DECEMBER 25 2011 : Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we are here for something else besides ourselves. Eric Sevareid. « the GEM COLLECTION 2011.

via DECEMBER 25 2011 : Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we are here for something else besides ourselves. Eric Sevareid. « the GEM COLLECTION 2011.

Thank you sso much for sharing. How those proud and straight men would have loved to have seen it, quietly, of course.

Best regards, Carmen.

David Pryde

I am trying to get in contact with victorian members of the 2/3 Pioneer Battalion Association. My uncle was VX54236 Harold Cullen (Private). I can be contacted at davidhp@xtra.co.nz or on Facebook

WW2 Nominal Roll – Certificate for RAYMOND NORMAN SALES.

CHAPTER 29 — Australians under Counter-attack | NZETC.

via Walter H Child.

via Chapter�6.�The ‘Arc of Instability’: The History of an Idea.

ACT Memorial – Viewing Person.

Defence Medal : Corporal J R Cousins, 2/3 Pioneer Battalion.

The Landings – Borneo.

My father was great mates with Andy Boney of Urunga. He lived behind our house and was a fine Aboriginal man. He used ot come to our house for a yarn and mum would make scones. We played iwth the Boney kids including Robbie. Mr Boney was in the Pioneers during the Second World war and worked on the railways. Hise children Kevan and Margarte were good singers and sang in the beer garden at Unrunga Hotel. There was not discrimintaion against the Boney, Averies or Kelly’s we palyed iwth them all. When Andy Boeny got cancer my father sat with him as he died in the Concord Repat Hospital in Sydney. My mother and father said he was of the best people he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. There were plenty of good footballers amongs the Aboriginal people who grew up near us. All those kids went to the convent school and we went to the pulbic school. Everyone had jobs.

from Dianne Brown

My dad’s name was Wilfred Forrester NX57640 he enlisted at Paddington NSW
and trained in Cowra he was in the last battle of El Alamein.

Merilyn.

First World War Poetry Digital Archive | Second Life.

http://www.facebook.com/RSLLivingHistoryProject?sk=wall

http://www.facebook.com/pages/23-PIONEER-BATTALION/112840242074602

RSL Living History Project

The aim of the project is to capture the history of the sub-branches in Western Australia celebrating the role of the RSL in the community both in supporting returned service personnel and in fostering the ideals of ANZAC.

Elizabeth Hazelwood

My great uncle John William Brown, service number NX58192 was in 2/3 i am still trying to find out as much as i can about him and his brothers that served so any information would be very much appreciated.

Melinda Collins

my Grandpa John Lee was in the 2/3 Pioneer Battalion, he passed away on 17/06/2011 aged 90….. he lied about his age to serve our country. my Grandpa never realy spoke about the war. i do know that he was injured during the war by a bit of scrapnal in his chest that was never removed. my grandpa was a great man and is very sadly missed

Tanya Murphy

Hi. I’m hoping someone might remember Ivan Willis from Victoria with the 2/3. He served from June 41 to Dec 45 in Darwin, The Middel East, New Guinea and Borneo. Any memories or stories would be mostt gratefully received.

Ian George Jones

Does anyone know if the old Pioneer newsletters were archived and if so where they might be accessed or who might have them.
Ian Jones

Ian George Jones

Hi, my father served with the Pioneers on Tarakan. He was in 17 Platoon ‘D’ Coy. His name was William Jones and he hailed from Perth, WA. Unfortunately he passed away in 2006 but I was able to talk to him about his service before his death. I know few of the diggers remain but was wondering if any families may have memories of him that were passed on.
Ian Jones

Debbie McGlinn

My father, so I have just found out, served in this battalion his name is Ian Robert Edgar Giles, does naybopdy know of him?

Thomas Benjamin Mulley

Hi my father (who would be 101 this year if he was alive) was in the c company 14 platoon in the 9th Division. A friend who is 95 (still kicking) served in the 9th division. I just gave him my copy of "Mud and Sand" I am really interested in finding out more about my dad and the times he served in the war. i also served in Vietnam…
Keep in touch

Luke Benny Belford

Hi all glad to see so many descendents out there taking a keen interest. I finally got my rising sun tattoo with the pioneers badge in the centre, still in the process of getting it finished and touched up, work in progress. Grandpa CPL Maurice Ryan NX82259 your memory lives on for another generation.

Luke Benny Belford

The final result (note no white behind the purple triangle:it doesnt show real well so we decided to stay skin colour. Let me know what your thoughts are good or bad

This image is included in my father’s (Neville

Carson – the one with the hat) photo album. The identifying label says "The Staff Kilo 89 Staging Camp" – Palestine November 1941. Would love if someone could identify some of the other soldiers. Have other images with the names Bill, Harry and Garth – "Soapy" also appears.

