ADGie News 2008 ..............................

PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR 2AFDS 26th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

1.2AFDS is celebrating its 26th Birthday on 09 April 2009, from 0900 to 1100 hours at 2AFDS.
The event will include the Official Opening of the 2AFDS ADG Historical Collection Display by CDR CSG, an address by AMSHL S.D. Evans AC, DFC, AFC RAAF, (Rtd) and a presentation to 2AFDS personnel from the Hannah Foundation. The event will conclude with the cutting of the birthday cake, morning tea and an opportunity to tour the Unit and view the Historical Collection Display.

2.The speeches and presentations will be conducted under the 2AFDS Breakout Area and a public address system and suitable information technology will be available for speeches and presentations as required. The proposed schedule for the Birthday Celebrations is included below.

Serial Time, Activity, Location and Remarks

1.0730-0840Set up for unit birthdayBreak out areaMorning tea stored in fridges and placed out 1025

2.0840-0900VIP arrive2AFDS HQWelcome and sign visitors book

3.0900-0910CO 2AFDS Welcome AddressBreak out areaAll unit pers seated NLT 0855

4.0910-0940History brief (incl SQN Standard, ADG WWII and Historical Collection) - FSGT LyonsBreak out areaPower point presentation/ PA/ lectern

5.0940-0955AMSHL Evans - SpeechBreak out areaPA system and lectern

6.0955-1015CDR CSG Address and Official OpeningBreak out areaPA system and lectern

7.1015-1025Hannah Foundation presentationBreak out areaPA system and lectern

8.1025-1100Cake cutting ceremony, morning tea, tour, view display2AFDS areaCDR CSG and youngest unit member

9.1100-1110CO 2AFDS Farewell VIP2AFDS HQ

10.1110-1130Historical Collection open for other visitors2AFDS area

11.1130-1230Refurbish unit 2AFDS area

3.Thomas Irvine Club in conjunction with OPS FSGT and the LOGO are responsible for ensuring the break out area is set up for the Birthday Celebrations.

4.Schedule may change due to reply confirmation from AMSHL Evans and reply confirmation from Hannah Foundation.

ANZAC Day

Accommodation Deals

at Metro Hotels

ANZAC DAY is one of the busiest times of the year and Metro Hotels are most active during this period with many guests coming from throughout Australia, New Zealand, Britain as part of large groups as well as individual travellers.

So if you are going to be one of the tens of thousands attending or participating in the many activities this Anzac Day then make sure you book your accommodation early.

Check out our properties in....

SYDNEY

BRISBANE

IPSWICH

MELBOURNE

PERTH

Metro Hotel on Pitt

$119.00 Standard Room (Room only Rate)
- Located on the parade route & 10 minute walk to Martin Place for the Dawn Service

300 Pitt Street, Sydney
NSW 2000
T . +61 2 9283 8088
F . +61 2 9283 2825
Reservations: 1800 333 800
Email Reservations

Metro Hotel Sydney Central

$99.00 Standard Room (Room only rate)
- Located only 5 minutes from Hyde Park & 20 minute walk to Martin Place for the Dawn Service

431 - 439 Pitt Street, Sydney
NSW 2000
T . +61 2 9281 6999
F . +61 2 9281 6988
Reservations: 1800 333 800
Email Reservations

Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour
Metro Apartments on Sussex Street

$199.00 per night for 2 people (minimum 2 night stay)

- $40.00 per night for 3rd or 4th person

- Guaranteed view of Darling Harbour
- Late check out of 11 AM

- 5 minute walk to Martin Place for the Dawn Service

Metro Apartments on King Street

$179.00 per night for 2 people (minimum 2 night stay)

- $40.00 per night for 3rd or 4th person
- Late check out of 11.00am
- 5 minute walk to Martin Place for the Dawn Service

132-136 Sussex St, Sydney
NSW 2000
Ph . +61 2 9290 9200
Fax . +61 2 9262 3032
Reservations: 1800 00 4321
Email Reservations

Aspire Hotel Ultimo, Sydney

$89.00 Standard Room (Room only rate)

383-389 Bulwara Road Ultimo

Sydney NSW 2007

Ph. +61 2 9211 1499

Email Reservations

Metro Inn Edgecliff

$105.00 Queen or Twin Room road side room

- 2 continental Breakfasts early Morning Breakfast 6 am
- If you want it earlier we can do a breakfast tray to your room the prior night.
- Minimum 2 night stay
- Late checkout 12.00 Noon.
- Upgrade to a Harbour Side Room with great harbour views for Only $30.
- Only two train stops to Martin Place for the Dawn Service

230 New South Head Rd,
Edgecliff NSW 2027
Ph: +61 2 9328 7977
Fax: +61 2 9360 1216
Reservations: 1800 00 4321
Email Reservations

Metro Inn Miranda

$145.00 per room, per night.

