18 January 2012

Michael was a WO1 in RAEME , various postings and was also the President of the RAEME Association

From: Amanda O'Donohoe
Sent: Wednesday, 18 January 2012 2:21 PM
To:
Subject: Thank you re Floral Tribute

Dear Kevin,

On behalf of my sister Dianne and brother Anthony, we would like to thank you for the floral tribute provided by 3 Transport Association at the recent funeral of our father Michael O'Donohoe.

I would also like to thank you for forwarding a copy of your association newsletter to Dad at Hawkesbury Village over the past couple of years. Despite not always being able to read its contents in full it did provide a link to your association.

Thank you again,

Lachlan O'Donohoe

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NOTE

The association is suggesting Canberra, easy access for past/present members rather than have to travel interstate or over 3 hrs.

Re B, The laying up, we are suggesting Bandaian.

POSITION BRIEF

RACT 40th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

SATURDAY 1 JUNE 2013

1. The RACT 40th Anniversary celebrations will be upon us before we know it.

There have been some recent changes to the Corps Banner Sub Committee that was established to take the lead on the celebrations.
This was because of conflicting work requirements of COL Bill Denny and MAJ Adam Watson.

The new sub committee now comprises:

a. Chair – COL LesleyWoodroffe

b. Secretary – MAJ Ben Cottrell

c. Ceremonial Adviser – WO1 Ken Golden

2. This committee will of course be ably supported by the Deputy Head of Corps LTCOL Paul Bruce, the Corps RSM, WO1 Greg Collins and COL Denny has agreed to continue to be an advisor on historical issues.

3. The key events for the celebrations will be a banner parade, planned for Saturday) 1 June 2013 and a parade for the laying up of the Princess Alice banner on the (Sunday) 2 June 2013. Other possible events include formal dinner/s and Association functions.

4. In order to enable the sub-committee to proceed as soon as possible with

planning, the assistance of Colonel Commandants and Association Presidents is

required to canvas the views of RACT members (past and present) within your region

and present recommendations on the following:

a. Location of the Banner Parade. This will in the main be determined by factors such as facilities, troop concentrations and operational commitments and available accommodation. There are three recommended alternatives for this parade:

(1) Puckapunyal - the traditional home of the Corps;

(2) Bandiana - the new home of the Corps and the current location of the School of Transport; and

(3) Brisbane or Townsville - key centres for concentration of RACT troops.

b. Laying up of the Princess Alice Banner and Location. There has been a direction from the Chief of Army that all banners are to be laid up in the chapel at Kapooka however this has already been successfully challenged at CASAG and that therefore presents us with some alternatives. Noting that the ceremony need not be conducted in the location where the banner is laid up, your recommendations are sought as to final laying up location. The possible alternatives are:

(1) Kapooka Chapel - where it is visible to all IET of all corps;

(2) Puckapunyal - the traditional home of the Corps; and

(3) Bandiana Chapel - the new home of the Corps and the current location

of the School of Transport and visited by all.

c. Additional Celebratory Functions. In addition to the parade it is intended that there be supporting functions and that these are likely to be in the same location as the banner parade. Such functions may include for example a formal dinner or dinners

(Officer and/or Senior NCO or mixed ranks); a function for associations or a sporting/family event. Recommendations on the nature of the events that are most likely to be supported are requested. An indication of the likelihood of support by units and past members, (i.e. association memberships) should the events not be held in their local area, would also be useful.

d. Painting/Photography. There will be consideration of the commissioning of a painting. It is possible that within the regions there is an RACT/Association member who is in a position to make recommendations on a suitable artist who has some affiliation with the corps and therefore adds some cultural value to the work.

e. Memorabilia. Recommendations on the sorts of memorabilia that would be appreciated or valued are sought.

The means by which information is canvased and collated is dependant upon the established communication avenues with RACT members (current and past) in regions. Formal surveys are not required but as wide a consultation as possible in a

short space of time is essential. Recommendations, with supporting argument should be forwarded to Lesley Woodroffe at lesley.woodroffe@defence.gov.au and copied to btcottrell@gmail.com and gregory.collins@defence.gov.au by no later than 16 November 2011.

Prepared By:

LesleyWoodroffe

Colonel

RACT Colonel Commandant Northern Region

20 October 2011

Cleared By:

(SIGNED)

Jeff Wilkinson

Brigadier

RACT Representative Colonel Commandant and Colonel Commandant Eastern

Region

20 October 2011

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New Head of Corps

Brigadier Andrew Bottrell, CSC and Bar

Head of Corps Royal Australian Corps of Transport

Copywrite by RACT Admin
BRIG_Bottrell

Andrew Bottrell was born on 15th August 1967 in Forbes, NSW and completed his schooling at Rostrevor College in Adelaide. He graduated from the Royal Military College in 1987 to the Royal Australian Corps of Transport. His regimental service was undertaken within 10th Terminal Regiment, the Army Detachment to the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition, and the Land Warfare Centre, Canungra.

