Obituaries

  • Lt Col (Retd) Alan Pembshaw – (4722156 RAAEC – OTU Class 1/71) passed away peacefully on 28 Jan 24 in Kempele Finland from pneumonic complications with oesophageal cancer.
  • Russell David Bates – (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks in 1970-71), passed away 10 January 2024. He entered teachers’ college in Brisbane in 1965 and remained a teacher throughout his career serving in the Northern Region. He was the principal at St Laurence school in the north and principal at Russell Island in the Moreton Bay area. He retired as Deputy Principal at Cleveland State School. In retirement he founded the Brisbrick Lego Club which catered for all ages of enthusiasts. He is remembered as a kind and compassionate teacher.
  • Peter Francis Wedgewood – (Education Sergeant Murray Barracks in 1966-67) passed away 25 July 2023.
    Obituaries -
  • Bill Semple – (Education Sergeant, Murray Barracks in 1971-72), passed away 7 March 2022.
  • Barry Young – (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks in 1966-67), passed away 4 March 2022.
  • Les Rowe – (Education Sergeant, Igam Barracks in 1969-70), passed away 28 Feb 2022. Click here to see his Obituary from Australian Institute of International Affairs>
  • Tom Uil – (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks in 1969-70) passed away 22 November 2021
  • John Ford (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks 1969-71) passed away 27 May 2021
  • Neville Corrie – (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks in 1970-71) passed away in September 2020
  • Phillip James Allington – (Education Sergeant, Murray Barracks in 1968-69) passed away on 9th September 2020
  • Barry Nunn – (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks in 1969-70) passed away on 12th May 2020.
  • Roger Howard – (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks in 1967-68) passed away on 12th August 2020. After National Service, he remained a teacher and became a principal of a Victorian Special School
  • Roger Grigg – (Education Sergeant, Moem Barracks in 1968-69) passed away on 26th February 2020
  • Dan Winkel – (Education Warrant Officer Class 2, Murray Barracks in 1966-69) passed away on 10th January 2020
  • Martin Robert Forbes – (Major) passed away on 11th August 2019.
    • He retired from the Regular Army as a Major in 1993.
    • He enlisted in the Regular Army in 1974 at Murray Barracks (No. 2799225).
    • He was the Nasho Didiman (Agricultural Chalkie) at Wewak in 1972-73.
  • Bob Muller – (Education Sergeant, Moem Barracks in 1968-69) passed away on 27th June 2019
  • John Raymond Gibson – (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks in 1967-68) passed away on 17th May 2019.
  • Thomas O’Meara – (Education Sergeant, Taurama Barracks in 1971-72) passed away 29th March 2019
  • Vlad (Dave) Cizauskas – (Education Sergeant, MCS, Lae in 1971-72) passed away 9th November 2018
  • Ron Lynch – (Education Sergeant, Goldie River 1972)
    Obituaries -
    Ron passed away 4th February 2017
  • David Pollack – (Education Sergeant, Lae 1970) -click here to view his obituary in The Toowoomba Chronicle.
  • Bernard Neeson (Doc Neeson) – (Education Sergeant, Goldie River 1968/69) – passed away Wednesday 4th June 2014
  • Edward Mangano – (Education Sergeant, Murray Barracks 1972-73)
  • Geoff Peters (Education Sergeant 1969-70 Igam Barracks, Lae) – passed away Friday 26th July, 2013 at his Sunshine Coast home after suffering from Pulmonary Fibrosis
  • Ken Rowe – Ken died in the Black Sat Bushfires of 2009. Click to see the tribute to his life
  • Phil Imison – Phil passed away 17th October 2011, aged 65
  • John Martin – John died in a motorcycle crash in Port Moresby in 1970. See Tribute
  • Chris Donnan – Chris lost his life during a climb of Mt Wilhelm in December ’71.
    He was a Chalkie Sergeant. See Mount Wilhelm where his death is mentioned.
    • See also a pictorial essay of the placement of a memorial plaque on Mt. Wilhelm by 3 of his mates in 1972
  • Arthur John (1906-2012) – appointed Director of RAAEC in 1952 – obituary in Sydney Morning Herald Friday 20th July 2012
  • Graham Hilder – Ron Inglis (Chalkie 1970-71 Moem Barracks Wewak and Igam Barracks Lae) writes –
    “Graham Hilder (Chalkie 1971-72 Moem Barracks) passed away suddenly in 2001 when he was Principal of the Calrossy School in Tamworth, New South Wales. Graham and Ron Inglis were best mates at Sydney University. They were both trainee teachers doing BA Dip Ed in which Graham majored in Mathematics and Geography. They were called up together but for reasons unknown, Ron went straight to basic training at Kapooka but Graham was given a deferment to do a year of teaching. It was an unusual coincidence that, 12 months on, Graham went to Kapooka, to infantry training at Singleton and to a Chalkie posting at Moem Barracks in Wewak.
    On return to Australia Graham taught at Kinross in Orange then Rockhampton Girls Grammar School before being appointed Principal of Calrossy School. Graham was a much loved Principal of Calrossy for over 10 years prior to his untimely death.”

6 Comments

  1. Just a note to advise your group that Sgt. Ron Lynch (Mathematics Teacher) who taught at Mt Hagen in PNG passed away on Saturday 4 February 2017.

  2. I have a photograph of late Sgt. Christopher Donnan’s memorial plaque taken in 2010 on Mt. Wilhelm. I can send you that one photo I took if you need it.

    • Nelson,
      Thank you for your offer. It would be greatly appreciated. Can you send it as an attachment to my email address fcord@bigpond.com.
      As it happens, I am preparing a new webpage with a series of photographs and newspaper clippings taken during the trip to place the plaque on Mt. Wilhelm. This webpage will appear over the next couple of weeks. These photos are courtesy of Sgt. Jim Semple who was one of the 3 who placed the plaque there.

  3. Thanks Martin. Hope you have received my Email by now. This Website is where photos and images of TPNG material are being “collected”. You are welcome to Email these to the Web Manager, Frank, whose Email address is on the Contacts page.

  4. Sorry to hear about Graham. I think he might have been the only married chalkie in that group – and if so, I took over his house at Moem. I believe I was the last chalkie nasho SGT instructor in PNG (left in late 74) and have lots of material and photos to add to any collection if someone will let me know who to contact.
    I’m in Ballarat and am very sorry to have missed the Melbourne reunion.

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