is a twin-engined light tactical transport with rear-opening ramp doors to allow rapid loading and unloading. The prototype first flew on 30 July 1958. Eight-een aircraft were ordered for the RAAF in May 1963 and the first aircraft, A4-134, was handed over at the DHC plant at Downsview, near Toronto, Canada, on 25 February 1964. Three aircraft were then ferried by No 38 Squadron crews 25,700 km (16,000 miles) to Australia, via the Atlantic, Europe and Indian Ocean, arriving at Richmond on 22 April. The ini-tial 18 aircraft were serialled with scattered numbers between A4-134 and A4-210. In July 1964, three aircraft on ferry from Canada were diverted from Butterworth, Malaysia, to deploy with the increasing Australian involvement in South Vietnam. The RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam (RTFV) was formed on 20 July and these three aircraft were flown to Vung Tau, to be joined by a further three in August. In 1965 a seventh aircraft was added and in June 1966 RTFV became No 35 Squadron. During nearly eight years of operations in Vietnam, the Caribou, which used the call-sign 'Wallaby' (with No 35 Squadron be-coming known as "Wallaby Airlines"), car-ried over 600,000 passengers. The first RAAF Caribou was lost on 1 July 1964 when A4-134 was written off in a heavy landing at Nowra Naval Air Station. The following November a further seven aircraft were ordered to replace this loss
and the six deployed to Vietnam. These Caribou were delivered in 1966, with scrambled serials between A4-225 and A4-236. Australia's Caribou detachment in Vietnam began winding down in June 1971, and the last aircraft arrived back at Richmond on 26 February 1972. Meanwhile, since 1965, a flight from No 38 Squadron had been operating from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, providing transport support for the PNG Defence Force. Until their with-drawal in 1975, the crews of the three Caribou of the detachment flew nearly 27,000 hours. A final four Caribou were delivered over the 1968–71 period, serialled between A4-264 and A4-299, and with these aircraft the RAAF supported survey operations in Indonesia in addition to various United Nations and Red Cross commitments. From March 1975 to November 1978 a white No 38 Squadron Caribou in United Nations markings operated with the UN Military Observer Group in India-Pakistan (UNMOGIP). Duties entailed resupply and remanning observation posts to monitor the cease-fire line in the North-West Fron-tier. During the fighting in Timor in 1975, Caribou aircraft of No 35 Squadron, in Red Cross markings, flew daily mercy missions from Darwin carrying supplies to refugees in East Timor. One of the Caribou's great virtues is its capability to operate from relatively crude dirt strips that cannot be used by other military transports. This light 'footprint' has been lacking in any of the Caribou's competitors or successors. The aircraft has been used by the RAAF for flare-dropping missions, medical evacuation, search and rescue and paratroop training exercises, but the main task is the airlift of troops, civilians, supplies, ammunition, mail and food. On 1 July 1976, No 35 Squadron relocated to RAAF Townsville from Richmond, and formed a composite unit with Iroquois helicopters in support of the Army in north Queensland. When the Iroquois later transferred to the Army, Nos 35 and 38 Squadrons formed No 84 Wing of the Operational Support Group. Until 1988, two Caribou served at Butterworth with Transport Support Flight, and later No 79 Squadron, supporting Mirage operations and the deployed Army Infantry Company, as well as duties for the embassies in the region. Detachments from No 38 Squadron provided search and rescue and local transport requirements for Darwin and
Pearce, as well as supporting Army units with training exercises. An ongoing re-quirement for No 38 Squadron is the sup-port of the Parachute Training School at HMAS Albatross at Nowra. On 30 May 1991 the Minister for Defence announced the Caribou fleet would be reduced from 21 to 14 aircraft, and A4-164 was the first withdrawn from service in November 1992. Aircraft withdrawn from service will be stored at Amberley to pro-vide a source of spares for the fleet. In December 1992, No 38 Squadron moved to Amberley and continues to operate the venerable Caribou in support of the Aus-tralian Army. The unit was the training unit for maintenance personnel and aircrews for both Nos 35 and 38 Squadrons until the amalgamation of the four separate Caribou operating facilities in 2000, with the Caribou now solely operated by No 38 Squadron. In addition, No 38 Squadron Detachment B operates Caribous from RAAF Base Townsville.
Light tactical transport with two flight crew capable of carrying 32 troops.
Two 1450hp Pratt & Whitney R2000 Twin Wasp radials.
Wingspan 29.15 m (95 ft 7 in); length 22.13 m (72 ft 7 in); height 9.68 m (31 ft 9 in).
Empty 8233 kg (18 260 lb); max 12 927kg (28 500 lb).
Max speed 348km/h (188 kt); economical cruise 293km/h (158 kt); range (max fuel and cargo) 2100km (1135 nm).
