Australian National Servicemen
by Phil Adam 1969-70 On arrival at Murray Barracks, I was accommodated in the old Officers Mess for a few days before moving into the Sergeants Mess when the cohort of Chalkies we were replacing left for home. On the…
Former chalkie Doc Neeson who was at Goldie River from roughly August 1968 until November 1969 was awarded an Order of Australia Medal on Australia Day, 2013 His citation reads as follows: Mr Bernard Patrick (Doc) NEESON, Sydney NSW 2000…
This is a story that spans more than 40 years, crosses international borders, and the barriers of race, colour, and creed. It’s a story of hardship and friendship, tinged with some sadness…but one that could now be heading towards an…
by Russell Jenkin (1967-68) ‘Should Papua New Guinea become the seventh State of Australia?’ This was a major essay question that I chose to answer, approximately two months after I had arrived as a Sergeant in the Education Section of…
LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROGER JONES (Assistant Director of Army Education, PNG 1967 – 1969) I believe the scheme originated about 1965 and was promoted and developed very rapidly not long before the first National Service Chalkies appeared in PNG in late…
To paraphrase Spike Milligan, I was dragged kicking and screaming from under my bed in January 1969 and drafted into the Army. From the outset I was very keen to avoid the immorality (and danger) of the Vietnam War. I…
Greg, Many thanks for your prompt reply. I enjoyed scrolling through the Network’s Website yesterday. The day before, I had returned home from presenting a Remembrance Day address at a local school and on a whim, I decided to Google-search,…
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. For other activities, see also the following articles: Pagwi (on the Sepik River) to Baiyer River The Ambunti to Baiyer River Patrol
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. Can you help identify the soldiers in this photo. If so, please email Greg Ivey with details at iveygj@gmail.com. The photo was supplied…
TO: Ian, Terry, the Organising Team, and all the Attendees at the Great ‘CHALKIE REUNION’ at the Kedron-Wavell RSL in Chermside on the 6th October 2012 FROM: Roger Jones, formerly ADAE PNG Command, Murray Barracks, Port Moresby, 1967-69 While I…
by Rod Cassidy “In the late 60s one Matthias Yaliwan convinced his 60,000 followers that wealth and goods would come to the people if the trigonometric marker on top of Mt. Turu near Yangoru was removed: game would return to…
PATROL INTO THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS OF NEW GUINEA 18 APRIL – 31 MAY 1970 Sgt Greg Smith ‘Didiman’ (ie Agriculture Instructor) Education Corps 2 PIR, Wewak (1969/70) We stood on the banks of the mighty Sepik River and gazed at…
By Ian Ogston This article is a reproduction of an article originally published in our first Armi Wantoks journal (Vol 1 2007) Death’s grim shroud hung over us like the dull grey fog of a winter’s morning. The finality of…
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. Unless stated otherwise, all named soldiers were National Servicemen Civic Action Patrol to build an airstrip at Menari. The village saw action during…
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. Unless stated otherwise, all named soldiers were National Servicemen The following six photos were supplied courtesy of Sgt. Rob Butcher who was at…
by John Hain 1971-72 The National Service adventure began with the arrival of one’s call up documents. I was called up into the first intake of 1971 which was designated as 1 An article on how the National Service scheme…
Denis Jenkins 1971 From my piles of letters sent home (and preserved by my parents) I have come across the names of most of our Ed crew at Murray Barracks in 1971. Bob Daniel, John Dark, Ed Diery, Graeme Edgerton,…
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. For other activities, see also the following articles: On Patrol in New Ireland Patrol from Wanigela to Gurney (D Company, 1PIR) The first…
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window Further names are required to identify members of the two football teams posted here Nasho sergeants at Taurama 1970Back L to R: Sgt…
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. Activities around Port Moresby Team List Murray Barracks Australian Rules 1970 Back Row (left to right): Ian Coulson (Vic) Dental, Brendan Nolan (Vic)…
Terry Edwinsmith As some of you may know, I had the good fortune to go to PNG for several days from the 18th to 21st October 2007. An opportunity arose in my capacity as a Director of Queensland Teachers’ Credit…
Terry Edwinsmith The dreaded marble in the first call up came to me in 1965 whilst I was at college but I deferred to 7th intake after completing KGTT College and 12 months teacher placement (at Milton SS). This new…
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. Photos taken by Greg Smith during a visit to PNG in 2007
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. The photos above were supplied courtesy of Sgt Steve Hill ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Clicking on a photo will display a full sized image of the photo in a new window. Former members of the RAAEC who served in TPNG during their National Service 1966-72 have joined with like-minded former soldiers, to record the…
Hello Terry, My father served in PNG in RAAF Beaufighter 30 Sqn in World War II, so it was a bit of a coincidence that I was posted to Port Moresby as a RAAEC T-Sgt during my period of National…
by Boddington, Richard (Sgt), Murray Barracks, Port Moresby 1971-1972 My memory is a tad vague on some aspects of my Chalkie history while others are as clear as yesterday. So I do not remember exactly when I received my call-up…
Ken Morcom 1967-68 After 44 years the hardest part of this exercise is to remember details but here goes…. I turned 20 while attending Western Teachers’ College in Adelaide and my call-up was deferred until the February of the next…