Committee

Click here to view the Constitution approved March 2022
PRESIDENT:
Warren (Noddy) Feakes served as a regular with 107 Fd Bty RAA from March 1967 to May 1971 in Holsworthy, Malaysia, Townsville and Vietnam.
Noddy was a section commander, gun position officer and forward observer. A graduate of the Officer Cadet School Portsea, he served 35 years in the Defence Force. Now retired and living in Canberra, Warren is a keen snow skier spending each winter at Perisher and participates regularly in national & international cross-country skiing racing as a member of the Australian Masters Team.CC

VICE PRESIDENT:
Brian Tapp
Brian was a member of the 2/69 National Service intake. After recruit and corps training, Brian joined the Battery in Townsville as a signaller. On deployment to Vietnam he was a forward observer signaller for call sign 14, commanded by Captain Graham Phegan and subsequently Leitunant Kevin O'Brien, supporting Kiwi Victor Company 2 RAR/NZ. He returned to Australia on 18 Mar 71 for discharge on completion of his two-year enlistment. This picture of Brian, on the left was taken in SVN with VCoy 2RAR/NZ

SECRETARY:
Wendy Grant
Wendy is the daughter of our much loved and respected Jim & Jenny (Dec) Wright. Wendy took on the job as secretary from Hilton who had been in the job since 2004. Wendy is a member of the younger members of the committee (Brats). She can be contacted at
wendyhgrant1@bigpond.com

TREASURER:
Hilton Lenard phone 0418 695 345 or snail mail to 107 Bty Assn, PO Box 199 ERINDALE, ACT 2903.

Hilton served in the Battery from March 1969 to December 1972 in Townsville and Vietnam as Commander (Australian Component), Gun Position Officer and Forward Observer. A graduate of the Officer Cadet School Portsea, Hilton served 20 years in the regular army and a total of 39 years in the Australian Defence Force.

TERRITORY MEMBER: Australian Capital Territory
Peter (Baldy) Moat.

Peter was with 107 Field Battery in Malaysia and Townsville. Peter returned to Malaysia with the 40th year tour in September 2007. Peter is pictured hard at work on radio picquet in Malaysia in 1968. PS: Now, just how did you get the nickname "Baldy" Peter?

STATE MEMBER : New South Wales
Bob Edmonds.

Bob at a Fire Support Base somewhere in SVN.
Bob was with the Battery in Townsville & Vietnam. Bob was called up for National Service on 23/4/69 and after completing his Recruit & Corps training Bob was posted to 107 Fd Bty. Bob served in Vietnam from 07/05/70 with the FO party with 2RAR/NZ until he returned home on 18/03/71 and was discharge on 22/04/71

REGIONAL MEMBER: Northern NSW
Col Lowe.
Col served in the battery at Holsworthy and in Malaysia 1967 to 1968. Called to National Service, Col undertook training at Singleton and North Head before joining the Battery at Holsworthy. He deployed with the battery to Terendak in Malaysia. He spent time on the Borneo Border and of course the Cameron Highlands. Col is keen to hear from Association members, particularly from the north of NSW.

REGIONAL MEMBER: Southern NSW
Ian Hughes.
Ian has moved from Perfect Queensland to even more perfect Jervis Bay on the South coast of NSW and taken over from Hilton Lenard as the Southern NSW regional rep. Ian, as a Regular, served with the Battery in Holsworthy and Malaysia as a Bombardier signaller. He obtained the rank of WO2 before electing for discharge. Ian subsequently worked for the Department of Defence in South Queensland prior to his retirement earlier this year. Ian and his wife have now joined the ever-growing Grey Nomads, travelling the roads of Australia and beyond.

REGIONAL MEMBER: Sydney
Ian (Bozo) Simpson

Ian was called up for National Service on 12/07/67. After completing his Recruit Training at Kapooka and Corps training at North Head Ian was waiting to be posted to SVN, however he was eventually sent to Malaysia with 107 Fd Bty instead and served his term with Foxtrot Gun. Ian reckons that he should have been a Bombardier or even a Sergeant, but he reckons that the Army did not recognise his talent.
Ian returned to South Head, Sydney on 18/06/69 and was discharged on 12/07/69 after completing his National Service.

TERRITORY MEMBER: Northern Territory
Jim Wright.
Jim served in the Battery from its reraising in 1965 to December 1972 (except for a short period in 1971), at Holsworthy, Malaysia, Townsville and Vietnam. He was employed in all ranks to sergeant as battery surveyor, operator command post and battery commander's assistant. Jim served a total of 32 years in the Australian Defence Force. He is now retired and active in the returned service community in the top end of the Northern Territory, when not travelling around Australia. Further details can be found in the Around the Regions section.

