Wednesday, January 11, 2017

2017 Hobart Registration Form

Please complete all details so we can check our records and produce new name tags for newcomers/lost tags. 

All personal details will be treated confidentially and used only for distribution of Coral Reunion information and for other oral Reunion Member's enquiries.  (It will only take you 1 minute to complete this Form But it will certainly help us a great deal...THANKS,"
Surname of  Attendee:   Given Name:    
Preferred name or nickname:   Army Service No:
Sub Unit (e.g. 3 PL A Coy):     Unit:  
Address:
     State:   P/C:  
Mobile Phone:   E-mail:  
ADDITIONAL GUESTS 1st and last name of accompanying person
SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS:
COST DETAILS (Including a raffle ticket)  $85.00  Single            $165.00 Couple           
Extra Raffle Tickets $5.00 each                           
Insert Number   Totals
Single x   $   
Double x            $   
Extra Raffle Tkts x  $   
Donation  $   
The Payment Amount I'm sending/transferring TOTALS:  $
YES   NO   I will pay direct through Bank Electronic Transfer to the Reunion Account
ST George Bank BSB 112-908     A/c 02103134.   You must include your 'Name' and including 'Coral'.
YES   NO   I will pay with a Cheque/Money Order made out only to "Coral Reunion"
PLEASE SEND FORM TO THE ADDRESS BELOW OR EMAIL TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW:
Ray Curtis
7/9 Coral Drive, Jerrabomberra Heights, NSW 2619
Jerrabomberra Heights  NSW 2619
If you have NOT received a receipt within 4 weeks after sending , then Phone or Email Ray to fix it. 


Phone Number: 0457825290   Email: rosandray4@bigpond.com

Monday, January 09, 2017

Warning order Hobart 2017

Treasurer Committee Member (Acting Secretary)  Committee Member  
Ray Curtis  Allan (Jack) Parr  Bryan (Jazza) Smith
No7 of 9 Coral Drive 5 Laura Close 416/91 Anzac Parade
Jerrabomberra NSW 2619 Rockyview QLD 5032 Redcliffe QLD 4020
H: 02 62559426
Em: rosandray4@bigpond.com parralan@hotmail,com bajjsmith42@websheild.net.au

1st Battalion Battle Group Reunion ..  Warning Order


F.S.B. Coral Vietnam Reunion and Memorial Service 
The 49th Anniversary Reunion 2017 in Hobart Tasmania
Dates Tue 16 and Wed 17 May 2017 

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

PATRONS          Michael & Anne Barrett

CHAIR                 Wally Fiedler            (ponysoldier@bigpond.com)

SECRETARY/TREASURER   Tony Scott        (ks309031@bigpond.net.au)
Venue:                   Grand Chancellor Hotel, Hobart 
MC:                       Tony Scott
Meet and Greet:
Tuesday 16th May 2017 Grand Chancellor Hotel
Commencing at 4.45pm
Memorial Service & Dinner: 
Wednesday 17th May 2017  gather at 1630hrs in the Ballroom at the Grand Chancellor.
All to be seated by 5pm EVERYONE WILL BE SEATED WHERE THEY WILL BE FOR THE DINNER except those involved in the candle ceremony.
There will not be a march this year due to the uncertainty of the weather in Hobart at that time of the year. The ceremony will follow a similar format to previous years only in doors. 
Music will be provided by the Australian Army Band Tasmania.
Following the ceremony and during the pre-dinner drinks we intend to hold the AGM. 


Reunion Registration, Cost and Raffle
The Reunion Registration Form is attached, please complete and it sooner rather than later and return it Ray Curtis will send you a Receipt.  Last year the return of registration forms and issue of receipts by email was very successful and we would encourage you all, where possible to do so this year.
Note:  Registrations close on Fri 22 April 17
Again you will find your Entry Ticket includes a $5 entry into the Raffle. 
You can elect to buy more tickets (please do!),   or simply Donate some $s to assist with the cost of mailout,
 internet, etc.
The cost for the Dinner is $85 a Single and $165 a Couple which includes a raffle ticket per person. Note that the cost is the same as last year. Scotty has been able to come up with some valuable sponsorship, for which we extremely grateful.

