4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - November 2015 Edition

wonderful experience and, of course, it is not really 1 August 1871. Our article will be published in a future RAA Liaison Letter and you will be able to note the confusing possible 'claims'. As for 23 September 1915 being the birthday of the 4th Field Artillery, Arthur Burke also wrote in the same book that in June 1912, 4 FAB was formed comprising renumbered NSW batteries - 10, 11 and 18. This is the first mention of an artillery unit bearing the number '4' so if we are chasing '4 birthdays', then maybe this is more correct. Nevertheless, since the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery has accepted that it was spawned from A Battery on 1 August 1871, then perhaps we should look more closely at the brief history and note that the author draws the lineage of the 4th Field Artillery from the formation of the Victoria Volunteer Artillery Regiment established on 1 January 1856. Further, since this occasion predates A Battery's claim in 1871, then it is worthy of highlighting above 23 September 1915. Don't get me wrong, for I accept that 23 September 1915 is 'a birth date', but then again so is June 1912 and 4 May 1960. Perhaps, then, it is more correct to say that on 23 September 2015, it will be 100 years since the First World War AIF version of the 4th Regiment RAA was raised. Ain't history great? Ubique, Arthur. George W McInnes (RIP) I have received a request for any information about George’s military service. He served in 4th Field Regiments first tour, possibly as FO Signaller. Sadly, George died in 2003. If anyone has any information or stories regarding George’s service, particularly in SVN, please get in touch with me urgently. Vietnam Veterans’ Day (18 August) was this year commemorated, in part, with the release of a new online Vietnam War Roll of Honour Image Gallery. Announced by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of Anzac, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, the Gallery is a historic collection of photographs of the 521 Australians listed on the Vietnam War Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial. The collection comprises a remarkable variety of images—from cherished family photographs to enlistment portraits and candid pictures taken in Vietnam—that depict a diverse range of men, and one woman, and provide some insight into their characters. The images were collected over several years by the Office of Australian War Graves. Many were provided by relatives and friends, while others were sourced from official archives. Together, they convey a simple message: these were real people, not just names or statistics, and each face tells its own story. The collection is displayed in an interactive online image gallery, which allows visitors to the site to view and reflect on all the photographs on a single page. Search functions allow visitors to find family members and friends by name or to sort the photographs by categories such as Service, their home state in Australia, or year of death. For example, visitors can quickly discover how many National Servicemen from New South Wales died in 1966, or how many Royal Australian Navy personnel on the Vietnam War Roll of Honour were born overseas. By selecting a single image, visitors are provided a profile of the individual, a larger image and some biographical details.