F.S.B. Coral Vietnam Reunion and Memorial Service Newcastle NSW Fri 15th Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2015

Lonely Planet Guide Newcastle

Visit Newcastle

Remembering the Battle of Coral

Order DVD F.S.B. The Documentary

Australian War Memorial Battles of Coral Balmoral May -June 1968

REUNION TEAM Newcastle 2015

 Harry Day

Pepe Prendergast

pepecoral68[at]gmail.com

Ray Curtis
rosandray4[at]bigpond.com

Coral Weblog  Wally & Lesley Fiedler 

substitute [at] for @ for a working email address

Reunion Program & Venues

Detailed info will be   on the 2105 Early Warning Order & Registration Form

& Newcastle  City Map  Links which will take you off this page to a downloadable ......PDF  file

Friday 15th May  Meet & Greet
Newcastle Panthers Club (Formerly known as Newcastle Workers Club) Cnr King & Union Streets  Newcastle
 6pm-8pm

Saturday 16th May  Memorial Service  
Civic Park 

Civic Park War Memorial

3.30pm Form up for march Civic Park King Street Newcastle

3.45pm March Off to Vietnam Veterans Memorial for service.

Saturday 17th May
Newcastle Panthers Club
Pre Dinner drinks 5.30  Dinner 6.30  

Sunday 19th May

8.00am meet at Civic Park to collect buses for 8.30 am departure

to Singleton Military Museum. Morning tea at Museum will be provided by

bus company.

Bus trip into Singleton RSL Bowling Club for lunch.

Then onto Hunter Valley wineries for afternoon wine tasting and purchases

arriving back in Newcastle approx. 5-5.30pm.

Accommodation Newcastle 2015

Hotels
Check when booking on any extra cost for parking and whether avail onsite

Please quote FSB Coral Reunion when making booking to get any special pricing discounts

Crowne Plaza Newcastle


Noah's on The Beach


Ibis Newcastle


Travelodge Newcastle



Apartments



Hostels





Caravan Parks

Stockton Beach Holiday Park

Photo Albums from Coral Reunions

PHOTO ALBUM LINKS CLICK BELOW TO VIEW


2014 Adelaide Harry Day's Album

2013 Rockhampton Harry Day's Album
2013 Rockhampton Bernie William's Album

2012 Port Macquarie Meet & Greet
2012 Port Macquarie March & Service
2012 Port Macquarie Reunion Dinner

Wally Fiedler's Albums

Bernie William's Albums 2005/2010

Doc Thomson's Albums

Harry Day's Albums

Mick Bayley's Albums

Reg Yates's Albums

104 Signals Coral Reunion 2008

12th Field Regt Coral Reunion 2008

You can sign up below for your own free Picasa Web Album avail for Windows & Mac and upload your own images .... send Pepe the URL and we will link from this page to display your web album

PICASA for WINDOWS

PICASA for MAC

Vale Paul Richardson 37973 (1RAR) Warrant Oficer Class 2

                                                                    May 2014   Photo Courtesy  Harry Day 

(Richo)  2.11.1944  -   23.6.2014 Passed away at Whittle Ward  Hobart with his family by his side. Loving partner to Vicki and a good mate to all family and friends. 37973 Warrant Officer Class 2. 
A Service will be held for Richo at the Graham Family Funeral Home Chapel, cnr Risdon and Bay Roads, New Town on Friday at 1.30 pm. Family and friends are warmly invited to attend. Private Cremation.
 In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Salvation Army and will be gratefully accepted at the Service.

Oh shit. ! Bugger. !

Paul attended his last Reunion in Adelaide & it was obvious the big C had a strong grip on him but chatting to him he was upbeat about getting a few more years. 

A long history of 1st Bn service with Malaya & 2 tours of Nam, first as a forward scout & second as a Sect Comd until an error of judgement brought him to me as my Pl Sig. He is just one of the really great characters in our Infantry family. 

He had a way about him that allowed him to dress off anyone who he thought had "got it wrong"  or if something was impacting the diggers but if you were smart you respected him for it. I know because he pulled me up several times & I respected him & accepted it. 

He was great to work with. 

But what a lovely, funny, intelligent personality he was who showed so much ability & capability that all who knew him respected & liked him. I have many many fond memories now to reflect on & remember him. I take pride that he referred to me as a good mate of his. 

