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A very connected Veterans’ Health Week

Clockwise from top: members of Veterans Care at their holistic health education day at Cathedral Hall in Brisbane; Freedom Day Club’s picnic day at Karkarook Park, Heatherton (Vic); members of Cockburn RSL (WA) on a magical mystery tour; Murray Bridge RSL Sub-branch’s (SA) barbecue attended by the veteran community and local school children; sea-kayak activity in the Solitary Islands Marine Park (NSW).

This year’s Veterans’ Health Week (22–30 October) saw nearly 15,000 people attending more than 300 events across Australia. Its success was due to the efforts of former and current serving Australian Defence Force personnel, ex-service and community organisations, service-providers and volunteers.

Each year, Veterans’ Health Week promotes one of four themes. The theme this year was social connection, which focuses on the influence that relationships have on health and wellbeing. Social connection fosters a sense of belonging, happiness and trust in others who can be a support during difficult times, and share in good times. Other themes promoted through Veterans’ Health Week are physical activity, nutrition and mental wellness.

The purpose of Veterans’ Health Week is to encourage current and former service personnel to improve their health and well-being by actively participating in a range of relevant community activities.

The social connection theme this year was a great reminder that connecting with others involves making an effort to be welcoming and inclusive all year around. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs encouraged event organisers to use the opportunity to reach out to people who often miss out on the benefits of engaging with local veteran and ex-service community groups.

Veterans’ Health Week 2016 was filled with laughter and enjoy-ment across a variety of events. These included family fun days, social outdoor activities, come ‘n try health events, art exhibi-tions and workshops, health information sessions, sleep-outs for the homeless, health and wellbeing expos, community fairs and many others.

Many participants also took to social media to keep the conversation going using #VHW2016 or #veteranshealthweek to share their thoughts and experiences about the week with friends and family.

Veterans’ Health Week 2017Planning for Veterans’ Health Week 2017 is already underway. DVA will fund events that focus on two or more of the Veterans’ Health Week themes or that focus on 2017’s main theme, physical activity.

For more information on Veterans’ Health Week, or to start plan-ning your event for 2017, contact DVA on 133 254 (or 1800 555 254 from regional Australia), email vhw@dva.gov.au or visit www.dva.gov.au/veterans-health-week.

Vol. 32 No. 3 SUMMER 2016 ISSN 0819-8934

PAGE 4 PAGES 8–9 PAGE 10

CHANGES TO ASSETS TEST LIMITS

SPIRIT OF ANZAC CENTENARY EXPERIENCE VETERANS RETURN TO KOREA

2 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

Vetaffairs is published by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs as a free newspaper for Australia’s veteran community.Editor Conan Elphickeemail vetaffairs@dva.gov.aumail GPO Box 9998 Canberra, ACT 2601

Follow DVA on Facebook DVA Aus and Twitter @DVAAus.Browse DVA on YouTube DVAAus’ Channel and Flickr to see DVAAus’ photostream. Follow the links on the DVA website: www.dva.gov.au

Vetaffairs is printed by Independent Print Media Group on PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) accredited paper.

News from the DepartmentSimon Lewis, PSMSecretary Department of Veterans’ Affairs

Vetaffairs welcomes letters to the editor. All letters should carry the sender’s full name, address and contact telephone number. Letters should be no more than 200 words and may be edited. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, not all let-ters can be published, however, a representative selection will be featured. Letters should be sent to:

vetaffairs@dva.gov.auorGPO Box 9998 Canberra ACT 2601

Vetaffairs publishes letters in good faith and takes no responsibility for the accuracy of statements made in them. The editor does not reply personally to letters to the editor.

Do you have a complaint, compliment or suggestion for DVA? Email feedback@dva.gov.au

Phone 1300 555 785Do you have a general enquiry for DVA?

Email generalenquiries@dva.gov.au Phone 133 254 or from

regional Australia freecall 1800 555 254

2 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

LETTERSEDITORTO THE

FIND US ONLINEReading Vetaffairs online is a great way to get access to each issue the moment it’s published, as well as browsing previous issues.

Our new Realview format makes it even easier to read Vetaffairs. Its zoom feature is particularly useful for people with vision impairment.

Simply visit www.dva.gov.au/vetaffairs

As 2016 draws to a close, the time comes to reflect on the year that has been. Outcomes from the first half of this year have been captured in the 2015–16 Annual Report, which was tabled at Parliament House on schedule on 31 October. If you would like to view a copy of the report, please visit our website at www.dva.gov.au.

In October, I had the oppor-tunity to attend the Veterans’ Commemorative Mission to the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to commemorate the 65th anniversaries of the Bat-tles of Kapyong and Maryang San, and the service and sac-rifice of Australians in the Korean War (1950–53). A small number of DVA staff, the Min-ister for Veterans’ Affairs and eight veterans attended the commemorations. It was an amazing privilege to be able to hear the stories of the veterans and share the experience of this special event with them.

In 2016, DVA continued to undergo a large program of work to transform the way we do business. This transforma-tion gives us the opportunity to put veterans at the centre of everything we do, by reforming and simplifying our business processes. Our current focus is to finalise a proposal to the Government that will out-line how a future DVA might

operate. Several related projects are also underway, with the goal of improving our claims processes and exploring how we can better deliver our ser-vices digitally.

Following the successful trial of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process in the NSW /ACT registry of the Veterans’ Review Board (VRB), the national roll-out of ADR by the VRB has commenced, with ADR continuing in the NSW / ACT registry and available for all applications lodged in Vic-toria or Tasmania on or after 30 September 2016. It will be pro-gressively rolled out to other registries, starting in early 2017.

The new Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP), which has replaced the Training Information Program (TIP), commenced on 1 July. The ATDP provides training and an accreditation process for ex-service organisation mem-bers so they can help veterans and their families with claims and accessing DVA health and wellbeing programs.

We also implemented our Coordinated Client Support program in February. This pro-gram is a nationally consistent model for supporting clients with complex and multiple needs who require additional support. These clients are

linked with a primary or single point of contact. In the May 2016 Budget, eligibility for the treatment of certain mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disor-der, anxiety and depression, was extended to anyone who has ever served in the Austral-ian Defence Force permanent forces, irrespective of when or where they served, or the type of service.

In commemorations, 2016 saw the repatriation of 32 Australians from Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia and the Kranji Military Cem-etery in Singapore, and the commemoration in August of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan and Aus-tralia’s service in the Vietnam War. In July, the service and sacrifice of our First World War soldiers were honoured at the centenary commemorations for the battles of Fromelles and Pozières. These commemora-tive services marked the start of a series of 100-year anni-versaries of battles involving Australians on the Western Front. Events were also held to commemorate the 75th anni-versaries of major battles of the Second World War.

Finally, I would like to wish all members of the veteran and ex-service community a very happy and safe festive break.

Terendak repatriationOn behalf of Pte Neville Horne’s family, I would like to thank everyone involved in the repat-riation of Neville [from the Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia – see front page, Winter issue of Vetaffairs].

As a family we could not have asked for more dedicated people to be involved on such a memo-rable occasion for us. When they were thanked for their effort, the response was, ‘It is a privilege’. We have personally thanked those that we knew were involved, to those that we have not been able to, a very big thank you.

Without Bob Shewring’s, the Australian public, and Senator Ronaldson’s efforts we would not be able to just walk into Nev-ille’s gravesite. Thank you also to Neville’s mates who came along and the ones who couldn’t, we know your thoughts were with us and it meant a great deal.

Lest we Forget.

Jan Sullivan

Long Tan commemorationsVetaffairs Winter 2016 advised that commemorations of the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan and Australia’s service in the Vietnam War would be held in Canberra and Brisbane.Your readers might be interested to know that a commemorative service was also held on board the cruise ship, Sun Princess, en route to Hawaii [and] Tahiti at the time. About 20 Vietnam veterans took part, including ex-members of all three Austra-lian armed services, some New Zealanders (noting that three NZ soldiers fought alongside D com-pany 6RAR) and an ex-US Army soldier. Several hundred other passengers and ship’s staff also attended the service.

I believe that commemora-tion of Long Tan Day was begun by the Vietnam Veterans’ Asso-ciation at Springwood, west of Sydney, in the 1980s. I had the honour of representing the RAN, and the Naval Support Com-mander specifically, at the event for several years.

Reportedly, the owner of Princess Cruises is himself, a war veteran and encourages the masters of all his ships to acknowledge the honourable service to their countries of all veterans, in times of conflict.

L.W. Renfrey, Commander RAN (Retd) NSW

Vetaffairs remindersYou can email vetaffairs@dva.gov.au and ask to be notified by email when the next issue has been published and is available for online viewing.

Vetaffairs for the vision-impaired Apart from viewing Vetaffairs online, vision-impaired people can listen to an audio recording of each issue on CD. Just email us that you wish to receive a CD instead of a hard copy and we will add you to our mailing list.

NoticeboardA more extensive version of the Noticeboard at the back of Vetaffairs is online. Please go to www.dva.gov.au/Vetaffairs/noticeboard to view all notices, and to submit an item.

e-newsFor regular news from the department, why not subscribe to our e-newsletter. Just go to https://dva.infoservices.com.au/subscribe and type in your email address.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs wishes all readers a happy and safe

Christmas and New Year.

3 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

The Hon. Dan Tehan MPMinister for Veterans’ AffairsMinister for Defence Personnel Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC

N E W S F R O M T H E M I N I S T E R

From left: Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Dan Tehan, at the launch of the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program; Minister Tehan, Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

When Ben Roberts-Smith received the Victoria Cross in 2011, the citation read: ‘His valour was an inspiration to the soldiers with whom he fought along-side and is in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force’.

Today, Roberts-Smith is the General Manager at Channel 7 in Queensland. He was also the MC at the launch of the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employ-ment Program in November.

At the launch he told an instructive story about the skills and talents our former Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel can bring to any workplace.

When Roberts-Smith was first offered a position at Channel 7 he was a little confused; why would a major TV network want to hire someone who had never worked in television?

‘You can teach anyone television,’ Roberts-Smith was told, ‘but you can’t teach character’.

What the people at Channel 7 had seen in Ben Roberts-Smith were the qualities the ADF instil in its people through their service and sacrifice: honesty, honour, initiative, integrity, respect and loyalty.

The Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program aims to high-light those qualities to the private sector and public service to assist our ADF personnel find meaningful employment befitting their skills after they leave the Defence Force.

The Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program is not about charity or philanthropy; it is about business and government realising the full potential of the men and women who have defended our nation.

The key aim is to raise awareness in the private sector about the unique skills and experience our former ADF personnel can bring to business.

We want to encourage businesses large and small to take a closer look at our veterans and realise their skills can help a business grow and succeed.

Every year, around 5,500 personnel leave the ADF, with the majority doing so to pursue an alternative career.

During their service, many acquire formal trade or professional qualifications that are recognised in the civilian workforce, for instance as mechanics, health professionals, carpenters, drivers and pilots.

They also gain unique skills such as problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and the ability to work in high-pressure environments – skills that can be utilised in any business.

As part of the Prime Minister’s Vet-erans’ Employment Program, the Government will establish an Indus-try Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment to be led by the private sector, which will develop strategies for business to recognise and transfer the talents of our veterans from the military into post-service careers.

Participating businesses will be given the title of ‘Veteran Employment Ambassador’ and we will celebrate the success of our small, medium and large businesses who are employing veterans at an annual Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Awards.

Businesses will be encouraged to work with their local ex-service organi-sations to develop opportunities best suited for their circumstances. Ex-ser-vice organisations can register their interest in partnering with industry on projects to promote the employment of veterans through an Ex-Service Organisation Industry Partnership Register, to be established by the Gov-ernment as part of the Employment Program.

The Government will do its part by ensuring our ADF personnel are best prepared for their transition from the military to civilian life. We will ensure all ADF personnel have all their neces-sary documentation, such as training records, superannuation and health certificates, in place before they leave the ADF. This will mean our personnel leave the military with the paperwork they need to kick-start their post-ser-vice career.

