3 CSR - 103 Sig Sqn

3 CSR History Room

SITREP Nr 9

jan – July 2014

Peoples 

My apologies for my tardiness and lack of enthusiasm in putting together this SITREP. I plead guilty to heaps of apathy, a double helping of lack of enthusiasm and the don’t care meter was working overtime as well. Apparently you get that when you are bored, lacking direction and the big one - lack of enthusiasm. I found some chocolate biscuits and all is now good and here we go.

New Bert (NB)

We have a new Bert, 18 months old and trained, a little slow to make friends but certain people are ensuring that New Bert (NB) is working well and becoming user friendly. NB is starting to talk, says “Hello Bert” and also whistles. NB had a rough start to life and is missing a toe and seems to dislike some people while tolerating others. Can be bribed with food and it is early days but hopefully NB shall end up with a pretty broad vocabulary not as varied as instructed by the line critters with Bert 1. In true Bert fashion, NB went AWOL a couple of months ago, flew off into a tree and had to be bribed to come down. Was also seen stomping off towards 2RAR. Cockatoos must have a thing for grunts as previous Bert went over there and camped up in their lines a couple of times. Wings have been clipped and his mobility is restricted to walking (not on roads).

Legend

Mick Peslo is 44 this year – I am sure there a lot of people that remember him as a young fresh faced digger in Cambodia. Mick has been on many deployments and faced many exciting and frightening experiences but he is still that shy, hard to find in a group and ever young soldier that only a few chosen have really got to know. These are the only two photos I have of Mick, one from Cambodia and one in the land of sand. If you have more could you please pass them to me for future articles – thank you in anticipation

The lads from WKSP put together a good looking hat rack and installed it over the Unit Training Facility – nice job too. Some of the Sigs decided it would look better if they did some alterations in location.

                                                               The owners were a bit miffed and rehung the hat rack with a few extra bolts

3rd Brigades 100th Anniversary First Unit to get wet feet at Gallipoli

The 103 Sig Sqn’s 50th Anniversary. 

Over the past few months there have been a couple planning conferences to come up with thoughts, ideas and the like to see what is feasible and what is not. Some smaller groups have been identified and told to come up with some plans. Remembering that 3CSR is an operational unit which could be tasked with going off somewhere to do some thing or another and also Div and Bde have a say as to what happens within the unit, spare time and an empty calendar within the unit is a very rare thing. The last week of October has been selected as the best time for the anniversary. Now, you can start saving your beer tickets and also talking with mates to convince them to make the effort to attend this once in a life time event. As information becomes available I shall post it on the RASIGS FB site and also further SITREPS. For the connoisseurs of fine port you have not been forgotten it is proposed that the usual teeth staining variety with the ability to numb arthritic pain and stain cement shall be obtained from dubious suppliers, suggestions of expensive fine ports are to be discouraged.

Weather 

When I started putting this SITREP together is was very dry in Townsville – no wet season as such, a bit of rain in Jan, very little in Feb. Well that all changed – the blokes were getting ready to go bush and down it came, humidity has shot up through the roof and everyone is sinking when they walked out on the dirt/mud areas. Urban myth floating around 3CSR is that whenever 102 Sig Sqn suit up to go bush it starts to rain. It is still very dry out west and down in the channel country it was hoped they would get some rain but that has not happened. The properties out there are doing it real hard. We had Cyclone Ita come past us at a great rate of knots; it was in a real hurry. Dumped some rain and continued on its way down south. Fortunately there was no damage to the Townsville area. Ex CATA has not long finished, stories of people from down south not bringing their cold weather gear with them “cos Townsville is in the tropics don’t ya know and we don’t need jackets and stuff” are doing the rounds, apparently it even caught out a few locals.

Some photos for the nostalgic

The Bde is very busy doing soldier stuff and have been doing exercises all over the place, getting into the build-up for more exercises later this year. The new Mercedes 4WD vehicles (G vehicles) are flash looking, antennas mounts and tie down points all over the place. A smart person could find many bottle opening points for long necks on one of these vehicles.

