The Wreath Tag.
The Wreath Tag.
A great day was certainly had by our Association group, commemorating the 75th Anniversary of No.3 Squadron’s “Marching Out” to WW2 from Richmond on 15th July 1940. The date chosen for our ceremony (8th July) also recognised the 90th Anniversary of 3 Squadron’s inauguration of RAAF operations at Richmond on 1st July 1925.
The weather was magnificent; speeches were made; our Association wreath was laid; the RAAF Cadet Band played. [See photo coverage below.] We also greatly appreciated SQNLDR Chaplain Christine Senini’s eloquent service.
Four WW2 veterans (Slim Moore, Chas Wannan, Arthur Pardey and Tom Russell) marched through the historic gates.
[Albeit rather slowly; and the Flight Sergeant declined to yell at them - possibly a unique sight!]They were accompanied by a good contingent of Association members and friends, and cheered from the sidelines by many serving Richmond RAAF personnel, including the Base Commander, AIRCDRE Richard Lennon. Our party was also warmly welcomed into the historic Sergeants’ Mess, itself a 1920s heritage item, for an enjoyable lunch afterwards.
* “Roll out the
Barrel” was the tune played by the Richmond Band in 1940
when the boys marched off to war. [Chas Wannan is still pretty
good with the words!]
They sang as they marched off to War...
"Roll out the barrel, we'll have a
barrel of fun.
Roll out the barrel, we've got the blues on the run.
Zing boom ta-ra-rel, ring out a song of good cheer.
Now's the time to roll the barrel, for the gang's all here..."
Photos: By Official RAAF Photographer CPL Veronica ("Roni") O'Hara.
(Above) The four 3 Squadron veterans from World War
Two share a sombre moment with the wreath.
Tom Russell (left) was present at Richmond in 1940, 75 years ago, as
a new RAAF recruit living in "Tin City".
Chaplain SQNLDR Christine Senini conducts the service
below the nominal roll of the 3SQN "Originals".
"The Originals" Memorial Plaque on the
Gate.
15 July 1940. No.3
Squadron RAAF, comprising 21 Officers and 271 Airmen, marched
through this gateway to board a train at Clarendon Station for
Sydney.
The Unit embarked on RMS Orontes and sailed this same
day for active duty in the Middle East, disembarking at Tewfic,
Egypt, on 23 August 1940.
(*Denotes personnel killed in action.)
Squadron Leader I.D. McLachlan, Commanding Officer.
Squadron Leader P.R. Heath.*
Flight Lieutenants: P. Jeffrey, G. H. Steege, B.R. Pelly, C.B. Gaden*, J.C. Laver. Acting Flight Lieutenant: H.C. King.
Flying Officers: A.H. Boyd, J.McD. Davidson, W.S. Arthur, M.D. Ellerton*, V. East, A.A. Gatward*, J.R. Perrin, A.C. Rawlinson, B.L. Bracegirdle, P.St.G.B. Turnbull*, L.E.S. Knowles*, B. Goodison, M.L. Macinnis.
Warrant Officer: McDonald A.S.
Flight Sergeants: Blake T.H., Edmunds H.O., Hodges N.A., Waite W.J.
Sergeants: Branch G.W., Colvin R.W., Corthorn R.S., Cox S. H., Curle G.C.*, Fenton A.S.G., Fowler A. McP.*, Harkness E.K., Hodge A.R., Johanson P.J.H., Kielly M.J., Linehan J.S.M., Perooz J.P., Quinton M., Smith W.G., Stalker G.F., Steele C., White E.B.
Corporals: Allen R.H., Bambridge E.H., Blew E.C., Bowman J.S., Brearly R.C., Cockburn A.M., Craven A., Conquest H.W.H, Currie E.R.W.*, Gabbett C.P. Giannini G.E., Gibson R.L., Haseldine J.F., Inkson L., Jarvis V.J.E*, Leslie L.A., Mordaunt P.L., Morrow A.C., Mostran L.C.A., Parkes J.A., Rowley F.G., Sapsford F.W.E., Smith F.A, Spilsbury S.T., Stepto G.V.D., Turner J.W.*, Van Dyke S., Wray W.J. Acting Corporals: Burdus R.S.*, Lazarus F.G., Luck M.M., Wall W.E.,
Leading Aircraftmen: Adshead R.C., Bateman R.J., Bews, H.J., Boittier J.V., Booth N.E., Bottle R.C., Butler R.K., Burgess C.W., Cameron B.M., Cameron H.E., Campbell M., Carter E.N., Catt E.A. Cranney B.T., Crick W.J., Crowe D.P., Deeves J.J.H., Elliott R.J., Evans E., Fitzpatrick L., Hambly J.H.R., Hamilton H., Hammond J., Hartley C.A., Harvey J.N.C., Jelley A.J.G., Johnson R.H., Leaver I., Malvern C.P., Mansom C.E.J., O'Brien D.C., O'Callaghan J.H., Oakford P.B., Park A.G., Russell D.R.H., Saward C.R., Spencer W.R., Stephenson W.R., Thom J., Thomas D.C., Thomas H.W., Thompson E,. Timms M., Watson H., Wignell A.H., Wills J.A., Wilson R.N., Wright P.J., Young R.H.