The Government will also provide tailored transition coaching services for all leaving personnel to help them seek and obtain work. We will work with civilian authorities to align mili-tary and civilian qualifications.

There will be information for veterans about employment opportunities posted on the Government’s jobactive website and the Australian Public Service (APS) website. The APS will develop a tool that aligns ADF ranks to APS classifications so veterans can better understand how their skills and experience transfer to the public service.

The jobactive website will launch a new feature where employers can nominate positions that would suit former ADF personnel as ‘defence force experience desirable’, allow-ing job-seekers to more easily find vacancies for someone with an ADF background.

In November, I hosted the first-ever meeting of state and territory ministers with responsibility for veterans where we focused on transi-tion, homelessness, incarceration and mental health and agreed to improve co-ordination on veterans’ issues and work more co-operatively on data improvement.

The ministers agreed that each state and territory would work with the Commonwealth to develop standard-ised military service history indicators to use in national and jurisdictional data collections for suicide and home-lessness. This will improve the quality of data collected and lead to better ser-vice delivery.

The Government will investigate a mechanism to advise states and territories when ADF personnel are medically discharged to help bet-ter plan the provision of support services. We will also ensure that all medically-discharged veterans have a Medicare card when they separate from the ADF.

New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia are col-lecting data on veteran incarceration and the other states and territories have agreed to explore collecting this data. New South Wales and Victoria also have specific programs to address veteran homelessness, and informa-tion on these programs will be shared with all other states and territories.

State and territory governments will provide information on their services as part of every ADF transition session for personnel leaving the military.

We will also pursue the inclusion of a military service related question in the next Census to greatly improve our understanding of the veteran community.

Our veterans have been a key focus for the Turnbull Government in 2016, and in 2017 it will be more of the same. Finally, I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.

Pensions and allowances riseVeterans’ pensions were increased from 20 Septem-ber 2016 following the latest round of indexation adjustments.

As pension rates are calculated on a daily basis, the pension paid on payday 29 September 2016 was paid partly at the old rate and partly at the new rate. The first full payment at the new rates was payday 13 October 2016.

The maximum rate of single service pension has risen by $3.20 to $877.10 per fortnight and the maximum rate for couples has increased by $2.50 to $661.20 per fort-night (each). These rates include pension and energy supplement.

The Special Rate of Disability Pension (T&PI pension) has increased by $5.40 to $1,346.90 per fortnight. Extreme Disablement Adjustment has increased by $3.00 to $744.00 per fortnight and the 100 per cent General Rate of disability pension has increased by $1.90 to $478.80 per fortnight. These rates include the energy supplement.

The pension paid to war widow(er)s has increased by $3.40 to $891.30 per fortnight (including the energy sup-plement), while the ceiling rate of the income support supplement, which is paid to some 52,000 war widow(er)s, has risen to $263.10 per fortnight.

Payments have also increased for benefits under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA). The weekly MRCA wholly dependent partner payment has increased by $1.70 to $445.65 paid fortnightly. This rate includes the energy supplement.

The indexation factor used to index pensions each March and September can be based on either the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Pensioner and Ben-eficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI) or Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE). On this occasion, the PBLCI produced the highest indexation increase of 0.4 per cent and this was used in indexing pensions from 20 September 2016.

More information on the new pension rates is available from DVA on 133 254 or from regional Australia free call 1800 555 254, or visit www.dva.gov.au.

A new Bill, the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensa-tion Legislation Amendment (Defence Force) Bill 2016, has been introduced into Parliament. If passed, this Bill will replicate the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRCA) to create a standalone Act for current and for-mer ADF members.

This Act will be called the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act (DRCA).

Importantly, eligibility and benefits under the DRCA will be the same as those currently available to Austral-ian Defence Force (ADF) members and veterans under the existing SRCA.

The new Act will not apply to, or have any impact on, veterans with eligibility under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

The Bill reflects the Government’s commitment to rec-ognise the unique nature of military service and, if passed, would give the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs responsibilty for all compensation Acts for ADF members and veterans. Currently, the Minister for Employment has responsibility for the SRCA as it covers all Commonwealth employees, including ADF members with service prior to 1 July 2004.

The prospect of a standalone Act was announced by Gov-ernment nearly two years ago. Since then, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has consulted with the Department of Defence and ex-service community representatives, both of which have been supportive of this important change.

This is a significant step in the broader reform being undertaken by DVA to improve services for veterans and their families. To enable future veteran-centric reform to occur, it is appropriate that policy responsibility for all of the relevant legislation sits with the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.

New Act for Defence personnel

4 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

DVA Secretary Simon Lewis PSM with (clockwise from top left) Helena Smith, John Cadd, John Printz and Alan Stubbs.

Advocacy Training and Development Program establishedIn 2014, a review of advocacy training led by the late Brigadier Bill Rolfe AO recom-mended that advocacy training needed to evolve to meet the changing needs of the veteran community. As a result, the Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP) was established as the next evolution of the Training and Infor-mation Program (TIP). From 1 July 2016, the ATDP began managing the delivery of advocacy training across Australia.

For more than 20 years, TIP has provided training and support for advocates from ex-service organisations (ESOs) to assist Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families to access their entitlements. Advocates provide advice about rehabilitation, compensation, appeals and welfare. The vast majority of TIP trainers and advocates have been volunteers with a passion to help their mates in the veteran community.

The ATDP harnesses the vast knowl-edge and expertise of TIP trainers and advocates as part of its governance structure. Building on the work of TIP, the ATDP will provide a benchmark of competency by introducing nationally consistent training in line with modern adult learning principles.

The ATDP is designed to provide consistency of services to veterans by

ensuring advocates receive training in all the relevant legislation governing veteran compensation. ESO advocates will keep workbook logs of their activi-ties and experience to demonstrate they meet the necessary competencies to pro-vide advice. Advocates will be supported through expanded access to mentoring and training.

The program is rolling out progres-sively, with a focus on transitioning TIP advocates across to the new program through recognition of prior learning. This process makes it simple for advo-cates to move across, while ensuring the necessary competency benchmarks are met. New advocates will start their train-ing under the new ATDP pathway.

A list of accredited advocates will be made available on the ATDP web-site (www.atdp.org.au) in early 2017 to allow veterans and their families to seek advice from competent advocates. This will ensure the veteran community can access information about reliable and high-quality advocacy services available from ESOs.

If you would like more informa-tion about the ATDP, search for ‘advocacy training’ on the DVA website: www.dva.gov.au or send an email to ATDPenquiries@dva.gov.au.

Recognition for TIP ChairsEarlier this year, the Secretary of DVA, Mr Simon Lewis PSM, recognised and thanked the TIP State Chairs for their efforts and contributions to the veteran community.

The Secretary acknowledged the National and Victorian TIP Chair, Mr John Printz OAM, for his many years of service and also recognised Ms Helena Smith (Qld), Mr John Cadd (SA/NT), Mr Alan Robertson (Tas), Rev Dr Alan Stubbs RFD (WA) and Mr Allan Thomas (NSW/ACT) for their dedicated commitment and contributions in their respective states and territories.

TABLE 2 – asset values at which pensions will reduce to zero from 1 January 2017

SERVICE PENSION CURRENT RULES NEW RULES AS AT 1 JANUARY 2017

Service pensioner, single, homeowner $793,750 $542,500

Service pensioner, single, non-homeowner $945,250 $742,500

Service pensioner, couple combined, homeowner $1,178,500 $816,000

Service pensioner, couple combined, non-homeowner $1,330,000 $1,016,000

INCOME SUPPORT SUPPLEMENT

Income support supplement, single, homeowner $784,500 $537,750

Income support supplement, single, non-homeowner $936,000 $737,750

Income support supplement, couple combined, homeowner $1,164,000 $809,000

Income support supplement, couple combined, non-homeowner $1,315,500 $1,009,000

TABLE 1 – asset values causing a pension reduction on 1 January 2017

SERVICE PENSION TOTAL VALUE OF ASSETS EXCLUDING FAMILY HOME

Single, homeowner $250,000

Single, non-homeowner $450,000

Couple combined, homeowner $375,000

Couple combined, non-homeowner $575,000

INCOME SUPPORT SUPPLEMENT

Single, homeowner $450,000

Single, non-homeowner $650,000

Couple combined, homeowner $633,500

Couple combined, non-homeowner $833,500

Changes to assets test limitsIn the 2015–16 Budget, the Australian Government announced that it would be rebalanc-ing the assets test limits to improve the fairness and affordability of the pension system. These changes have been passed by Parliament and will begin from 1 January 2017.

More than 90 per cent of pensioners will either be better off or have no change to their pension under the rebalanced assets test. There will be no change to the existing assets test exemption for the family home.

Examples of assessable assets include bank accounts, shares, investment properties and cars.

The assets test affects the Service Pension and Income Support Supplement, as well as pensions paid under social security law such as the age pension. Compensation pay-ments such as the Disability Pension and War Widow(er) Pension are not affected by the assets test.

The rebalanced assets test will feature higher assets value limits, allowing pensioners to own a higher value of assets before their pension starts to reduce. Importantly, the increased assets value limits will continue to be indexed each 1 July.

The changes mean that people may receive either an increased rate of income support pension, a reduced rate, or the same amount, depending on individual circumstances. Table 1 shows the asset values at which the Service Pension and Income Support Supple-ment start to reduce.

The asset taper rate will be doubled, meaning that once an individual holds assets in excess of the limit, their pension will reduce at a higher rate. As a result, the level of assets at which a pension is reduced to zero will be lower, as shown in Table 2.

If your assets exceed the cut-off on 1 January 2017 resulting in your payment ceasing, you can claim a Health Care Card from the Department of Human Services. You won’t have to meet the income test requirements for this card. If you are over the pension age, a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card will also be issued to you without the need for you to meet the usual income test requirements for this card. Veterans or war widows who currently hold a Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card will not lose their Gold Card as a result of their Service Pension or Income Support Supplement ceasing following the assets test changes.

For more information on the changes visit the DVA website (www.dva.gov.au) and the DSS website (www.dss.gov.au) or call DVA on 133 254 or from regional Australia free call 1800 555 254.

Christmas pension payments

Payments will be paid into bank accounts as normal on Thursday,

22 December 2016. The first pension payment in 2017 will be made

on schedule on Thursday, 5 January 2017.

5 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

A word from the Principal Medical Adviser

Many veterans may have recently seen articles in the press and on TV regarding use by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) of mefloquine (trade name Lariam), which is a medi-cation sometimes used in the prevention of malaria. Many of our allies still use mefloquine as their primary drug for the prevention of malaria. The ADF only uses mefloquine when it is the only suitable antimalarial for an individual and not as the first choice.

In tropical regions, malaria is a very serious disease, with a high rate of attack in unpro-tected populations, and with serious health consequences and a historically massive impact on ADF capability dat-ing back to the First World War. Even in our recent engagement in East Timor, many Australian and allied forces were seriously affected by malaria.

The ADF’s preferred drug of choice for prevention of malaria is doxycycline (trade name Vibramycin), which needs to be taken once daily, starting several days before exposure to mosquitoes carry-ing malaria and continuing for several weeks after return from a malarious area.

However, some people can-not take this medication – and

in others it can cause significant sunburn-like skin effects in the presence of even mild sun expo-sure. Being a daily medication, it is easy to forget to take it, thus reducing the protection it gives against malaria.

It was against this back-ground that the ADF embarked on field studies in East Timor between 2000 and 2002 to find out if mefloquine, which only needed to be taken once a week, would be better at protecting our troops. These studies were approved by the independent ADF Human Research Ethics Committee and involved some 1,500 volunteers deploying to East Timor who all signed indi-vidual consent forms.

At the time of the trials, mefloquine was already reg-istered and in use in Australia for both the prevention and treatment of malaria. ADF volunteers were advised that mefloquine did have some side effects, including very vivid and unusual dreams, as well as effects on coordination, bal-ance and mood.