Brigadier Bottrell was promoted to major in 1996 and served as a staff officer at Headquarters Logistics Command before taking command of Adelaide Logistic Company. He deployed to East Timor in late 1999 as part of INTERFET where he served with the Force Logistic Support Group and later assumed the position of Operations Officer of the 3rd Brigade Administrative Support Battalion (later 3rd Combat Service Support Battalion). He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in July 2001 and served in Strategic Operations Division. In 2002 he was posted to the Headquarters of US Army Training and Doctrine Command in Virginia where he served as the Deputy Director of Individual Training.

Brigadier Bottrell returned to Australia to assume command of the 3rd Combat Service Support Battalion within the 3rd Brigade. During his tenure he deployed on Op LARRY ASSIST to command the Land Task Group in Innisfail in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Larry. He also deployed to Timor Leste in May 2006 on OP ASTUTE as the Logistics Component Commander for JTF631 under, then, Brigadier Mick Slater.

In 2007 he served as an instructor at the Australian Command and Staff College. Later that year he deployed on Op CATALYST as the SO1 Joint Effects on HQ Multi-National Division (South East) where he was charged with the responsibility for coordinating the transfer of Basra Province to Provincial Iraqi Control.

Upon return to Australia in Jan 2008 Brigadier Bottrell was promoted to Colonel and posted as Director Logistics – Army in Army Headquarters.

In 2010 he attended the Defence and Strategic Studies Course at the Australian Defence College and was subsequently promoted to Brigadier and posted into his current appointment as Chief of Staff Army Headquarters in January 2011.

Brigadier Bottrell holds a Bachelor of Business, a Master of Business (Integrated Logistics), a Master of Defence Studies, and a Master of Arts (Strategic Studies). He is a graduate of the Australian Army Command and Staff College, Queenscliffe, and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies.

Brigadier Bottrell was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 2003 for his work at Strategic Operations Division and was awarded a Bar to the Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2007 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his role as the Logistics Component Commander for Op ASTUTE.

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Queens Birthday Honours

CONSPICUOUS SERVICE CROSS (CSC)

Brigadier David Thomas MULHALL AM, NSW. Outstanding achievement as the Chief of Staff Army Headquarters, Office of the Chief of Army, Army Headquarters.

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20 May 2011

Message received from the President:

Sad news received yesterday, Big Jim passed away on 9th May from a heart attack. The last time I saw Jim was at Arthur Bradshaw’s funeral, he didn’t look well and walked out during the service. From info received he went for a walk next morning and collapsed into the yard of a neighbour several houses from his house. The sub branch only found out yesterday when a request was made re funeral fund. Jim was buried last Friday 13th May 2011

I have on behalf of association passed on our condolences to his wife.

KC.

I will Miss "Big Jim" as I walk through Centro Bankstown because for many years he has always called out "Hi Sarge"

Bob Duggan

RIP Jim Wreath2 Wreath2

18 March 2011

Message from Head of Corps

Princess Anne, The Princess Royal,
Colonel-in-Chief RACT

Submitted by RACTAdmin

It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has appointed Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, as the new Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Corps of Transport.

As confirmation of this appointment has only just been received, we are only in the very early stages of our planning in how we will formally engage our new Colonel-in-Chief.

More news will be posted once available.

princess_anne_jpg

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6 Febuary 2011

Congratulations to Major Trevor Worland on his appointment as OC 3 Transport Squadron

19 December 2010

Congratulations to WOI Gregory Collins on his posting as RSM AST (Corp RSM)

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9 September 2010

Mesothelioma Incidence and Trends in Australia

Australia has one of the highest incidences of mesothelioma in the world, largely due to its extensive use and mining of asbestos, including one of the most toxic forms - crocidolite. Since about 1980, the government of Australia has been keeping track of mesothelioma cases and also mandates that any cancer diagnosis be reported to the proper tracking authorities, namely the National Cancer Statistics Clearinghouse, which is maintained by the Institute of Health and Welfare.

In May 2008, the Australian Safety and Compensation Council released a report that focuses on the incidence of mesothelioma from 1980 until 2004, the last year for which complete and accurate statistics are currently available. Aside from providing general numbers as to the incidence of mesothelioma in Australia, the report also breaks down the information for each state and territory and provides projections for the future. See the link on the links page or go direct to www.asbestos.com for further information.

Thanks to Carl Jewett a retired LCDR (O-4) in the US Navy for the above information.

