An email from Peter Martyn is subtended. It is probably mostly directed at Sydney classmates but I’m sure attendees from other areas would be equally welcome!

Hello Classmates,

As you are no doubt aware we have so far this year missed two of our quarterly get togethers. Our third gathering is rapidly approaching with no relief in sight from the COVID restrictions on numbers able to gather.My short msg about a virtual gathering received a resounding positive response.So it will be a virtual gathering next Thursday, 20 August starting at 1630. Take the time now to select your favourite drop and have on hand when we gather.This account on ZOOM is purely social which means that a session times out at 40 mins. Tho overcome that restriction I have set up two 40 min sessions one commencing at 1630 and the the second at 1730. That means you get a 20 minute comfort stop in the middle to empty one container and refresh the other.ZOOM recently made some security changes, which on some occasions you may require the password to enter the session, so before you commence logging in write both session passwords on a scrap of paper.You will be able to log on before the start time, however all will first enter a waiting room where I can admit you to the session. I think this removes the need for the password.Everyone will be on mute so that background ie, wife, partner or mistress as well as extraneous bodily and animal noises, are suppressed. When you wish to speak just press the SPACE bar on your keyboard to speak.Something like the pressel switch on a 25 set. Remember the chook SME, WO2 Anderson’s?, gee wasn’t he an old guy, ratel lessons down in the sig wing.

Press the Pressel / SPACE bar to speak.

Peter Martyn is inviting you to two scheduled Zoom sessions.

Topic: Session 1 – Klink 68-72Time: Aug 20, 2020 16:30 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us04web.zoom.us/j/74433164360?pwd=cFYwSUQ3RXhETC9YZ1NiTnhwT2dYdz09

Meeting ID: 744 3316 4360 Passcode: 6DiUzZ

Topic: Session 2 Klink 68-72Time: Aug 20, 2020 17:30 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us04web.zoom.us/j/74745745229?pwd=UEM0K0Z1elZaVHRjK1NKa29GdXVidz09

Meeting ID: 747 4574 5229

Passcode: ev6ydq

Looking forward to a chat over a glass or two of red,

Peter

This website is completely apolitical and non-political, so this post is simply to share information, not to make a political point.

The photograph below is from a letter box flyer. The local member on the left is Jeremy Hanson, who was the leader of the Liberals in the ACT Legislative Assembly before the last election. Why I ask is it my fault is that he was my Adjutant (briefly) in 1988, when he was a newly-graduated Lieutenant. He wasn’t with me long before moving on to Regimental duty in a squadron, but I think the experience was enough for him to transfer to RAInf, where he had a very good career.

Interestingly, Guilia’s husband was also an Army officer, an Engineer I think.

Nothing else to say, is there?

Chris Jones has sent through some photos in a Word document which I have quickly extracted without any attempt at improvement (and by that I mean the photography, not the content!). I’ll get to that shortly, but here’s a preview, with captions (edited) from Jabber.

Aged 17, pretending to be happy as a 4^th Class Cadet at the RMC Duntroon. 1969.

With Blackie just before a foggy Queen’s Birthday Parade in 1969.

With Roger Simmons (NZ) prior to ‘Camp Training’ 1970.

1st X1 soccer team 1970 prior to Jabber being banned for life for breaking the jaw of an opposing team player in the local competition.  (He is in middle row, second from left, between ‘Blue Boy’ and ‘Gibbo’.  ‘Chi the Thai’ is bottom row, third from the left.  Nik is second from the left.  Dave Leyshon is middle back row.))

The ‘Big Day’, Graduation December 1972, receiving the B.A.(mil) degree from the Dean.

Thanks to Peter McCann for this photo, which has been lifted from our FB page. I can identify, left to right, John Barwick, Ian Cleaver, Pat Donovan, Peter McCann, Daryl Poole, mystery man, and Bob Shaw.  But who is that relaxed gentleman with smoke in one hand and beer in the other? Don?

I assume, given the presence of John Barwick, that this was in 1969.

And wearing ties at the Kingo????

Sad news just in from Bill Houston, via Garry Downs, of the death of Daryl Patch from the class of 1969. His wife Maureen was an Army Nurse, who died in 2018.  From that Class, he follows, in order:

• John Wheeler (SVN)
• Noel Trevor
• John Marane

(I’m adding a little personal note here, as I was looked after by Maureen at RMC Medical Centre during my ARes service. She was delightful – and forthright – and we talked of Daryl – another of the Class of 1969 who was, to me, a good guy. For a little more on Maureen, see https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/S01629/)

Our thoughts and prayers are with Paddy Ryan and all of his family at this sad time.

Peter Jenke has advised that the memorial service, which he observed via zoom, was warming and heartfelt as the family acknowledged her contribution to their lives.

Doing a spring clean of my mailbox, I came across a couple of photos that John Black had sent me a few weeks ago that I’d missed. Ah, those were the days!

Thanks to Rick Davies for passing on this wry observation:

Colin Green (Class of 1974) told me today – words to the effect:

‘I managed to avoid 21 / 84 when I was at Clink and here we are now all doing one.

Not too bad though he told me – no Check Parades this time around.’