Cnr Kingsway & Jackson Ave,
Miranda NSW 2228
Ph:. +61 2 9525 7577
Fax: +61 2 9540 1593
Reservations: 1800 00 4321
Email Reservations

Metro Inn Ryde

$115.00 Queen or Twin Room
- 2 FULL HOT Breakfasts deliverd to your room from 6.00am
- If you want it earlier we can do a breakfast tray to your room the previous night
- Minimum 2 night stay required
- Late checkout 12.00 noon

Cnr Victoria Rd & Bowden St,
Ryde - Sydney, NSW 2112
Ph . +61 2 9807 4022
Fax . +61 2 9807 4020
Reservations: 1800 00 4321
Email Reservations

Metro Hotel Ipswich International

$140.00 Superior Room (One night - room only)
$230.00 Superior Room (Two nights - room only)

43 South Street (Cnr Foote Lane),

Ipswich Qld 4305

Ph. +61 7 38128077

Fax. +61 7 38128277

Email Reservations

Metro Hotel Tower Mill, Brisbane

$129.00 for Twin or Double
$159.00 Family Room (Up to 4 People)

- Only 500 metres from Anzac Square, the site of the Dawn Service

239 Wickham Tce,
Brisbane QLD 4000
Ph: +61 7 3832 1421
Fax: +61 7 3835 1013
Reservations: 1800 806 553
Email Reservations

Metro Hotel & Apartments Gladstone

$125.00 (maximum two people)
Stay 3 consecutive nights & pay $315.00
Stay 2 consecutive nights & pay $230.00

22-24 Roseberry St,
Gladstone Qld 4680
Ph: +61 7 4972 4711
Fax: +61 7 4972 4940
Reservations: 1800 00 4321
Email Reservations

Metro Apartments on Bank Place, Melbourne

One Bedroom $180.00 per night
Studio $165.00 per night

18 Bank Place,
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: +61 3 9604 4321
Fax:. +61 3 9604 4300
Reservations: 1800 005 433
Email Reservations

Metro Hotel on Canning - South Perth

Standard room $345.00 for the 3 nights - upgrade to Superior River View Room for $45 for the 3 nights.

- 10 minute drive to King's Park, the site of the Dawn Service

61 Canning Hwy,
South Perth WA 6151
Ph: +61 8 9367 6122
Fax: +61 8 9367 3411
Reservations: 1800 00 4321
Email Reservations

Metro Inn Albany

From $85.00 per night - Standard room (Single or Twinshare)

- 10min drive from Mt Clarence (Anzac Memorial)

270 Albany Highway, Albany
WA 6330
Ph: +61 8 9841 7399
Fax: +61 8 9841 7579
Reservations: 1800 00 4321
Email Reservations

Terms & Conditions:

- Offer only valid over ANZAC Day weekend from Saturday 25th-Tuesday 28th April 2009
- Subject to Availability

==========================================================================

Mark Dodd | April 21, 2009
Article from: The Australian
THE remains of an RAAF Canberra bomber flown by Australia's last two MIAs have been found in Vietnam.

Flying Officer Michael Herbert (left) and Pilot Officer Robert Carver went missing in November, 1970. Bomber of last MIAs found
The wreckage was found in a remote mountainous region near the Viet-Lao border but no human remains have been located so far, Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon said in a statement.

Flying Officer Michael Herbert and Pilot Officer Robert Carver went missing on November 3, 1970 after their 2 Sqn Canberra bomber failed to return from a mission.

�The Australian Defence Investigation Team are confident they have located the Royal Australian Air Force Canberra bomber wreckage in thick jungle in an extremely rugged remote and sparsely populated area of Quang Nam province near the Laotian border,� Mr Snowdon said.