DESCRIPTION:
POWER PLANT:
DIMENSIONS:
WEIGHTS:
PERFORMANCE:
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9
The Australian Special Air Service Regiment
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is an elite special opera-tions force of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was originally modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins", and draws on the experiences of Australian Services Reconnaissance De-partment, independent companies, Coast-watchers and M and Z Special Units during World War II. Based at Campbell Barracks, in Swanbourne, a suburb of Perth, West-ern Australia, the regiment is a direct com-mand unit of the Special Operations Com-mand. It has been involved in operations in Borneo during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, the Vietnam War, Somalia, Kuwait, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as many other peacekeeping mis-sions. It also provides a counter-terrorist capability, and has been involved in a num-ber of domestic security operations. Role Tasks and capabilities A direct command unit of Special Opera-tions Command, the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) is a Special Forces unit of the Australian Army and "is tasked to pro-vide special-operations capabilities in sup-port of the Australian Defence Force. This includes providing unique capabilities to support sensitive strategic operations, special recovery operations, advisory and training assistance, special reconnaissance, precision strike and direct action". The SASR is primarily structured to conduct covert long-range reconnaissance and sur-veillance in small teams in enemy con-trolled territory, while commando units are utilised to conduct raids in larger groups. In addition to warfighting during conventional conflicts, the regiment is also tasked with maintaining a specialist coun-ter-terrorist capability. Other capabilities include training local or indigenous forces, recovery of Australian citizens and human-itarian assistance. The SASR is also trained in counter-insurgency operations.[
Warfighting and special reconnaissance In the long-range reconnaissance role, the SASR typically operates in small patrols of between five and six operators with the task of infiltrating enemy-held territory and providing intelligence on enemy activi-ties and capabilities. During such tasks the SASR seeks to evade rather than confront the enemy. SASR soldiers also direct fire support including air strikes to destroy enemy installations and disrupt or kill ene-my forces whenever possible. SASR recon-naissance patrols can be inserted by air (either by helicopter, standard parachute or HALO), land (on foot or by vehicle) or sea (including by submarine, small boats, canoes or closed-circuit breathing appa-ratus) and have proven capable of cover-ing large distances and staying concealed in jungle, desert and mountain terrain. SASR patrols may also conduct sabotage and short-duration raids on high-value targets, including headquarters, airfields and communications nodes. Counter-terrorism and special recovery One of the primary roles of the regiment is to provide a counter-terrorist capability, with an element of the SASR forming Aus-tralia's domestic Tactical Assault Group (West), while the 2nd Commando Regi-ment provides Tactical Assault Group (East). TAG West maintains a short-notice capability to conduct military operations beyond the scope of state and federal po-lice tactical groups. Offensive counter-terrorist operations may include direct action and hostage recovery. A capability to board ships whilst underway and off-shore oil platforms is also maintained. The TAG is kept at high readiness for a period of 12 months, before being replaced by another squadron in this role. History
Members of the Queensland branch of the Australian Special Air Service association during the 2007 ANZAC Day march in Bris-bane
Early years The SASR draws on the experiences of the Australian Services Reconnaissance De-partment, independent companies, Coast-watchers and M and Z Special Units which operated in the South West Pacific Area against the Japanese during World War II.] These units had been disbanded soon after the war as part of the demobilisation of the Australian military; however, after ob-serving the operations of the British Spe-cial Air Service during the Malayan Emer-gency in the 1950s the Australian Army decided to raise its own SAS unit. The 1st Special Air Service Company was estab-lished on 25 July 1957 at Swanbourne, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, with a strength of 16 officers and 144 other ranks. In 1960, the company became part of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) and was given the responsibility for com-mando and special forces operations.] As part of the pentropic organisation adopted by the Australian Army at the time, the regiment's primary wartime role was divi-sional-level reconnaissance. On 20 August 1964, the SAS gained regimental status and was expanded to two sabre squadrons and a headquarters, severing the link with the RAR. The raising of a third squadron was approved on 30 April 1965 as part of an overall expansion of the Australian Ar-my. Borneo The SASR first saw action in 1965 as part of the British Commonwealth force stationed in north Borneo during the Indonesian Confrontation. The Australian SASR troop-ers operated alongside their British and New Zealand counterparts in operations aimed at stopping Indonesian infiltration into Malaysia, taking part in Operation Claret. 1 Squadron conducted reconnais-sance patrols in Sarawak from February to July 1965, and conducted cross-border operations between May and July. They suffered their first fatality on 2 June when a soldier was gored by an elephant. 1 Squadron completed operations on 1 Au-gust and returned to Australia. 2 Squadron arrived in Borneo in January 1966 for a four-month deployment, and despite the suspension of Claret operations it also con-ducted reconnaissance patrols and cross-border operations, undertaking a total of 45 patrols on both sides of the border. On 19 March two soldiers drowned during a river crossing.
10
On 21 July, 2 Squadron was relieved by a British SAS squadron and returned to Aus-tralia in August. Despite often being de-ployed in the reconnaissance role, the SASR killed at least 20 Indonesian soldiers in a series of ambushes and contacts. Three SASR soldiers were killed during these operations. Vietnam
An SASR patrol during Operation Coburg, South Vietnam 1968. Based in Nui Dat the SASR was responsi-ble for providing intelligence to both the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) and US forces, operating throughout Phuoc Tuy Province as well as Bien Hoa, Long Khanh and Binh Tuy provinces. From 1966 SASR squadrons rotated through Vietnam on year-long deployments, with each of the three Sabre Squadrons completing two tours before the last squadron was with-drawn in 1971. Missions included medium range reconnaissance patrols, observation of enemy troop movements, and long range offensive operations and ambush-ing in enemy dominated territory. Oper-ating in small groups of four to six men they moved slower than conventional infantry through jungle or bush land and were heavily armed, employing a high rate of fire to simulate a larger force on contact and to support their withdrawal. The primary method of deployment was by helicopter, with the SASR working closely with No. 9 Squadron RAAF which regularly provided rapid and precise in-sertion and extraction of patrols into jun-gle landing zones at tree top height. A fourth squadron was raised in mid-1966, but was later disbanded in April 1967. The SASR operated closely with the New Zea-land SAS, with a troop being attached to each Australian squadron from late 1968. Completing its final tour in October 1971, 2 Squadron was disbanded on return to Australia, with Training Squadron raised in its place. During its time in Vietnam the SASR
proved highly successful, with members
of the regiment known to the Viet Cong
as Ma Rung or "phantoms of the jungle"
due to their stealth
In a six-year period the Australian and New Zealand SAS in Vietnam conducted nearly 1,200 patrols and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong, including 492 killed, 106 possibly killed, 47 wounded, 10 possibly wounded and 11 prisoners cap-tured. Their own losses totalled one killed in action, one died of wounds, three acci-dentally killed, one missing and one death from illness. Twenty-eight men were wounded. During the period of its deploy-ment 580 men served in the SASR in Vi-etnam. The remains of the last Australian soldier who went missing in action in 1969 after falling into the jungle during a suspended rope extraction were found in August 2008. Australian SASR personnel also worked with US Army Special Forces in Vietnam, and provided instructors to the MACV Recondo School, and then to the LRRP School at Van Kiep from 1967. Some members of the regiment also served with MACV-SOG units, with sol-diers often serving on exchange with American Special Forces. Defence of Australia and counter-terrorism The Australian withdrawal from Vietnam brought to an end the doctrine of 'forward defence' through involvement in Southeast Asian wars. Instead, the Aus-tralian military's new focus was on the defence of continental Australia against external attack. In line with this change, the SASR took the lead in developing the Australian Army's capability to conduct patrol operations in Northern Australia, although this role was later taken over by the Army's three Regional Force Surveil-lance Units following their formation in the early 1980s. During this time the SASR also continued to train overseas with oth-er special forces units. On one such exer-cise in the Philippines, a US special forces C-130 Hercules crashed into the South China Sea shortly after take-off from Subic Bay on 26 February 1981, killing 23 pas-sengers including three Australians from the SASR, as well as a number of Ameri-cans, Filipinos, and New Zealanders. Meanwhile, following the Sydney Hilton bombing in February 1978, the SASR was given responsibility for providing Austral-ia's military counter-terrorism response force, for which 2 Squadron was raised again in 1982. In addition to being able to
