RA Sigs organised that final meeting with the army before I left for civvy life. Would you believe who did that final interview where they try and talk you out of leaving, it was Allan Singh, the last time I saw him was when he was BSM based at the Dat! From STC in Sydney after about six months I moved with my wife to be back to Canberra with STC and it’s beginning in the computer age in the ACT. STC sold and maintained General Automation 16 bit mini computers in Australia, I spent the next 12 months running around fixing them in Government Departments in the ACT. From STC I was poached to join a US company called Sperry Univac in about 76 where they sold and maintained their own Main Frame computers also installed in government departments. With Sperry I did shift work maintaining the HMAS Harmon Naval Message switch located in the Basement of Building A at Russel offices, this lasted 10 years, from there to Australian Customs maintaining their Sperry Univac Mainframes, all the time these machines were getting increasingly more complex, larger and faster. The company then merged with Burroughs and we took on the name of Unisys. With Unisys I worked at the University of Canberra in the security innovation space, demonstrating all the biometric possibilities to students studying biometrics, Federal and International Governments. After 33 years with Unisys my position with Unisys at the University was made redundant. Right when I thought everything had turned to crap, I was contacted by a Government Department and started work as contractor for nearly three years on a project called AMIS as the project’s technical manager and later the operations manager. This project was probably the most rewarding both professionally and financially in my entire career in the computer industry. My sporting life was spent in the car rally area of motorsport. I started in the early 80s and stopped around 2014. I began driving then went into event organisation to international event organisation to team management running in numerous World Rally Championships events between 2006 and 2013. I am a failed golfer, gambler and fisherman. (Thanks Ron for your story. I find stories like this fascinating and so interesting to hear what individuals did after their Army service, either as a National Servicemen or a regular Soldier.) From Ben Burrow (Ben advised us back in March of the death of Tommy Sawyer. I’d be interested to hear any other views on the incident related by Ben.) Raymond Leslie Sawyer was born October 17, 1945. Our quintessential knockabout Aussie mate known to us veterans of 106 Field Battery RAA 1967/68 as Tommy died on Saturday the 21st of March 2026. Tommy served in South Vietnam from the 1st of May 1967 to the 5th of March 1968. Tom firstly served with 108 Field Battery he then transferred to 106 Battery. Tommy was inseparable from two other 106 Battery Veterans Len Curd, and Ross Gibbins, during travels in Len's trusty Ford Falcon all over Australia to 106 Battery Reunions. Vale to a highly regarded Gunner Tom Sawyer and a true mate to us all veterans of 106 Field Battery RAA 1967/68. While serving with 108 Battery Tom told me that he was on M60 MG guard duty on the night of the 5th of November 1967 on Operation Santa Fe at FSB Lion, when Tom's mate. Gunner Barry Tregear. was mortally wounded following enemy Sapper mine blasts. Tom was acting as MG sentry and was equipped with a Starlight Scope. Tom spotted a number of VC approaching FSB Lion. Tom rang through to the 108 Bty Command post for permission to fire on the enemy. The order came down that they were refused permission to fire because of the close proximity of a Village.
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