Your Registration will be acknowledged in Ray’s Receipt with your Ticket Numbers & with your Raffle Ticket numbers going into the Raffle box as Registrations are confirmed.

Future Reunions. 
At the AGM we NEED to discuss
  1. where the 2018, 50th anniversary will be held, and
  2. what we will do after 2018? Whether we keep the annual Reunion convention.
Your thoughts can be be sent to either Ray or Jack. 
Any offers to arrange future Reunions are very welcome.

The Battle of FSPB Coral Unit Citation for Gallantry UCG.

Last Year we advised that the submission for a Unit Citation for Gallantry had been sent to Defence.  More specifically to the section called Defence Honours and Awards or DHA. A belated submission such as ours is then sent to the ‘Higher Up’s, in this case to the Chief of Army (CA) who then does a ‘desktop review’ of the submission. This internal review then uses the principles and rules that were put in place for ‘belated’ submission during the ‘Valour Inquiry’.  At this stage there are many ‘technical’ reasons for the submission to be rejected and it would appear from my reading of reports and reviews that this is universal for belated submissions.

Consequently we have received advice from the Chief of the Army (CA) Angus Campbell that he has decided to   '... not to proceed with any action...' on our submission for the UCG.At the same time the CA spelt out our rights of appeal to the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal. (DHAAT) We anticipated this.  The DHAAT is an independent body and answers directly to the Defence Minister. The technicality here is that it was necessary for our submission to be rejected by the CA for it to become reviewable by the DHAAT. Acting on other advice we will not be appealing to the DHAAT but intend to APPEAL DIRECT TO THE MINISTER with a request for an INQUIRY.
If you wish to find out more information then check out all the reports and reviews on the DHAAT website.  https://defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au/

At the time of writing (Dec 2016) we are currently reviewing the DHAAT reports in order to focus on specific grounds for appeal with a plan to have this to Minister Tehan by February 2017.

Being more pragmatic, we know that we have a comprehensive submission and there are good grounds for appeal… BUT even having the best argument does not guarantee us getting any further. It is obvious that other submissions have been successful mostly by using other measures in conjunction with the appeal process. Therefore we see it necessary that an on-going strategy be developed that will enhance our chances.
We know and the Official History recognizes that the Battle of Coral Balmoral was the biggest show for Australian troops during the Vietnam War. This fact by itself is not a criteria that can be used in the determination for a UCG.  We are seeking recognition for the combined ‘Gallantry’ displayed by the troops, on the ground, under combat conditions and our argument has to reflect that, and this is the focus of our submission.  In our case it is the sustained effort by all troops, units, sub-units and detachments in AO Surfers and Surfers II form 12 May to 6 June 1868.
Once the appeal is sent to the Minister our strategy will be one to increase the public awareness of the Battle of Coral Balmoral.  More specifically we will be targeting politicians and the media to achieve this.  This will mean that all of us will need to get more active in communicating our story.  Some have already commenced this process and they are to be congratulated. From the feedback I have received the release of the DOCO has had limited exposure and success in raising awareness. This does not reflect the quality of the program but rather due to it not being on free to air TV.  I have produced a number of summary documents and a Power-point show of the main points of the operation and these have been distributed earlier.  We have prepared a script in ‘plain language’ for a five minute video suitable for You Tube and other promotions. This should be released in February.
There is increasing activity on Facebook and I strongly recommend that everyone get active on the following Pages:
It is emphasized that the UCG submission is on behalf of ALL troops who served at Coral Balmoral. Consequently we already have a wide and comprehensive backing from individuals and Unit Associations. It is anticipated that the proposed awareness campaign will reflect this base. We will be giving it our best shot.