Relatives of the two crewmen have been advised of the discovery, he said.

Pommy

I know it has only been a short time since dad passed on to a place without nightmares and torment. His pain is finally gone.

On this, the eve of the first ANZAC Day I can remember he hasn�t been there marching proud, I will be doing it for him along with Alan and Raymond.

Dad (A.T.F) taught us well and in his memory we have the respect and pride to do him and all who proceed us proud.

I tried to be in QLD for tomorrow, to march with his mates, but the children have been sick and I won�t be able to be there, I hope to rectify this one day very soon.

Please pass on to all the Ex and current serving ADG�s, Thank You for all you have endured to allow us to be where we are today.

I am still working on the DVD from dads service, but with courses and the pain at the loss of dad, this will be coming soon.

I would personally like to thank each and every member of the association who was able to attend dads service, and to those who couldn�t I realize the pain this ongoing commitment must be, I do thank you all from the bottom of my heart. A special thank you to Spike Dainer (hope spelling is right) for the thoughtful and kind words at dads service. A special thanks to all those at dads service that helped, knowing help is only a call away.

The AIRFIELD DEFENCE GUARDS was dad and through dad a living part of me.

Another day comes and with it the rememberance of those past. LEST WE FORGET

ATF Junior

Chris Randall

POATV

Christopher.randall@defence.gov.au

Hi to everyone,

Having just stumbled onto the 'Blue Beret' website, I am a little disappointed that so many of the older 'foundation members' don't get a mention, including myself, surely someone must remember me! I don't even rate a mention on your Ubon, Vung Tau , [Base Support] or Phan Rang [2 Sqn] rolls or even at the DVA site linked to yours [ I do get listed on other DVA lists and cop a mention in one or two volumes on the activities in Viet Nam.I served tours at all of them.

However, I must confess to being a little pleased to find all is not lost, as I found an extremely flattering snapshot of 'yours truly' on page four of Simmo's photos. I am pleased to find he is still playing his guitar. He did a good job whilst flying into Vungers in our initial turbulent and blind approach

.I served in Defense duties from about 1956 on and was a DI until 1959 when I trained and remustered as ADI. Some years later I found that I had been remustered as ADG some six months prior, just no body had bothered to tell me [and I was not alone]. Reluctantly I had to remuster to WOD due injury.When I started as a very junior DI Corporal, most of the more experienced NCOs, including Corporals, were ex W11 and/or Korean Vets. Some were extremely hard men and they were the foundation on which the mustering of ADG is built. They [we] were considered lesser beings to be shunned by the majority of RAAF personnel [techos and shellbacks]. We were not considered to be socially acceptable or true members of the Service. However, as the DI and ADI ranks endorsed the views espoused by Winston Churchill," that every airfield must be a fortress of armed fighting men and not a haven for civilians in uniform", we all battled on with "continuation weapon training etc" regardless of the opposition from almost all levels. Commanding Officers considered that weapon training was at the bottom of the priority list and were very reluctant to release men for this requirement.

It seemed that every thing we did was resented; the outcome was that we were a very close nit bunch of Comrades.The CO of RTU was Sqn Ldr Tom Janes, He had been the adjutant at Milne Bay and knew a number of the NCOs from that time. Jack [Klondike] Sibthorpe, the hardest and toughest man I have ever met. He had been WOD at Milne Bay but was demoted for having chased an American irritant with a Thompson Sub Machine Gun and made him 'dance'. Klondike could out march, out drink, out fight and out any other manly activity you might care to mention [I'll leave that to your imagination] any man I've ever met. Eddy Paxton, also at Milne Bay and he was a very good friend of Cliff Evans. In fact Cliff and I were pretty good mates also.Leo Callaghan, ex British Army [The Green Howards] captured in Norway fiasco in the very early days of W11 and spent the rest of the war behind wire. He could tell the most incredible stories about his incarceration.Jock Hardy EX Army , Captured during the retreat from Greece and Crete, spent the rest of the war imprisoned in Germany. He would assume the identity of escaped Aircrew so the Germans would be looking for the wrong fellow. He did this on some half dozen occasions and has the scars as evidence of the resulting beatings he suffered.Keith Thomas, ex Army, two tours of Korea.Laurie Patch , Jock Gregor, Blue Garland, Dizzy Dean, Sammy Sampson, etc were all Corporals at this time, fifties and early sixties.
Most of these fellows were sourced from other musterings to meet the needs of the introduction of National Service Training in 1950 or there about