Hi
My name is Jennifer Pearce. My late father Ronald Cassin served in the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion. Any information about the Battalion would be great for me as Dad was very reluctant to talk about his war days. I don’t think he spent any time in the front line, but I know he spent a lot of time clearing mine fields. “Daisy Cutters”. He was in Palestine,El Shat(Eygpt)& El Alemain.

Keep in touch

www.australian-armour.com.

This image is included in my father’s (Neville Carson – the one with the hat) photo album. The identifying label says "The Staff Kilo 89 Staging Camp" – Palestine November 1941. Would love if someone could identify some of the other soldiers. Have other images with the names Bill, Harry and Garth – "Soapy" also appears.

Jenny Wheatley said

My late father was in the 2/3 Pioneer Batallion. His name was Billy Legg. When I saw the name Bruce Sanders it jogged a memory of my father being a close friend. Do you know if I am correct?

Hi Jenny. Yes, your dad was a c lose friend of mine ( Bruce Sanders). I wish I could remember more stories about them or find all of Dad’s documents. Good to hear from you.  Yrs. Lynne S.

hi,

my husbands grandmothers brother was in the 2/3 Australian pioneer

battalion.his name was john Pla (jacky).Would you have any information

relating to him or evidence of him on the Roll.He was a victorian

,reference VX 103798.Please reply.

Cheers Linda.

Well, the day after.

Just to say what a fine thing it is to be hearing from so many People. That was a part of Dad’s Vision. He didn’t want any Pioneer to be forgotten and he wanted their families  to be acknowledged and remembered as well. With the final printing of the PIONEER newsletter last year, I thought we might all lose our memories of our Soldiers and not be able to tell our own stories. But here we are.

People are telling me of filling bags of lollies for Pioneer Picnics and young men like Mark Glease are adding their expertise.

I am sure that between us all we have many more stories to tell.  R.I.P. Lest we Forget.  Yrs Lynne Sanders.

I am Doug Riddle’s daughter. Although he passed away some 18 years back I would like to find out more about his war service. I also went to school with your daughter and would like to connect with her. LOUISE VYNER.

Aboriginal  Ex-Servicemen
More  Names Received.
The following  additional names  have been  received
for the list of aboriginal ex-servicemen of World War 11.
The  first  list  appeared  in  the  December issue  of
Dawn :-
Andrew  Boney.
Amos  Harvey.
S.  J .   Kelly.
John Longbottom  (jnr.).
Arthur Waters

FROM DAWN

Warren Foote.

My Grandfather William "Billy" Avard served alongside these brave men..Lest We Forget..

Pete Branch: WOW! Thank you sooo much Mark! My grandfather, Herb Hardy fought in this batallion and it’s the first photos I’ve seen of his deployments. Again, thank you!

Vivien Halaska. Thanks Mark…My dad Stan Bartlett was a pioneer. We do have some photos but your video was fantastic…thanks heaps.

John Carr: Thanks Mark,my grandfather Vince Mulcahy was a 2/3 Pioneer,a mob that mauled hitler,mussolini and tojo,also like to say thanks for creating this page in their memory.

PIONEERS ON FACEBOOK.

Thank you for this site. My father Ronald Victor Moulds was originally with the6th Machine gunners .Then he was deployed to the 2/3rd Pioneer battalion.I watched the march this morning and saw both groups and my mother’s AAmWas army nurse). We once visited the War memorial and there was a diarama of the landing at Tarakan. My father said that he landed near here.He could remember the ouil tanks being on fire and the bombardment before the landing. His words were “They soften up the Japs before we landed” My father past away in 1999.

from CHERYL HUNT.

I have been very slow in getting the Roll transcribed. Over the last year we have been losing my sister to cancer. Other matters were put on hold. We lost her on 17 February 2011 It’s a very sad time for the SANDERS’ and Pomroy families.

I shall see about getting back to the Roll in the coming months.

Yrs, Lynne.

Hi, I’m Ted Bird’s youngest son Kevin, and was wondering if people had photos of my Dad? Thanks.

Philip Andrew Hurrell Just to let all to know that we are organizing a Hurrell family reunion on the 3rd of September which will be held at Comboyne showground starting at @11.00am. We would love to meet as many descendants of Lucy Jane Sanders who is the sister of my Great Grandfather Thomas Dennis Hurrell. if you need any info on the day please contact me on 0451308018. Cheers and hope to meet many of you there, Phil.

Service records – National Archives of Australia.

