UNIT CITATION for GALLANTRY

Tony & Karen Scott + Sharon Devine & Lorraine Frost

Ray & Kathy Behrendt

Bryan (Jazza) & Jenny Smith

Lorna Waters

Alan & Glenda Loxton

George Hulse

John Salter

Owen & Janet Trimmer

Leigh Boneham

Frank Matons

Peter Farrell & Barb Smith

Ric & Rose Tonkin

Bob & Bella Edelman

Don & Margaret Butler

John (Jock) & Sandra Swan

John & Robyn Carruthers

Les & Elizabeth Smith

Don & Terri Mackenzie

Barbara & Robert Landgraf

Harry & Dianne Day

Peter & Therese Kercher

Chris Johnson

Rod & Sandra Chew

Ted & Linda Houlihan

Tony Mcgee

Ken & Wendy Joyce

Bob Helen Sutton

Bill & Kath McLellan

Ross & Bev Hoy

Jim Schubert

Barry & Alwyn Thomas

Bill & Marianne O'Reilly

Ian & Pauline McCartney

John & Chery McCallum

Gary Pope

Graeme & Christine Hobley

David Llewelyn

Tom & Lyn Yates

Merv & Jenny Brown

Tom & Sue Loughridge

Alan & Lynette Sisley and Gavin Ireland

Terry & Kathie Woodward and Wayne & Desley Lonergan

Graham & Libbie Knight

Greg & Marie Roese

Dick & June Roe

Merv Wilson

Ray & Jeanette Doudle

Wayne & Robyn Hodge and Kristy & Michael Torney

Tim Foster & Sheryl Somerville

Jim Poland & Krystyna Davis

John & Lyn Cummins

Harold & Marietta Northwood

Garry Cairncross

Phil & Robyn Ham

Richard & Christine O'Shea

Gordon & Marion Murray and Rebecca & Gary Broad

Peter & Colleen Kaineder

Mike & Denise Dwight

Terry Curtin & Merle Hoffensetz

Andy & Jan Hoban

Bernie & Kirstie Williams

Rob & Helen Huggan

Tim & Denise Strange

Wally Fiedler

Kevin & Sharyn Pilkington

Denis & Fay Walker

John Atkinson

Daryl Kerslake & Kerry Biggs

Peter Gray & Val Mack

Gary & Ursula Baguley

Stan Barrett

Ray Stimson

Zig Unwin & Beryl Cross

John Tinkler

George King

Graeme Buchanan

Max Newnham

John Quinn & Sharyn Muller

Michael Jarvis

Dave & Dell Armstrong

Ewen 'Slippery' Blair & Annette Hopgood

John Perrett

Hilton Cother

Robert & Pamela Dent

Bob & Christine Towers

John Graham

John & Kaye Foxwell

Dick & Sharyn Clark

Dave Strother

Bob 'Bomber' Gibson

Greg & Mary Cummins

Mick Bayley

Jack & Mary Parr

Brian 'Boof' Harris

Michael & Ann Barrett

Errol Feebrey

Arthur Penn & Ivy Phelps

Robert Stickells

Daryl (Dick) & Robyn Christie

Mick Sell

Jim Smith

Dan & Ann Wyborn

Dick & Ruth Nicholson

Kim Seibokas (sister of Ray Slater)

Peter Burquest

Blue Brunette

Ray Curtis

John & Jan Nelson

Graham & Kay Jarmyn

Ern ' Ned' Kelly

Brian Brodrick

Pete & Carol Harrower

Rod Thompson

Bill & Janet Ryan

Terry Anlezark

Greg Cole

Lindsay & Sue McDougall

Ben & Helen Pupillo

Dave Griffiths

Fred Alderman

Gordon (Dinger) & Michelle Bell

Bob & Margaret Towns

John & Lynda Wrobel

Joe Griffin

Mick Lane

Rod & Donna Canobie

Russell & Kathy Stanford

Bruce & Daphne Craven

Lorne (Doc) & Joy Clarke

Jim McDonnell

Rod & Beverly McNab

Phillip & Laurel Anderson

Geoff & Sue Bowcock

Guy Holloway & Gloria Swan

Perry Neil

Kevin Mattewson

June Slater

Dave Colless

Ron, Fay & Ruth Anderson

Peter Leonard & Nancy Ellett

Bill Saunders & Ann McHugh

1 RAR MEMBERS

MAJ BEN JOHNSON

LT BEN SLOANE

WO2 MATT HIBBS

CPL JOSHUA PROTANI

LCPL SIMON PHILPOTT

PTE NATHAN PATTERSON

PTE PATRICK OTIENO

PTE PETER BROWNING

PTE MATTHEW RAHLEY

PTE LACHLAN BEDDING

PTE JOEL BROWNE

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

1^st Battalion Battle Group Reunion .. Warning Order

F.S.B. Coral Vietnam Reunion and Memorial Service

The 49^th 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 16^th May 2017 Grand Chancellor Hotel

Commencing at 4.45pm

Memorial Service & Dinner:

Wednesday 17^th 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

where the 2018, 50^th anniversary will be held, and
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:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/577768285737827/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/752045804936708/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/5515274659/

https://www.facebook.com/1rarassociation/

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

E: groups@spiritoftasmania.com.au | W: spiritoftasmania.com.au

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

Zero Davey Boutique Apartments

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)

Quest TrinityHouse

(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

Quest Apartments

(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

Quality Midcity Hotel

(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

Hadleys Orient Hotel

(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, 15^th – 18^th 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.

Alesha_Webb@racv.com.au

RACV/RACT Hobart Apartments

154-156 Collins Street, Hobart Tasmania 7000

The Old Woolstore Hotel

(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)

reservations@oldwoolstore.com.au

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

FOUNTAIN SIDE HOTEL

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