Balloon – (Communications platform)

holds up to 15kg, can stand winds up to 50 odd Kph, has GPS fitted, a Det of 3 works the beast and BOC love Defence when they inflate it. No known attacks by black kites as yet.

Basic chatter and gossip.

Ted (Blue) Hawkins, who spent many years compiling the RASIGS data base and kept us aware of who was not doing so well, gave us locations of people and kept us informed on many RASIGS functions, gatherings and the like has handed over the reins to Adam West [email protected] If you want to add your name to the data base please get in touch with Adam. Many thanks to Blue for all the work that he put into gathering names, addresses etc and assisting us over the years when we were looking for people. A big job and we truly appreciate all the time, effort and work that you did – a job well done mate

Crusher Todd came up from Canberra to do Army things and dropped in to see the Museum. He was very impressed with what has been done with the museum. Crusher helped provide us with some gear when he was at 4 Fd Regt when we first started off so he has seen the place in its beginnings through to current times.

Brenton Fry, now the Padre over at 5 Avn Regt dropped by, made casual comments about Webbys coffee making ability, ate some of our non-fattening chockie biscuits and left suitably impressed with what we have so far. He did promise to rat through boxes and trunks for spare items that could be donated to the 3CSR History Room – we are still waiting – waiting - waiting

Does anyone have a LOCSTAT, email address or phone number for Phil Middleton ex OC of 103 Sig Sqn 85 – 86?

Weapons and things.

 3CSR Armoury has a collection of various weapons. Some of these we believe were left behind in the armoury when the owners were posted and it was the accepted practice for unit members to store personal weapons in there. Some of the other items came from places various, possibly Somalia, East Timor or Bougainville. There is no documentation to indicate where they came from, who donated them, who owned them etc.

There are three AK47s. We think that the 1st Bn after their deployment to Somalia had a glut of them and presented one of the AK-47’s to 103 Sig Sqn and the other two were possibly presented HQ Coy and also HQ3BDE. It is intended that 3CSR shall keep them. There is a 303 that Webby has refurbished and that shall be used by the unit for future Anzac Day services. All the firearms have been made innocuous. If no one can shed light in relation to a historical significance or where the remaining weapons were obtained then they shall be destroyed by the unit armourer.

Subject: MUC INVESTITURE PARADE AND REUNION [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 15:12:16 +1000

From: Smith, Danny WO1 <[email protected]>

UNCLASSIFIED

Good morning all,

Please pass on the fol information to all of your contacts.

Attached is a flyer detailing the events that are being coordinated for the MUC Cambodia Investiture Parade. It is important for members who are considering attending one or more of the events that they send an expression of interest IAW the flyer. This includes those members who have already replied to Paul Copeland, we do not want to miss anyone. On your expression of interest you should provide an email address and the names of your guests, this is important for non-serving members as you will not be permitted to enter Simpson Barracks unless your name is provided to the front gate security (this will be done by the members coordinating the event). On receipt of your expression of interest you will be sent an email with account details for depositing money for the cost of the reunion dinner as well as other pertinent information. There will be a cost of $35 to attend the reunion, this will cover the cost of a 3 course meal, there is no option of attending without paying the $35. The cut off date is 05 Sep 14.

Any questions ref the MUC Cambodia visit the Official Website (see flyer for details)

Any questions ref the reunion or parade email [email protected]

Any questions ref the luncheon contact Mr Paul Copeland

Dress for the parade is:

Ex FCU Members - Jacket and tie (E) with UN Beret and medals

Serving members - Dress Order 2C

Guests - Neat Attire

The reunion is being held in the RA Sigs SGTs Mess for all FCU Cambodia Members and ex 2 Sig Regt (LFSU) members. However if you are a current or ex serving member of RA Sigs you are more than welcome to attend. Dress is Jacket and Tie and equivalent for females.