My father Neville Carson joined the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion in March 1941 in Sydney and sailed on the Queen Mary, touring the middle east and was at El Alamein.  He was honourably discharged after being injured in the forehead at El Alamein – before the Battalion went to PNG in 1943.
Neville passed away in late 2005 – I have his photo album and have written a 6000 word University essay on his journey.  I would love to hear from anyone who knew him.
Diane Tuppack (nee Carson)

TO ALL OF YOU, I WISH A HAPPY CHRISTMAS. ITS BEEN A PLEASURE HAVING YOU WITH ME ALL YEAR.

And always a rainbow serpent remembers ancient days.

Samara Flynn, Age 12
Grafton Public School, Grafton NSW

Trove – FINSCHHAFEN AREA, NEW GUINEA. 1943-10-27. TROOPS OF THE 2/3RD AUSTRALIAN PIONEER BATTALION LOADING STORES ONTO BARGES AT KEDAM BEACH FOR TRANSHIPMENT TO LAUNCH JETTY.

via Trove – FINSCHHAFEN AREA, NEW GUINEA. 1943-10-27. TROOPS OF THE 2/3RD AUSTRALIAN PIONEER BATTALION LOADING STORES ONTO BARGES AT KEDAM BEACH FOR TRANSHIPMENT TO LAUNCH JETTY.

Trove – FINSCHHAFEN AREA, NEW GUINEA. 1943-11-11. TROOPS OF THE 2/3RD AUSTRALIAN PIONEER BATTALION BUILDING A BRIDGE ACROSS A CREEK ON THE NEW ROAD BETWEEN SCARLET BEACH AND SIMBANG.

via Trove – FINSCHHAFEN AREA, NEW GUINEA. 1943-11-11. TROOPS OF THE 2/3RD AUSTRALIAN PIONEER BATTALION BUILDING A BRIDGE ACROSS A CREEK ON THE NEW ROAD BETWEEN SCARLET BEACH AND SIMBANG.

World War Two Nominal Roll.

via World War Two Nominal Roll.

Welcome to the World War Two Nominal Roll website.

The World War Two Nominal Roll was created to honour and commemorate the men and women who served in Australia’s defence forces and the Merchant Navy during this conflict.

This site contains information from the service records of some one million individuals who served during World War Two.

You may search for service record details by specifying name, service number, honours, place (of birth, of enlistment, or residential locality at enlistment). Once you find an individual service record you can print a certificate, if you wish.

Individuals were given an opportunity to have their service details excluded from the website prior to it being published. More detailed information about this, and the roll, is available at About this Nominal Roll.

http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=197199

Service Record

Name
DREWE, WARWICK JAMES

Service
Australian Army

Service Number
NX88643

Date of Birth
16 Aug 1917

Place of Birth
LEICHHARDT, NSW

Date of Enlistment
14 Feb 1942

Locality on Enlistment
LEICHHARDT, NSW

Place of Enlistment
PADDINGTON, NSW

Next of Kin
DREWE, MYRTLE

Date of Discharge
20 Apr 1944

Rank
Private

Posting at Discharge
1 A P S C (STAFF)

Prisoner of War
No

HI Wayne, I don’t have any personal details of your Grandfather from other Pioneers but these ones from the WW2 Nominal Roll site will help and someone else might know some stories about him. I shall check the meaning of 1 APSC ( STAFF) which was his posting at discharge, He has been discharged a year or more before the end of the war so there will likely be a story there as well. Yrs L.

November 10, 2010 at 10:57 pm

Hello,
My grand father served in WWII with the 2nd/3rd pioneers. His name was Warwick James Drewe. I have not been able to find any information about him during the war or about the company he was in. if you have any information about my grand father and the campaigns he may have been involved in i would love to hear from you
Regards
Wayne

__________________________________________________________________________

Now that the Battalion isn’t represented officially, perhaps some of us can look at supporting where we can.

Also on the Facebook Page :

Karen Roper Payne:

My great uncle Henry Clive Roper enlisted 13/6/1940 Paddington. Clive NX 31941 2/3 IAF Pnr. Bn was killed 20/10/1943 buried at Sattelberg New Guinea then re-buried at Frinschafen war cemetery. There is quite a bit of talk still regarding his death, would anyone be able to help me? Thanks for this great page.

__________________________________________________________________

Greg Lester

My father in Law, Vin Corish served in Tarakan in 1945 in the 2/3 (202740). I have a list of those members of 2 Platoon and the names of those who landed on 30 April 1945 as part of the aligator crews if anyone is interested. I would like to think my sons one days will be old enough to appreciate what these chaps did.

MANY THANKS GLENN.

Anzac Day 2010. Sydney.