.I can add and correct some of the names attached to the early course photos;No 13 ADI Course.Back Row.L-R.. John Quincy. Brian [ Squizzy] Taylor, 'Tex GarnessMiddle Row L-R.Don Cooper,John Costello,Ken Williams, ------? Paul,Bob Priestly, Ken Hodges, Bob Ashton.Front Row.. Instructors known to all, although the Chief Instructor Ian Brough is absent[ pronounced BRUFF]No 1 Snr ADI Active Defense CourseBack Row-L-R�Jim Allen, Lance Abbot, Ken "Granny" Aitken, Bernie Fletcher, Jim Nichol, "Blue" Garland

And you all should Know the front row.If anyone wants to find out what I've been doing with myself in recent years, they might Google "Brian Richard Taylor" or "Gomboc Gallery" and find me among the artists therein.

Trusting this folio of drivel is comprehensible to the multitude and that some may remember me with just a little affection because I can remember having some outrageous fun on the odd occasion.Brian [Sqizzy] Taylor�.A53316 [ I was the first Squizzy in the mustering and any stories you hear about me are obviously confusing me with the later members of similar title.

Sqizzy
============================================================================

Pom attached is a report for you from when I was in Townsville for Anzac day
if you want the photos on their own let me know mate in case the ones
attached are no good then I hope you know one of the boys up there that read
the site as Bob needs to be told its there so his wife can let him have a
look Why NO COMMPUTOR SKILLS

Regards
Warren

Pom;
Following on from my question posted in March, I traveled to Townsville Northern Qld on the 6th April not knowing if any Addgies lived there as I had traveled up there to spend Anzac day with my Army Son. Well I have now returned to the Vic/N.S.W border (Wodonga) after attending a very full on Anzac day in Northern Qld knowing that a number of Addgies do live there, sure glad I didn't fly home till the Monday (would not have made the flight)Firstly I ran into Bob Kinanne selling Anzac Badges outside Woolworths super market in Kirwan,was good to have a chat after all this time with him (sorry no Pic).Then came Anzac Day and Molley Malone's Hotel (after the March off course)where I ran into the Northern Qld T.P.I Secretary and over a number of Bundy's explained to me about the number of Addgies living there but most had gone to Brisbane on the train and would not be home till at Least Wednesday so I missed them.
Whilst standing there Talking to him I was told to turn around and the body of Bob Loftus was filling the door way,WELL!that was the start of a good day as I have not seen him for decades, we all left there then moved to the Commonwealth Hotel (where the Publican shouted a round of drinks)Then onto the R.S.L which was like walking into an oven set on 240 degrees 2 drinks later everyone left the rather overcrowded and stifling heat of the R.S.L and went to the Kirwan Tavern which was nice and cool and settled into having the odd one or two ales together.
Here I was handed a mobile phone to talk to someone and another shock it was Alan Dare who was one of the ones that traveled to Brisbane for the March and I would say a vast amount of Brown ambers with other fellow Addgies,(hope you enjoyed yourself Alan good to talk to you).It was later that evening that Bob's wife decided that we had drank enough and dropped me off at my sons place on their way home (don't ask me at what late hr but it was very dark).
I then wondered what had happened as I did not feel drunk but I knew that I would never had passed the Booze bus test as I had been drinking Bundy Rum since 6.30am.So much for Bundy.
Sunday I checked out the T.P.I flea run market and of course the wonderful bar that they operate, great set up I can recommend it to all visiting members.15.00hrs saw me back at the Kirwan Tavern to have a few brown ales with Bob Loftus again (at his instruction) I left the Tavern in Bob's capable hands at 18.40hrs as I had to be at the Airport for the long Haul home at 06.00hrs.
Meeting up with Bob and the rest capped off what was a wonderful 3 weeks in Northern Qld won't wait so long next time to visit this great part of Australia. Thanks to all the Veterans that I meet

Warren Barclay

1st photo is of Bob Loftus walking into the pub looking for a cool Ale.
2nd photo was taken at the Kirwan Tavern of Bob and My self.