Rest Easy… Jack Parr.
Vale Pepe
As you all are aware by now, we lost Pepe (our Officer Commanding Reunions) very suddenly in early July, not long after our very successful Coolangatta Reunion. We as a group have a lot to be thankful for, as Pepe was the driving force behind our reunions for the last 15 plus years. He dragged many of us out of the military          wilderness to share a few good memories, tell a few lies, have a couple of drinks and a few laughs. Pepe had very strong ideas on what our group is about and how we go about running our reunions. Not everyone agreed with Pepe all of the time, but I’m sure we all agree that his heart was always in the right place. Pepe,” Stand Down”, your duty is done and you are now “Safe behind the Wire” and in good company with so many other Coral Veterans. Farewell old mate. We will always remember you.
Ray Curtis

TRAVEL INFORMATION: HOBART 2017
SPIRIT of TASMANIA TRAVEL OFFER 
It is with pleasure we confirm arrangements  for Coral Reunion May 2017 for travel aboard Spirit of Tasmania.

All details regarding this event including how to book are listed below:-

An Exclusive Member’s Page has been created on our website and is ready for your participants use

The URL address to your Exclusive Member’s Page is: https://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/offers/coral-reunion

·   When booking/amending via this page, members will have access to the best available fares on their chosen sailing dates. 
·   All passenger, accommodation and vehicle space is subject to availability at time of booking/amending. 
·   Please keep in mind our fares do fluctuate and are subject to change until payment has been made and a booking number and e-ticket provided.
·   Alternatively availability and bookings can be requested via our Customer Contact Centre on 132010. 

Ø  Please note booking and amendment fees do apply. 
Ø  Bookings for this event are valid for travel between 01/04/2017 to the 01/06/2017
Ø  Limited car/passenger space have been protected for:
Ø  Depart Melbourne to Devonport  on 12/05/2017 to the 15/05/2017  inclusive – PM departures 
Ø  Depart Devonport to Melbourne 18/08/2017 to the 20/05/2017 inclusive – PM departures
Ø  Protected space for vehicles is based on vehicles under 2.1m in height.  Protected space for accommodation is based on Twin Porthole cabins – alternative accommodation styles & vehicle dimensions will be subject to availability at time of booking. 
Ø   Protected space will be held until cob 01/03/2017 or until sold out.
Ø    However protected space may be reviewed prior to this date and adjusted  to match member interest and bookings to-date.  

When booking via the Exclusive Members Page, the following fare types will be offered (subject to availability):-
Coral Union May 2017 (Spirit)
Coral Union May 2017 (Flexi)

If the name of your event is not included in the fare type name, this indicates you may have left the Exclusive Members Page booking platform and may need to re-check before proceeding. 

·    If a Spirit of Tasmania Logo is required for your website, please contact us at brand@spiritoftasmania.com.au.
·    If you require written content pertaining to Spirit of Tasmania for this event (for example for your Member’s Magazine or your website) please forward the information through to brand@spiritoftasmania.com.au  for review and approval.

Please feel welcome to contact our Groups & Special Events Department on 1800 635 877 or by return email if you have any questions.

Thank you for the opportunity to include Spirit of Tasmania as part of your Event. 

Kind regards
Ange

Ange Biggs
Groups and Special Events Team

SPIRIT OF TASMANIA
TT-Line Company Pty Ltd
The Esplanade (PO Box 168E) 
East Devonport TAS 7310
P: 1800 635 877 | F: 1800 636 110
ACCOMODATION - HOBART 2017 
The majority of the Hotels Listed below are within walking distance of the Reunion venue (Grand Chancellor). Please click on any Hotel listed and it will take you to their website, Location maps are usually provided by the Hotel’s web page. Cost reductions for accomodation has been obtained for all these Hotels. The amount of reduction varies from Hotel to Hotel and is not dependant on the price of the room. i.e. some cheaper Hotels have given a greater reduction than those more expensive. Therefore carrying out your own search may be of benefit. The CODE to use for all hotel price reductions is 
“CORAL REUNION”.
Please book early as there are a number of other Conferences in Hobart at that time and Hotel accomodation space is at a premium for this period.