Volunteers were screened to check if mefloquine was suit-able for them as not everyone can take mefloquine. For exam-ple, people with a history of epilepsy or psychiatric illness should not take mefloquine for malaria prevention. In the vast majority of cases, any side effects cease within a few weeks of ceasing the medication. However, in a small percent-age of people, symptoms can persist.

The ADF has responded to concerns of current and former members by addressing public meetings on mefloquine, pro-viding factual information, and publishing a very comprehen-sive suite of information about malaria (including the use of mefloquine) on the Defence Department’s website (see www.defence.gov.au/Health/HealthPortal/Malaria).

As Principal Medical Adviser, I wrote to all GPs in Australia on 30 September 2016 to provide them with clinical information on mefloquine, including an internet link to the ADF’s very detailed Mefloquine Management Guidelines.

The ADF’s Joint Health Com-mand also commissioned an expert review of the global mefloquine literature by a med-ical specialist with a very strong background in veterans’ health issues. This report is available under the Guidelines, Reviews and Health information sec-tion at www.defence.gov.au/Health/HealthPortal/Malaria/Resources/Guidelines-review-health-information.asp.

Statements of Principles (SOPs) are determined by the Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA), an independent author-ity responsible for determining what factors can cause diseases, injuries or death as a result of military service covered by the Veterans’ Entitlements Act and Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. SOPs are based on sound medical-scientific evidence. As required by the SOPs, mefloquine (and other anti-malarials) can be accepted by DVA as a basis for accepting liability for a range of health conditions.

Each SOP lists a range of factors, only one of which is required for an illness or injury to be accepted as service-related.

In addition to these RMA-listed conditions, the 2016–17 Budget extended eligibility for treatment of certain mental health conditions to any person who has ever served in the ADF for even one day. These conditions are: anxiety and depression, alcohol and substance abuse and PTSD (see www.dva.gov.au/nlhc).

If worried, talk to your doc-tor about how to access care for these mental health conditions – whether they are related to

service or not. Treatment and care can be provided even if a claim from a veteran has not been accepted by DVA.

All former serving personnel can access a comprehensive health assessment that focuses on military service from their general practitioner. Ex-service personnel can access this one-off health assessment at any stage after leaving the ADF, as there are no time restrictions.

A key objective of this com-prehensive health assessment is to help the GP identify and diagnose the early onset of any physical or mental health con-ditions. GPs will then be able to treat or refer their patients to other services, as necessary. A Medicare rebate is available for this assessment.

Mental health information and resources for veterans and their families are available through the At Ease website –DVA’s portal to online mental health information: at-ease.dva.gov.au.

In conclusion, if veterans remain concerned about their past exposures to mefloquine (or other anti-malarials) and have a diagnosed health condi-tion that they believe is related to their service, they can lodge a claim with DVA. Claims will be decided in accordance with the legislation, including the SOPs if applicable. And in the interim, treatment and care for the five listed mental health conditions can be provided without having to establish a link to service.

More information on meflo-quine is available on the DVA website (www.dva.gov.au) in the ‘medical conditions’ section under the ‘Health and wellbe-ing’ tab. However, the bottom line is that if you are worried about your health, you should talk to your GP and get support.

Pension exemption changes for new aged-care residentsThe 2016–17 Budget included changes to how the family home is assessed for certain aged-care residents entering care from 1 January 2017.

For clients in aged care who are paying part or all of their accommodation costs by peri-odic payments and renting out the family home, the rental income is currently exempt from the pension income test and the family home is exempt from the pension assets test.

The changes affect those exemptions for clients who enter aged care from 1 January 2017 as follows:

• Pension income test – the rental income from the family home will not be exempt

• Pension assets test – the family home will no lon-ger be exempt where the exemption was solely due to it being rented out and accommodation costs

being paid wholly or partly by periodic payments.

Residents who entered aged care prior to 1 January 2017 will not be affected by the changes.

Other existing exemptions will remain in place irrespec-tive of when a person enters care. The family home will remain exempt for the first two years from a client’s entry into aged care. For members of a couple, the home will remain exempt for as long as

the person’s partner remains in the home and for two years after the partner ceases to live in the home.

The changes will help ensure the pension system is sustain-able into the future by making the pension income and assets tests fairer and better targeted. Removing the distinction between the family home and other sources of rental income will improve the consistency of the pension means test and reduce complexity.

Release of the fourth study of F-111 deseal/reseal personnelThe fourth in a series of studies to investigate mortality and cancer incidence among aircraft maintenance personnel involved with F-111 deseal/reseal (DSRS) was released on 17 October 2016.

The study examined whether Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft maintenance personnel involved with F-111 DSRS at RAAF Base Amber-ley between 1974 and 2000 experience different rates of mortality or cancer incidence compared to other RAAF personnel based at Amberley and Richmond who were not exposed.

The Fourth study of mortality and cancer incidence in aircraft maintenance personnel: a continuing study of F-111 Deseal/Reseal personnel 2016 can be located on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website (www.aihw.gov.au) by typing ‘Fourth study’ into the search window.

For more information on support available for former F-111 DSRS fuel tank maintenance workers and their families, visit the ‘F-111 fuel tank maintenance’ page under the ‘Ben-efits and payments’ tab on DVA’s website or telephone DVA on 133 254 (1800 555 254 for regional callers).

For counselling, call the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service on 1800 011 046 or visit www.vvcs.gov.au.

Improvements to interim incapacity payment arrangementsThe 2016–17 Budget included a measure to improve how interim incapacity payments are calculated.

Incapacity payments are compen-sation for lost wages or earnings due to a service-related illness or injury.

Interim incapacity payments are paid when the person has claimed their Commonwealth-funded super-annuation benefit, but the amount has not yet been determined. Com-monwealth-funded superannuation benefits reduce incapacity payments on a dollar-for-dollar basis. How-ever, the superannuation benefit can sometimes take several weeks or months to be determined.

From 1 January 2017, interim inca-pacity payments under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 will be calculated taking account of a person’s full normal weekly earn-ings rather than being capped at the national minimum wage.

This will ensure that incapacity payees receive interim incapacity pay-ments at a level commensurate with their regular weekly earnings imme-diately prior to their discharge from the Australian Defence Force.

For further information, contact DVA on 133 254 or from regional Australia free call 1800 555 254.

Prof Ian R GardnerPrincipal Medical Adviser

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

6 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

An easy way to get mental health treatmentIf you’ve served as a permanent member of the Australian Defence Force, even for a single day, you can get free, immediate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and alcohol-use and substance-use disorders. This is a separate service to DVA’s compensation process. Just follow the steps below:

VVCS Confidential:• 24 hour assistance• counselling• group programs and workshops• suicide prevention workshopsFor more information, visit www.vvcs.gov.au

Access to mental health treatment is available immediately when required.DVA will send you a White Card in the mail that will cover the costs of your mental health treatment, but you do not have to wait until it arrives to start treatment. In fact, DVA will reimburse you for any mental health-related expenses you have incurred up to three months before you contacted the department.

I served in the ADF and ...• I have nightmares• I feel sad all the time• I can’t control my temper• I feel anxious or depressed• I drink too much and/or abuse drugs• I am moody and agitated• I feel helpless

DVA will need a diagnosis from your GP, psychiatrist or clinical psychologist within six months

Make sure you have your service number ready to provide to us.You can also contact DVA via email nlhc@dva.gov.au or download a form from www.dva.gov.au/nlhc

I served in the ADF

IF IMMEDIATE HELP REQUIRED

CALL 1800 011 046Veterans and Veterans Families

Counselling Service (VVCS)

Call DVA on 133 254 or 1800 555 254

(regional callers)

DVA will need proof of identity unless you are

currently serving

Access to treatment includes:• GPs• psychiatrists• psychologists• mental health social workers• social workers• mental health occupational therapists• hospital services• medication• group programs

The Department will provide reduced services over the Christmas – New Year period from 5.00 pm Friday, 23 December 2016, resuming full services at 9.00 am Tuesday, 3 January 2017.

Veterans’ Access Network (VAN) offices and Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) centres will be closed over this period. However, veterans and their families can continue to access a number of critical DVA services, including:• counselling – the VVCS after hours service offers 24/7 counselling to members of the vet-

eran and ex-service community and their families. This service is available toll free on 1800 011 046 to veterans and their families. This number is for counselling only. If urgent assistance is required, please call 000.

• transport – if transport is required for medical treatment please note that: – transport requests will be processed as usual from 28 to 30 December inclusive – please call 1300 550 455 from metropolitan areas or 1800 550 455 from regional areas

– otherwise, please pay for the transport up front and seek reimbursement from DVA when offices re-open.

– Alternatively, if you are a registered MyAccount user, transport can be booked and mod-ified, and travel expenses lodged online, through MyAccount – DVA’s online services portal at https://myaccount.dva.gov.au. You can arrange MyAccount registration prior to the Christmas / New Year period by phoning DVA on 133 254 from metropolitan areas or 1800 555 254 from regional areas.

• hospital admissions – doctors can admit DVA patients into hospital and request retro-spective approval for the admission, where required, when DVA resumes full services.

• pharmaceutical approvals – providers seeking prior approval for pharmaceuticals can call the Veterans’ Affairs Pharmaceutical Advisory Centre (VAPAC) 24-hours a day on 1800 552 580.

• Defence Service Homes Insurance – help with policy and claim enquiries is available 24-hours a day on 1300 552 662, and payments can be made on 1300 304 989, for the cost of a local call.Please note – pension pay days will not be affected by the reduced services period.Visit the DVA website (www.dva.gov.au) for general information about DVA services and

entitlements.

DVA services over Christmas and New Year

Treating sleep apnoea

Government releases suicide reportIn late November, the Government released a report on the prevalence of sui-cide among current and former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The research was commissioned by DVA and undertaken by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). It is the most statistically robust data on veteran suicide compiled to date.

The study, Estimation of incidence of suicide in ex-serving Australian Defence Force person-nel, showed that between 2001 and 2014 there were 292 deaths by suicide among people with at least one day of ADF ser-vice. Of these, 272 were men.

The AIHW used data from the Depart-ment of Defence’s Personnel Management Key System, which contains information on all people who serve or have served in the ADF from 1 January 2001, and the National Death Index (NDI) – a Common-wealth database that contains records of deaths.

The data showed that, compared with all Australian men of the same age, the suicide rate was significantly lower for those men currently serving full-time (53 per cent lower) and for those in the reserve (46 per cent lower).

The data also showed that there were 23 deaths by suicide among ex-serving men aged 18–24. This rate is almost twice that of Australian men of the same age.

‘While the vast majority of ex-ADF per-sonnel go on to lead long and fulfilling lives, one suicide is one too many,’ said Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Dan Tehan.

He added that the AIHW study is impor-tant in furthering our understanding of veteran suicide.

‘From 1 July this year, the Government has made mental health treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, depres-sion, anxiety and alcohol and substance misuse free for anyone who has served one day in the ADF. This treatment is

demand-driven and is not limited by budget.’

In addition, the National Mental Health Commission will review the suicide and self-harm prevention services provided by the departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs.

One of 12 suicide prevention trial sites will begin operation in 2017 in Towns-ville – home to a large ADF and veteran community.

‘DVA invests about $187 million each year towards the provision of mental health support to veterans and their fami-lies, and the Government has announced an additional $192 million to tackle the mental health challenges across our com-munity,’ Mr Tehan said.

DVA is also providing $6 million in funding to Phoenix Australia to improve our understanding of mental health chal-lenges and develop better treatment for veterans and the wider community.

A further $3.1 million is being provided to extend the Veterans and Veterans Fami-lies Counselling Service, and $4 million to ex-service organisations to promote social inclusion and peer-to-peer support for younger veterans.

It is also continuing the Operation Life suicide prevention and awareness work-shops and developing a pilot program to support a more targeted approach to sui-cide prevention.

In addition, the Government will con-sider the findings of the Senate inquiry into suicide by veterans and ex-service personnel when it is released in 2017.