Aircraftmen 1: Abel R.H., Aked E.L.J., Anderson, R.R., Archman T.A., Ashton W.C.J., Atkinson R.B., Bailey G.H., Baker E.G., Baldock F.P., Bartlett W.H.D., Barton O.S., Bell T., Bertie J.L., Bitton J.J.G., Black L., Blackley J.F., Blundell A.J., Bottin W.B., Bottrell W.J., Boys R.R., Brandy L.J., Braye A.S.I., Braye R.A.R.*, Bruce P., Bryant R.H., Burns M.A., Bursle A.J.S., Butler A.E., Caddy R.W., Callaghan R.J., Campbell A., Campbell M.R., Canning T.E., Carey F.J., Chapman W.H., Cheetham H., Christie S.H., Clare H., Clarke R.C., Clover T.N., Cooke G.L., Cox H., Crameri V.R., Creighton A.E., Crerar K.W., Davern O.W.J., Dewbery S.W., Dixon J.H., Doderico J., Drummond L.J., Dumont G.R., Durant A. F., Edwards F.S.M., Edwards J.T., Ellis D.A., Fantom E.W., Ferguson C.G., Finch F., Fitzgerald R.J.P.A., Ford D.E.*, Fouracre J., Fulford W.H., Gallie K.W., George E.N., Glassborow R.H., Golding L.W.J., Goodall H.P., Goodall J., Goodlet J.S., Gordon R.L., Gove W.I., Griffiths R.D.R.*, Hague T.T., Hale A.B.*, Heath T.W.E., Heathcote N.W.G., Hicks E.J., Hopper-Cuthbert H., Horne R.G.J., Howard N.R., Hubbard G.N, Hull M.E., Humphries A.J., Inger F.J., Irvine-Brown M., Jarvis E.W., Jeffrey C.S., Jewell A.R., Johnson R.V., Jones M.A.E., Keen G.W., Kerr J.M., Kington R.H., Lang W.D., Lauterbach C.C., Leader R.E.G., Leavey E.J., Lee T.C., Lee W.A., Levy L., Lord N.C.R., McFarlane P.A.*, McGuffie S.A., McKinnon J.H., MacKay D.J., McMahon F.A., Madigan W.J.B., Martin B.E., Maslin A.T., Medleycott C.F., Medhurst E.A., Miles G.A., Milkins H.W.L., Morgan A.D., Morvell W.J., Mullaney A.G., Munro A.R., Naulty S.J., Nicholls W.A., Nicoll G., Nixon B.J., O'Donnell J.C., O'Donnell L.R., O'Mullane J.P., Orchard S.H., Parr G.J., Pearson A., Peiniger R.A., Peters A.W.R., Ransford D.*, Rennie J.W., Rhind L.T.V., Roberts H., Robson N.H., Roder R.H., Rutledge J.E., Ryan J.S., Sadler H.J., Sadler J.N., Scott A., Scott F.T.N., Scott K.G., Sharp R.S., Silk H.S., Southern W.D., Sterrett R.W., Stevens D.L.G., Stewart D.A., Taplin F.K., Taylor J., Taylor N.A., Teehan J.N., Thornton G.W., Tindall L.G., Townsend N.T., Turnbull D.W., Wait T.J., Waldron R.V., Wallace A.V., Ward J., Watt D.H., Wehrman E.R., Whittington R.B., Williams K.J.W., Wilson L.R., Wyer B.L., Yeo H.J.
The Orontes departs, 1940.
RAAF Cadet Band, 2015.
History talk. 3SQN initiated RAAF operations at
Richmond in
July 1925, when only a single hangar stood on the site.
The Association's commemorative
march through the heritage gateway.
This solid 1930s structure features Art Deco brickwork and has been
retained for its heritage value, although it
has long since been made redundant in its
original purpose, due to the enormous expansion of Richmond RAAF
Base. - It now sits squarely in the middle of the security
zone!
The happy group at the
historic Sergeants' Mess.
To round out the day, it was Tom Russell's 98th
birthday - quite a memorable one!