AIRBURST
Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company

ENewsletter Edition No 76 November 2023
Dear Gunners (Readers) - 
Welcome to Airburst No 76 November 2023

Christmas will be upon us before we can say Blinken! As it is November has brought with it some sad tidings. On the 6th November I attended a Celebration of the Life of Brian Hall, a gunner and a past Director and Honorary Treasurer of the RAAHC. A short obituary of Brian is shown below.

The RAAHC AGM was held on the 28 October 2023. Use of video conferencing ensured a healthy attendance. Thanks to all those who attended.
The Board is similar to last year although I am pleased to welcome Sean Ryan as a Director. The current Board is shown below:
•         Chair - Ian Ahearn
•         Deputy Chair - Nick Floyd
•         Honorary Secretary – Sean Ryan
•         Honorary Secretary - Rob Crawford
•         Honorary Treasurer - Peter Lawrence
•         Directors - John Cox, Schon Condon Craig Furini, Ron West, Bill Foxall, and James Eling. 

Cutler Research Centre.
Tim Ford continues to grow the volunteers for the Centre. They now number 13.
The volunteers continue to update the Collection Management System (CMS) on the eHive account which is responding well.

It has been noted National Library of Australia (NLA) CRC record is not always being updated correctly on Trove and continue to follow that up with NLA and eHive staff.

Staff continue to respond to requests for information from the public and interested organisations and liaise with the Director History RAAHC to develop responses in conjunction with the RAA History Committee. The public is viewing our record on eHive. Over 130 visits in the last 6 weeks.

The Centre recently supported the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust (SHFT) with detailed documentation on the previous Coastal Artillery batteries and structures on North Head . A review of several personal artillery collections (Whitelaw, Smith and Evans) is now complete and appropriate documents (books and CDs) integrated into the CRC Collection.

A review of the video holding and special books is complete. Staff continue to review our Historic Papers and Photo Albums and update the appropriate areas in our CMS.

In October the internet and phone connection was converted to the NBN with appropriate adjustments to our well developed and recorded procedures. As a result of the increase in volunteers and tasks, plus the limited size of the current building, it is planned to test opening on two days per week with different teams.

UBIQUE

Ian Ahearn
Chair RAAHC
Vale Colonel (Retd) Brian Hall

Brian Hall served with the Australian Regular Army for 35 years in a range of field, training, staff and diplomatic appointments. He served as Officer Commanding P&EE Port Wakefield and as an instructor at The Royal Military College of Science, UK. He held staff appointments as Project Director NINOX and as Director of Vehicle Systems Projects.

His final appointments were as Defence Adviser to New Zealand and then as Defence Attaché in Baghdad. He retired from full time service in 2007 to establish his own consulting business providing services to Federal government agencies. Brian is a graduate of the Royal Military College Duntroon, the Royal Military College of Science, Army Command and Staff College and the Joint Services Staff College. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Brian will be missed by all who knew him but particularl by his wife Mabel and his sons Rohan & Angus.  

Action! Action! Action!
Essential History of the Employment of Australian Artillery 1871-2021.


 Work continues on the project to deliver the publication by 1 August 2024. The cover shown at left is a draft only and not necessaril the cover for the final product. A contract has been signed with Big Sky Publishing and we will keep you up-to-date with the progress of the project.




 
REMEMBRANCE DAY


On the first anniversary of the World War 1 armistice in 1919 two minutes' silence was instituted as part of the main commemorative ceremony at the new Cenotaph in London. The silence was proposed by Australian journalist Edward Honey, who was working in Fleet Street. At about the same time, a South African statesman made a similar proposal to the British Cabinet, which endorsed it. King George V personally requested all the people of the British Empire to suspend normal activities for two minutes on the hour of the armistice "which stayed the worldwide carnage of the four preceding years and marked the victory of Right and Freedom". The two minutes' silence was popularly adopted, and it became a central feature of commemorations on Armistice Day.
 
After the end of the Second World War, the Australian and British governments changed the name to Remembrance Day. Armistice Day was no longer an appropriate title for a day which would commemorate all war dead.
 
In 1997, Governor-General Sir William Deane issued a proclamation formally declaring 11 November to be Remembrance Day, urging all Australians to observe one minute's silence at 11 am on 11 November each year to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts.
An unidentified cinematographer capturing the last shots to be fired before the armistice on 11 November 1918.
11 November 1919. A very large crowd gathered in Martin Place to celebrate Armistice Day. A replica sailing ship, festooned with lights has been set up like a stage (right).
Artillery on parade Aristice Day Sydney 1919
Australian War Memorial Poster 2023
Another view of the Sydney Remembrance Day 2019
A personal note by Ian Ahearn.

Remembrance Day 2023 was memorable and emotional for the Ahearn Family as the Lane Cove RSL Sub branch commemorated the loss of Alan William Ahearn who lost his life in Vietnam in 1970.

Alan enlisted in the Army in 1961. He joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) after Recruit Training at Kapooka. He served in Vietnam with 1 RAR from June 1965 to June 1966 as a Signaller. The Battalion arrived at Bien Hoa Air Base in June and was placed under command of the US Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade, becoming the first Australian unit to serve in a US formation. On return from Vietnam in 1966 he joined 8 RAR at Enoggera, Queensland . On the 24 August 1967, 8 RAR was sent to Malaysia where the Battalion formed part of the 28th Independent Commonwealth Infantry Brigade which also included New Zealand Army and British Army units.

