Next reunion 25-27 April 2003 |
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Post Radschool
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The RAAF had four AN/CPN-4s, three in Australia at Pearce, Williamtown and Amberley (as mentioned by Ted Washbrook in Vol 10), and the fourth was in Butterworth till late 1969 when it was returned to Australia and served as a training aid at Radschool. I don't know when they were actually withdrawn from service, but when I arrived at HQSC in 1983, there was a CPN-4 Operations trailer in the 1AD MTRS compound, and the associated AirCon trailer was at 1AD Transport Section. It turns out that that particular CPN-4 was from Amberley, and had been involved in some 'gap-filler' trials in the Stanthorpe, QLD area after been withdrawn from service at Amberley.
In the late 80s, TELENG (HQSC Telecommunications Engineering Division) received an inquiry re the possibility of the Laverton CPN-4 going to the RAAF Museum as a display. Unfortunately, the inquirer envisioned only taking the Operations Trailer, cutting it in half lengthwise, and displaying only Bays 9 to 16 (the operating positions). TELENG staff were not in favour of this proposal, and as I got posted about this time, I don't know the final outcome.
At about the same time as the above hardware enquiries, SOPUBs finally woke up that the CPN-4 was no longer in service, and wanted to get rid of all the publications, but there was apparently some statutory requirement to maintain at least some information on the equipment for historical purposes. Unfortunately, even one copy of every pub for the equipment took up a lot of room, and TELENG was approached for advice on the minimum number of pubs to retain. I seem to recall that TELENG's suggestion was to retain a full RED or BLUE set (SOPUBS Master Copies), which was not what they wanted to hear. Again I got posted before the final outcome. So! Perhaps there is at least part of an AN/CPN-4, and maybe even some of the associated AAPs, at the RAAF Museum, Pt Cook. There also may be some AAPs at the National Archives at Mitchell in Canberra.
Thanks Terry-we’ve forwarded your email onto Niall who will be very happy to get the info he was after, and if the rest of you blokes ever get asked about the CPN4 in a pub or a club - now you’ll know too.
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Well - Maurie Laine couldn’t control himself. He had plans to keep the bottla that he won a few comps back, as a sort of heirloom, and after it was delivered he wrote and told us that it was securely stowed in a safe place, and he intended to bring it out again to celebrate his 100th. But then his mate Adrian Heinrich read that Maurie had won the bottla, so he jumped on the very next plane out of Melbourne and headed for Brisvegas. The bottla is now only a memory-gone, and to make matters worse, we’ve since discovered that they are not making it any more. It’s finished, ceased, kaput-a wonderful era has passed into history. What a disaster. We had heaps of entries, all correct, though Ted McEvoy said he was tempted to go for answer “C” (Bugs Bunny), but straight away picked it for a trick answer as there was no rank mentioned. So-from the hat we drew Frank Oostenbroek who correctly told us that the OIC Radschool in 1965 was of course Wng Cdr ER Hall. Frank was sent the very last bottle of Sparkling Rinegold in captivity, and we had to search far and wide to get it. But, it came back “address unknown” so we had to draw again, and this time we got a winner. Terry Boyle ex 34RTC, who lives on Bribie Island is now the proud owner of the bottla. Pays to keep your records up to date……. But that has left us with a dilemma, what are we going to offer as a prize for the next competition. As per normal, when faced with a really baffling problem, we headed straight for the RSL to do some serious thinking, and bingo-solved. There it was before our eyes, in the bottlo out the back, the mighty PASSION POP. From now on, the winner will receive a bottle of that much sought after and admired sparkling wine - “Passion Pop”.
So, down to this editions’ competition, and we have a question for all the crusty old five hundred players (you should know this one Bill B):
Which king in a pack of playing cards does not have a moustache, is it::-
A. The king of Spades
B. The king of Clubs
C. The king of Diamonds
D. The king of Hearts.
Once again, email us your answer, and soon you could be the envy of all with your very own bottla Passion Pop.
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