Radschool Association Newsletter

Radschool Association Newsletter - Vol 5

31 May 2000

Page 11

We stuffed up! In our last issue we showed you a photo (above) of who we thought were Mr & Mrs John and Maureen Mathwin. We got the John bit right but the lovely lady with him is his sister (you kept her well and truly hidden when we were at Laverton mate!!!!!). Our apologies to all, but it’s an honest mistake, besides, who would have picked this girl as John’s sister, she is after all very good looking.....

Moon landing.

Kids that were born the year that man first walked on the moon have now had their 31st birthday-scary isn’t it!! The scary bit is, it doesn’t seem such a long time ago. Most radio blokes remember the event very well. There was nearly always at least one B&W set, in bits, in every radio section, on every base (educational purposes only-of course) and on that day in June in 1969, there would have been at least one of them fixed and switched on, and there would have been a bunch of blokes glued to it. Mainly S/NCO’s though, the troops had to stay on the floor, but radio blokes and the S/NCO’s of other trades all got to see that "One small step" - privileges of rank I suppose!!

As soon as anyone mentions the event, it brings back vividly clear memories of the time. Everyone can remember where they were and what they were doing when Neil Armstrong poked his nose out of the door of the Eagle. And when you think about it, it was really a stupendous event. Building that thing and then going all that way, then coming back all done with the technology of the 60’s. Remember, those space craft were designed and built the same time we were building HR Holdens, Astor diamond dot radios and Chrysler stereo-grams. It took tons of courage to hop in that little egg thing which was stuck onto the top of the equivalent of a great big bomb and get blasted out into space with the equivalent of an XT computer doing all the work. When you think of the tolerances it was amazing really.

Of course there are those that say it never happened-that it was just American propaganda, but we think it’s a pretty safe bet that it did. Anyone want a quid on.......

"You did it .........", "No I didn't, you did ..........."

Some of the crew that went along to the reunion at the Laverton Sgt’s Mess last year, from left to right: Nick Beeston, (in the background) Ian Johnston, (back to us) Blue Leece, John McLaren and John Townsend.

Some of the blokes at the Perth reunion-shown here from left to right are:-Bob Jordan, Barry Bryce, Ted Washbrook, Rolf Rhea, John Cureton, John Thomson and Ron Shannon

Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques!!

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