STOP PRESS

ABC 1 has included a segment on the RSL funeral service for CPL Thatcher, during Stateline which will be broadcast at 1930 hrs tonight.

The unmarked grave of a local returned serviceman will be honoured with an official RSL funeral service at the Yass Cemetery on Wednesday.

Members of the Queanbeyan RSL Sub Branch will join members of the Yass RSL Sub Branch to recognise Walter Albert Thatcher - a World War II soldier from Yass who served in the Second Force Australian Infantry Battalion and the Z Special Unit between 1939 and 1945.

Walter Albert Thatcher, affectionately known as Ned, was born in Yass on January 19 1907. He died at the Goulburn Training Centre on May 24, 1959 from a heart condition, believed to be linked to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Ned Thatcher was buried at the Yass Cemetery and his unmarked grave went largely unnoticed until relatives began searching for him some years ago.

When Julie Wheelhouse approached Richard Stone, ex-RAAF Logistics Officer and President of the RSL Queanbeyan Sub Branch, with service details of her grand-uncles time in the Australian Armed Forces, he was amazed.

I saw his service record and I was just amazed, Mr Stone said.

While the Ethos of the RSL is to leave no sailor, airman or soldier in an unmarked grave, this was not the only force compelling Mr Stone to help Ms Wheelhouse honour her grand-uncle.

“He must have been a very, very good soldier because he was promoted a number of times.

“To be part of the Z Special Unit he had to be a very special person,” Mr Stone said.

Secretary of the Queanbeyan RSL Sub Branch and ex-Lieutenant-Colonel, Darryl Patch, said Mr Thatcher served in Greece, Crete, New Guinea and the Middle East.

He was transferred to the Z Special Unit, a precursor to the British Special Air Service (SAS) and the Australian Special Air Services Regiment (ASASR).

The Z Special Unit was a joint Australian, British and New Zealand commando unit which saw action against the Empire of Japan during WWII. The Z Special Unit carried out 284 covert operations in the South West Pacific theatre, many of which still remain cloak-and-dagger today.

The Z Special Unit was a small organisation that served behind enemy lines. It did a number of operations, some are still classified as secret, Mr Patch said.

Ms Wheelhouse said the funeral service would be a very emotional and special time for her family. Many are travelling to Yass to attend.

The service and the day are both going to be very important and very emotional.

Ms Wheelhouse expressed her gratitude towards the Queanbeyan RSL Sub Branch for supporting her quest and OSKAR Memorials in Canberra for donating the granite headstone bearing the name of her grand-uncle.

They have done so much and I cannot thank them enough, Ms Wheelhouse said.

Members of the Yass RSL Sub Branch and members of the public who were acquainted with Mr Thatcher during his time in Yass are welcome to attend the RSL funeral service at the Yass Cemetery on Wednesday at 11am.

Courtesy Yass Tribune

This Week

Monday

Danny travelling to represent Veteran at VRB in Melbourne.

Tidy up of Food Van after Gundaroo Food Festival.

A very successful outing, estimated $2,200 profit.

Kevin seeing clients.

Tuesday

Danny representing a client at the VRB in Melbourne.

President Gerry and members attended the Rememberance Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial.

Work continued on the new IT network.

Work continued on the renovation of the Demountable.

Wednesday

Very busy at the Centre.

Gerry in Sydney for two day TIP Course.

Fergus in Sydney for Legal Pro Bono Course.

Ladies Craft Night, very successful.

Thursday

Committee Meeting.

Gerry and Fergus in Sydney for Courses.

Next Week

Monday

Danny and Kevin with Clients.

Tuesday

Ladies Christmas Lunch

Lunch at $15.00 per person.

A wonderful feast with all the Christmas Fare.

Numbers to Karen please on, telephone 02 6255 1599 or vvfact@internode.on.net

Work continues on the renovation of the Demountable.

Jock and Phil on leave.

Wednesday

Ladies Craft Night.

Thursday

Workshops active as usual.

Work continues on the Demountable.

Robin and John seeing Clients.

Friday

Bruce and Ray seeing Clients.

Fergus giving opinions to clients in regard to legal matters.

PLEA FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT

For the Intergenerational Health Effects of Service in the Military to be a success it is imperative that you respond to the request for information or registration.

The study has commenced.

The consultative forum advising the above study met for the first time on Monday, 22nd September 2008.

The DVA has used a random sampling process to select people with military service and invited their participation.

Ten thousand soldiers have been selected by the research group to register for the study and the response rate to date is sadly quite low. Many admit to receiving the request for assistance but have been a little too idle to post back their participating replies.

Please could you remind your friends and their families whom you see, that this is very important, as it will determine how future military generations are treated by governments.

The participating numbers need to rise considerably. This study applies to veterans who served overseas during the sixties and seventies as well as those who remained in the military on the Australian mainland.