8 RAR returned to Enoggera in April 1969 and began intensive training ahead of being deployed to South Vietnam on 17 November 1969. Between April and June 1970, the Battalion conducted Operation Nugee in the eastern part of Phuoc Tuy Province. In May 1970, during that operation, as platoon sergeant of 12 platoon D Company 8 RAR, he was leading a half platoon of men following up on a small enemy group. As night fall approached the platoon moved into an ambush position along a track. Alan moved from his position to advise the rear gun crew what time he and his platoon signaller would do gun and radio picket with them when the explosion occurred. Alan wore the full blast; members of the machine gun crew were wounded as was his signaller.
 
The Dust-Off helicopter was operated by the USA with Australian medical staff on board. The pilot was excellent the way he was able to land and have the wounded back at 1st Australian Field Hospital Vung Tau in around 20 minutes. Due to the extent of Alan’s wounds, he was immediately flown to the 24th US Evacuation Hospital Long Binh. Sadly Alan passed away on 14 May 1970, 6 days before his 26th birthday on 30 May,

The Ahearn Family attended in heathy numbers and their thanks go to Graeme Davis and his sub branch for a superbly conducted service. Thanks also to Denis Morris, who served with Alan and provided input on his service with the RAR. Thanks also for all the school children (and their teachers) who attended particularly those from Lane Cove Primary, the school that both Alan and I attended.


Sergeant Alan Willian Ahearn
The School Captain of Hunters' Hill High delivers the Ode at the ceremony. Background left is Graem Davis, President Lane Cove RSL Sub Branch.
The Banner Party

Australian Artillery in the Boer War: 1899 to 1901 15 Pounder Mark 1 Breech Loading Gun
By K. Browning, K Glyde & J. Cox

This historic gun, a 15 Pounder Mark 1 Breech Loader, is one of only two remaining from the six used by Australian Troops during the South Africa War ( Second Boer War). It was purchased by the New South Wales Government in1898 for its permanent field artillery battery, ‘A’ Battery.  In December 1899 ‘A’ Battery, New South Wales Regiment of Royal Australian Artillery (Field) sailed for service in South Africa as part of the Second Contingent to the South Africa War; a conflict over the control of South Africa between Dutch-Afrikaner settlers (Boers) and Imperial Britain. The Battery served in South Africa for 18 months returning with their guns to Sydney on 15 September 1901.

In 1904 King Edward VII presented the Royal Australian Artillery with an Honourable Insignia in recognition of their service. 15 Pounder indicates the gun fired a projectile weighing 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Mark I is the first model of this type of gun. Breech Loading indicates the projectile and charge were loaded separately; the charge being contained in a bag. Its maximum range was 5,490 metres (6000 yards). The carriage on which the barrel is mounted was a special design for guns ordered by New South Wales.

With the introduction of 18 Pounder guns in 1906 the 15 Pounders were redistributed and two were sent to Tasmania and four to Western Australia. By April 1924 these guns were deemed obsolete, and this gun was presented to Sheffield Tasmania, arriving in June. It was positioned near the War Memorial. It was removed at the end of World War II (1945) and taken to the local tip. Fortunately, it was rediscovered in 1993 during excavation work and although the gun’s wooden wheels had disintegrated and much of it was corroded it was able to be restored.

In 2002 the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company (RAAHC) positively identified the gun as one of the six 15 Pounders sent to the Boer War. The RAAHC assessed the gun as an ‘extremely’ valuable item of Australian Artillery heritage due to its rarity and service with ‘A’ Battery in the Boer War. In 2023 the Kentish Council, in recognising the significant heritage of the gun, arranged with the local RSL and the RAAHC, to provide improved display, care and interpretation. The second 15 Pounder is also in Tasmania at the Ross War Memorial.

Below is a photo from the Kent Council, Tasmania
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CARTOON CORNER-a laugh is as good as a holiday

Did you Know?

James Boag II -Gunner and Brewer
In 1853 Scottish-born James Boag the elder (1822-90) arrived in Launceston. At sixteen, James junior (1854-1919) joined his father at John Fawns' Cornwall Brewery and began planning the future partnership of James Boag & Son. In 1883 they purchased the up-to-the-minute Esk Brewery on the Esplanade.

Expansion was swift. By 1900 James junior had surpassed the Esk Brewery's original production by over 7000 percent, established Boags as northern Tasmania's favourite beer, and bought the neighbouring Cornwall Brewery. A great believer in local investment, he also acquired hotels, land and mining shares. He continued his youthful sporting interests through sponsorship, was a warden of the Launceston Marine Board, and rose to Captain in the Launceston Volunteer Artillery.

Boag performed his military service in Launceston and qualified for the Long Service Medal in 1910. During the 1901 Federation celebrations, The Examiner reported that at midnight, "twenty-one guns boomed out the royal salute from the Launceston Artillery under Captain J. Boag".

I am sure most of Airburst readers have imbibed in a Boags or two.







Thinking Deep:



The need for a Deep Battle Concept for the Australian Army

As the Australian Army contemplates the transformation of land power, one area that is worthy of focused effort is the development of a deep battle concept.[1] Currently, Army lacks a unified concept for how it intends to employ its incoming deep-ranging platforms to achieve advantage in depth. READ MORE

Army’s Kill Chain and Targeting Automation for the Defence of Australia

The fourth industrial revolution has heralded an era of artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and robotics that represents vast potential benefits for the Australian Army. READ MORE.

These articles were authored by Jason Kirkham for the Army's Research Centre
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Gunners Around the Nation & The World

View the websites/ Newsletters from various Artillery associations around the nation and overseas:
RAA Association Victoria Newsletter - Cascabel
Locating Surveillance and Target Acquisition Association - Website
131 Locators Association - Website

Royal Australian Artillery Association (NSW) -Website

Australian Artillery Association - Website

Royal Canadian Artillery - Royal Canadian Artillery
PO Box 171
Cremorne Junction
NSW 2090 Australia