RSA Review Spring 2020

PUBLISHER: James Lynch Ph (03) 983 5500 james@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITOR: Dion Crooks Ph (03) 983 5505 dion@waterfordpress.co.nz ADVERTISING: Paul Crowther Ph (03) 983 5503 paul@waterfordpress.co.nz Dave McKee Ph (03) 983 5518 davem@waterfordpress.co.nz GENERAL MANAGER Luke Lynch luke@waterfordpress.co.nz DESIGN & LAYOUT: Connor Gosnell, Anton Gray, Sophie McCleary, Grace Mills, Liki Udam. Ph (03) 983 5560 art@waterfordpress.co.nz OFFICE / ACCOUNTS: Helen Bourne, Jill Holland Ph (03) 983 5500 helen@waterfordpress.co.nz CUSTOMER SERVICES: Ann-Marie Frentz Ph: (03) 983 5554 annmarie@waterfordpress.co.nz For RSA Review enquiries and subscriptions, contact: RSA Review Anzac House, 181 Willis Street PO Box 27 248, Wellington 6141 Phone 04 384 7994 Fax 04 385 3325 rsareview@rsa.org.nz www.rsa.org.nz Last Post, What’s On and Lost Trails are placed in RSA Review as a free service. Views and opinions expressed in the RSA Review are not necessarily those of the RNZRSA, Waterford Press Ltd or publisher. RNZRSA accepts no responsibility for loss of manuscripts or photos. 112 Wrights Road, Addington PO Box 37 346, Christchurch www.waterfordpress.co.nz The official publication of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association In this issue 04 Support 06 Leadership Messages 08 Remembering 11 RSA club profiles 14 Classifieds 18 What's On 19 Last Post Volume 96 No.2 Spring 2020 Published September 15, 2020 WW1 discharge certificate Greg Cotter, anAustralianVietnamveteranwho has been collecting predominantly Australian military items for some years, has discovered a WorldWar 1 NewZealandhonourabledischarge certificate for Pte Peter Macdonald 53219, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Peter Macdonald was originally from Ngapara, in North Otago, where Greg believes his parents were farmers. Greg would be happy to give the certificate to direct descendents of Peter Macdonald on the basis it would be kept as a memorial and not sold. He says the certificate is in quite a solid, heavy frame, which looks original. He thinks the glass has been broken and replaced with a clear plastic/perspex material. Contact: Greg Cotter – gregat639@gmail.com ' George' in Trieste Seventy-five years on from the Liberation of Trieste (May 2, 1945) by the 22nd New Zealand Infantry Battalion, a Trieste local is looking for information on ‘George”, a Kiwi soldier who was part of liberation force. The Kiwis were greeted with great joy and relief, and althoughmany locals did not know where the army was from or understood why so many of these soldiers had given their lives to free the city, a brotherhood was established between the people of Trieste and their libera- tors. Friendships were created that would last a lifetime, despite the distance. During a concert/dance intended to bring these two verydifferent groups together, Giusy’s aunt anduncles (Celestino,Giovanni,Gabrioand Caterina) met an officer of the 22nd battalion. His name was George. DespiteGeorge’snumer- ous invitations to the Italian family to travel to New Zealand, they were never able to visit, although many letters were exchanged. Giusy has very lim- ited information about George, but has aphoto. He has made many attempts to find George or sGomeone whomay have known him. If you recognise George as a father or grandfather who told them about the campaign in Italy and the liberation of Trieste, Giusy would love to hear from you. Contact: giusy268@yahoo.it Airman remembered A New Zealand airman, F/Sgt Gordon Douglas Thomson 42317, is buried in Harderwijk, in the Netherlands. He was a navigator on Stirling BK768 AA-L from No. 75 Sqn. Ruuds Langen, who livesHarderwijk, would like to contact with possible relatives to let them know that F/Sgt Thomson and 42 others buried in Harderwijk town are remembered each year. Ruuds knows that F/Sgt Thomson was born in Dunedin on October 30, 1920; his parents were James Alexander and Catherine Thomson (née Laird), who lived in Opoho. He went to Otago Boys’ High