Category Army Bases

1PIR’s BOOMERANG BOY (By Terry Edwinsmith) RSM WO1 Frederick Alexander Wilson ARA 5487 24/06/1924 to 27/03/1968 The book, ‘Boomerang Boy’ tells the compelling story of Taurama Barrack’s RSM, Fred Wilson who died at 1PIR on 27th March 1968 when he…

by Terry Edwinsmith Some of the strangest stories are fact rather than fiction. This story, I believe falls into this category. Several years ago, I wrote an article for Keith Jackson’s PNG Attitude (as it was then known) about National…

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…

A poem written by Sgt. Ian Ogston as a recruit while at Singleton Recruit Training Centre Drab rows of spartan huts Sprawled in military order Across the harsh, rounded Hunter hills. The dry summer heat shimmered the wheat-brown grassland. New…

John Morris (1970/71) PREAMBLE Like many Australians, I understood that as a result of our country’s participation in the Vietnam War, there was a National Service ballot conducted a number of times each year. I hadn’t given this matter much…

Andrew Dalziel (1971-72) The Military Cadet School (MCS) in Lae was established in the 1960’s as the initial officer training school for PNG officer cadets. Cadets entered the school having either successfully completed Year 10 at high school or having…

Ian Ogston (1970/71) The Chalkie experience at Goldie River was different. ‘Goldie’ was the Papua New Guinea Training Depot, to give it its full name. It was known universally as ‘Goldie’ because of its location on the floodplain of the…

Exactly forty years ago, I was based at the PNG Training Depot at Goldie River as a Chalkie – a National Serviceman with the rank of Temporary Sergeant in the Royal Australian Army Educational Corps. Looking back now, I can…