The AIHW will provide the Government with more detailed findings by mid-2017.

If this article raises any issues for you, please contact the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service 24 hours a day across Aus-tralia for crisis support and free and confidential counselling. Phone 1800 011 046 (international: +61 8 8241 45 46) or go to www.vvcs.gov.au.

If you have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), your breathing during sleep is reduced or may stop for a minute or more. You may not know that this happens or you may wake many times a night, sometimes gasping or choking. You may also wake up feeling unrefreshed.

If you have mild OSA, then losing weight, reducing alcohol consumption and adjust-ing your sleeping position may be all the treatment required. For those with moder-ate or severe OSA, other treatments may be needed.

A very effective treatment for OSA is con-tinuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

DVA recently finalised the outcomes of its tender for the provision of CPAP services. The following suppliers have been awarded

national contracts: Air Liquide Healthcare, BOC and ResMed.

If you think you may have OSA, consult your GP who will refer you to a specialist if required. If you have been diagnosed with OSA and require a CPAP machine, a respira-tory physician or sleep specialist will need to complete an application form, available on the DVA website under ‘Forms’, and fax it to one of the above suppliers.

For more information about OSA, visit the Sleep Health Foundation website (sleephealthfoundation.org.au and find ‘Obstructive sleep apnea’ under the Fact Sheets A-Z) or the Victorian Government’s BetterHealth website (betterhealth.vic.gov.au and find ‘sleep apnoea’ via the ‘Condi-tions and treatment’s tab).

7 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

Michael Correll

Acting Mental Health Adviser

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

The mental health effects of trauma, and in particular post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have been very much in the public mind recently, with considerable media coverage and political focus. There is a lot of good information avail-able on PTSD and how it can be treated. However, there are also misunderstandings and mis-conceptions, and people who have experienced trauma don’t always know what is true or where to turn for help.

The following overview is very brief; more detailed information and links to other credible infor-mation can be found at DVA’s At Ease website (at-ease.dva.gov.au).

What is PTSD and what causes it?PTSD can result from direct exposure to trauma or by help-ing others who have experienced trauma. Direct exposure can include something that happens to you or something you see or hear. Indirect exposure can include being a first responder who provides immediate help or listening to trauma stories later.

Exposure to trauma can hap-pen to anyone in the community but the nature of military service greatly increases the chance of exposure for current serving and former members, and their families.

People exposed to trauma are likely to experience a range of emotional, physical and psy-chological reactions and may be quite disturbed or upset for a time. However, some people will develop ongoing symptoms of PTSD, including: intrusive

memories or nightmares; re-experiencing trauma events; significant changes in hyper-vig-ilance and irritability; persistent avoidance of reminders of the trauma event; and negative changes in mood or thinking, including feeling detached from friends and family and losing interest in activities.

What are the best treatments for PTSD?DVA supports treatments where there is good evidence that they work. In relation to PTSD, there are a number of evidence-based primary treatments. These include trauma-focused cogni-tive behaviour therapies – most notably exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy – and eye movement desensiti-sation and reprocessing.

An intensive version of expo-sure therapy is currently being tested for suitability and effec-tiveness for Australian serving and ex-serving members in Bris-bane, Sydney and Melbourne. To learn more or to volunteer for the trial, visit phoenixaustralia.org/RESTORE, and see the article at left.

Detailed information about evidence-based treatment of PTSD can be found in the Australian Guidelines for the Treat-ment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, which is approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council. It is available at http://phoenixaustralia.org/resources/ptsd-guidelines.

A range of other psychological and pharmaceutical treatments can support these therapies,

VVCS is here for you over Christmas Many people find the Christmas season to be a particularly tough time. There are so many things going on, with the added pressure of work events, family functions and sometimes the financial strain associated with gift giving. Add loneliness or heartache, and you‘ve got a cocktail that may lead to feelings of depression.

For the serving and ex-serving community in particular, some of whom may already be struggling with a mental health condition, the Christmas season may trigger feelings of loss and isolation associated with sad memories. This is common, and the most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. The Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) is here to support you!

VVCS is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It provides free and confidential nationwide coun-selling and support for war and service-related mental health conditions. VVCS counsellors have an understanding of military culture and can help to address concerns such as relationship and family issues, anxiety, depression, anger, sleep difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol or substance misuse, with the aim of finding effective solutions for improved mental health and wellbeing.

If you’re going through a tough time, feel-ing lonely or just want someone to talk to, call VVCS on 1800 011 046 and get the support you need.

and other activities such as yoga, meditation and mindfulness can be beneficial as well. DVA will con-sider funding for other treatments so long as they are part of an evi-dence-based program.

Do people recover from PTSD?PTSD has proven challenging to treat but people with the disor-der can expect to live normal lives if they get effective, evidence-based treatment. However, an increased vulnerability to recur-rence of symptoms is likely and greater attention to psychological self-care may be required for sus-tained psychological and physical wellbeing.

Where can I go for help if I think I (or someone I care about) has PTSD?A good place to start is your GP. In particular, if a GP diagnoses PTSD (or depression, anxiety, or alcohol or substance use disorder for that matter) and you have had even a brief period of continuous full-time service in the ADF, treatment is available without formal accept-ance of a claim.

Further details of this program can be found on page 6 and online at: www.dva.gov.au/nlhc.

A free phone call to the Veterans and Veterans Families Counsel-ling Service (VVCS) on 1800 011 046 can also provide information and assess you and your family’s eli-gibility for their service. Current serving members can call the ‘All-hours Support Line’ on 1800 628 036 or contact the Defence Com-munity Organisation. DVA’s At Ease website (www.at-ease.dva.gov.au) has a wealth of informa-tion and resources to help you find support and tools to assist with self-management.

If your family and friends are telling you they are concerned about you, or if you are struggling with aspects of your life, you don’t need to deal with it alone – instead take action to make a change.

Trial of new treatment for PTSD underwayPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and often severe problem. About 12 per cent of Australians will experience PTSD in their lifetime, and current and former military personnel are affected at higher rates than the general community.

As many veterans are aware, PTSD can involve reliving a traumatic event, feeling wound up, avoiding reminders of a traumatic event, and feeling afraid, angry, guilty or numb. Those experiencing PTSD may lose interest in their day-to-day activities and feel cut off from their family and friends. PTSD can be a serious condition that can cause great distress, problems in relationships and a reduced ability to work.

However, in many cases recovery is possible and there are excellent treatments available.

One of the most effective treatments is prolonged exposure (PE) therapy. PE helps individuals learn ways to gradually face traumatic memories, places or activities in a safe and supportive environment. Individuals are taught skills to manage negative feelings and they are monitored and supported throughout the therapy.

PE has been successfully implemented across veteran and military clinical settings in the US and has been found to aid recovery for vet-erans with PTSD. The treatment is typically delivered once a week for 10 weeks, a duration that may pose a problem for people who have deployments, training exercises, family and other work and life commitments.

With this in mind, the Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health in partnership with DVA, the Department of Defence and the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS), has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council to conduct a study of intensive PE therapy – the RESTORE trial.

The therapy is delivered over a shorter period than usual. Intensive treatments have been found to be effective for other mental health conditions and preliminary research suggests its potential effective-ness for PTSD too.

The RESTORE trial is assessing whether intensive PE, involving 10 sessions over two weeks, will be as effective as the standard, 10 weeks of weekly PE.

The trial will involve about 200 participants, either current or for-mer Australian Defence Force personnel who are 18 to 70 years of age. Participants must be experiencing symptoms consistent with PTSD, related to a traumatic experience during their military service.

Participating involves a series of interviews and attending either daily therapy sessions for two weeks or weekly sessions for 10 weeks. Allocation to either daily or weekly therapy is random, so participants can’t choose the group to which they are assigned, and they must be available to attend either treatment schedules.

Interviews and therapy sessions will take place at VVCS offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at the University of NSW and the ADF Centre for Mental Health in Sydney.

The trial is of course free of charge. The benefits to participants will hopefully include an improvement in their PTSD symptoms, and a better quality of life.

Anyone participating will also be helping the broader military and veteran community by increasing our understanding of effective treatments.

The RESTORE trial has already begun but more volunteers are needed. Anyone interested in participating themselves, or in refer-ring someone else, can call 1800 856 824 or go to phoenixaustralia.org/RESTORE.

8 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

Bunbury 11–16 January 2017

Kalgoorlie 30 January – 5 February 2017

Geelong 21–27 Feb 2017

Orange March 2017

Newcastle 29 March – 4 April 2017

Sydney 15–27 April 2017

9 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

Townsville and the First World WarTownsville is home to one of the oldest battalions in Australia, the 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, otherwise known as the ‘Kennedy Regiment’ – a unit with a 135-year history.

Following the declaration of war on 4 August 1914, the battalion left Towns-ville four days later, farewelled by more than a third of the town’s 17,000 people.

Townsville greeted the declaration of war with heady exhilaration. The Towns-ville Chamber of Commerce proclaimed: ‘Townsville will not lay down its sword until Germany surrenders, its fleet intact, extends the boundaries of France to the Rhine, replaces every Allied ship, and splits up the Federal German states’.

As local historian Mr M Douman dryly noted, it was not known how much sleep the Kaiser lost over the ultimatum!

One of the Kennedy Regiment’s most distinguished sons was Major Hugh Quinn. Known to his friends as ‘Hughie’, Major Quinn was born in Charters Towers

but was conducting business in Towns-ville when the war broke out.

The eponymous ‘Quinn’s Post’, a defen-sive trench at Gallipoli just metres from enemy lines, is where he ultimately met his death at the age of only 27.

The post, a place where the fighting was of a ferocity and intensity unequalled on any part of the Gallipoli front line, had a fearsome reputation among the soldiers, according to historian Charles Bean.

‘Men passing the fork in Monash Valley, and seeing and hearing the bombs burst-ing up at Quinn’s, used to glance at the place as a man looks at a haunted house,’ Bean wrote.

Today Townsville is a thriving garrison city and considered by many to be the unofficial capital of North Queensland.

Townsville’s rich military history means there is a tight-knit defence and veteran community there who understand what it means to serve their country.

Exhibition begins its final march to SydneyThe Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience, one of Australia’s largest ever travelling exhi-bitions, enters its final phase in 2017 as it marches towards Sydney for the final event.

The exhibition will visit the last six ven-ues of its 23-location tour, which in 2017 includes Bunbury in January, Kalgoorlie and Geelong in February, Orange in March, Newcastle in March/April, finishing in Syd-ney in April.

More than 250,000 people have vis-ited the free exhibition, which has been described by visitors as a once in a life-time opportunity that every Australian should visit.

The exhibition has already visited Wodonga, Launceston, Hobart, Ballarat, Bendigo, Wollongong, Melbourne, Ade-laide, Tamworth, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Mackay, Cairns, Townsville, Darwin, Port Augusta and Perth.

The Anzac Centenary – spanning 2014 to 2018 – is the most significant period of commemoration in our nation’s history.

The Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience exhibition is one way the Australian Gov-ernment is recognising a century of service by our servicemen and women.

The Century of Service program of events honours and commemorates the service and sacrifice by generations of Austral-ian servicemen and women who have defended our values and freedoms in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations from the Boer War to today.

The Century of Service is a time for all Australians to remember the more than one million servicemen and women who have defended our country since Federation, and the more than 102,700 who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The Australian Government is partner-ing with the Australian War Memorial, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Telstra to tour the Spirit of Anzac Cente-nary Experience exhibition. Tickets are free but we recommend you book at www.spiritofanzac.gov.au.

Lee Towner, a descendant of Major Edgar Towner VC MC, being interviewed by Channel Seven at the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience in Townsville.

Minister launches exhibition in Townsville

Townsville tradie finds unexpected VC link

More than 170 people attended the opening of the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Expe-rience exhibition in Townsville on 2 September 2016, which was launched by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Dan Tehan.

