G'day from Down Under

Hi from Australia - I've been collecting since I was five although it has waxed and waned over the years. I spent 17 years in the Australian Army and enjoy research, collecting, buying and selling (the stuff that helps me buy the stuff I really want) and metal detecting. I find the occasional military item although this is a bit limited in this country but I'm heading to Europe next year and will be detecting at least one battlefield (from the 1700s).

I came across this forum when researching an item that I'd found and recognised that there was some in-depth knowledge amongst the sites members.

 

Hello Harry, good to have you on the forum. enjoy your stay!

 

Howdy and welcome to the forum. A memo must have been sent to the country down under with the influx of Australians signing up. Happy posting

 

Oh know, not another Aussie! What is this forum coming too? Soon we'll all be saying things like "Crikey! Thats a big one!"



Welcome to the Forum!

 

Howdy to a fellow Aussie and Digger who were you with when you wore the green skin. Delta 2/4 RAR was my longest posting.

 

By the way nice reference "Breaker"

 

Hello Harry -- Welcome! You have found a great place to hang out and discuss all things WWII! Jump right in!

Cheers!

 

hi mate welcome to the forum you will enjoy your time here .. best krieg

 

Are you telling me you didn't love Steve Erwin

G'day to another fellow Aussie, glad to have ya.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome

I was a Duntroon boy so didn't stay long in any one unit and went to RAEME - 2nd/14th Light Horse (Queensland Mounted Infantry), 5th Aviation, 3 BASB, HQ 3 Bde and then ended up in Canberra. Had a bit of fun in East Timor with INTERFET before I got out. PS always did think that the lads from 2/4 were better than those posers from 1

 

To be honest with you mate, a lot of those abreviations about the ADF completely lost me. I though I consider myself to know a little about Australia in ww2, I in no way pride my self in my lack of knowledge for the current forces.

I almost the joined the ADF as a Gun number, but due to my son being born I had it defered for a year, and well that was 2 years ago. lol.

 

Hey breaker glad to see one of the commisioned down here in the trenches. Hope Timor wasn't too bad i know a bunch of fellows who were over there with 6RAR They all seem to think it was a bit of a fishing trip. Don't get me going on the ODF rivalry beetween 1 & 2/4 there is an almost constant round of practical jokes going on up there in Townsville. Best Op. yet one evening just prior to a 1 RAR Battalion inspection a bunch of us snuck over and painted Septimus { The white shetland pony that is 1RAR's mascot} Red and Black 2/4's colours. 1RAR retaliated by painting the Rock that our regimental badge was mounted on out front of BHQ Blue 1 RAR colours. And on it went. Just a curio when you were in Canberra you didn't cross paths with a Bob Parker by any chance i think he might of been a Major by the time he was in the capitol. He was one of my Seco's in 2/4

Hey keep an eye on your personal messages i am cooking up an idea for our Prime Minister

Hey Tomcat which ones don't you know and i'll fill you in.

 

RAEME, BASB, Bde, INTERFET.

What are these ones mate?

 

R.A.E.M.E. Royal Australian Electrical Mechanical Engineers. This is the Corps that "Harry" was Commisioned in.

BASB The firs two letters defeat me but the last two would stand for Supply Battalion.

Bde. is an abreviation for Brigade.

INTERFET i can't remember what the anogram stand for but it was the title of the multinational policing force that was deployed to East timor after the general election.

Hope that helps.

 

welcome to the forum Harry.

 

Thankyou that does help

Now that I have seen it, the top one looks familiar, and the Brigade one as Bde? I have never seen Brigade abbreviated like that before.

 

Bde for Brigade is fairly standard - BASB stood for Brigade Administration Support Battalion but exist no more being replaced by CSSBs (Combat Service Support Battalions) and were made up of a Supply Company, Transport Company, Field Workshop, Medical Company, Dental Section, Military Police platoon and the normal Headquarter Company and Q Store. Definately not the Supply Battalion - the Cockroaches were further down the road

INTERFET was International Force East Timor which was a Peacemaking Force under the UN (as opposed to a Peacekeeping Force)

I know, I know I must refrain from using TLAs...........which is the acronym for Three Letter Acronyms. You can take the boy out of the Army...........

P - I'm pretty sure I know Bob Parker - I think he was in 3 Bde when I was there 92-96

 

Sorry bout that Breaker just made an assumption on the BASB didn't mean to imply that you were a "roach" not that us grunts would use such disparaging terms LOL. Neato on Bob, tall skinny fellow darkish complexion would of had a fairly dry sense of humour.I think he was in canberrra around the time you listed I haven't seen him in about Ten or so but have had friends give me updates.

 

Welcome to the forums!

 

I wonder if our foreign friends understand the Morant, or the Breaker posts?

Maybe someone should enlighten them