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AIRBURST
Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company

ENewsletter Edition No 73 June 2023
Dear Gunners (Readers) - 
Welcome to Airburst No 73 June 2023


The Board met on 27 May 2023 and worked through a busy agenda. Members may recall that a history of 103rd Battery RAA was written by Gunner Hemi Croft ( member of the current Battery) and reviewed on the RAAHC website.
Gunner Croft has updated the book and it is now available for viewing as a 'Flipbook' by clicking on the book cover to the right.
It is not intended to sell the book but copies can be downloaded from the RAAHC WEBSITE.
As a recognition of Gunner Croft's efforts the RAAHC has undertaken to have about 20 copies printed for distribution to 103 Battery, the Cutler Research Cente and selected personnel who assisted in the development of the book. We hope that other budding authors are encouraged by Gunnerr Croft's sterlin effort. 

  Inflation is affecting us all so the Board has decided to soften its impact by reducing the RAAHC annual membership subscription to $20 per year and $80 for five years and members who fail to renew membership on time be moved to affiliate membership status, until they either renew membership or resign.   It is emphasised that only financial members can vote at AGMs. The new rates will require adjustments to the membership database to rollover extant member’s payments so that it matches the duration of the revised rates. 

The Defence Strategic Review has meant that some projects will be re-scoped, delayed or cancelled. Sadly one of the projects affected is the Combines Arms Heritage Learning and Heritage Centre (the Armoured/Artillery Museum) which has been cancelled.     Defence has advised that it understands that this is disappointing for the units, associations and communities connected with the Puckapunyal Military Area, the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery and The Australian Army History Unit. Army will work with these groups to manage the impact of this decision although it is not clear what alternatives may be available. A sad blow that leaves two of the combat corps as the only ones without a modern repository for their heritage and very disappointing for the RAAHC since it mans that the artillery collection will remain in storage at Bandiana.


UBIQUE

Ian Ahearn
Chair RAAHC



Cutler Research Centre (CRC)




Volunteers
The current CRC volunteers number eight with two more possibilities.
As previously advised, the RAAHC would greatly benefit if we could attract some volunteers to the CRC with Gunner experience. Only a few hours awould be gratefully accepted and the work could be done at home.
If interested please contact MANAGER CRC

Content Management System (CMS)

CRC staff continue to update the CMS on the eHive account which is responding well. Close liaison is maintained with the National Library Australia (NLA) staff how the record is displayed on Trove. Members can view progress on the CMS by CLICKING HERE.

National Archives of Australia. (NAA)

A team from the NAA visited the CRC to provide advice on the preservation of the collection. Nick Floyd arranged this review through a contact at NAA in Canberra. The Report on the visit was received on 16th May and has been forwarded to the History Director. The Report notes that overall, the collection managed by the CRC is in a stable condition, is being stored appropriately and well catalogued. It provides several recommendations with respect to storage, environment control and at-risk photographic material that will be considered for action by the CRC.
The Future Ready Royal Australian Artillery - A Perspective.
Part 4| Artillery Air-Land Systems

This is part four which completes the series of articles exploring the future ready Royal Australian Artillery and how Australia's Gunners will maintain stride with peer fighting forces around the globe. This fourth part looks at the potential future of Australia’s artillery combat capability, focusing on Artillery Air/Land Systems.


The role of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery is to maximise the combat power of the Australian Defence Force through the provision of offensive support coordination and indirect firepower, surveillance and target acquisition and ground-based air defence.

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CLICK HERE to see the full Part 4 of the series.
Military History Research Group of the International University Foundation of Madrid.



The RAAHC has been contacted by Professor David de Caixal, Director of the Security and Defense Area of INISEG, and Director of the Military History Research Group of the International University Foundation of Madrid.

The Military History Research Group are preparing a research area and publications on the history of the Artillery in Australia, specifying its participation in World War I and II.
 
The objective of the Research Group is to promote and disseminate the history of the Artillery, and has sought a collaboration with the RAAHC to publicize the important work of the dedication and sacrifice of Australian gunners and their principles and values.

The teaching staff are civil and military historians from Spain and from NATO countries. Military institutions such as AUSA (United States Army Association); The Museum of the Great War of Meaux, in France; The Imperial War Museum in London; the Royal Military College of Canada; the Institute of Military History and Culture of the Army and the General Tactics Chair in Military History at the Ecole Militaire in Paris. The Australian War Memorial has also contributed. CLICK HERE to see an example of an online military seminar produved by the Group.

Nick Floyd has volunteered to liaise with the Group and John Cox, as History Director, will also be involved.

 
1st Regiment, Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery - It's not all whizbangs!

The 1st Regiment RAA has had a very busy May and early June conducting numerous training activities. This included:
  • Force concentrating and deploying on Rifle Company Butterworth to Malaysia for three months (‘A’ Battery complete, plus an attached Platoon from 6 RAR and 8/9 RAR)
  • Section Defence and High Explosive weapon training at Wide Bay training Area (104 Bty Gunline)
  • Support to Exercise Coastwatchers in the Solomon Islands (104 Bty JFT and 1 Regt Band members)
  • Support to Exercise Croix de sud in New Caledonia (105 Battery Joint Fire Team)
‘A' Battery training in the Malaysia jungle on Rifle Company Butterworth, Malaysia
'A' Battery members conducting infantry small team tactics training in Malaysia
105th Battery Joint Fire Team with French Army members in New Caledonia.
1st Regiment Band members supporting the Solomons Island Police Force Band on Ex Coastwatchers.
4th Regiment, Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
ANZAC DAY 2023
On ANZAC Day 2023, the 4th Regiment dawn service highlighted the importance of remembering and reflecting on the meaning behind such an occasion. This year marked the 108th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, which was the birth of the Anzac legend. On this day, we paid respects to the more than 103,000 men and women who gave their lives for the service of our country. We acknowledged the sacrifices made by past, present and future serving men and women. Equally, we emphasized the sacrifices made by families and friends who support them, as they also endure the costs related to service of our country.
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CARTOON CORNER-a laugh is as good as a holiday
50th Anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War

In 2023, the Australian Government will mark the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War with a national service at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra on 18 August 2023 from 10:00am.

To acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs will produce a Commemorative Medallion and Certificate of Commemoration.
The medallion and certificate will be made available to every living veteran, widows of veterans and other family members of veterans of the Vietnam War. Please note that only one medallion is available per Vietnam War veteran. While Australia can never repay the debt we owe to the 60,000 who served in Vietnam, this medallion and certificate are a small but meaningful way to honour their service and to recognise the sacrifice of those who never returned home.

Information on the national Service and the medallion and certificate can be found by CLICKING HERE



Did you Know?

The Number 106 Fuze

The number 106 fuze drew on French technology to provide a mechanism for reliably detonating a high-explosive shell instantaneously when the nose made physical contact with the slightest object like a strand of barbed wire or the ground surface. Hence it was a "direct action" rather than a "graze" fuze: simple deceleration or change of direction would not activate it, only direct physical contact between the hammer projecting from the nose and an external object. The basic mechanism was a steel hammer on the end of a spindle projecting forward from the nose of the fuze. The slightest movement inwards of this spindle caused the fuze to detonate and hence explode the shell before it penetrated the ground. The hammer had a softer aluminium cap which absorbed the force of a glancing blow and prevented the spindle from bending or breaking, reducing the risk of misfire.
 
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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