respond to terrorist attacks in Australian cities, the SASR counter-terrorism unit was required to develop a capability to board ships underway and off-shore oil platforms. In May 1987 a squadron from the SASR was alerted for a possible de-ployment to Fiji as part of Operation Mor-ris Dance, but did not leave Australia. The regiment was not involved in operations during the Gulf War in 1991 although two troops were again placed on standby for deployment at short notice, while other elements remained on high alert to re-spond to a terrorist incident in Australia if required. Peacekeeping The first SASR units to deploy on active service after the Vietnam War did so as part of Australian peacekeeping deploy-ments. Small numbers of SAS personnel were involved in Operation Habitat in Turkey and Northern Iraq as medics to assist Kurdish refugees between May and June 1991. Personnel were also provided by the regiment as part of the Australian contribution to the UN Special Commis-sion established to oversee the destruc-tion of Iraq's weapons of mass destruc-tion between 1991 and 2000. SASR med-ics deployed with some of the weapons inspection teams, and at times were also employed as drivers and for "personal protection" tasks. Several SAS signallers from 152 Signal Squadron also deployed to the Western Sahara between Septem-ber 1991 and May 1994 as part of the Australian contingent there. Contrary to some reports, the SASR did not provide a security team for service in Cambodia although some SASR-qualified signals ser-geants from 152 Signal Squadron were deployed as part of the Australian military contribution to the United Nations Ad-vance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC) and Force Communications Unit between 1991 and 1993. A small number of mem-bers of the regiment served on exchange with the British SAS and Special Boat Ser-vice (SBS) in Bosnia in the early 1990s, including a sergeant who commanded an SBS detachment in April 1993. In April 1994, a 10-man SASR team from J Troop was attached to Australian forces in Somalia to provide an elite response, VIP protection and force protection to the Australian Service Contingent in Moga-dishu. Known as "the Gerbils", the small team operated from Toyota Landcruisers and Datsun utility vehicles and two M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers
SAS Cont’d
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12
SAS Cont’d
They were subsequently involved in a number of actions, including an incident on 21 May when they were flown to the scene of a downed Canadian civilian heli-copter 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Mogadishu to protect the crew, and an-other on 16 August when they were in-volved in a skirmish during a convoy which resulted in two Somalis being killed after one of them aimed an AK-47 at the Australians. They returned to Australia in November 1994. SASR-qualified medical sergeants were also deployed as part of the contribution to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, some of whom were present during the Kibeho Massacre in April 1995, for which one SAS soldier and two other Australians were awarded the Medal of Gallantry for their actions. In addition, individual members of the SASR have been attached to a wide range of Australian peacekeeping deploy-ments as observers, including in Kashmir, Lebanon and in the Sinai. Blackhawk accident Deaths during training accidents make up the majority of the SASR's fatalities. The worst accident in the regiment's history occurred on the evening of 12 June 1996 when two S-70-A9 Blackhawk helicopters from the 5th Aviation Regiment carrying SASR troopers collided during a live-fire counter-terrorism/special-recovery oper-ation exercise at Fire Support Base Barba-ra in the High Range Training Area near Townsville, Queensland. This activity was part of Exercise Day Rotor 96 and took place on the second day of the exercise, sometime after 18:30, requiring the pilots to use night vision goggles. Six aircraft had been approaching the target area when, 30 seconds from the landing zone, one of the helicopters veered to the right, clip-ping the tail rotor of another helicopter. One Blackhawk crashed immediately kill-ing 12 personnel on board, while the oth-er was able to make a crash landing but burst into flames, killing six. Crash survi-vors, soldiers from the other helicopters and exercise staff risked the flames and exploding ammunition to rescue their comrades and retrieve the bodies of the dead. Fifteen members of the SASR and three from the 5th Aviation Regiment lost their lives in the accident. Fourteen per-sonnel were later officially recognised for their part in the rescue and evacuation operation.
Cambodia and Bougainville In July 1997 an eight-man SASR team de-ployed at short notice to Butterworth in Malaysia to provide close protection and communications to the Australian ambas-sador and embassy staff in Cambodia if required, in preparation for the evacua-tion of Australian nationals in the wake of civil unrest which occurred following a coup in that country. The evacuation op-eration was subsequently completed suc-cessfully, with RAAF C-130s supported by Airfield Defence Guards and other military personnel evacuating 455 Australians and other nationals from Cambodia as part of Operation Vista. Later, following the agreement of a truce in October 1997 which ended the conflict in Bougainville, Australian personnel were deployed as part of the New Zealand-led Truce Moni-toring Group, with an SASR officer being included in the reconnaissance party and later serving on its headquarters. In April 1998, Australia took over leadership of the mission, which was renamed the Peace Monitoring Group. Numerous SASR personnel served in Bougainville over a four year period as part of Operation Bel Isi, both in headquarters positions and as part of the monitoring teams. Kuwait In 1998, the SASR made its first squadron-strength deployment since Vietnam when 1 Squadron, with an attached New Zea-land SAS troop, was deployed to Kuwait in February as part of the American-led Op-eration Desert Thunder. The force, known as Anzac Special Operations Force (ANZAC SOF), was fully integrated, with the New Zealanders providing the squadron's third troop. While the crisis was resolved peacefully, if military action had been taken the SASR would have been used in the Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) role to recover aircrew shot down by Iraqi air defences. The force returned to Aus-tralia in June 1998. Regardless, the opera-tion represented the first time that SASR tactical headquarters had been deployed outside of Australia. East Timor The SASR, along with forces from the NZ SAS, played a key role in the Australian-led international peacekeeping force (INTERFET) in East Timor between Sep-tember 1999 and February 2000. Initially involved in the operation to evacuate Australian and UN personnel from East
Timor as a result of violence in the lead up to the referendum for independence, the SASR was subsequently involved in intelligence gathering tasks prior to the landings, and provided the initial forces to secure the point of entry at Dili airport. 3 Squadron, along with Allied Special Forces elements, then made up INTERFET's Spe-cial Forces element, known as Response Force (RESPFOR). The SASR spearheaded most operations conducted by the inter-national force during the early days of the intervention in East Timor and, as in Vi-etnam, served as the eyes and ears of the force, patrolling extensively through mili-tia-controlled areas as INTERFET expand-ed to take control of the rest of East Ti-mor. During operations in East Timor the SASR was involved in a number of signifi-cant contacts with pro-Indonesian militia, including at Suai on 6 October 1999 dur-ing which two SASR soldiers were wound-ed, and later at Aidabasalala on 16 Octo-ber 1999. Other tasks included VIP pro-tection and other Special Forces tasks as required by the task force commander. 3 Squadron was later awarded a Meritori-ous Unit Citation on 25 March 2000. 1 Squadron replaced 3 Squadron in Decem-ber 1999, and completed its tour in Feb-ruary 2000. Domestic security and controversy The regiment formed a key element of the security force in place for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, and in the lead-up to the event the regiment underwent a period of modernisation, acquiring new equipment and capabilities, including the ability to respond to chemical, biological and radiological threats, as well as devel-oping techniques for the clandestine boarding of moving ships at night. During the Games two SASR squadrons were available for counter-terrorist operations, with one designated to respond to inci-dents in Sydney and Canberra, while the other was on standby for incidents else-where. The domestic security role in-creased in prominence after the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 Sep-tember 2001, and the SASR has since formed part of the security force for events such as the 2003 Rugby World Cup, 2006 Commonwealth Games, and other international events.
