103 Signal Squadron 50th Birthday in Townsville
By Chris Brown OAM
(Callsign Bullworker)
Introduction
Well it’s come and gone. The long
awaited 50th Anniversary of the formation of the
Independent 103rd Signal Squadron (103 Sig Sqn) for
service in South Vietnam, providing tactical communication for the 1st
Australian Task Force, designated as part of the coalition of
Foreign Forces, committed to support the Government of South
Vietnam, against an insurgence, and hostile bid, by North Vietnam
with its communist intent on defeating the South.
Now, all that may sound long-winded,
but at the time when I was a young 20 year old Signalman, it sounded
pretty serious to me and my mates. So with that, I am glad I
hung around for the encore 50 years later, just recently, planned,
presented and choreographed by the 3rd Combat Signal
Regiment (3CSR) in Townsville. No need for a history lesson
here about 103 Sig Sqn. But it is relevant to remind members
that our unit existed as a Squadron of 1 Signal Regiment since 1960,
as a semi-autonomous Combat Operations Signals Squadron supporting
the Brigade units in Holsworthy Barracks and in Victoria.
This was no ordinary unit birthday
celebration. At the same time this was also an
Operational Memorial Dedication Service for 3CSR, in its involvement
with numerous NATO forces, in its many humanitarian peacekeeping
missions, and the Regiments role in providing tactical and strategic
communications support for Allied Forces also, involved in the many
warlike conflicts around the world.
Dedication of a number of plaques at RHQ, 3CSR to the Regiment’s
operational service, 6 Nov 2015.
Past members of 103 Sig Sqn L-R Derek Webster, Lofty Evans, OAM and Col
Roger Joy, AM at the new dedicated Humanitarian Assistance and
Disaster Relief Plaque. Roger is a past OC of 103 Sig
Sqn and both Derek and Lofty are volunteers at 3CSR, helping to
maintain the Regiment’s History.
It is a good time to be alive, when
many of my contemporaries are no longer here, to experience the
accolades of genuine respect for a unit, whose brief beginnings had
an extraordinary life. And to think throughout decades of Army
reorganisation and change, the unit still has its original
designator…103 Sig Sqn likewise104 Sig Sqn. For that I am
grateful, for it gives us all a sense of belonging and ownership, of
a unit which is continually called upon throughout the ages to do
what it does best, and that is to establish and maintain
communications. As an original member of the Squadron, I
was very proud just to be there in the Regiment, to be part of the
celebration. The unit is still alive and kicking, as past
members and current members have shown, when they all came together
for a week, in a party of brotherhood, mateship and family. I
have never experienced an occasion like this since I retired 26
years ago.
Corps Week
The Birthday celebrations were
concurrent with our own ‘Corps Week’ hosted by 3CSR. An event
coup, born out of desire, to at last have our own Corps Week in
Townsville fearlessly fought for by the CO, Lt Col Craig Tidswell.
The Corps Week activities went off without a hitch and the program
was expertly acquitted by a well organised team of officers and
diggers. In blistering heat the events just kept rolling along.
It was the 10 aside Rugby matches that created so much interest.
This was where Signal Units put up their best men to bash each other
for pride. And they did. Even the CO was in there
getting whacked, giving it and taking it. The crowd was
impressed by the passion all round. The reunion was at the
Regimental Boozer where each day there was time allocated for the
whole Regiment to take part in meeting and renewing friendship over
a beer or two, complimented by a smorgasbord of food for each
occasion. The Melbourne Cup was celebrated also, and well and
truly presented and managed by non-other than Ian ‘Gomer’ Haycock,
former 104 Sig Sqn warrior and RASigs RSM. A man who made such
a task look so easy, and at the same time teaching the young and
inspired, who wanted to learn how to conduct a Melbourne Cup
Calcutta.
Gomer and
Bullworker working up the troops, during the Melbourne Cup boozer
function at the 3CSR.
Birthday Celebrations
The Parade was an absolutely
outstanding. Perfect drill and formation. Everybody was
so impressed. The 1RAR Brass and Drum band were just
simply amazing. They started the day as a Military Band on a
Ceremonial Regimental parade during a sweltering morning, and
morphing into a ten piece rock band at the function in the Casino,
that would have left AC/DC band for dead. No one wanted them to stop
playing and the crowd just did not want to stop partying.
At this point, I have to thank the CO
for his kind invitation for both Gomer Haycock and myself to
officiate as Masters of Ceremony for the Regimental Ball held at the
Townsville Casino. The Ball was a huge success and attended by
at least 400 people. The planning and preparation for the week
activities, the Ceremonial Parade and the Regimental Ball is a
credit to the Regimental Management Team, who had the responsibility
to organise, practice and deal with difficult logistical
requirements to make sure activities went ahead without a hitch.
This Team is a credit to the CO and the Regiment.
103 Sig
Sqn 50th Anniversary Ball, held at the Townsville Casino.
1RAR band did some great rock music at the Casino function!
Well Gomer and I did our job. It wasn’t
a B1 and B2 performance but quite slick actually. I just let
Gomer cut loose, and the crowd of course responded well to him.
I did my bit by justifying my appearance in giving the audience a
short story of how it all started for 103 Sig Sqn in early 1965.
I went through the preparation of the unit for war, and the
difficulties we encountered in deployment and maintaining
communications while we were in South Vietnam. I felt that my
experience was important to impart to the younger members of the
Squadron, even though it is somewhat dated now, and most probably
irrelevant, given the super technological equipment the unit deploys
today.
A few
good looking old and bold roosters at the 103 Sig Sqn 50th
Anniversary Ball.
In Summary
It was an honour to be present in
Townsville for the 50th and I believe our new Regiment
and 103 Sig Sqn members are left in no doubt, that they not only
belong to a very proud tactical Squadron, but they are part of it,
and will always remain part of it. Because they own it now, it
belongs to them, and they have a duty to make sure that we never
forget those who served and take time to remember.
About the Author:
Christopher Brown, OAM (AKA Callsign Bullworker) is an original
member of 103 Sig Sqn and served in South Vietnam in 1966/67 as an
L/Cpl Operator, Keyboard and Radio (OKR). He served 31 years
in RASigs and retired as a Major.
