The advertising for this year’s Luncheon posed the question:
The luncheon revealed them to belong to this year’s speaker Barry Lloyd.
The mid-year Artillery Luncheon was held at Club City (City of Sydney RSL) on Wednesday 18 June. Once again a very enjoyable occasion was organised by Laurie Manning, providing the opportunity to get together in the middle of the year.
Our Guest Speaker shared his adventure trekking along the Finisterre Range and crossing Shaggy Ridge. The above photo was taken looking down the valley from the Ridge to the stream below. Click on the image for a larger view. Barry handed out maps before his presentation to orient everyone to what was coming.
We were treated to a fast moving, large screen presentation by Barry as, for a short time, he followed in his father’s wartime footsteps. The trek was exhilarating, exhausting, exciting; experiencing heat, cold, continual humidity and all without anyone taking shots at him. Barry’s photographs and maps, the conditions and deprivations of trekking, brought to life the issues faced by the 7th Division in following up and pressing the Japanese as they withdrew from the Lae area.
Two 7 Div veterans joined us for the day and spoke of the school in PNG, that the 7 Div Assn has supported since the end of WW2. This is done as a thank you to the villagers, who assisted them through the months of battle in the Northern part of the country in 1943.
At left is Gam Tobin of 2/31 Bn, who witnessed the surrender of Major-General Uno, at Banjermasin in Dutch Borneo, when he laid his sword at the feet of Lt-Col Murray Robson CO 2/31 Bn 2nd AIF.
At right is Norm Ensor, a signaller with 7 Div Line Section and currently Senior Vice-President of 7 Div Assn.
Photos, courtesy Vic Rae