13
SAS Cont’d
The SASR currently provides one of Aus-tralia's two elite Tactical Assault Groups, designated TAG (West), the other TAG being provided by the 2nd Commando Regiment. In April 2001 the fishing vessel South Tomi was detected poaching Patagonian tooth-fish near Heard and McDonald Islands in the Southern Ocean. Following a 6,100-kilometre (3,800 mi) pursuit, the Togo-flagged vessel was boarded by an SASR troop off the southern tip of Africa. In Au-gust 2001, the SASR was involved in the Tampa affair when its counter-terrorist squadron was ordered to Christmas Island and to board the MV Tampa once it ille-gally entered Australian waters
While the members of the SASR involved did what they could to improve conditions on the Tampa, the use of an elite military unit to prevent asylum seekers landing in Australia was not supported by all mem-bers of the regiment and remains contro-versial.[80] Less controversial was the SASR's involvement in the boarding of a North Korean freighter, the MV Pong Su—which was suspected of drug smuggling—off Newcastle on 20 April 2003. Afghanistan In October 2001, the Australian govern-ment announced that it was sending a Special Forces task group built around an SASR squadron to participate in the cam-paign against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan designated Operation Slipper. After staging through Kuwait, 1 Squadron arrived in Afghanistan in December 2001 with the other SASR squadrons rotating in at approximately six-monthly intervals. The SASR's main role in Afghanistan was to conduct reconnaissance and surveil-lance of al-Qaeda and Taliban positions, activities and capabilities. SASR force ele-ments also conducted some offensive op-erations. After arriving at FOB Rhino, the SASR initially operated in southern Af-ghanistan with the US Marines, con-ducting long-range vehicle mounted pa-trols over several hundred kilometres around Kandahar and into the Helmand Valley near the Iranian-border. On 16 Feb-ruary 2002 Sergeant Andrew Russell was killed when the Long Range Patrol Vehicle (LRPV) he was travelling in hit a land mine during an operation in the Helmand Val-ley. Two other soldiers were wounded in the incident. Later, the SASR moved to eastern Afghani-stan where it played a key role in Opera-
tion Anaconda in March 2002. During the operation SASR teams were to provide on-location, in-depth operational intelligence and reconnaissance after they infiltrated the Shahi-Kot Valley ten days prior to the operation, and also saved the lives of 24 soldiers of the US 75th Ranger Regiment after their helicopter was shot down, by providing sniper overwatch and guiding in precise air strikes to end the enemy ad-vance as they attempted to overrun the isolated Americans. Up to 300 al Qaeda fighters were later estimated to have been killed. Two SASR advisory and liaison offic-ers were attached with the US 10th Moun-tain Division to help plan the division's air assault operations, and were subsequent-ly involved in heavy fighting after the unit they were with became pinned down. Four days into the operation, SASR ele-ments identified a potential escape route for the al-Qaeda leadership. Other coali-tion special forces teams had attempted to establish observation posts in the dis-trict, but had quickly been discovered by shepherds or villagers. The Australians inserted a patrol undetected to monitor the escape route. From more than 1,200 metres (1,300 yd) high on a mountain, the patrol spotted a group of al-Qaeda figures dressed in Russian camouflage and wear-ing black balaclavas. They carried more advanced weapons than normal insur-gents, and appeared to be guarding a white-robed older man with a cane as they fled the battlefield. US intelligence at first believed it was Osama bin Laden but later revised the identification to his sec-ond-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. An airstrike was subsequently called in; how-ever, there was later some doubt about whether it was successful. Australian forc-es later destroyed an anti-aircraft piece, while other elements were tasked with screening possible escape routes to the south and killed a number of fighters as they attempted to withdraw. The initial task group was subsequently replaced by another squadron in March and April 2002, while a third squadron rotated into Afghanistan in August 2002. The SASR withdrew from Afghanistan in November 2002 after all three SASR sabre squadrons had served in the country. The SASR was redeployed to Afghanistan in August or September 2005. The Austral-ian Special Forces Task Group in Afghani-stan consisted of elements from the SASR, 4 RAR (Commando), the Incident Re-sponse Regiment (IRR) and logistic sup-port personnel. This task group was with-drawn in September 2006, after a year of operations working closely with Special
Forces from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. During this period the task group was involved in 139 contacts and sustained several soldiers wounded. A Special Operations Task Group (SOTG), including an SASR squadron, was rede-ployed to Afghanistan in April 2007.