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14 August 2010

New RACT web presence

Message from Brigadier D.T. MULHALL, AM

Head_of_Corps

I would also like to take this opportunity to officially announce that the new RACT website is up and running. It can be found at www.ract.org.au. The site is on the internet and should now be considered as the main electronic focal point for news and professional discussion within the Corps. It will also provide a central link into the many Associations that exist to keep the past members of the Corps engaged and informed. As a result, I have directed that the old internet and intranet (DRN) sites be closed down immediately with redirections put in place. Quite frankly, there is little justification for keeping the DRN site (on security grounds or otherwise). Indeed, a large proportion of the Corps do not have regular DRN access and therefore they were unable to access up-to-date Corps information.

You will notice that the new website embraces social media, with links to specific RACT YouTube, Facebook and Twitter sites. These are in their infancy and will be developed in the coming months. They will also rely on your participation to make them vibrant and worthwhile sites. For social media novices (or sceptics), I urge you to have a look at the Army Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheAustralianArmy?ref=ts) which now has approximately 34000 fans and which is providing Army with a strong platform to get out its message. You will note that many units and other Corps also have a presence on Facebook.

One important innovation on the RACT website is that we have created unclassified web forums for each of our key trades, as well as direct access to trade representatives for restricted information. One hurdle is gaining access to some web links from the DRN. CIOG are in the process of granting access for these sites, so until this access is granted, it will only be accessible from non-DRN computers. I know this is not ideal, but I do not want to hold off using these methods of communicating. Please be patient while the access issue is resolved with CIOG, but I ask that you embrace and encourage use of this site.

You may recall that one of my key themes is to substantially improve the way that we communicate within the Corps, and this is a key means to achieve that. If you have any queries or require assistance on the process, please don't hesitate to contact the HOC Cell on RACT.HOCCELL@defence.gov.au .

Par Oneri
D.T. MULHALL, AM
Brigadier
Head of Corps - Royal Australian Corps of Transport

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8 April 2010

Can anyone give any further details in regards to this Headstone which is in Liverpool NSW.
Please E-Mail to webmaster@3tptcoy.com

Headstone_Liverpool_NSW

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1 January 2010

Squadron Leader Alan Lyons a member of our association has retired from service.

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RACT ARA Command and RSM appointments WEF 18 Jan 2010:

Congratulations are extended to the below members from HOC and the members of the RACT

• LTCOL Walk CO 7 CSSB

• LTCOL Constantine CO JLU (N)

• LTCOL Cowham CO 8 CSSB

• LTCOL Armstrong CO 9 FSB

• LTCOL Bruce CO AST

• LTCOL Donohue CO 1 CSSB

• WO1 Foster RSM 17 CSS Bde

• WO1 Carthew RSM 9 Bde

• WO1 Irwin RSM Ceremonial Sydney

• WO1 Armstrong RSM Ceremonial Hobart

• WO1 Fisher RSM 1 CSR

• WO1 Craker RSM 2 FSB

• WO1 Bodsworth RSM 9 FSB

• WO1 Johnson RSM 4 CSSB

•WO1 Collins RSM 8 CSSB

• WO1 Maher RSM 11 CSSB

• WO1 Frampton 39 PSB

•WO1 Barron RSM QUR

• WO1 Lakey RSM 13 CSSB

• WO1 Le Lievre RSM AST

It is worth dwelling on the words of Mr Kenna's citation for they best describe one of Australian military history's most remarkable acts of bravery.

"On his own initiative and without orders, Private Kenna stood up immediately in full view of the enemy less than 50 yards away and engaged the bunker, firing his Bren gun from his hip," the citation reads.

"The enemy machine gun immediately returned Private Kenna's fire with such accuracy that bullets actually passed between his arms and body. Undeterred, he remained completely composed and continued to fire at the enemy until his magazine was exhausted. Still making a target of himself, Private Kenna discarded his Bren gun and called for a rifle.

"Despite the intense machinegun fire, he seized the rifle and, with amazing coolness, killed the gunner with his first round. A second automatic opened fire ... from a different position and another enemy immediately tried to move into position behind the first machine gun, but Private Kenna remained standing and killed him with his next round."

Mr Panter, the youngest surviving member of the dwindling 2/4th battalion, said that when it was all over, Mr Kenna had bullet holes in his pants and shirt.

24 June 2009

New cemetery at Fromelles

WORK has started on the new cemetery at Fromelles, in northern France, which will provide a final resting place for
around 400 British and Australian soldiers.

The troops died during the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916, with the bodies buried in a number of pits by the German
army in the hours after the battle.

A team of archaeologists are currently extracting the bodies and countless items of clothing and equipment and it is
hoped that DNA techniques will enable as many of the soldiers as possible to be named and given an individual headstone.

The removal of remains is intricate work that involves very small archaeological tools and hand held metal detectors.
As they are recovered, the soldiers' remains are X-rayed and taken through an on-site temporary mortuary for scientific
analysis and cataloguing.