Without this latter select comparison group the results will lose their value to prove the point that a soldier’s overseas service can contribute to that soldier’s family difficulties; be they his own, his wife, or his children and grand children.

If you or your colleagues are requested to help, even though people feel uninvolved, it is vital that they do so. Much time and effort has been spent designing this study and to have it fail through lack of numbers will be a tragedy that reverberates throughout the whole country for many generations to come.

There are ten of us on the forum determined to gain a useful result for those sons and daughters of military people, but we can do it only with the support of all those soldiers requested to be part of the study.

This invitation does not mean only those with some lasting difficulties. We need everyone requested to take part in the study to return the information as per the letters; be you exceeding well or less so.

To register again if papers are lost or misplaced OR to be part of the study because you realise it is important even though not one of the ten thousand selected participants,

 Phone 1800 502 302 or visit  www.dva.gov.au/vvfs

Every one who served in the AUSTRALIAN ARMY during the sixties and seventies and served in Vietnam OR remained in Australia is invited to contribute to this study. National Service personnel are very much part of this program. Your contribution to the information collected will significantly enhance the study’s depth and outcome which I’m happy to discuss with anyone who is anxious about this matter.

Dr Roderick Bain MBBS FRCA FANZCA

RSL NSW State Vice President (Southern Country)

Member of Family Health Study Consultative Forum

Tel 02-93808774

Mob. 0417604450

email: roderickbain@gmail.com

The Australian Government has commenced a study into the intergenerational health effects as a result of active service in the military. The study is being done in several components.

This is a one-of opportunity to undertake a large scale scientific study to identify the conditions suffered by military families. It is not just another veterans' health study, but a study of conditions which affect the quality of life of the sons, daughters and family of military people.

To establish valid and reliable information from such a study of the wide ranging conditions requires a large number of participants. There are very few WW1, WW2 and Korean veterans’ families available. Vietnam veteran era families are reducing. Subsequent war / peacekeeping conflicts each involve relatively small numbers.

Your registration to participate is vital to understanding the intergenerational health affects of military service.

There are 2 separate approaches to obtaining information:

1.        Scientific approach which involves randomly selected military

2.        self nominated approach involving anyone who registers

Geoff Parker

Member of Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Study Inc

Member of Family Health Study Consultative Forum

Tel 03 5341 3122

PLEASE NOTE

1.        This is a world first study. No one has ever done this type of work study before. All previous research done on these various topics does not cover the brief of this study!

2.        $13.5M has been set aside specifically for this study and a similar prospective smaller one for current serving troops.

3.        The research work will be done by tertiary University bodies that tendered for the studies and are yet to be selected. The research work will not be done in house by the DVA.

4.        I believe that none of the members of the members of the Family Health Study Consultative Forum, the people representing the military / veteran stakeholders is in complete agreement with what has occurred so far but we do believe that the way forward is to work with the various research groups and DVA to achieve the best outcome possible for the family health study.

5.        To refuse, if requested, to even participate in the Intergenerational Health Study is unworthy of any military person.  Many have been through DVA studies and have felt uncomfortable about the outcomes.  Please put those aside. This study is not just about us but the families of all future military families.

6.        All the information you need to be aware of at this stage of proceedings for registration is available at the DVA web site and phone in centre.

David Matheson

President, Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Study Inc

www.covvhs.org.au  

Tel 0408 506835

THIS STUDY HAS NO RELATIONSHIP TO ANY PENSIONABLE STATUS YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO HOLD AND PERSONAL PHYSICAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

This Week

Monday

Unfortunately the AAT which Fergus intended to attend was cancelled.

Senior Vice President Danny researched into a VRB case next week.

Tuesday

Melbourne Cup Day.

The BBQ was well attended and a huge amount of comaradrie occurred.

Projects continued in the Workshops, plastering in the Demountable and data wiring for the new Client Server Network.

Wednesday

The raw materials for the construction of the Food Van and Truck Shed arrived.

A donated oven arrived to replace the oven in the main kitchen, the existing oven is being unreliable.

Ladies Craft Group met Wednesday evening. This group is progressing well.

Thursday

Workshops busy as usual. New Dust Extraction System in the Woodwork Shop has been commissioned, thanks to Peter, Peter and Barry.

Renovation of the Demountable has continued. Barry and Vic get plastered every Tuesday and Thursday.

Extension of the hard wiring in the lead up to the Client-Server Network has continued.

Friday

Preparation of Food Van for Gundaroo Bush Festival.

Sunday

Food Van at Gundaroo Bush Festival.

Next Week

Monday

Danny representing a Veteran at the VRB in Melbourne.

President Gerry and Members, representing VVFACT at the French Embassy for Armistance Day, 1918.

Tuesday

BBQ as usual.

Some Members attending Armistance Day Ceremory at AWM.

Wednesday

Ladies Craft Night.

Thursday

Committee Meeting at 1000hrs.