For current serving members, there are no funds avail for movements.

Please pass this as widely as possible.

Regards

Danny Smith

WO1

RSM DFSS

w: (03) 84818502

m: 0419 442 938

IMPORTANT

INVESTITURE OF THE MERITORIOUS UNIT CITATION

AWARDED TO THE FORCE COMMUNICATIONS UNIT - CAMBODIA

Investiture Ceremony

Date: Monday, 22 September 2014 - 9.00am for 9.30am Start

Location: HQ 4 BDE Parade Ground, Simpson Barracks, Macleod, Victoria

Official Website: www.army.gov.au/Army-life/Honours-and-Awards/Stories-about-Honours-and-Awards/Unit-Citation-awarded-to-Force-Communications-Unit-Cambodia

The Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK MC (Retd) will formally invest the Honour of the Meritorious Unit Citation on the Force Communications Unit – Cambodia in a parade at Simpson Barracks, Macleod, Victoria.

His Excellency, will present the Meritorious Unit Citation Warrant and Citation Insignia to the two Contingent Commanders, Brigadier Stephen Ayling, AM (Retd) and Colonel Martin Studdert, AM (Retd) with their respective Regiment Sergeant Majors by their side, Warrant Officer Class One Barry Martin, OAM (Retd) and Warrant Officer Class One Jeffrey Yates OAM (Retd), as the representatives of the entire Force Communications Unit.

The Streamer of the Meritorious Unit Citation will be placed on the pike of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, Princess Anne Banner.

The Investiture Ceremony will be followed by a morning tea, with the Governor-General in attendance, at approximately 10.15am for the Veterans of the Force Communications Unit and their families.

RSVP: Expressions of interest to attend the ceremony and the morning tea for Veterans, are to be sent by email to [email protected] by NLT 05 Sep.Please include how many people will be attending.

Related Activities

Reunion (For FCU and Ex 2 Sig Regt Members)

Date: Saturday, 20 September 2014 Time: 6:00pm til 01:00am

Location: Royal Australian Corps of Signals Sergeants Mess, Simpson Barracks, Macleod, Victoria

Cost: $35.00 for buffet style dinner

Dress: Jacket and Tie (with medals) or equivalent for Females

RSVP & Enquiries: To ensure you are catered for and to enable your name to be given to the front gate security for access, Please RSVP by email to: [email protected]

Post Ceremony Lunch (FCU Members)

Date: Monday, 22 September 2014

Location: Watsonia RSL – TBC Time: 12.30pm

Cost: TBA

RSVP & Enquiries: Please visit the following webpage for details http://www.mucfcuuntac.info/expression-of-interest

Display board made by one of the Cambodia blokes

A dodgy group - Derek Webster, Andre Obradovic, Andrew Small and Steve Dudley in downtown Siem Riep Cambodia

The 3 CSR Silk Ties in Corps Colours are selling like hot cakes and there are not too many left. They are still at the bargain price of $30.00. If you wish to purchase one or two please let us know and we shall start the ball rolling.

We would like to acknowledge our major sponsor Mr Rick O’Shea of QPS Investment Group for his ongoing support to the 3CSR Unit History Room.

web www.qldpropertysales.com.au Website: www.qpsig.com.au Find Us on Facebook!

The Unit History Rooms website www.3csr-103sigsqn.webs.com/

Some RASIGS websites

RASigs http://www.army.gov.au/

Signalman Magazine http://www.signalman.com.au/

RASigs Associations (via RASIGS Assn SA) http://www.rasigs.com

Buddas Place http://home.vicnet.au/~rasigsau/index.htm

Rabbit Hare 104 Sig Sqn http://www.au104.com/

Adam West Apprentice Font of knowledge and maintainer of the Data Base for RASIGS Pers [email protected] If you are willing to provide Adam with your details please do so.

All feedback, contradictions and directions shall be gratefully appreciated

That’s it for now

See you on the airways

Lofty

0408 062 318