Royal Australian Artillery
Historical Company
ENewsletter Edition No 61 May 2022
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Dear Gunners (Readers) -
Welcome to Airburst No 61 May 2022
It's National Volunteer Week 16-22 May 2022. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the RAAHC volunteers from the Members of the Board to those involved in our many activities including the Cutler Research Centre, the Essential History Project, the 18 Pounder Project, Australia's Memorial Walk and our webmasters, past and present.
As a totally volunteer organisation we rely on you and hank you for all you have done.
Ron West , our Queensland Director has taken on the role of Director Volunteers. Our thanks to Ron and for anybody out there with an interest in artillery history please put your hand up. There is an appeal for volunteers later in this Airburst.
The Board met on 7 May and the meeting was attended by Head of the Australian Army History Mr Tim Gellel and Head of Regiment, Brigadier Damian Hill. A Fact Sheet No 5 has been released and extracts from it are shown in an article below. The title of the facility is Puckapunyal Combined Arms Heritage Learning Centre; it is hoped that this name will be changed as the facility plans develop.
RMC Gun Gates
The condition of the guns at the Royal Military College Gun Gates was discussed and the Head of Regiment has undertaken to bring the need for maintenance to the attention of the relevant Defence authorities. Photos of the guns are shown below.
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Hope you and yours are all staying away from the dreaded Covid .
Ubique
Ian Ahearn
Chair RAAHC
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Puckapunyal Combined Arms Heritage Learning Centre
The Federal Government’s decision to construct the Puckapunyal Combined Arms Heritage and Learning Centre (CAHLC) will provide a modern, purpose-built facility to house the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) and Royal Australian Artillery (RAA) heritage collections. When it opens in financial year 2024-2025, the CAHLC will place the RAAC heritage and technical collections under one roof for the first time. For the RAA, the CAHLC will provide the first permanent home for the heritage collection since the Artillery Museum’s closure at North Head, NSW in 2010. The proposed location is shown in the sketch above. It will be outside the secure base area and therefore more easily available to the public.
The sketches below show the artist's impression of the facility and one of the display areas.
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With over 5000m2 of exhibition space, the CAHLC will be the largest of Army’s sixteen museums. Exhibiting planning is at an advanced stage, in consultation with the RAAC Head of Corps and the RAA Head of Regiment. The exhibitions will provide an engaging and educative window into the history of the RAAC and RAA and reflect on the similarities between the corps’ historical roles and how they are conducted today.
In the large exhibition space, this will be achieved through the use of the combat functions for both RAA and RAAC as the primary themes. These systems are quickly recognisable to Corps members and, although many of the themes will have a contemporary name, the functions can be traced back to the very start of each Corps under a different tile. This will provide rapid comprehension for serving members but also be easily understood and educative for other visitor demographics. For example, large heritage equipment from different periods will be able to be displayed under one theme (offensive support, for example) which would otherwise be difficult to achieve. The smaller climate-controlled exhibition spaces will highlight the achievements, development and people of both the RAA and RAAC throughout their respective histories.
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WHERE WERE THESE GUNS DISCOVERED?
Can you help?
The 80 pounder gun in the photo was once displayed in the 1 Field Regiment Lines at Wacol and later at Enoggera. It is now displayed at Fort Lytton. We are trying to find where 1 Field Regiment found it. One source says they dug it up on the old range at Enoggera in the 1960s. The same source says two guns were buried there but another source says the second gun was buried at Townsville. The photo of the gun at Wacol in 1974 was taken by David Spethman and is copied from his book ‘The Garrison Guns of Australia 1788 -1962’.
Information is being sought on where the 6 inch 80 pounder gun was found before being displayed by 1 Field Regiment at Wacol. It is believed to have been recovered by 1 Field Regiment in the 1960s. Information is required to add to its history in the Artillery Register.
Two of these guns were obtained by Queensland about 1880 for use at Fort Lytton. They were rifled muzzle loaders but after only three years were sent back to England to be converted in to breech-loader and probably chase-hooped at the same time. Upon return they were positioned on Magazine Island, Townsville but were soon replaced. By 1901 one had been returned to Brisbane and set up in Victoria Barracks, the other remained in Townsville and was displayed in front of the Supreme Court there. Apart from finding written evidence of why the guns had such a short service and where the gun, now at Fort Lytton, was recovered from we think we have the story for the guns.
Do any of you Old and Bold gunners recall when and where the guns were recovered from?
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Volunteers needed !
If you are interested in history and its preservation do we have a, job for you!
We are looking for Gunners , or members of the public, in the Sydney area with an interest in Australian Artillery history to join our team at the RAAHC Cutler Research Centre at North Fort, above Manly, for a few hours each week between 9AM - 3PM on most Wednesdays.