Numerous artifact have been found in association with the remains. The majority of these are buckles, buttons,
press studs and fragments of fabric from the 1908 pattern webbing equipment that both Australian and
British soldiers wore at the Battle of Fromelles.
Families who believe their relatives may have lost their lives at Fromelles are urged to check the lists of casualties at www.fromelles.org.

The new cemetery at Fromelles is the first one in fifty years to be built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
and will be completed by December 2009.

Source: GeneaNet Newsletter dated - 17/06/2009

27 May 2009

Head of Corps

It is with great pride that I assumed the appointment of Head of Corps from Brigadier Saul on 3 April 2009. Brigadier Saul and I have known each other for many years and I have long admired his drive and capacity to get things done. He has built tremendously upon the strong foundation left for him by previous Heads of Corps and Corps Directors, and also upon the extraordinary contribution made over many years by the men and women of our Corps. On behalf of the Corps, I sincerely thank Brigadier Saul for his efforts as Head of Corps over the past two years and look forward to his on-going contribution.

My association with the Corps started in 1982 when I joined the Army as a driver at 2 Transport Squadron. 27 years on, I remain very proud of our Corps, the people in it and the great work that we do. Our Corps has a hard-earned reputation for maintaining the highest professional standards and for getting on with the job at hand with little fuss. We have always been adaptable and willing to take on new challenges - attributes that position us well to exploit the opportunities of Adaptive Army and the soon to be released Defence White Paper.

My current appointment is that of Chief of Staff Army Headquarters. I am therefore well positioned to have visibility over the major strategic issues confronting Army and our Corps. My desire is to get out and about as much as possible and listen to the ideas and concerns of our people, while also using my position in Army Headquarters to ensure that the Corps is well-informed and focused on addressing the right issues.

I look forward to meeting you, or re-establishing old acquaintances, over the coming months. Please do not hesitate to get in touch and let me know what you think is important to the future and well-being of our Corps. Par Oneri.

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6 December 2008

The funeral service for the late Capt. Val Litchfield was conducted in idyllic surroundings in the NSW Southern Highlands’ town of Mittagong on 26 November 2008.

Approximately 100 people consisting of family, friends, former members of the Fiji Regiment, 161 Field Battery, Royal NZ Artillery, various Sub-Branch members, Regional Commander of Cadets and those who knew Val and his wife Kathryn, well.

Val was born in Darwin 4 December 1936. The family was evacuated 3 months before the bombing of Darwin, moving to Sydney and then later eventually to Fiji.

Schooling was achieved at Suva Grammar School. On completing his schooling, Val was then to be employed as the 1st broadcasting technician.

Val would later join the NZ Army in 1959, spanning a 12 year period until 1971. This career would encompass several postings including the National Service Centre, as an instructor. Another posting was to 161 Field Battery, where Val would be trained as a battery surveyor.

In 1965 Val’s unit was deployed to Vietnam to be part of the 1st Australian Task Force and 1 Field Regiment, based in both Bein Hoa & Nui Dat. It was here that he was responsible for the construction of the Battery HQ. This became known as “Litchfield Reddout”.

On the night of 18/19 August 1966, the unit utilized its big bullet chuckers to assist valuable fire support in defence of Delta Coy 6 RAR. This was the Battle for Long Tan.

The Duty Surveyor was Sgt Val Litchfield. Val would later enjoy postings in the Australian Army Reserve with both 177 Air Dispatch and 3 Transport Squadron as Troop Commander.

Val retired in 1977 but still took an active participation with Cadets & his local Sub-Branch.

Tributes and condolences were delivered by 161 Battery RNZA, NZ Sub-Branch and also Southern Highlands Sub-Branch.

As the last post reverberated from a lone bugler, a former & respected soldier & a proud member of his local community, was farewelled.

A 2 minute real-time audio account of Long Tan is held by the AWM, donated by Val’s twin brother.

Val’s sister stated that she has “never seen so many ex-service personnel place poppies on a coffin”.

Congratulations to Peter Cassar who has been promoted to Warrant Officer Class 1

The amazing part about these promotions are that both men are still serving and both are 64 years of age.

Major General Warren Glenny AO RFD ED presents the unit standard to WO1 Kevin Connelly (Retd)

They led the CORP section at the RFD march and I am please to say that everyone was instep at all times, Well done guys and gals.

The RACT Pipes and Drums have a long and proud history and the RACT remains one of the few Corps to have such an asset. The Pipes and Drums is a GRes unit that wears the RACT Corps Badge. Units are strongly encouraged to use the RACT Pipes and Drums to provide musical support to various activities, particularly those of an RACT nature.

Princess Anne, The Princess Royal,Colonel-in-Chief RACT

Mesothelioma Incidence and Trends in Australia

Head of Corps

Princess Anne, The Princess Royal,
Colonel-in-Chief RACT