On 16 January 2009, Trooper Mark Don-aldson was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, the highest award for gallantry in the Australian honours system, for gal-lant acts performed whilst serving with the SASR in Afghanistan on 2 September 2008 when his patrol was ambushed, re-sulting in the wounding of nine Australi-ans. In addition to the SASR's contribution to the SOTG, the regiment also provided "Defence Support Teams" to protect Aus-tralian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) agents in Afghanistan. On 23 January 2011, Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for single-handedly neutralising two machine-gun positions during an operation in Tizak on 11 June 2010. On 26 March 2013, it was announced that Special Operations Command would receive the Australian Army's first battle honour since the end of the Vietnam War for outstanding perfor-mance during the Shah Wali Kot Offensive in Afghanistan from May to June 2010. The battle honour, titled "Eastern Shah Wali Kot", was awarded in recognition of the operational actions of the SASR and 2nd Commando Regiment from the Aus-tralian Special Operations Task Group Ro-tation XII. During an operation in April 2013 an SASR corporal cut the right hands from the corpses of three insurgents after being told by a military lawyer that this would be an acceptable way of obtaining finger-prints. After this incident was reported to the senior Australian command at Tarin Kowt the SOTG was withdrawn from oper-ations for a week-long "operational pause". As of October 2014, the Depart-ment of Defence was considering charging the soldier. The bulk of SOTG was with-drawn from Afghanistan in late 2013 as part of the Australian drawdown, although some special forces remain as part of the small Australian force in the country. SASR casualties in Afghanistan include five sol-diers killed in action.
14
SAS Cont’d
Iraq The SASR provided the majority of the ground-force element of the Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, known as Operation Falconer, moving in quickly and successfully, thus enhancing Australia's standing amongst its allies. The Australian Special Forces Task Group was built around 1 Squadron, with a platoon from the 4 RAR (Commando) and a troop from the IRR available to support the SASR. 1 Squadron operated in western Iraq where it was successful in securing its area of operations. Elements of the SAS Squadron crossed the Iraqi border on the night of 19 March by vehicle, penetrating 30 kilometres (19 mi) before being en-gaged in one of the first actions of the war. Other patrols were inserted by heli-copter more 600 kilometres (370 mi) from their staging areas and subsequently fought a number of actions over the fol-lowing month. Australian patrols were the closest coalition elements to Baghdad for a number of days, observing key roads and facilities. Towards the conclusion of the 42-day campaign the SAS secured the huge but undefended Al Asad air base, approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) west of Baghdad, capturing more than 50 aircraft. 1 Squadron was withdrawn from Iraq without replacement shortly after the
end of the war, and was subsequently awarded a Unit Citation for Gallantry. A SASR Long Range Patrol Vehicle-mounted patrol in Iraq in 2003. Yet some members of the SASR continued to operate in Iraq over the next few years in a number of roles. In 2004 claims ap-peared in the media that Australian Spe-cial Forces were involved in counter-insurgency operations inside Iraq, alt-hough this was denied by the govern-ment. An SASR team was deployed to Iraq in May and June 2005 as part the effort to free Douglas Wood, an Australian engi-neer kidnapped in Baghdad; however, he was later recovered alive by US and Iraqi
forces. In 2007, British media reports sug-gested that SASR elements were still op-erating in Iraq, along the southern border with Iran, targeting arms smugglers. Later, a small number of SASR personnel were deployed to Iraq in June 2014 to protect the Australian embassy when the security of Baghdad was threatened by the 2014 Northern Iraq offensive,[111] while others were reported to have been tasked with providing security to Royal Australian Air Force aircrew aboard transport aircraft delivering arms and munitions to forces in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq during September 2014. Timor Leste, the Philippines and Fiji An SASR troop was deployed to Timor Leste in May 2006 as part of Operation Astute, operating alongside a Commando Company Group as part of the Special Forces Component following renewed unrest there. On 4 March 2007 SASR per-sonnel took part in the Battle of Same during which five rebels were killed dur-ing an unsuccessful attempt to apprehend Alfredo Reinado. It was reported in Octo-ber 2006 that 20 SASR operators were in the southern Philippines, supporting Fili-pino operations against the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiah terrorist groups, but this was denied by the Department of Defence. Meanwhile, following tensions in Fiji between the military and the gov-ernment the Australian Government dis-patched three naval vessels in November and December 2006 as part of Operation Quickstep, in preparation for a potential evacuation of Australian citizens. On 29 November 2006, a Blackhawk helicopter from the 171st Aviation Squadron carry-ing four crew and six soldiers from the SASR crashed while attempting to land on HMAS Kanimbla and sank in international waters off Fiji. The helicopter's pilot and a soldier from SASR were killed in the crash. Africa In March 2012, the Sydney Morning Her-ald claimed that operators from 4 Squad-ron—reportedly reformed in 2005—had been operating in Africa, specifically Zim-babwe, Nigeria and Kenya, gathering in-telligence on terrorism and developing plans to rescue kidnapped Australian civil-ians. Professor Hugh White from the Aus-tralian National University was quoted as saying that, as soldiers, they would not have the legal cover ASIS would have if caught. The Herald also reported that the then Minister for Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd had argued for 4 Squadron to be
used in Libya during the civil war, but was overruled by the Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith, and the Chief of the De-fence Force, General David Hurley. Smith denied SASR personnel were operating "at the outer reaches of Australian and international law" but did not confirm or deny the operation in Africa. Organisation The size of the SASR is classified and its reported strength varies, with figures of between 500 - 700 personnel appearing in different sources. Based at Campbell Barracks in Swanbourne, it is made up of a regimental headquarters, three sabre squadrons, an operational support squad-ron, a base squadron and a signals squad-ron. Two sabre squadrons maintain the regiment's warfighting capability and train for operational contingencies, while a third squadron is maintained on rotation for counter terrorist or recovery opera-tions in support of State or Federal police forces. The existence of a fourth sabre squadron has been reported in the media but has never been publicly acknowl-edged. The regiment is currently believed to be organised as follows:
Regimental headquarters
1 Squadron
2 Squadron
3 Squadron
4 Squadron
Base Squadron
Operation Support Squadron 152 Signal SquadronEach sabre squadron is approximately 90 strong and is divided into three troops (Water Troop, Free-Fall Troop and Land Troop). A troop compris-es four patrols with five or six operators in each patrol, and is commanded by a cap-tain with each patrol commanded by a sergeant. For surveillance operations the SASR usually operates in patrols; howev-er, for CT operations it usually employs larger force elements. Support personnel include signallers, mechanics and techni-cians, medical staff, storemen, drivers, caterers and various specialists. It was reported in 2012 that six female soldiers were being trained in the United States for their work with 4 Squadron. As of 2003, 152 Signal Squadron comprised four troops.