Rest in peace now Richo. 

A SOLDIER died today!

From a sad Pepe

Paul Richardson.
Today Australia lost a warrior, a larrikin, and an icon.
Richo was a soldiers soldier who thrived in the bush and created havoc in the barracks.
A bloke who commanders needed when it mattered but despaired of, when it did not.
An inspiration to others at war and peace  and the bloke you wanted to watch your back.
He was a hard task master and one who believed that tough realistic training saved lives.
He worked and played hard, swore and drank, and, although not born of this land, was a true Australian. 
Bye Mate, enjoy Valhalla, you will be missed.
John Salter

Bugger, bugger, bugger!!!!

Richo was a great soldier, a character and anyone who saw that video/movie on 1 RAR’s first tour will remember him with his big cheesy Chad Morgan grin.  I know that Tony Hammett respected him, as did I even though he was not in my platoon.  He had that air of professionalism about him, with a wicked sense of the ridiculous and, if you allowed him (and you deserved it!!) he would quickly put you in your place.  After he left the Army he lived in Townsville for a while and, with his wife, managed a block of units down near the marina.  He drew the younger soldiers around him like a magnet.  In these days where conformity is demanded, Richo was a colourful character, an excellent soldier, a better bloke and a real friend.  We need more like him.

We have lost a great digger.

 Neil Weekes

WALTZING NO MORE
Vietnam vet Paul '‘Richo’' Richardson passed away this week. A legendary figure in the Australian Army who I was privileged to dine with on one occasion three years ago, Richo will be remembered by his fellow vets for many things, but most particularly for what he did during the Battle of Coral, on the night of May 15-16, 1968. At the height of the action, just when it seemed the Australians of D Company, 1RAR were about to be overwhelmed by North Vietnamese troops, Corporal and Section Commander Richardson and his team of nine were firing their machine gun, rifles and grenade launchers for their lives, when he started singing Waltzing Matilda at the top of his lungs. The whole platoon joins in. He took a lot of stick for it, too, afterwards, but his mates loved him for it. He was that kind of bloke, and this week his platoon commander on that night, 2nd Lieutenant John Salter, eulogised: “Richo was a soldier’s soldier who thrived in the bush and created havoc in the barracks. A bloke who commanders needed when it mattered but despaired of, when it did not. An inspiration to others at war and peace and the bloke you wanted to watch your back.”
  Vale, Richo, and thank-you for your service.
Peter FitzSimons SMH

Last Post : Private Dal Edward Abbott
The link above will take you to a video of the Last Post Ceremony for Dal Abbott at The Australian War Memorial

Birth:	Sep. 23, 1946 Ashfield New South Wales, Australia
Death:	May 30, 1968, Vietnam
2782017 Private Dal Edward Abbott Killed in Action Fire Support Base Coral/Balmoral 30th May 1968 Age 21. At around 8am on 30th May '68, 7 Platoon and 8 Platoon were approaching a well dug in enemy (NVA) bunker system in very thick secondary jungle when all hell broke loose with both Platoons pinned down by withering machine gun and RPG rocket fire. Dal Abbott was the Gun No2 in 3 Section 7 Platoon and it was his job to provide protection to the Gunner, to feed new belt ammo into the MG and assist with any stoppages The machine gunner, Pte Bob McLean, had a stoppage soon after commencing to fire a second ammo belt Bob was having trouble clearing the stoppage when Dal tried to help but when Dal raised his head to fix the problem he received several rounds to the head and was killed instantly alongside Bob. "The enemy had the advantage and were moving to encircle C Coy. Meanwhile the remainder of C Coy was trying to extricate the two lead Platoons under fire. The timely arrival of some welcome Tanks from the FSB Coral eventually turned the battle around and Dal's body was able to be recovered. Inscription: 2782017 PRIVATE D.E. ABBOTT ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT 30TH MAY 1968 AGE 21 Note: Dal Abbott's name has now been added to the ROLL of HONOUR in the Australian War Memorial - LEST WE FORGET
Burial: Terendak Military Cemetery Malacca Melaka, Malaysia

F.S.B. Coral The Documentary

The Oral History Documentary of the Battle of FSB Coral

Order Coral Documentary