Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Retired as a Major 

I am the third of four boys.  My dad enlisted in early November 1939 on the outbreak of WW2 and was allocated to Australian Corps of  Signals and to the 7th Division.  He was severely wounded in Syria when strafed by Vichy French ground attack aircraft and on recovery deployed to  New Guinea before discharge at the end of the war as a Warrant Officer Class One.  My next elder brother enlisted as an Army Apprentice in January 1963 as a Radio Mechanic.  I followed suit in January  1964 but found that I was colour blind and unsuited for the trade.  I decided to enter the Australian Regular Army as an Apprentice Clerk instead.    I have no regrets as that trade led me to a fulfilling and varied career of 39 years in Army as a soldier and officer leading to my retirement in November 2002.  In the course of my career I served in a range of training, administrative, operational and and command related postings and appointments in the ranks of Apprentice, Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Warrant Officer Class 2, Lieutenant, Captain and Major.  My service is summarised as follows:

1. Enlisted Australian Regular Army (Army /Apprentice) - Brisbane - 15th January 1964

2. Army Apprentice School (Army Apprentice) - Balcombe, Victoria

3. Jungle Training Centre - Private, Corporal and Sergeant - Canungra, Queensland

4. Australian Forces Vietnam Cash Office - Sergeant - Nui Dat, South Vietnam

5. 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment - Sergeant - Nui Dat, South Vietnam - Holsworthy, New South Wales, Terendak Malaysia, Selarang Singapore and Townsville, Queensland

6. Royal Australian Army Service Corps Centre - Sergeant - Assistant Instructor

7. Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps Centre - Sergeant, Staff Sergeant and  Warrant Officer Class 2 - Puckapunyal, Victoria

7. Headquarters 1st Military District - Warrant Officer Class 2 - Brisbane, Queensland

8. Land Warfare Centre - Lieutenant - Canungra, Queensland

9. 2nd Advanced Ordnance Depot - Captain - Coopers Plains, Queensland

10. 11th Supply Battalion - Captain - Meeandah, Queensland

11. Exercise LONG LOOK ’82’ - 62nd Ordnance Company, RAOC, Captain - British Army of the Rhine, Bielefeld, West Germany

12.   Officer Cadet School - Captain - Portsea, Victoria

12. Department of Defence (Army - Directorate of Supply) - Major - Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

13. United States Military Personnel Centre/United States Total Personnel Command - Major - Alexandria, Virginia, USA

14. Soldier Career Management Agency - Major - Melbourne, Victoria

15. Brisbane Logistic Battalion/South Queensland Logistic Group - Major - Bulimba, Queensland

16. Headquarters 1st Division - Major - Enoggera, Queensland

17. Multi-national Force and Observers Sinai  - Major - El Gorah, Sinai, Egypt
18. Deployable Joint Force Headquarters - Major - Enoggera, Queensland
19. Headquarters Regional Training Centres - Major - Canungra, Queensland
20. Headquarters Australian National Command Element - East Timor - Major - Dili, East Timor
21. Army Promotion Training Centre - Major - Canungra, Queensland
22. Retired Australian Regular Army - Brisbane - 18th November 2002

I was awarded the following Campaign Medals and Awards for my service:

• Australian Active Service Medal (1945-75) (Vietnam Clasp)

• Vietnam Medal

• Australian Active Service Medal (East Timor Clasp)

• Australian Service Medal (1945 – 75) (South East Asia Clasp)

• Australian Service Medal (Sinai Clasp)

• National Medal

• Defence Force Service Medal with four clasps

• United States Army Commendation Medal

• United States Army Meritorious Service Medal

• Vietnamese Campaign Medal

. Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation

• Multi-national Force and Observers Medal

• United Nations Transitional Administration East Timor Medal