15
SAS Cont’d Uniform and equipment The standard dress of the regiment is the new Multicam-design camouflage which became standard issue to Special Forces troops in 2012, and is now being intro-duced to all other Australian Army sol-diers in Afghanistan and will eventually become the standard Operational Com-bat Uniform (OCU). Although SASR pa-rade, working and field uniforms are gen-erally the same as those used by the rest of the Australian Army, special uni-forms—including black coveralls—are used depending on the tactical situation. Qualified SASR members wear a sandy-coloured beret with a metal, gold and silver badge, depicting the sword Excali-bur, with flames issuing upwards from below the hilt, with a scroll across the front of blade inscribed with the regimen-tal motto "Who Dares Wins", on a black shield. This differs from the British Special Air Service, which wears a woven cloth cap badge of the same design. SAS 'Ibis'-style parachute wings (rounded at the bottom and straight on top) are worn on the right shoulder on general duty, cere-monial and mess dress uniforms only. A garter blue lanyard is worn. Members of the regiment often dispense with rank, use first names, and wear long hair and beards on operations or when in the field. Soldiers are armed with a variety of weapons systems depending on what the mission dictates. These include the M4A1 carbine (designated as the M4A5 in Aus-tralia), which is used as their primary weapon. The shortened version of the M4, known as the Mk 18 CQBR, is also used. Primary weapons are complement-ed with the two issued sidearms, the Hk USP Tactical and the Glock 19. For medi-um to long range engagements, the Heck-ler & Koch HK417 and the SR-25 marks-man rifle are used. Support weapons used include the Mk48 Maximi Modular, MAG 58 and the Para Minimi. The regi-ment also uses a number of direct and indirect fire support weapons including the 66 mm M72 rockets, 84 mm M3 MAAWS, FGM-148 Javelin, M2-QCB Browning .50 calibre machine guns, Mk 19 grenade launcher, and mortars. A range of different vehicles are used, in-cluding the Long Range Patrol Vehicle which was developed from the six-wheel drive variant of the Australian Army's Land Rover Perentie design in the late 1980s and were used in Kuwait, East Ti-
mor, Iraq and Afghanistan. These have now largely been replaced by Supacat "Nary" special operations vehicles. Mo-torcycles are also used for long range strategic reconnaissance. Heavily modi-fied Nissan Patrol four wheel drive vehi-cles are used for domestic security opera-tions. Selection and training The SASR regiment has high personnel standards, and selection into the regi-ment is considered the most demanding of any entry test in the Australian Army. Members of the SASR are required to work in small teams for extended periods and often without support, and are spe-cially selected for their ability to work in this environment, rather than as individu-als. Selection is open to all serving Aus-tralian Defence Force personnel. After initial screening candidates must com-plete the "Special Forces Barrier Test", which tests their physical fitness. About 80 to 85 percent of applicants pass this phase. Successful candidates then contin-ue on to the 21-day SASR selection course conducted at Bindoon, Western Australia which assesses both the individ-ual's strength and endurance (mental and physical), as well as overall fitness, ability to remain calm in combat, and to work effectively in small teams. The course is conducted by staff from the Special Forc-es Training Centre, which was established in 1998. Only 25 to 30 percent pass selec-tion. These candidates then progress on-to the 18 month reinforcement cycle, during which they will complete a range of courses including weapons, basic pa-trolling, parachuting, combat survival, signaller / medic, heavy weapons, demo-litions, method of entry, and urban com-bat, before posting to a sabre squadron if successful. Officers must complete addi-tional courses to qualify as an officer in the regiment, with requisite expertise in operations, administration and com-mand. Most candidates are generally in their late-20s and are on average older than most soldiers. Despite a possible reduction in rank, SASR operators receive significant allowances, which make them among the highest-paid soldiers in the Australian Defence Force, with a trooper (equivalent to a private) earning about $100,000 per annum. All members of the SASR are parachute qualified, and each member of a patrol has at least one specialisation, including medic, signaller, explosive expert or lin-
guist. Each of the three sabre squadrons works on a three year training and opera-tional cycle, although the system is flexi-ble and can be accelerated or varied de-pending on operational requirements and deployments. In the first year new mem-bers of the regiment develop their indi-vidual skills and practice the new tech-niques they have been taught, while more experienced members undertake advanced courses. In the second year mission skill sets for conventional warfare are trained, while in the third year clan-destine tasks are practiced and the squadron becomes the online counter terrorist squadron. Counter terrorist training includes close quarters battle (CQB), explosive entry, tubular assault (in vehicles such as in buses, trains and air-craft) and in high rise buildings, as well as room and building clearance. This train-ing is conducted in a range of advanced facilities, including electronic indoor and outdoor CQB ranges, outdoor sniper range, and urban training facilities at Swanbourne. Additional facilities include a special urban complex, vertical plunging range, method of entry house, and simu-lated oil rig and aircraft mock-ups in or-der to provide realistic training environ-ments for potential operational scenari-os. SASR personnel also provide training in weapons handling and the use of ex-plosives to intelligence agents and mem-bers of elite police units at Swan Island in
Victoria. The Special Air Service Regiment Memori-al in Canberra commemorates the mem-bers of the unit killed in combat and train-ing exercises. The SASR maintains close links with Spe-cial Forces from the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand, regularly par-ticipating in joint exercises and individual personnel exchange programs with the British SAS and SBS, as well as the New Zealand SAS, US Navy SEALs and United States Special Forces.
ON BOARD THE INDIAN PACIFIC WITH DARRYL & BETTY ADCOCK
Having recently completed our trip from
Sydney to Perth on the Indian Pacific, we
would like to thank the TPI Association
(through which this was organised) most
sincerely for a wonderful experience,
which we thought to share very briefly
with you.
When Darryl announced to me “I’ve won
a trip on the Indian Pacific” (having put
his name into the ballot), I thought he
was pulling my leg. “Come and see”, he
said – and sure enough, there it was in
the emails! We couldn’t believe our
good fortune. It was now wildflower sea-
son in Western Australia, so we decided
we’d better get cracking immediately – as
it was, we’d miss the best of the wildflow-
ers. But with luck we should still see
some of them, so it was full swing to get
it all organised.
We travelled to Sydney by train, arriving
on a very wet, very cold and miserable
day. However, with a few hours to kill
before boarding the Indian Pacific, we
checked our luggage in and went for a
wander up George Street. A bacon and
egg breakfast at Woolies sounded a good
idea to warm us up, then we returned to
Central Station to wait out our time.