The launch was strongly supported by the people of Townsville, which was the 14th of 23 locations on the tour. The exhibition tells the story of Australia in the First World War.

‘By seeing and touching the artefacts in the exhibition you begin to explore our wartime history,’ Mr Tehan said. ‘One thing that really struck me was that the exhibition contained individual stories, and those individuals were the ones, 100 years ago, who went off and fought in foreign lands, and were up to the challenge of defending our freedom.’

‘It’s a wonderful exhibition that pays tribute to the service and sacrifice Aus-tralian men and women have made to make sure we enjoy the freedoms we enjoy today.’

Around 250,000 Australians have visited the travelling exhibition, which con-tains 200 artefacts from the Australian War Memorial that are rarely seen outside the national capital.

In a moving coincidence, a young Townsville tradesman who helped install the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience discovered the travelling exhibition features the exploits of a famous relative.

Lee Towner, 21, was employed to work on the exhibition in Townsville in September. There he came across a section that details the courageous actions of his great-great uncle, Major Edgar Towner, at the Battle of Mont St Quentin on the Western Front in France. Major Towner was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions.

Lee was aware of the family connec-tion to Major Towner, but didn’t know the battle in which his famous relative fought was featured in the exhibition he was installing.

‘I saw the battle name and men-tioned to another staff member that I was related to Edgar Towner and all of a sudden there was all this media inter-est and Channel Seven interviewed me for the television news,’ Lee said.

He gave the interview to Channel Seven on 1 September 2016, exactly 98 years to the day since Major Towner

performed the actions that led to his Victoria Cross.

On 1 September 1918, Major Towner took part in the assault on Mont St Quentin, a significant First World War battle where three Victoria Crosses were awarded to Australians on the same day.

Fighting for 30 hours after having been wounded, his ‘conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty’ earned Major Towner the highest award for gallantry, which was presented by King George V in April 1919.

Major Towner survived the war and settled down in Longreach where he died in 1972, at 82 years of age. He remains Queensland’s highest deco-rated soldier.

In a further family connection, Lee’s great-great aunt, Sister Greta Towner, served with the Australian Army Nurs-ing Service in Egypt and on the Greek island of Lemnos during the Gallipoli campaign, and later in France.

Lee’s building days may well soon be behind him, as he’s recently been accepted into the Navy.

Sister Greta Towner. Major Edgar Towner.

10 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

Veterans return to Korea 65 years onIn October, eight veterans of the Korean War returned to the battlefields for the 65th anniversaries of the battles of Kapyong and Maryang San.

The veterans were accom-panied by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Dan Tehan, and Shadow Minis-ter for Defence Personnel, Gai Brodtmann.

Four of the veterans, who are aged between 85 and 91, were returning to Korea for the first time since the war.

The veterans attended a series of commemorative ser-vices and visits to memorials in honour of the service and sacri-fice of the men and women who served in Korea.

The veterans laid poppies on Australian graves at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery, presented memorabilia at the United Nations Peace Memorial Hall and attended the United Nations Day Memorial Service.

Mr Tehan laid wreaths on behalf of the Australian Gov-ernment at the Commonwealth Missing In Action Memorial and the Australian Memorial

at the United Nations Memo-rial Cemetery in Busan. The Minister also unveiled at the United Nations Forces Monu-ment Memorabilia Hall the History of the Korean War Honour Roll Quilt, which was commissioned in 2003 by Mrs Olwyn Green OAM, widow of Lt Col Charles Hercules Green, who commanded the 3rd Battalion, Royal Austral-ian Regiment (3RAR). The quilt was hand-stitched by a group of elderly women from Coleraine, Victoria.

The veterans attended a commemorative service at the Australian Sending State Memorial at the Korean War Memorial and then placed poppies at the Roll of Honour. Mr Tehan and the veterans also attended commemora-tive services at the Australian Memorial at Kapyong and at Observation Post Tai Poong (Maryang San).

‘This was an important mis-sion for Australia and our Korean War veterans because it marked the final Govern-ment overseas commemorative

mission of veteran groups,’ Mr Tehan said.

More than 17,000 Austral-ians served during the Korean War and in the post-armistice period. The names of 356 Aus-tralians killed in Korea are listed on the Australian War Memo-rial Roll of Honour. More than 1,200 were wounded.

On 22 April 1951, Chinese forces launched their spring offensive, routing the South Korean 6th Division and driving them back down the Kapyong Valley. At the Battle of Kapyong, the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade, including 3RAR, was instrumental in stalling the Chi-nese advance on Seoul.

On 3 October 1951, 3RAR, as part of the 27th British Com-monwealth Brigade, took part in Operation Commando, which included the capture of Hill 355 – Maryang San.

The veterans taking part in the visit were: Gordon Hughes DSM, Graham Connor, Les Hall, Jack Lang, John Murphy, Les Powell, Peter Scott and Ray Seaver.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Dan Tehan, delivers a speech at the commemorative service at the Australian Memorial, Kapyong.

The veterans with Minister Tehan (centre), DVA Secretary Simon Lewis PSM (second from left), Major General Simon Stuart (extreme left), and Australia’s acting ambassador to South Korea, Ravi Kewalram (to the minister’s left), in the Demilitarized Zone, with the North Korean border behind them.

Long Tan veterans honouredTen soldiers who fought at the Bat-tle of Long Tan during the Vietnam War have been decorated by the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd).

The investiture ceremony took place at Government House in Can-berra on 8 November 2016. Medals for Gallantry were awarded to Lieu-tenant Adrian Roberts, Sergeant Frank Alcorta and Lance Corporal Barry Magnussen (deceased). Com-mendations for Gallantry were awarded to Second Lieutenant Gordon Sharp (deceased), and Pri-vates Neil Bextrum, Ronald Brett (deceased), Ian Campbell, William Roche, Geoffrey Peters and Noel Grimes.

The Battle of Long Tan took place on 18 August 1966. It was one of the most costly single battles fought by Australians in the Vietnam War, involving 105 Australians and three New Zealanders from D Company 6RAR who faced more than 2,000 enemy troops. Seventeen Austral-ians were killed in action and 25 were wounded, one of whom later died from his wounds.

D Company was greatly assisted by an ammunition resupply by RAAF helicopters, close fire support

from New Zealand’s 161 Field Bat-tery, together with additional artillery support from the Austral-ian task force base at Nui Dat and the arrival of reinforcements in armoured personnel carriers as night fell.

The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal recom-mended the military honours after a review into the actions of 13 individual soldiers during the battle, following many years of lobbying by Vietnam veterans led by the former officer commanding of D Company, Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith SG (Retd).

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel, Dan Tehan, said Australia should be proud of the award recipients.

‘The 10 soldiers … are worthy recipients and on the 50th anni-versary of the Battle of Long Tan this year, we should reflect on their sacrifice and the sacrifice of every Australian who served their coun-try in Vietnam,’ Mr Tehan said.

‘It is at these times that Austral-ia’s servicemen and women display courage, bravery and mateship above and beyond the call of duty and that is recognised through the award of military honours.’

Front from left: Colonel Adrian Roberts MG OAM (Retd); Lady Lynne Cosgrove; Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC; Lieutenant Colonel Harry Smith SG (Retd); Mr Frank Alcorta MG OAM; and Mr William Roche. Rear from left: Mr Andrew Sharp (representing Gordon Sharp); Mr Geoffrey Peters; Mr Neil Bextrum; Mrs Samantha Hayes (representing Barry Magnussen); Mr Ian Campbell; Mr Noel Grimes; and Mr Christopher Brett (representing Ronald Brett).

Fall of Singapore commemorationsThe national service commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore and the service and sacrifice of all Australian prisoners of war will take place on Wednesday, 15 February 2017 at 11.00 am at the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial in Ballarat, Victoria.

The event will be one of the key events of DVA’s Century of Service commemoration program in 2017.

The service will also commemorate the service and sacrifice of all Aus-tralian prisoners of war. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

DVA will be organising the event in association with the Trustees of the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial.

A service to dedicate a new memorial to the families of servicemen and women who have been killed in action, the Garden of the Grieving Mother, will take place earlier in the morning. The service will begin at 9.30 am at the Arch of Victory in Sturt Street, Ballarat, and will be hosted by the Arch of Victory/Avenue of Honour Committee.

Details about the commemorations in Ballarat are available on the DVA website at www.dva.gov.au. There is no need to register.

11 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

Vietnam commemoration Mrs Aubre Pritchard, Vietnam War widow

DOUBLE CENTURY

Lieutenant General Angus Campbell (centre), Mrs Meg Green, War Widows’ Guild National President (left) and Mrs Narelle Bromhead OAM, Partners of Veterans National President (right), with two of the Anzac Memorial Corps of Guards. Photo: Anneke Jasinski.

War widows and partners of veterans from all over Australia came together in Septem-ber to commemorate the Vietnam War at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney. The service focused on the families left behind when their loved ones went to war, and was also attended by a wide representation from the Defence and ex-service community.

On the steps of the Memorial were 521 small wooden crosses representing those Australians who gave their lives in Vietnam. The Veterans’ Motorcycle Club provided a guard of honour along the Pool of Reflection.

Lieutenant General Angus Campbell DSC AM, Chief of Army, delivered the address on behalf of the Governor-General, who was unable to attend.

General Campbell acknowledged those who had served in Vietnam. He said that it was not only those who served in battle who were profoundly affected but also their families, many of whose lives were changed forever.

‘The partnership of marriage and shared dreams for the future were shattered. As wid-ows, big and small challenges of life were to be tackled alone. And this is what you did,’ General Campbell said.

‘Calling on every ounce of your strength and fortitude, you raised and provided for your families without the security, comfort and counsel that a partner brings. And for support you called upon each other – draw-ing strength and understanding from a shared loss.

‘The War Widows’ Guild and now Partners of Veterans Australia is testament to this spirit, this sense of community, which helps widows deal with tragedy and move forward.

‘For others, their husbands returned home – but they did so bearing the physical and psychological wounds of war. Vietnam did not kill these men, but it changed their lives, their marriages and their families. For so many families, dealing with these ongo-ing repercussions has been difficult. It has

placed pressure on relationships and rede-fined family roles and expectations for the future.’

Commenting that it was the wives and families who were there to pick up the pieces, he said, ‘At this service we recognise your sacrifice and your contribution. Vietnam was your war too. You too have dealt with great difficulties and heartbreak. You too have earnt the respect and the admiration of all Australians. And we remember you today and every day. Thank you.’

The National President of the War Widows’ Guild of Australia, Mrs Meg Green, whose husband Gordon served in Vietnam, said: ‘At this time and at other times during the year war widows reflect on the service and sacrifice of our husbands. We were hoping and praying that such conflicts would end and bring our husbands home. Sadly, that wasn’t always the case. Some didn’t return home and when they did return they were often unwell. Thousands of women and chil-dren in Australia have struggled.’

Mrs Narelle Bromhead OAM, National President of The Partners of Veterans Asso-ciation of Australia, said: ‘We will not allow the sacrifice of our husbands and partners to be forgotten. Thousands of mothers, wives, partners, children and communities strug-gled when our men didn’t return home.’

The service featured performances by the RSL Rural Commemorative Youth Choir, soloist Mrs Alexandra Dalman of the Military Wives choir, the Navy Band, and poems read by Cate Doyle and Alexandra and Annabelle Green, the granddaughters of Vietnam veter-ans Mike Bromhead and Gordon Green and the two Presidents. Ms OJ Rushton played her composition, ‘The War Widows’ Lament’ during the laying of wreaths.

The commemorative service was organ-ised by the War Widows’ Guild of Australia NSW and The Partners of Veterans Asso-ciation of Australia, with the assistance of grants from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the NSW Government.

Mrs Aubre Pritchard, 91, of Richmond, NSW, attended the Vietnam com-memoration service in Sydney with her son Jonathan from Katherine, NT. She brought flowers to lay with the wreaths in front of the Anzac Memorial, includ-ing rosemary and a white azalea, which had been growing at their home when her husband was alive.