GRAND CHANCELLOR ROOM RATES

This is the reduced price
Mountain Side rooms  $220 per night
Harbour View rooms  $255 per night


Within Walking Distance.  No Car Parking available
(Opposite the Grand Chancellor Hotel)
Deluxe Davey Studio - $175.00
Luxury Water View Studio - $219.00
Two Bedroom Apartment - $329.00
Three Bedroom Apartment - $419.00
tom@escapesresorts.com.au (book direct through this email)

(15min walking distance. Car parking, 2min taxi ride )  
Studio Apartment             - $225     Special Rate $149
One Bedroom Apartment - $255     Special Rate $165
Two Bedroom Apartment - $339    Special Rate $225


 (walking distance to Grand Chancellor)  No Car Parking
Studio Deluxe Apartment -$295       Special Rate  $155
Executive Suite                - $320       Special Rate  $185
Quest Waterfront

 (walking distance to Grand Chancellor)  No Car Parking
Hotel Room    - $285   Special Rate - $156
Studio Deluxe -$375   Special Rate - $174
Family Suite   -$475   Special Rate - $225
Vanessa Lyons
Operations Manager
Quest Waterfront, Quest Trinity House and Quest Savoy
3 Brooke St Hobart TAS 7000
Ph: (03) 62 248 630 Fax: (03) 62 248 633 Mobile: 0400 043 589



(walking distance to Grand Chancellor)
Hobart Midcity are offering us a group rate of $120.00 room only single, twin or double rooms. Bookings can be made direct to the hotel but your group name (Coral Reunion) must be mentioned to receive the rate. Guests will be required to guarantee bookings with credit card at time of booking.
Either bookings@hobertmidcity.com.au or toll free 1800 030 966
Steve McCormick, Tours & Group Manager. Ph. 03 6214 7303. 
Corner Elizabeth & Bathurst Streets Hobart TAS 7000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           


(walking distance to Grand Chancellor 
Hadley’s Orient Hotel is happy to provide the following rates to those attending the ‘Coral’ Reunion her in Hobart, 15th – 18th May 2017.
Hotel Rooms - $165.00 per night room only
Superior Rooms - $185.00 per night, 
Spa Suites - $ 255.00 per night, room only
                                                                                                                       
These rates will be available by booking direct and quoting ‘Coral’ Reunion, room types will be based on availability at the time of booking.
Danika Boman   
Front Office Manager


RACT/RACV Hobart Apartment Hotel

 (walking distance to Grand Chancellor)                                                                                                    
They are delighted to offer special rates to those visiting Hobart for the Reunion. Their best rate is their auto club member rate, so if anyone has a membership with RACV, RACT, NRMA, RACQ….. then member rates will apply.
If not a member they are offering a group rate which starts from $291 depending on the room type that you book. To do any bookings, go direct to Alesha Webb, Reservations.
RACV/RACT Hobart Apartments
154-156 Collins Street, Hobart Tasmania 7000  

 (directly behind Grand Chancellor
The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel situated at 1 Macquarie Street, Hobart can offer the following     accommodation rates in May 2017.
Studio Apartments @ $215 per night, room only rate (1- 2 pax)
One Bedroom Apartments @ $235 per night, room only rate (1-2 pax) 
Two Bedroom Apartments @ $315 per night, room only rate (1-4 pax)
Credit card details are required at time of booking, standard booking terms apply – rooms subject to availability at time of booking.
Debby  Gluskie                                                                                                                                                          Sales Executive


King room consisting of a king bed, modern ensuite bathroom, mini bar and tea/coffee facilities at a rate of $122 per room per night.  This rate if for room only with a maximum of 2 people per room and subject to availability.  1 night minimum is payable to secure all reservation.  I am happy to offer a cancellation period of full refund up to 24 hours prior to arrival.
Contact the hotel directly on 03 6213 2999 or email info@fountainside.com.au

OOOOOOOOOOO
TOURISM AND TRAVEL INFO TASMANIA 


CLICKING ON ANY OF THESE WILL TAKE YOU TO THEIR WEBSITE.


Spirit of Tasmania usually have cheap fares from March onwards. If coming with a Caravan make sure you have a return date booked. Not booking in advance may mean you waiting to get back to the mainland.

TRAVEL
TOURISM

CAR HIRE

CAMPERVANS