It was with considerable excitement that
we boarded the train and were treated to
a “welcome” glass of champagne in the
Lounge car. We have to say that the Indi-
an Pacific staff treat passengers very well
– and with 3x3-course meals per day on
offer, it would have to be your own fault
if you went hungry! The meals are mag-
nificent, including such delicacies as bar-
ramundi, kangaroo, Angus steak, lamb
shanks and chicken – all meals are made
from locally sourced ingredients.
Our first stopover was at Broken Hill.
Here, while the train was re-supplied with
food, drinks, linen and fuel, passengers
were treated to their choice of a bus tour
of Broken Hill or else a visit to the Pro
Hart Gallery. We chose the former, and
enjoyed an interesting hour or two seeing
the Silver City and visiting the old mine
workings.
From there, the train travelled westward
into the NSW deserts, headed for Ade-
laide. The red soil dotted with saltbush
was something new to us, as were the
odd wild roo and emu we saw. Down the
Eyre Peninsula we travelled until we
reached Adelaide, where the train would
again be serviced, passengers leave and
new ones board. We joined a bus tour of
the Adelaide sights, while others went on
a tour of the Central Adelaide Markets.
Our journey continued back up the Eyre
Peninsula and into the Nullarbor Plain –
though by now it was night, so much of
the distance across South Australia was
covered while we slept. Next morning,
the train stopped at Cook, which boasts
the mighty population of four people!
Once a very busy town with its own hos-
pital and pool, Cook is now a “staging
post”. Since the passenger railways
closed, the line is mostly used by goods
trains. The Indian Pacific is the only pas-
senger train; so it must give precedence
to the goods trains, pulling to a stop and
waiting for the other train to pass by. Our
train was refuelled here and the drivers
were changed over – the ‘old’ drivers stay
at Cook until another train comes through
so they can go back home to Adelaide.
Passengers are encouraged to leave the
train and wander around Cook to investi-
gate the town and the old corrugated iron
jails (imagine that in the middle of sum-
mer!) . The main reason for this is, of
course, to get some exercise – being
cooped up on a closed train for days (not
to mention all that yummy food) does
nothing to maintain a trim body!
After Cook, we crossed over into Western
Australia; and well into the night we final-
ly arrived at our next stop – Kalgoorlie.
Here, we toured the city and were taken
to the Goldrush Museum to learn some of
the history of goldmining in Kalgoorlie.
We could also check out the huge mine
equipment on display there. Following
that, we were taken out to the Super Pit.
The only gold mine left here, it is worked
as an open cut operation. The mine runs
24/7, so was well lit up and we could see
from our high vantage point all the ant-
size equipment moving around the huge
hole in the ground. It would be even
better to see all this at daytime, but un-
fortunately that doesn’t fit into the Indian
Pacific’s schedule.
At around 11pm, we all climbed back on
board for the last leg of our journey to
Perth. One of the great advantages of the
Indian Pacific is that the train has a
Lounge Car where passengers can relax
and watch the world rush by, and maybe
enjoy a drink. Each meal we had in the
restaurant car, we were invariably seated
with different people, so we got to chat
with other passengers from all over Aus-
tralia – and even the world.
On our arrival at Perth station, we were
met by fellow Vietnam vet friends, who
very kindly hosted us for a few days and
showed us around their city.
We then hired a car and travelled south
as far as Cape Leeuwin and then west to
Albany, where we were staying with oth-
er friends. We had a very busy week
chasing wild flowers visiting local scenic
spots and sampling some of the wines
around the Mount Barker area. We also
visited a woodworking gallery where you
can buy lovely souvenirs (and even hand-
made furniture) made from the local tim-
bers: karri, jarrah and marri.
Then it was time to make our way back to
Perth where we boarded the Indian Pa-
cific again for the long trip back to Syd-
ney, and then home to Brisbane again by
train.
People seeing us stagger around after we got home would have thought we were drunk. In truth, after spending 4 days on a rocking train it becomes difficult to find your “sea legs” – and it took about two days for the earth to stop moving be-neath our feet after we hit ground again!! What a fantastic and unforgettable three weeks we had, thanks to yourselves and Indian Pacific. We certainly appreciate the opportunity we have been given, and again extend to you our thanks. Darryl & Betty Adcock
17
SAS Cont’d
The regiment also regularly conducts exer-
cises with and trains soldiers from South
East Asian nations, and participates in exer-
cises with regional Special Forces. From
1992 this has included close links with the
Indonesian Kopassus, a relationship which
has at times been politically controversial.
Since its formation the SASR has lost more
men in training than in combat, due to the
nature of the training regime. In 2014, the
regiment celebrated its 50th anniversary.
During this period 48 soldiers have been
killed during operations or in training acci-
dents, while another 20 died in "other cir-
cumstances". More than 200 have been
wounded. The names of those killed are
recorded on a plaque on a memorial made
of a large piece of granite outside the SASR
headquarters at Campbell Barracks, known
as "The Rock".
VETERAN SUPPORT OVER THE CHRIST-
MAS PERIOD
All DVA offices, including all Veterans’ Access Network (VAN) and Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) offices will close at close of busi-ness on Wednesday, 24 December 2014 and will reopen on Friday, 2 January 2015.
While the offices may be closed, veterans and their families can continue to access many of the key DVA services by:
phoning VVCS on 1800 011 046 for 24-hour counselling support;
visiting DVA’s At Ease mental health portal www.at-ease.dva.gov.au; and
logging in to MyAccount through
www.dva.gov.au to manage transport bookings and other ser-vices.
Other services that will be available in-clude:
transport – if transport is not booked prior to the Christmas period, veterans will need to pay up front and seek reimbursement from DVA later. Alternatively transport can also be booked and modified, and travel expenses can be lodged online through MyAc-count-DVA’s online services por-tal. Veterans who are not regis-tered for MyAccount can arrange this prior to the Christmas-New Year period by phoning DVA on 133 254 or visiting https://myaccount.dva.gov.au/
hospital admissions – doctors can admit DVA patients into hospital and request admissions approval, where required, when DVA re-
opens.
urgent medical and/or allied health treatment – should pro-ceed as normal, providers can seek retrospective financial ap-proval when DVA re-opens.
Defence Service Homes Insurance – help with policy and claim en-quiries is available 24-hours a day on 1300 552 662.