David Thomas Pritchard served in the Second World War, spending four years in the Navy. He later joined the RAAF, serving as a chaplain in Aus-tralia, Penang and Vietnam, and was mentioned in dispatches. Mr Pritchard died as a result of his service in 1977.

Mrs Pritchard said she was delighted to have been able to attend a service that allowed war widows to remember their loved ones, and she and Jonathan had found the service very moving.

Aubre and Jonathan Pritchard. Photo: Anneke Jasinski.

A retirement village in Bayview, Syd-ney, recently celebrated the 100th birthdays of two war widows, Betty Ireland and Peggy Ritchie, born on the same day!

Peggy and Betty are twins, born at home in Summer Hill in Sydney. They had a very happy childhood full of music and entertaining. They were always in the same class at school and sat next to one another. Betty says Peggy always came top of the class and she came second. Their teenage years were spent going to dances and balls where they met their future husbands.

Both the twins were married dur-ing the Second World War. Their father preferred that they have a double wedding, but neither of their fiancés would agree to this!

Their husbands joined up as vol-unteers and were sent overseas, so the twins lived together for three years until their husbands came home at the end of the War. They

bought houses very close to one another and have never lived more than a suburb apart. Peggy had two girls and Betty had two boys, and both families spent every holiday and weekend together.

Once their children had grown up and married, they both went to work at Channel 10 and these were some of the happiest years of their lives.

When Peggy’s husband died sud-denly, the twins retired and with Betty’s husband, Norm, moved into their retirement village on the same day. They have been living happily there for the past 30 years. Norm died about 10 years ago.

Peggy and Betty found it hard to believe they made it to their 100th birthday together, and have enjoyed every phase of their lives. In their words – ‘we must have been born under a lucky star!’

Written by Denise Rolleston, daughter of Peggy Ritchie.

Betty Ireland and Peggy Ritchie.

W I D O W S ’ N E W S

12 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

Plaudits for Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum

Hellfire Pass – notorious for the brutal conditions in which prisoners were forced to work.

The Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum in Thailand honours the suffering and sacrifice of all those who worked as forced labour on the Burma–Thailand Railway during the Second World War. Located in the Sai Yok district of the western province of Kanchanaburi, the museum is operated by the Australian Government and opened in 1998.

This year, the travel website TripAdvisor declared the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum to be the best museum in Thailand and the sixth best in Asia. This is the fifth year in succession that TripAdvisor has praised the Museum.

More than 150,000 people visit the museum each year. It includes a walking trail along the site of the original railway line and several cut-tings through rock made by Allied prisoners of war.

Hellfire Pass, known locally as Konyu Cut-ting, is for Australians the most well-known of many sites along the Burma–Thailand Railway. It was named for both the brutal conditions under which prisoners worked and the fact that at night the scene was lit by carbide lights,

bamboo fires and bamboo containers that held diesel and hessian wicks. Hellfire Pass, remarked one former prisoner, ‘looked like a scene out of Dante’s inferno’.

The Pass consisted of two cuttings, the first measuring 460 metres in length and 7.6 metres deep, the second 73 metres long and 24 metres deep. Work began at Hellfire Pass in late April 1943 and continued into June, by which time an estimated 700 prisoners of war had perished on this one small section of the railway alone.

You can find out more about the museum and the Australian experience of the Burma–Thailand Railway during the Second World War at hellfire-pass.commemoration.gov.au.

Days in Conflict new app seriesFollowing the success of the Gallipoli: The First Day app, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs have released the second app, WWI: The Battles of Fromelles and Pozières, in the Days in Conflict Centenary Edition series.The app was launched by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Dan Tehan, and ABC Director of Digital Network, David Anderson, on 9 December at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

The free app explores stories and events from the battles of Fromelles and Pozières over the days and nights from 19 to 23 July 1916.

‘This app will allow users to experience first-hand what it was like to be on the Western Front in 1916,’ Mr Tehan said. ‘Intended for school-aged children, undergraduates or anyone interested in this formative part of Australia’s military history, the app will support a genuine under-standing of the reality and hardship of war and its complex impact on our history.’

Based on documented historical information, the series is designed as an education tool, developed to fit into the Australian Curriculum. It provides a unique perspective on our military history in extraordinary detail. View real footage and imagery from the Western Front and listen to diary entries from those who served in Fromelles and Pozières, elo-quently read by acclaimed Australian actor Hugo Weaving.

The remaining four apps proposed will mark the 100th anniversaries of other important battles on the Western Front (such as Passchen-daele); the Battle of Beersheba in Israel; Women on the Homefront; and the Armistice. They will be released in 2017 and 2018.

WWI: The Battles of Fromelles and Pozières can be downloaded for free from Apple and Google app stores.

For non-tablet users, the ABC has also developed the Days in Conflict: Fromelles and Pozières website: www.abc.net.au/fromelles-pozieres.

One Woman’s War and Peace: A nurse’s journey in the Royal Australian Air Forceby Wing Commander Sharon Bown (Retd) With a foreword by the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson AOSharon Bown’s remarkable 16-year career with the RAAF saw her deployed to East Timor, Bali and Afghanistan. She also served for a year as aide-de-camp to the Minister for Defence. From barely surviving a helicopter crash to commanding a combat surgical team, Sharon’s journey is a confronting, but ultimately inspirational, account of what our men and women in the military experience, and the price they pay for their service.Available from www.exislepublishing.com.au for $29.99

For King and CountryThis book is published by the North Road Cemetery. It contains outlines of all identified ex-service personnel who are buried or commemorated within the cemetery.Many conflicts are represented, from the Napoleonic and Crimean wars through to the Vietnam War. Two George Cross recipients are included, also well-known names such as William Charles Nightin-gale Waite, Leonard Murray (Len) Opie and William Francis James (Bill) McCann.Available for $50 from the Cemetery office at 1A Cemetery Avenue, Nailsworth, SA 5083, and also from the Army Museum of South Australia at Keswick Barracks. Postal orders are welcome. Phone (08) 8344 1051; Fax (08) 8344 8545.

If you would like your book featured in off the shelf, send us a summary of the book (maximum 150 words). There is no need to send a copy of the book or an extract. Photos and book covers will not be featured. We can only publish a few of the notices sent to us. Email vetaffairs@dva.gov.au or write to GPO Box 9998, ACT 2601.

The ABC presents an innovative new app, Days in Conflict, to mark the 100th anniversary of the battles of Fromelles and Pozières on the Western Front in 1916.The free app explores stories and events from the battles of Fromelles and Pozières

over the days and nights between the 19th and 23rd of July, 1916.Based on documented historical information, the series provides a unique

perspective on our military history, in extraordinary detail.View real footage and imagery from the Western Front and listen to diary entries

from those that served in Fromelles and Pozières, eloquently read by Hugo Weaving.

Days in Conflict: The Battles of Fromelles and Pozières can be downloaded for free from Apple and Google app stores.

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Anzac Day at Sandakan Memorial Park, Malaysia, in 2017 Each year, several hundred Australians attend the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Sandakan Memorial Park in the state of Sabah in Borneo, Malaysia.

The Park is located on the site of the Second World War Sandakan prisoner-of-war camp in which British and Australian soldiers were interred.

Some 1,700 Australian prisoners of war perished either at the camp or on the horrific death marches to or at Ranau.

We strongly encourage those planning to attend the Dawn Service visit the DVA website for more infor-mation about how to prepare and what to expect when attending the annual commemoration. Once on the website, type ‘ceremonies overseas’ into the search function at the top-right of the home page.

You can help us to plan for your attendance by com-pleting and submitting the voluntary registration form and submitting it to jenna.lobb@dva.gov.au or register by phone on (02) 6289 6009.

13 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

ESORT rounds off the year with message of solidarityThe Ex-Service Organisation Round Table (ESORT) had its final meeting for 2016 on 10 November.

It has been a productive year for the ESORT, and on the eve of Remembrance Day it was fitting that members departed the meet-ing with a renewed commitment to work together to continue to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australia’s ex-service community.

A key topic of the meeting was an overview of the National Ex-Service Organisation (ESO) National Lead-ers Strategy Meeting of 31 October 2016. ESORT members, and other prominent figures in the ex-service community, met on this day to discuss how all ESOs could col-laborate more effectively in the future. The ESORT was advised that a ‘Compact’ would be drafted from the outcomes of this meeting, and circulated to the membership for consideration.

The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Legislation Amend-ment (Defence Force) Bill 2016 (DRCA Bill) was discussed with members. The Bill has been tabled in Parliament and will be debated in the Autumn 2017 sitting. If passed it will come into effect on 1 July 2017.

The ESORT was advised that should the new Act be passed by Parliament, eligibility and ben-efits would be the same as those currently available to serving and former Australian Defence Force members under the existing Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRCA). This means there will be no change to existing entitle-ments or access to benefits.

The Department’s work on its ‘Transformation’ agenda was another key item of discussion during the meeting. Members were updated on transformation initiatives, particularly work on improving the ‘client journey’.

Members also received updates on the expansion of powers for the Veterans’ Review Board, and DVA’s private hospital and transport procurement.

The ESORT welcomed the new National Chairman of the Austral-ian Special Air Service Association, Mr Peter Fitzpatrick AM JP, to his first meeting.

Members also farewelled Mr Rus-sell Pettis FAIM and thanked him for his six years of exemplary service representing the Naval Association of Australia.

Are you prepared for bushfire season? It’s worth remembering that serious bushfires can occur in suburban communities as well as regional and rural ones.

While the safety of yourself and your loved ones should be your first priority, the more you prepare your property the better the chance it will survive a bushfire, even if you are not there. The majority of houses can survive most bushfires with planning and effort.

And a well-prepared home will give you more protection if a fire threatens suddenly and you cannot leave.

Bushfire survival planIt’s well worth preparing a bushfire survival plan that

details preparations and the actions you will take if a bushfire threatens.

If you plan to leave for a safer place, consider well ahead of time where you will go and how you will get there. Your safer place could be with friends and family, and may not be far away. Know where you will go and never just ‘wait and see’.

Relocating at the last minute can be deadly.• Decide ahead of time what you will do with your pets – i.e.

will you take them or leave them?• Prepare a safe storage box to place important documents,

photos, valuables and medication, which you can access in a hurry.

• Clear away timber, dead vegetation, undergrowth and long grass from your property.

• Have leaves and rubbish removed from your gutters.For more information and tips, contact your local fire service. Defence Service Homes Insurance (DSHI) suggests you

review your insurance to make sure it is current and covers all your assets. Also check you are not underinsured – many peo-ple only discover this after their house has burned down. For instance, often:• buildings or other improvements on the property may

not be covered by the policy. These include sheds, stables, garages, solar panels and fences

• contents are not insured at all• the cost of repairing or rebuilding a home is a lot higher

than expected as new building codes can drastically increase rebuilding costs. For instance, they may require triple glazing of windows or fire resistant building materials be used.

If you are insured with Defence Service Homes Insurance, visit www.dsh.gov.au to review your policy or call DSHI on 1300 552 662.

Update on the Sir John Monash CentreIn the Winter 2016 issue of Vetaf-fairs, we wrote about the ground survey and clearance work performed at the Australian National Memorial near Villers-Bretonneux in France ahead of the construction of the Sir John Monash Centre.

This work has also allowed a feature of Sir Edwin Lutyens’s original design for the Memo-rial – terrace paths joining its tower and pavilions – to finally be realised. The original deci-sion not to build the paths was a cost-saving measure as the Memorial was built during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Once complete, these paths will enhance the experience of a visit to the Memorial and help guide visitors towards the pavilions

and then down ramps to the Sir John Monash Centre.

Once inside the Centre, visi-tors will experience an evocative and educational experience, telling of Australia’s service on the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. This experience, designed by Convergence Associates, will be brought to life by Australian multimedia production com-pany WildBear Entertainment. It will use film footage and photo-graphs, animations, maps, music and immersive soundscapes.