There are jobs suitable for all who are interested. They involve:
· Maintenance of our collection of artillery related books, technical documents, files, maps and audio visual items,
· Cataloguing and digitising items of the collection onto our records
· Responding to requests for information. on Australian Artillery
Basic layperson IT skills (use of scanners, basic typing skills etc) are desirable but we can arrange training for all who are enthusiastic. We are pretty flexible about attendance and the normal needs of volunteers to meet other family type commitments and plans.
Free parking is available, and we are happy to arrange pickups from the Manly area for those using public transport.
If interested, please contact Tim Ford to discuss possibilities:
Mobile: 0408029295
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Battle of Coral Balmoral
Friday 13 May 2022 was the nd Field Batter earned the fifty fourth anniversary of the longest and largest battle by Australian Forces in Vietnam. The action was the first Australian brigade battle, involving All Arms, since World War 2. On the night of the 13 May 1968, the 12th Field Regiment HQ, 102nd Field Battery and the 1 RAR Mortar Line were attacked by a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regiment. Fierce fighting by approximately 100 Australians, supported by helicopter gunships and allied artillery fought off over 400 NVA.
102nd Field Batter earned the Honour Title 'CORAL' for its actions that night. Davd Horner has stated:
'The attack on Coral had been the most sustained ground attack on an Australian field gun position since the Pacific war. Yet the gunners recovered their guns and were in action, supporting the infantry, that following morning.'
The gunners of 12th Field Regiment were kept busy over the next three weeks providing support to 1 RAR and 3 RAR as they engaged the enemy. The operation concluded on 6 June 1968. The men of the 1st Australian Task Force (-) , including the gunners from 161 Battery RNZA and the Americans from 'A' Battery 2/35th US Artillery, were awarded the Unit Citation for Gallantry.
Total Australian casualties were 26 killed in action and 109 wounded. The NVA suffered 276 killed in action, seven wounded, eleven captured and two surrendered.
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Above. Foxtrot gun the early morning after the attack |
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SGT 'Skeeter' Humphrey points to where an RPG hit Bravo gun |
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Gunner Good investigates the mortar hit on 102 Battery CP during the second attack on Coral |
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Some of the fifty two NVA dead that were picked up from around the guns and mortars |
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Delta Gun Sergeant John Stephens awarded a MM for engaging the enemy over open sights. |
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Are you a member of the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company? If not then visit our website, view membership details and benefits and join us today! |
Become a part of history by purchasing your Australia's Memorial Walk paver today. For more information view website. |
Publicise Your Upcoming Event |
Are you a member of an Artillery association? Does your association have an upcoming event? Want to publicise it to a wider audience for free? Contact the Editor for further details.
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Did You Know?
The size of the Australian artillery in World War 2
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David Horner, in his excellent book, ‘The Gunners. A history of Australian Artillery’, has provided a reasoned and balanced estimate of the total units and personnel that made up the Australian artillery in World War 2. The information below has been taken from his work.
Left: LAD check out a 75mm Mountain gun in Wewak, 1945
By mid-1942 the artillery had raised 34 field regiments, 15 anti-tank regiments, three independent anti-tank batteries, three medium regiments and three survey regiments.
By late 1942 there were also two Heavy Anti Aircraft (HAA) regiments, eleven Light Anti Aircraft (LAA) regiments, sixteen independent LAA batteries and 33 static HAA batteries
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Coast artillery by mid-1942 there were 37 coast batteries and in the latter half of 1942 nineteen “Letter” batteries were formed equipped with US 155mm guns.
In addition there were scores of command and control HQ and a training base containing f However field and anti-aircraft training regiments and the Land HQ School of Artillery
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Above: 25 Pounder in Malaya 1942
Below:'Letter ' Battery 155mm at Garden Island, Perth
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Above: 9.2 inch gun at North Head, Sydney
Below: Volunteer Defence Corps 51 Battalion 6 inch Phillips Head, VIC 1944.
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Above: Members of the Australian Womens Army ServiceS parade with their searchlight in Perth. 1943.
Below: 3.7 inch anti aircraft gun at Tobruk
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COMMEMORATING 150 YEARS
1871 - 2021
The RAAHC and the Australian Artillery Association continue to support the initiative by publishing history items on Facebook and the web site. Click on the yellow text to access updated information
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Gunner Perspectives – candid interviews of everyday Gunners from all corners of today’s Gunner community.
This initiative was created by the Regiment with a team lead by Lieutenant Colonel Nick Floyd. The RAAHC & AAA produced the video series and are is proud to participate in the rest of the initiative.
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Gunners Around the Nation & The World |
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View the latest Newsletters from various Artillery associations around the nation:
RAA Association Victoria Newsletter - Cascabel
Locating Surveillance and Target Acquisition Association - Newsletter
Royal Australian Artillery Association (NSW) -Website
Australian Artillery Association - Website
‘A’ Field Battery Association Incorporated-Newsletter
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PO Box 171
Cremorne Junction
NSW 2090 Australia
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