It is also important to note that the last pension payday of the calendar year has been brought forward to Monday, 22 December 2014 to allow payments to be received prior to the Christmas Day pub-lic holiday. All other pension pay dates will remain the same.
Veterans and Veterans Families Counsel-ling Service (VVCS) and Veterans Line can be reached 24 hours a day across Aus-tralia for crisis support and free and con-fidential counselling. Phone 1800 011 046
ARMY WARRANT OFFICERS
WO2
Warrant Officer Class 2 is a senior man-
agement role focusing on the training,
welfare and discipline of a company,
squadron or battery of up to 200 sol-
diers. WO2s act as senior adviser to the
commander of a sub-unit. Company Ser-
geant-Major (CSM) in all sub-units except
for the following:
• Squadron Sergeant-Major (SSM) in
Armoured, Aviation and Engineer sub-
units
• Artificer Sergeant-Major (ASM) in
RAEME sub-units
• Battery Sergeant-Major in Artillery sub
-units.
WO2s are also employed in more senior
logistics and technical trades across most
corps of the Army. They can have titles
such as Artificer Sergeant-Major, Chief
Clerk or Quarter Master Sergeant. WO2s
are also employed as supervising instruc-
tors in Army schools.
WO1
Warrant Officers Class 1 are the senior
advisors of their unit’s Commanding
Officer, with leadership, discipline and
welfare responsibilities of up to 650
officers and soldiers and their equip-
ment. He holds a special position with-
in the unit as the commander’s right
hand man and his senior soldier. He or
she is known as the Regimental Ser-
geant Major regardless of whether the
unit is a Regiment or Battalion.
WO1s also fill very senior and im-
portant supervisory roles as clerks,
tradesmen, storemen and in technical
trades and have titles such as Regi-
mental Quarter Master Sergeant,
Trade Conductor and Senior Technical
Advisor.
WO1s from all corps can be employed
as advisors, career managers and sen-
ior instructors.
18
The George Cross
By the Second World War the changing nature of warfare required the introduc-tion of new awards to acknowledge the bravery of civilians as well as certain ser-vicemen and women. In 1940 King George VI instituted the George Cross, the highest of the new awards, to rank immediately after the Victoria Cross. The bombing of Britain had brought civilians into the front line, and their brave deeds, sometimes comparable to those for which Victoria Crosses had been awarded, deserved recognition. And, among troops of all kinds, there were numerous courageous acts that did not involve contact with an enemy. Eligibility for the George Cross extended to deeds performed in peace-time. Australians received the George Cross until 1975 when it was effectively replaced locally by the Cross of Valour.
The introduction of the George Cross ren-dered some older awards obsolete. In
time, holders of the Albert Medal and the Empire Gallantry Medal were able to ex-change them for the George Cross. Among those who did exchange their awards were two Australians who had received the Albert Medal for bravery while in the armed services before the Second World War: Sub-Lieutenant Arthur Bagot RNVR and Aircraftman William McAloney RAAF.
Several Australian servicemen received the direct award of the George Cross dur-ing the Second World War, and the Royal Australian Navy was heavily represented among them. Four officers of the RANVR, Lieutenants John Mould, Hugh Syme and George Gosse and Lieutenant Commander Leon Goldsworthy, received the cross for their cool and courageous efforts in ren-dering enemy mines safe in Britain or, later, in Germany.
Two Australian soldiers killed when Japa-nese prisoners staged a mass breakout from No. 12 Prisoner-of-war Camp, at Cowra, New South Wales, in August 1944, received posthumous awards for their brave resistance. They were Privates Ben-jamin Hardy and Ralph Jones.
A few years later, Private Horace Madden was awarded the George Cross; this was the highest decoration given to an Austral-ian in the Korean War. Madden, like Cap-tain Lionel Matthews before him, received a posthumous award for remarkable cour-
age while a prisoner of war. In Matthews’s case, this was for his actions while a pris-oner of the Japanese in Borneo in 1942–44. The last George Cross awarded to an Australian serviceman went posthumously to Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Rogers for his courage and example during the sink-ing of HMAS Voyager in 1964.
Fourteen Australians have received the direct award of the George Cross; nine have been won by servicemen and five by civilians or police.
Bill Madden (GC)
Horace William Madden GC (14 February 1924 – 6 November 1951), also known as Bill Madden, was a soldier in the Australi-an Army who was a posthumous recipient of the George Cross for his conduct while a Prisoner of War during the Korean War.
Early life Horace William Madden was born in Cronulla, a suburb of Sydney, on 14 Feb-ruary 1924 to Australian born parents. He was working as a fruiterer's assistant when he was called up for the Australian Citizens Military Forces (CMF), the militia, in May 1942.
Military Career
Madden was initially posted to the 114th Australian General Hospital in Goulburn, New South Wales. As part of the CMF, he was not required to serve outside of Aus-tralia or its territories, but despite this he transferred to the Australian Imperial Force in August 1943. Nicknamed 'Slim' due to his lean build, Madden saw service with the 8th Field Ambulance in New Guinea, during which he contracted ma-laria.[2] He later served with the 5th Mo-tor Ambulance Convoy Platoon on Bou-gainville and was part of the British Com-monwealth Occupation Force in Japan after the war. He was eventually dis-charged from the army in June 1947.
After leaving the army, Madden took up work at a mental hospital. Two months after the Korean War broke out, he reen-listed with the Australian Army for service as a private in Korea. Initially assigned to 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
for duty as a driver, he later volunteered for signalling duties.
In April 1951, the Chinese attacked the regiment's positions near Kapyong in what would be known as the Battle of Kapyong. Madden was among three Aus-tralian soldiers captured during the battle. During captivity, he demonstrated strong defiance to his captors. His defiant conduct, observed by many of the other prisoners and which would eventually see him nominated for the George Cross, was maintained despite beatings and other punishments such as extreme rationing of his food. His ill treatment eventually re-sulted in his death from malnutrition sometime in late November or December 1951 at the age of 27.[2]
Madden was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his conduct as a prisoner of war, which set an example for his fel-low captives.
EMERGENCY CALLS
Call 112
On your GSM mobile in an emergency.
112 is the GSM standard emergency
service number for use with GSM digital
mobile phones.
Dialling 112 serves the same function
as dialling 000 from a landline in Aus-
tralia and can be used to connect to any
country's emergency number when
overseas.
The call is free and is available wherev-
er coverage is provided by any carrier,
not just your own.
19
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