The Centre is due to open around Anzac Day 2018.

To follow the development of the Centre, visit www.dva.gov.au/SJMC.

Case study: A happy DSHI customerDVA’s Deputy Commissioner in WA, Peter King, recently had the great pleasure of presenting veteran Rodney Kennedy with the keys to a brand new home.

Yarloop, a small country town south of Perth, was struck by a catastrophic bushfire on 8 January 2016 that destroyed more than 150 buildings and houses. Rodney’s home was one of them.

Fortunately, Rodney was insured with DSHI and was able to have his home rebuilt.

Rodney was the first Yarloop resident to have his home rebuilt, allowing him to get on with his life.

‘DSHI used the right trades to rebuild my house in around three months,’ Rodney said. ‘Everybody involved in my claim was great, including the builder who was fantastic! Everything went much better than I had expected.

‘After my claim, I know a lot more now about insurance. I wish I had taken more time on my insurance to get the house and contents fully insured.’

Some additional rebuild costs often not considered include complying with updated building codes. In Rodney’s case, updated building codes required that the slab be moved, his house have additional bushfire protection, and the septic tanks be replaced and upgraded.

‘Nobody likes paying for insurance, but getting your poli-cies in order, and your sum insured correct are critical. A few premium dollars saved is nothing when you are faced with a major loss like I suffered losing everything: my home, my con-tents, a small boat and my animals,’ Rodney said.

Rodney with DVA’s WA Deputy Commissioner Peter King outside Rodney’s new house.

An aerial photo of the Australian National Memorial near Villers-Bretonneux, showing progress on the Sir John Monash Centre (lower left), and on Lutyens’s unbuilt paths (centre).

14 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

ORDER FORM (please print clearly)

To order, simply complete the order form and post your cheque/money order or credit card details to:

eSales Unit Australian War Memorial GPO Box 345 Canberra ACT 2601

Phone (02) 6243 4555 (select option 2)

Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery.

Or shop online at www.awm.gov.au/shop

QUAN

TITY

DET

AILS

PRICE NUMBER OF ITEMS TOTAL

Afghanistan: the Australian story – 2-DVD set $24.99

Fighting Monsters: an intimate history of the Sandakan tragedy $44.00

Wartime Magazine Issue 76 – Indigenous service $7.00

DVA Calendar 2017 – Animals in war $11.99

Postage & handling (per delivery address) 1–3 items $10.00, 4–9 items $15.00, 10 or more items $20.00 $

Total amount x $

PAYM

ENT

DETA

ILS

Visa Mastercard Cheque/money order (made payable to the Australian War Memorial)

CARDHOLDER NAME

CARD NUMBER EXPIRY DATE

SIGNATURE DAYTIME CONTACT NUMBER

DELI

VERY

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RESS FULL NAME

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SUBURB/TOWN State Postcode

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I TEMS FOR SALE NEWS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

Afghanistan: the Australian story – 2-DVD set

Australian War MemorialAustralia’s mission was clear: to combat international terrorism, to help stabilise Afghanistan, and to support Australia’s international alliances. But a mission statement cannot reveal the challenges, successes, and comradeship of the Australian men and women who pursue it. Nor does it express the joys and heartbreaks, loneliness and dedication of those who wait at home. Some of these experiences, set against the backdrop of a modern war, are told in the film by current and former service personnel and their families.Rated M, PAL, duration 60 minutes plus bonus disc of interviews, 2-DVD set. $24.99

Fighting Monsters: an intimate history of the Sandakan tragedy

Richard Braithwaite Only six escapees survived the Sandakan death marches of 1945 in North Borneo, the worst atrocity ever inflicted on Australian soldiers. 1,787 Australian and 641 British prisoners of war (POWs) perished. Previous descriptions of the many violent acts have yielded little understanding of a situation where the real struggle was to keep one’s humanity when so many were losing theirs, whether Allied POWs, local residents, Javanese slave-labourers or Japanese soldiers. Soft cover, photographs, 530 pages. $44.00

Wartime magazine issue 76 – Indigenous service

Australian War MemorialThis Wartime issue is dedicated to Indigenous service: why Indigenous men and women enlisted and their experiences at war. Wartime is the military history magazine of the Australian War Memorial and a must-have for anyone with an interest in history.Magazine, illustrated, 72 pages. $7.00 Subscriptions are also available (contact the eSales Unit for information – details below).

DVA Calendar 2017 – Animals in war

Department of Veterans’ AffairsThe 2017 DVA commemorative calendar focuses on the many roles that animals have played in Australia’s wartime history over the past century. Beginning with the contribution of military working animals such as horses, donkeys, camels, dogs and pigeons, the calendar goes on to explore the role of animals on the front line as mascots and companions, and details the appearance of animals in Australian military heraldry, artworks and wartime advertising. 12-month calendar. $11.99

For Country, for Nation exhibitionOn Thursday, 22 September, the Australian War Memorial launched For Country, for Nation – its first exhibition dedi-cated exclusively to exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories of military service in times of war and peace.

The exhibition houses 60 works of art by 32 artists. The Memorial has commissioned an additional six artists from across Australia to create works especially for the exhibition. The space also features two installations by Victorian-based weavers Aunty Glenda Nicholls and Aunty Clair Bates.

For Country, for Nation will be open until September 2017.

New Middle East display to open A new permanent display at the Memorial presents the story of Australia’s military involvement in the Middle East. It opened to the public on 6 October 2016.

The 150-square-metre display extends the current ‘Con-flicts 1945 to today’ galleries. It covers the First Gulf War, Operation Habitat, the Maritime Interception Force, United Nations weapons inspections as well as the wars in Afghan-istan and Iraq.

The display’s 220 items are either from the Memorial’s collection or on loan from current and former Australian Defence Force personnel who served on those deployments. This is the first major change to the ‘Conflicts 1945 to today’ galleries since they opened in December 2007.

The Afghanistan section includes the taxidermied explosive detection dog Sarbi, on loan from her handler, Corporal David Smith. Sarbi went missing in action dur-ing the engagement in which Corporal Mark Donaldson was awarded the Victoria Cross. After 13 months, Sarbi was recovered by US forces and reunited with her unit and han-dler. The Purple Cross medal awarded to her in recognition of her courage, strength, resilience and service is also on display.

15 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

MEDALS – LOST & FOUND

N O T I C E B O A R D SR E U N I O N S

1/79 WRAAC school reunion 20 Jan 2017, Mosman, NSW 38 years since enlistment.Contact: Yvonne Sillett 0400 996 212

HMAS Moresby and All Survey Vessels 13 March 2017, Gold Coast or Brisbane EOIs are requested from ex-sailors who served on HMAS Moresby and other ships that were involved in hydrographic duties for the RAN.Contact: Allan ‘Junior’ Watt (02) 6686 8324 / 0402 749 582 jakknco@bigpond.net.au

Q Class16–17 March 2017, Penrith, NSW All Q Class 1942–73 ex-crew and partners invited to the 75th anniversary (1942) of the commis-sioning of our ships, Quadrant, Queenbrough, Quiberon and Quickmatch.Contact: Bryan Burdett (03) 9877 4443 burdettbryan@yahoo.com

RAAF No 11 Engineering Apprentice & No 6 JEATS 1957–1959 17–19 March 2017. Oval Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour, NSW 60th anniversary reunion.Contact: Doug Waters 209/25 Rundle Drive Parafield Gar-dens SA 5107(08) 8256 1709 / 0412 421 345 doug.waters@esc.net.au

86 Transport Vietnam Assoc Inc21–26 April 2017, Maroochydore, QLD The Assoc invites all 86 Transport veterans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the deployment of 86 Transport Platoon to Viet-nam. Visit the website for further details and to download the regis-tration form.Contact: Reunion Secretary, Ron Kratzmann kratzyra@bigpond.com www.86transportvietnam.com

Commemoration Service 23 April 2017, Dubbo Cenotaph, Victoria Park, Dubbo, NSW All ex-students and teachers of Dubbo High School, South Dubbo High School, Delroy High School and Dubbo College who have served or are still serving in the ADF to attend the service to hon-our former servicemen & women of these schools, including Raw-don Middleton VC.Contact: Doug Butcherine (02) 6882 2323 dougbu@bigpond.com

4RAR D Company 1st Tour South Vietnam 1968/69 23–28 April 2017, Ulverstone, TASContact: Margie King or Rob Peebles

0407 243 357

margieking52@hotmail.com

Navy Phots 1–6 May 2017, Tanunda / Barossa Valley, SA RAN Photographers contact Trevor or Pedro Fenwick, pedro-kendr@activ8.net.auContact: Trevor Klose

0418 632 508

tandcklose@bigpond.com

2RAR18–20 May 2017, Brisbane, QLD All those who have served with 2RAR and 2/4RAR and their fami-lies are welcome to attend.Contact: Jan Berryman, Event Coordinator

(07) 3342 4272

jberry123@optusnet.com.au www.2rar-association.net.au

RAAF Surface Finisher19–21 May 2017, Ipswich Jets Leagues Club, QLD All current and ex RAAF Surface Finishers welcome.Contact: Garth Steinhardt

(07) 3813 0853

raafreunion@bigpond.com https://sites.google.com/site/raafsurfacefinishers/home

July 1967 HMAS Nirimba Intake7 July 2017, Sydney, NSW Seeking members of the July 1967 (23rd) Intake of Apprentices at HMAS Nirimba with the aim of holding a reunion. Please con-tact Peter (below) or Max Kent (kentm@y7mail.com) or join our Facebook page.Contact: Peter Sneddon

(03) 9877 4963

psneddon@bigpond.net.au https://www.facebook.com/groups/945625578830475/

1 Field Squadron Group RAE25–27 Aug 2017, Twin Towns Ser-vices Club, Coolangatta, QLD Contact: Robin Farrell

0409 265 470 or (07) 4661 7791

rfarrell1@bigpond.com or info@1fieldsappers.org 1fieldsappers.org

10th Intake National Servicemen10 Oct 2017, Sawtell, NSW Notice to all Nashos who were called up on 4 Oct 1967. Please register your details for the 50th anniversary of our call-up.Contact: Richard Barry (02) 6792 3114 richyvon47@hotmail.com www.tenthintake.com.au

HMAS Quiberon 11 October 2017, Devonport, TAS EOIs from ex crew members of HMAS Quiberon 1958–64 and any WWII destroyer men. This may be the final reunion for only Quiberon crews, so we would like it to be a special occasion. Contact: Derek Tite (03) 6425 7051 dereknavy36@gmail.com

Army Water Transport 13–15 October 2017, Port Lincoln, SA Past and present members and partners invited from: 32 Small Ships, TN Centre Training; 35 Water Craft, 42 TPT Amphib Pla-toon; 30 TML SQN, Townsville; RAEME Personnel Watercraft involved; Admin and Catering etc personnel. RSVP February 2017.Contact: Mostyn Hetzel 0428 195 659

1st Armoured Regiment LAD Sections Vietnam 1968–1971 20–22 October 2017, Yarrawonga Caravan Park, VIC Members who served in C, B, A or C1 LAD sections of the 1st Armoured Regiment Vietnam 1968–71 are invited to attend.Contact: Russell Cunningham (03) 5766 2413 bungie12@bigpond.net.au

HMAS Duchess3–5 November 2017, Tweed Heads RSL, QLD Expected cost will be $200.00, which includes Fri/Sat dinner and Sun lunch, and a certain amount of dry till Sat night. Deposit of $50.00 due June 2017 with balance due end Sept 2017. Contact: Rod Clarey0409 267 388rod.clarey1@bigpond.com

Contact: Bruce ‘Bowie’ Bowmaker 0403 243 795 d154shipsoffice@gmail.com

5/76 WRAAC School Recruit Course 20 November 2017, Cruise Precise date to be advised.Contact: Joann Edwards / Colleen Crabb (nee McNamara) peppa55@westnet.com.au

