Petone Navals

Can you help with this enquiry?

Did these navals have a uniform? I have a photo from my gt gt grandparents (from Wellington) photo album of someone with what I assume is an early naval uniform, with the straw hat. I am looking through the Papers Past articles on the Petone Navals now to see if I can find a family name.

Regards
Cheryl Berquist 

Intermittent transmissions

Back on line again, after ten days break while my son moved house from Hever to Edenbridge in Kent. Brilliant weather, mid-20s, and much to see locally - Hever Castle (Anne Boleyn, the Astors, jousting, unique water maze, beautiful grounds) - Hampton Court Garden Show (fascinated by a Porsche in a carport, that rose from its bunker and sank down to hide again) - Penshurst Place (a palace that's evolved from the 14th century, lovely gardens) - Chartwell (Winston Churchill's home, full of 'his story') - and Bodiam Castle (a well-kept ruin that reminded me of the usefulness of the Maginot Line).
-----Now I'm off to Bexhill-on-Sea, then on to Portsmouth and the Victory.
Then I'm looking forward to being back in Auckland's sunny clime. Yeah, right.

Cheers, Mike

Pat McInerney checks in

I would like to take this opportunity to put in my apologies for the AGM and the reunion in Taupo in November: and to thank you and all the team for your excellent work on the journal.
-----I recently passed the 30th anniversary of when I first enlisted in the TF as an 18 yr old in Invercargill in May 1978. I had gone along with every intention of joining A Coy, 4 O South, but got intercepted along the way by Jim Fitzgerald, who introduced me to Lox Kellas and the rest of Left Section 31 B Battery - Skin Frances, Ray Graham, Paul O'Connor, Graham Cattermole, Mingo Menzies, Jeff Stewart, Richard Neiderer, Mike Burke, Gary Holmes and many others.
-----I have to say that if someone had told me then that one day 28 years later I would be watching a rugby match being played in Invercargill between a South African team and an NZ side, on satellite TV in the dining hall of a NZ Army base in Afghanistan I would have looked at them as though they had come from outer space!
-----I will be moving into a new place, in Springfield in about 2 months or so and once I am settled I will start scanning and emailing some of the gunner photos in my albums from my time with 161 Bty and 31 Bty.

Regards,
Pat

0416672189


Check out my website at:
www.myspace.com/patmcinerney

The Royal School of Artillery is . . . where?

Frank Hopkinson sent in this snippet:'A titbit for Trivial Pursuits - there's a Royal School of Artillery in Segovia, Spain, as well as at Larkhill in the UK.'Which prompted me to search. I found one each in Denmark and the Netherlands, then this curiosity:The Royal School of Artillery of the Royal Hutt Army

Last Post: John Basham's funeral

From Marie Roberts

I can confirm that the funeral for John Basham is

Tuesday 15 July at 12.30pm
Henderson Chapel of the Morrison Funeral Home
239 Lincoln Rd
Henderson

Members of our Association are asked to attend, to pay our respects.

Can you help?

Both the RNZA Association and the RNZA Band Association require honorary auditors. The sister associations are quite separate and based in Auckland.----Do you know of anyone who could help either or both associations? If you do, please contact Mike Dakin at RNZA.Association@gmail.com; or Bob Davis at radavis@clear.net.nz.

In Western Australia, next January . . .

Harvey Dickson’s Blackwood River County Music Association Inc
Boyup Brook, W.A. Phone/Fax 97651125
Email:-harveydickson@westnet.com.au
Website: http://www.harveydickson.com.au/

Special Vietnam Veterans' Concert and Workshop

Description of the project
A special Vietnam Veterans Concert and Workshop is to be held on Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th January 2009.
-----The Vietnam Veterans Very Special Concert and Workshop of a lifetime goes to air at 7:30 pm on Friday 9th Saturday 10th January in the Bunyip Shed with its sensational warm, cool, & cozy ambience.
The show will feature John Schumann along with other guest artists yet to be announced.
-----It is a chance for veterans to mix with old mates and new mates along with the artists appearing on the bill. Camping is available at one of Harvey Dickson’s 3-bush camping sites full information on our web site. Further information about this event will listed on our web site in November 2008.

Objectives
To give Veterans and for that matter non-Veterans the opportunity to get together in a safe clean environment to enjoy Bush Camping, a very Special Concert and to attend Workshops.
-----Dr Oleh Kay MBBS. FRANZCP has confirmed his attendance. The Mivac Trust has also confirmed their attendance. The Hollywood Clinic has expressed interest and Doug Brewer and Dr Winston Chiu from the Hollywood Clinic have stated their desire to take part in the workshop. The Perth RSL. will be assisting Harvey Dickson’s to have a DVA stall at the event.

Why This Event Is Happening
The Music Director of Harvey Dickson’s, Richard Barron, is a Vietnam Veteran (5715207) and 4 years ago had to give up most of his duties due to ill health. He has been diagisnosed with PTSD and now is too ill to undertake all of his duties as a music director. He has attended Hollywood Clinic for the Pathway course and the PTSD Programme Number 47. He has requested that we, Rose Dickson and Megan Barras, combine to make this event a huge success.
-----Richard had very little contact with Vietnam Veterans until he attended the Battle of Coral/Balmoral 40th Anniversary Commemorative on the 12th and 13th of May 2008. On his return to Western Australia, he felt a need to do something for the Veterans. He also knows other Vietnam Veterans refuse to ask for help either through denial, shame or guilt. That is another reason why he feels he has to conduct this special concert and workshops.
-----Harvey Dickson’s audience covers the complete demographic of the well-off to low income groups, the young to the old. Our audience also comes from all over the state from rural, remote communities and cities. We do have a section of our audience with low health status, some who are disadvantaged and confined to wheelchairs. Harvey Dickson’s is set up to accommodate easy access for all.