School and became a clerical cadet with New Zealand Railways, in Dunedin. He began training as an air observer at the RNZAF Levin Initial TrainingWing on January A chance discovery led the Royal New Zealand Air Force band to re-connect with the last surviving veteran from its World War 2 days. Leading Aircraftman (Rtd) Doug Kelly, now aged 98, wrote I'll Be Thinking of You in 1944 while stationed with the band in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. He wrote it for his fiancée, Joy,who was back in Christchurch. Fast-forward 75 years to when RNZAF Band director FltLt Dave Gallaher discovered the sheet music in some boxes in the band room. “I made contact with Doug to inquire about the song, and such a delightful story evolved. We wanted to be able to connect with him and play his song to him." Doug was surprised to get the call: “I never thought I’d hear it again, I was fascinated to find out that they found my song.” The band played a short concert, incuding his song, toDoug and his family at the Air Force Museum in Wigram, Christchurch in August. Bandarranger Sgt AndreParishad rearranged the piece for a vocalist –his wife, Leading Aircraftman Stephanie Paris. Dave Gallaher says the legacy of Doug and his fellow musicians in the wartime band is significant. “It was fitting to honour the band’s most senior alumni not only for his wartime service, but also for the wonderful contribution he has made to enrich the lives of thousands of children in the Canterbury area.” I’ll Be Thinking of You was published by Charles Begg & Co and the band played the song on its tour of Australia in 1945. It became a regular in the band's repertoire.. Doug recalls that the song was "played everywhere", especially on the tour. It was broadcast on shortwave radio programmes which Joy and her family heard back in New Zealand. “That wasmy start, it was a real boost forme. It was a very important part of my life because it started my career of writing arrangements for various groups and radio programmes.” Doug and Joy married in January 1946 News THE BAND PLAYed DOUG'S SONG: 'I never thought i'd hear it again' following thewar, andenjoyed69years together. After the war Doug left the band andwent on to a career in music, including being a music teacher and spendingmore than 20 years as the district music adviser for Canterbury schools. He still plays his trumpet. – Air Force News Doug Kelly hugs Stephanie Paris after she had sung the song he composed in 1944. 25, 1942. He embarked for Canada April 5, 1942, was attached to the Royal Canadian Air Force on April 30, based at 5 MDepôt on May 1,1942. He went to 4 Air Observers School on May 18, remustered as an air navigator on June 22, received his Air Observers Badge (in lieu of the Air Navigators Badge) and was promoted to sergeant on September 11. Hewas assigned to 1 YDepôt onSeptember 22, attached to the Royal Air Force, and embarked for the United Kingdomon September 25. There he was in: 3 Personnel Reception Centre from October 9; 9 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit fromOctober 28; 11 Operational Training Unit (Wellington) from January 5, 1943; 1651 Heavy Conversion Unit (Stirling) fromApril 1; 75 (NZ) Squadron (Stirling - 10 operations) fromMay 2. He was killed on air operations on June 26, 1943, and is buried in the Harderwijk General Cemetery - British Plot 2, grave 12, Gelderland, Netherlands. Contact: Ruuds Langen– ruudslangen@tiscali.nl Medals returned Do you have a medal you would like returned? MedalsReunitedNewZealand©(MRNZ)provides a voluntary, free service that is dedicated to returning war and service medals of mainly New Zealand veterans to their families or to a traceable descendant. Typically, medals and associated ephemera that have been found (or have been pre-owned) are sent to MRNZ for research and return once the recipient or surviving descendant kin has been located. Contact: Ian D. Martyn, Founder, Nelson – medalsreunitednz@gmail.com ; 027 9404495; 03 5467728; www.medalsreunitednz.co.nz LOST TRAILS Mysterious George