RAA LIAISON LETTER – 2025 - 2026 CANNONBALL SUPPLEMENT JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARTILLERY HISTORICAL COMPANY 145 Anniversary Day Year Action / Event / Ceremony June 2026 111th Jun 1915 Throughout the month the batteries at Helles continued to support a number of abortive attacks. For example, in support of an attack between 11 am and 9. 30 pm on 4 June the 2nd Battery fired 884 rounds. On 5 June it fired 127 rounds, on the 6th, 228 rounds and on 7th, before the attack was halted, 274 rounds. The 1st Battery also fired over 1,000 rounds per day. Additionally, individual 6-inch guns continued to arrive ashore, and the landing of a 4.7-inch gun in the latter part of June saw the formation of an Australian Heavy Battery with counter-battery duties. 64th Jun 1962 Australia’s military commitment in South Vietnam begins. First to deploy is the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam. From June 1964 onwards its members, who included individual Gunners, accompanied South Vietnamese army units into combat, and a former artillery officer, Major Peter Badcoe was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously in 1967. 74th 02 Jun 1952 The last anti-tank regiment of the RAA is re-roled as a Light Regiment. The RAA Anti-tank branch is abolished, and the role is transferred to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. 84th 07 Jun 1942 In the evening of 7 June 1942 the Illowra Battery (Port Kembla) radar detects a submarine on the surface, beyond searchlight range, but it could not be identified and therefore was not engaged. 55th 07 Jun 1971 In Vietnam in 1971 Lance Bombardier Peter ‘Blue’ Maher, 12th Field Regiment and his signaller Gunner Bayne ‘Gus’ Kelly, are attached to 5 Platoon, B Company, 3 RAR during a three-day battalion operation north of Phuoc Tuy Province. Towards last light on 6 June, 5 Platoon locate a large, occupied bunker complex. At first light on 7 June 1971, Blue adjusted covering fire onto the bunkers prior to 5 Platoon’s assault. The infantry came under heavy fire from a range of 15 metres and took casualties. Asked, years later, about his reaction at this point, he replied, ‘We just focussed on our job of bringing in fire support and had faith in the infantry.’ Blue engaged the bunkers again with fire ‘very close’ to 5 Platoon from A and 104th Field Batteries, as well as from US 155 mm guns. Later that morning, the remainder of B Company closed up to reinforce the platoon. When the Company’s forward observation officer was mortally wounded, Blue coordinated artillery as close as 100 metres, pausing to allow RAAF Bushranger and US Cobra gunship strikes. A RAAF Iroquois resupply helicopter was shot down. D Company 3 RAR and Centurion tanks from 1st Armoured Regiment joined the fray that afternoon. A total of 47 bunkers were uncovered. Lance Bombardier Maher was awarded the Military Medal for his steadfast coordination of sustained and accurate indirect fire and gunship support over almost 24 hours. 85th 08 Jun 1941 The 7th Australian Division commences its advance towards Beirut; an infantry brigade with a field regiment, an anti-tank battery, and a LAA section under command on the coastal road through Sidon and Damour, and a similar force on the inland 81st 10 Jun 1945 In 1945 artillery amphibious assault joint and combined fire planning is at its zenith in sophistication and effect in the Pacific in WW2. Avoiding casualties through employing massive firepower in the late stage of WW2 while clearing Japanese from islands is paramount. For an amphibious assault by two brigades of Major-General Wootten's 9th Division at Labuan and Brunei on 10 June, the CRA, Brigadier Eastick, had the 2/8th Field Regiment the 2/12th Field Regiment the 2/3rd Tank Attack Regiment the 2/3rd Composite AA. Regiment the 8th Survey Battery, and B Troop, 1st Australian Naval Bombardment Group (ANBG). LTCOL Watchorn was the Chief Bombardment Liaison Officer (CBLO) and acted as the adviser to the corps commander on naval bombardment, while his second-in-command became the Deputy CBLO and advised the commander of the bombarding task force or task group employing RAN and USN ships. There were two Senior Bombardment Liaison Officers (SBLOs) who could be attached to the commander of a naval attack group. Each troop was commanded by a major Naval Bombardment Liaison Officer (NBLO) who was attached to the
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