More details to follow at a latter date.

Rose Dickson

What happened to the ME-109 and the B-17?

Go to docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfcqmts6_55db6cr9g2 to read about the honorable warrior.

Thanks to Gary Gardenhire

Timing of the Annual Reunion & AGM

Unfortunately as much as my wife and I wanted to attend this year's reunion, it will now not be possible due to work commitments.
-----I mention, as I have in the past, that I believe we are holding our reunions far too early in the year and would be better aiming for around St Barbara's Day (the weekend 5-7 December this year for example).
-----For some reason people always seem to think there is "too much on once we hit the silly season", but surely going to an Annual Gunner reunion is one of the things that would be at the more important end of the scale?

I would appreciate my apology being given for the AGM please.

Regards, Shay Bassett

Another venue for AGMs, reunions?

I accept that it would be more expensive for the North Island Gunners and, as they are in the majority, a North Island Venue for the AGM makes good sense.
-----But if a Queenstown option for a venue could be discussed at the AGM this may attract interest from the North Island Gunners and would certainly multiply the South Island Members.
-----What is the chance of putting this forward at the AGM?

Regards, Lyall McGregor, Qtown RSA

Look for the new 'Links' feature

Find your way to the Q Store, photo gallery, NZ Gunners' perpetual calendar or our sponsored website by looking in the column to the right - scroll down a little way, click on the link.

Clayton John lands in Perth, WA

Just a quick note to say that I have made the move from Port Hedland back to Perth after 5 years and have new email addresses.
-----All is good at this end. Have a new job (1 week today). Busy with new job and looking at houses to buy. But must say it is bloody freezing after 5 yrs in the tropics. If it's not 25 C when I wake up at 05:00 hrs then its cold. We had a minimum of 2 C the other day - there should be bloody icebergs in Fremantle harbour!!!!!
-----The best email address to get me on is work - clayton.john@jhg.com.au

RNZA Band in Brisbane - some photos

Brian Jerry Meyer has sent four photos from the Band's recent very successful tour in Brisbane/Ipswich: picasaweb.google.com/RNZA.Association/RNZABandBrisbaneJunJul08

A stirring tale of true grit and courage!

Piggyback Hero
A true story from WW2
-
"The big bomber shuddered, felt suddenly very heavy and began losing altitude. Rojohn grasped almost immediately that he had collided with another plane.
-----A B-17 below him, piloted by Lt William G McNab, had slammed the top of its fuselage into the bottom of Rojohn's.
-----The top turret gun of McNab's plane was now locked in the belly of Rojohn's plane and the ball turret in the belly of Rojohn's had smashed through the top of McNab's.
-----The two bombers were almost perfectly aligned – the tail of the lower plane was slightly to the left of Rojohn's tailpiece. They were stuck together, as a crewman later recalled, 'like mating dragon flies'."
-
Read the full account at docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfcqmts6_57d65jh8c3

A cautionary tale from the NZ Police

She had her handbag stolen. Her handbag contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet (etc - don't ask!).
-----Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby from a pay phone, and telling him what had happened, hubby says, 'I received your text asking about our PIN and I replied a little while ago'.
-----When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the PIN. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the story:

• Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list.
• Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mum, etc.
• And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked for through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.
• Also, when you're being “texted” by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and friends' who text you.

Last Post: Alastair McKenzie, Rodney Rameka, Jay Howard

74972 McKENZIE Alastair S, Reverend (pictured, 1966); New Zealand Chaplains' Dept. At Christchurch on 1 July 2008

44602 RAMEKA Rodney J; 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery. On 5 July 2008 at Hamilton, NZ

39472 HOWARD R J (Jay) RNZEME attached 161 Battery RNZA. On 1 July 2008

From the Bandstand

Our RNZ Artillery Band is home from what proved to be an extremely successful 11-day tour of duty to Brisbane and Ipswich, to represent New Zealand at the various events to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Formation of the Australian Reserve Forces.
-----The Band was kept very busy, playing for a Tri-Service Dinner/Ball, two Recognition (wreath-laying) Ceremonies, two Civic Receptions, leading the impressive street parade of Reserve Forces through Brisbane with the salute taken by the Governor of Queensland; a three-hour charity concert in Ipswich with the RAAF Amberley Brass Band; a joint open-air concert also with the RAAF Amberley Band at the large local Riverlink shopping mall, a 'thank you' parade for RAAF Base Amberley where the band was accommodated, and two one-hour concerts for local retirement villages - all interspersed with several rehearsals and drill practices. Busy indeed!
-----Everywhere they performed the Band was greeted with great warmth and enthusiasm in the very best Anzac spirit. Along the route of the main parade one could hear the crowd calling out "Good on you, Kiwis".
-----Several Aussie-based gunners had picked up news of the Band's visit off the Blog and came along to various of the events. After almost a year in the planning, it was definitely a case of 'mission accomplished'.

The GG and Hugh Vercoe

Hugh Vercoe writes:

I recently hosted the Governor General for a day in Matamata Piako District. We discussed many things including his earlier work assist- ing Viet Nam vets and his formal part in the-- (Click to enlarge photo) dedication of the 5.5 gun in Hamilton 18 months ago.

-----As a memento of his visit I presented him a copy of the history of the Artillery as per attached photo. He also received some local produce etc but was really impressed with The Gunners.

Cheers

Hugh Vercoe

Mayor

Matamata-Piako District Council

More on Doggo Downes

Hi - that telephone number for Doggo was an Australian number, and I had difficulty getting him . . . his email address is easier p.downes@bigpond.net.au. I have made contact and he wants to 'talk'.
Cheers.....................Don
Donald M. Potter
(09) 298 2950
colpot@ihug.co.nz