LOSTKenneth Theodore Charles WRIGLEY Seeking WWII medals of my father Kenneth (dec 1964). He was RANR, service no. W1180. I have two of his medals, one being the 1945–75 Service medal. Would also love to meet anyone who knew him.Contact: Robert Wrigley

0414 452 306 oricle@bigpond.net.au

32853 Charles Ernest MILLS WWI medalsHe died alone in Cairns Qld on 15 April 1951. He was buried by the RSL in Cairns. I am trying to locate his medals – British War Medal & Victory Medal. Contact: Dan Mills

(07) 4638 5868 pongping@iinet.net.au

Lost Dog tags I lost my dog tags while in Mackay city area and hope someone picked them up. S/N 1738659, Ramsay L J, R.C. Contact: Len Ramsay

(07) 3209 5541 leonard.ramsay@bigpond.com

Albert Leslie Lavaring Seeking the medals of my late grandfather, who served in New Guinea with the 2/7th Bn, Service Number QX28910, DOB 10 May 1919, Gin Gin, QLD. I would also like to learn more about his days with the AIF between 21/1/1942 and 5/10/1944.Contact: Andrew Carter

0409 034 753 Andrewc689@gmail.com

Stolen Medals – Leslie Waring Vietnam Service Medal with attached Infantry Combat Badge and South Vietnamese Star. Service No. 216953. Served with 2 SAS sqn (infantry) & 103/110 sig sqn (sig) 1967/68/71. Medals taken 38 years ago in a house burglary in Flynn, ACT.Contact: Les Waring

0427 299 270 riverinaleadlight@bigpond.com

Mons StarSeeking an ORIGINAL Aug-Nov ribbon Clasp for my grandfa-ther’s Mons Star. Contact: Ray Walker

(08) 9840 8007 raywalker61@gmail.com

WWI medals Leonard Pantall Medals awarded to Private 362 E Company Original 16th Bn. 1914–15 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal. Contact: Roma-Lee Western

0417 909 388 romawestern@bigpond.com

FOUNDService Medal DVR A Dunn1914–1918 Service Medal inscribed ‘1029 DVR. A. DUNN. 7/BN. A.I.F.’ Contact: Lloyd Knight

0414 266 643 lloydknight@mac.com

POB A Fisher Medal ribbons HMAS Torrens, and UN memorabilia found. Contact: CPOMT Robert Bean Rtd

0487 753 104 robroy.bean@bigpond.com

16 — Vetaffairs Summer 2016

Submissions for the Noticeboard can now be made online by visiting www.dva.gov.au/vetaffairs/noticeboard and completing the online submission form.

Please note that Vetaffairs is published on the above website, including all personal details submitted.Due to space constraints, not all notices can be published in the printed edition of Vetaffairs. Notices may be edited for readability.

N O T I C E B O A R D SNAV Y

Seeking Peter Charlton (ex POWTR)Old ship mate from HMAS Duch-ess 1972. Married to Fran at the time. Would like to hear from you if you are still alive.Contact: Jim Hickie (ex CPOETP4)

(03) 6229 3033 jimhickie@hotmail.com

Seeking Doug Edwards CPO RAN Served at Lombrum, Manus Island, 1977/78. Contact: Michael Cooper, Army

0477 887 726 mcooper88@bigpond.com

HMS Ships 1940–45 Seeking those who served on HMS Princess Charlotte, Fencer-Mer-sey, Rocksand or Pursuer between 1940 and 1945.Contact: Valerie Shenton

(07) 4128 1728 or 0491 129 30443 Willow Crt, Eli Waters, Pt Vernon, QLD 4655

Danielle Harbour ex WRAN Seeking Danielle (from Ferntree Gully, Victoria), an old friend of mine who joined the RAN in 1986. She has a sister, Vicky, who joined the RAAF.Contact: Danny Massouras

0494 851 997 danny_massouras@ hotmail.com

HMAS Tobruk Mogadishu Somalia 1993 crew Looking for any crew from the Somalia run in 1993. Contact: Johno

0408 937 517 davejohnson1973@live.com

ARMY

Galloping Green Grocers Attention Galloping Green Gro-cers aka RAASC-RAAOC Food stuffs Platoon members. The RAASC Vietnam Supply Platoons Assoc was set up, in part, to net-work with other Foodie mates. Join us and connect with old mates. Contact Christina or write to PO Box 207 Mitchell ACT 2911.Contact: Christina

0430 125 195 bamberb01@bigpond.com http://raascsupply.asn.au/

1969 OCS Graduates Seeking the following with a view to include them in a planned 50th reunion in 2019 – Adrian Ferguson, Peter Fergu-son, Tony Filer, Chris Goodreid, Mark Howell (NZ), Neil Man-nix, Martin Moran and Joe Thompson.Contact: Stewart Kerr Sqn. Ldr. RAAF (Ret’d)

(02) 6684 1411 or 0412 486 234 mullummg@gmail.com

Seeking F3/489 WRAAC Nola Francis Clancy Married name Wright – served Melb area mid 1950s; last heard of in England 1966 whilst on holiday.Contact: Russ Morison

(02) 6292 7567 or 0408 957 935 dabblers2@hotmail.com

Seeking relatives of Lt Edgar Logan Mrs Pauline Elliot in the UK has a WWI Aust Serviceman’s New Testament Bible belonging to Lt Edgar LOGAN 6 Reinf. 48th Battal-ion AIF. It has an inscription from Ruby Stanbury dated 1913. Lt Logan’s file shows his NOK as c/- Mrs Edgar Stanbury, Victoria Ave, North Freemantle. Contact Mrs Elliot elliot42@htinternet.com Contact: Derek Sims

0400 865 754 or (02) 6672 2969 rsl@msmc.org.au

2679 William Edgar MILLS Looking for relatives of William Edgar Mills, for photos, med-als or any info on him. He was killed on 13 June 1917 in Bel-gium and buried in St Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery in Belgium. Contact: Dan Mills

(07) 4638 5868 pongping@iinet.net.au

Sergeant Leslie John Stevens Seeking Sergeant Leslie John Ste-vens (John). Served in Vietnam. Was in WA (Rottnest Is) in 70s. At least one son, Simon. We would love to locate him or his family. Contact: Lisa Parker

0439 332 366 or (08) 9581 9600 llnparker@hotmail.com

Seeking Michael G Cox, ex national serviceman He was called up for National Service in SA and did a tour of Vietnam. Any information would be appreciated.Contact: Sheena Stanfield

(07) 3061 9817 rebeljane@email.com

131 Divisional Locating Battery, Vietnam Seeking 131 Div. Loc Bty Vietnam Locators RAA, for a unique WA reunion this year at a lunch/din-ner gathering.Contact: Barry Guzder

(08) 9295 1749 or 0420 927 139 guzder@aapt.net.au

Wodonga Bus Tragedy – 8 May 1943 Seeking info, articles, photos for a new book relating to the hor-rific bus and train crash at the Tallangatta level crossing that claimed the lives of 25 soldiers and the civilian bus driver.Contact: Andrew Johnston wodongatragedy1943@ outlook.com

Seeking photos from the Vietnam War I am a Vietnam veteran author planning to republish my book NASHO in 2017 (first published in the 1980s). The book was about National Service and the Vietnam War and I am seeking unpublished, interesting photos taken during the war to include in the book. Email or post (with brief details) to PO Box 377, Brighton VIC 3186.Contact: Michael Frazer michaelfrazer@bigpond.com

Tobruk Siege 1941 Volunteers are researching on Australian–Polish brothers-in-arms in Tobruk and on other battle grounds. Please send your personal recollections.Contact: Waldemar Niemotko

(02) 9953 5765 info.eureka5@gmail.com www.researchinstitute.org.au

AIR FORCE

RAAF RTU WTU Course Photos, Banners and Info Seeking recruit training course and banner photos and info for any RTU or WTU courses for inclusion on a website. Contact: Greg Lyons – aka Jacko

(07) 32940803 – after hours djjacko58@bigpond.com https://sites.google.com/site/raafrtuwtucourses/home/1rtu

Max Page Seeking SQNLDR Max Page (Retd), formerly “A” model herc rehab program. Need info about chemicals.Contact: Hap Pryor

0435 563 366 happypryor@gmail.com

Seeking relatives of John (Jack) Alexander Telford Service No.71744. Served with RAAF No. 6 Mobile Workshop & Airfield Construction Squadron.Contact: Roy Norman

0409 845 856 roycheryl@ozemail.com.au

Len Barrett, Cook RAAF Seeking people that served with my father. He attended Recruit Course 551 Wagga early 1960, was in Ubon 1965.Contact: Terry Barrett terryb@iinet.net.au

Air Vice-Marshal William Dowling Bostock Seeking anyone who knew or is related to Air Vice-Marshal Wil-liam Dowling Bostock CB, DSO, OBE. I received the 2016 RAAF Heritage Award to write his biography.Contact: Dr Peter Helson

0408 155 049 dthomas@bigpond.com

MISCELLANEOUS

War Grave photography RSL member travels to Europe regularly visiting war cemeteries in France and Belgium. We can photograph war graves and sup-ply either photo prints or digital images (gratis). Images on hand for all WWII Aust service-men buried in Yokohama War Cemetery (Japan), Klagenfurt War Cemetery (Austria) and all Germany (WWI & WWII); South Australians buried in Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) & Singapore. Contact Ian Milnes, RSL Victor Harbor, PO Box 170, Victor Har-bor, SA 5211 Contact: Ian Milnes

vhrsl2@bigpond.com

75th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore commemorations, QueenslandA service marking the 75th anni-versary of the Fall of Singapore will take place in Brisbane on Sunday 19th February 2017 at the Shrine of Remembrance, Ann Street, Brisbane at 10am. The half-hour wreath-laying service will go ahead irrespective of the weather. The general public is welcome and personal tributes accepted. Seating available.Contact: Wemdy Drysdale

0414 483 009 jefwenliz@optusnet.com.au

Mackay Veterans Support Group QldMVSG welcomes grey nomads and ex-ADF members travelling through the Mackay region or are moving to Mackay. We have a fully equipped club house and workshop. Advocate VEA SRCA MRCA CEC. 1930. Drop in and meet new friends and possibly old mates.Contact: George Newton

0419 705 346 gnadvocate@bigpond.com

Graeme David Shaw Seeking my brother Graeme (DOB 06/08/1960) possibly resid-ing in Tasmania.Contact: Scott Shaw 0417 686 073

WWII in Asia Survivors Special Project Seeking civilian internees or Ex-POWS of the Japanese who fit these criteria: 85 years and above; living in Asia when interned/cap-tured by the Imperial Japanese Forces; still able to communicate well. Also seeking to interview women civilians, children, and POWs captured by the Japanese.Contact: Adrian Pen adrianpen@hotmail.com

Nagasaki POW Research AssistanceSeeking relatives of 24 men who were POWs in Nagasaki on 9 August, 1945, to register their names on a database at the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Hall.Contact: Andrew Carter0433 373 815 adcarter79@hotmail.com

Porcelain egg cupSeeking information on the use of an egg cup which has the AMF logo (in blue) on it. I have been in the OR’s, the SGTs and Officer’s messes (beginning in 1965) and don’t remember using or seeing this cup.Contact: Tony Everett (07) 3300 2947 trekmate@optusnet.com.au

Seeking volunteers for research interviews Seeking participants for a study on the culture and norms of the ADF, specifically career experi-ences, and issues relating to Treatment of Women in the ADF (2014).Contact: Selda Dagistanli(02) 9772 6221 s.dagistanli@ westernsydney.edu.au

Nowra TPI Social & Welfare Club The Club is seeking new mem-bers. We hold our meetings at the Nowra Ex Serviceman’s Club the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 11.00 am, as well as hav-ing regular social outings and lunches. Contact President, Jack Doulis (02) 4443 3448 / 0402 258 041 or Secretary, Leanne Wehmeier, (02) 4443 4038 leannew70@bigpond.com