STATE MEMBER: Queensland
Neil Layton.

I joined the ARA on 22nd September 1965. After recruit training I was allocated to RAA and posted to the School of Artillery for Corps Training. Following that, I was posted to 1 Fd Regt at Holsworthy. After a wonderful four-day exercise manhandling a 105 L5 Howitzer all over Holsworthy Range. When I returned to the Battery area, soaking wet and freezing to death I saw a digger sitting in the orderly room with two heaters going and reading a comic book. This bloke went on stand down a couple of days later so I fronted the BSDM and enquired if I could fill in. He asked what experience I had. (remember, I was in the unit for about a week). I told him none but I was a good learner. That’s how and why I became a clerk. I continued to serve in 107 with postings to Malaysia, Townsville to prepare for a trip to South Vietnam. One year in SVN then back to Townsville until posted to CARO and promoted to Sergeant. Following that, I served with 16 Fd Bty in Launceston (a very enjoyable posting), Promoted to SSgt and posted to 131 Div Loc Bty at Holsworthy and Brisbane, 7 Fd Regt in Sydney (a very unenjoyable posting), back to CARO on promotion to WO2 and then to 8/12 Mdm Regt in Holsworthy until my retirement in 1985 after 20 years. The Rammers was by far my most memorable posting. I met some wonderful people and have retained a friendship with most.

REGIONAL MEMBER: Central Queensland
Jon Eaton.
Jon, photographed in 1968 on the east coast of Malaya in 1968, was called to serve Australia as a national serviceman. Originally from New South Wales, in 1966 he completed his recruit and initial employment training and was posted to 107 FD Battery at Holsworthy. In 1967, he moved with the Battery to Malaysia until his discharge in 1968. Jon settled at Sarina (near Mackay) in tropical Queensland, where he lives with his wife, Kerry. Jon is active in the educational industry. For a current photograph see the Around the Regions page of this website.

STATE MEMBER: South Australia
Adrian (Wally) Walford.
Adrian served in the Battery from 1969 until return from Vietnam in May 1971 as Number One, Bravo (Bubbles) Gun detachment. As well as gun Sgt, Adrian was known for his desire to leave the gun position and lead fighting patrols into danger, encouraging his fellow senior NCO's down tunnels and into B52 bomb craters. Adrian completed over 20 years in the regular Army, retiring in 1983 as WO1 in the Gunnery Staff and the Master Gunner.

STATE MEMBER: Tasmania
Les Mullan.
Les was a National Serviceman called-up from Tasmania, towards the end of the 1966-1972 NS intakes. Basic training at Puckapunyal was followed by the School of Artillery at North Head. Electing to serve out his national service commitment after the election of the Whitlam Labour Government in December 1972, he served as a gun number then signaller in 107 Fd Bty at Townsville. Les took his discharge in March 1974 and returned to Launceston.

Hlton Lenard made contact with ex-members and 107 Fd Bty at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville, in 1999. He undertook to update and improve the recorded history of the Battery's time in Vietnam. A scrapbook, to be presented to the battery at a reunion in 2005, was decided. In 2002, Bill Jones setup a personal website to establish contact with others from the battery's Malaysia period. This site gained comment from fellow gunners in Australia and all around the world.
In 2003 Bill and Hilton became aware of each others activities and combined their activities. Bill, with assistance from Ken Rosenlund, a director of the Twin City Services Club, arranged the first official reunion at Tweed Heads in February 2004.
Around 120 ex-members and partners attended. The 107 Fd Bty RAA Association was formed with an initial committee of President Warren Feakes, Vice Presidents Neil Layton and Hilton Lenard and Sec/Tres Bill Jones. Bill also took on the duties of editor of the association newsletter and webmaster.

Nominations were called for all positions but none was received. The existing personnel remain and the regional representative positions were unfilled. Subsequently due to personal commitments, Neil and Bill resigned from their executive positions of Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. Neil rejoined the Committee as the South East Queensland Representative.

Hilton assumed the Sec/Tres duties and Barry Pearce joined the executive as Vice President and Newsletter Editor. The Regional Members were filled by invitation. Who said conscription is dead? Nomination were subsequently called for and at the election on November 2006, a full Committee was elected to run the Association until the next election due in late 2010.

In August 2005, the Townsville Reunion was held with 67 members and partners attending. Five copies of the history project, a book titled "The Black Sheep at War" were produced and presented to the BC 107 Fd Bty, CO 4 Fd Regt RAA, the Curator 4 Fd Regt History Collection and the Australian War Memorial. The fifth copy is held by the 107 Fd Bty Historian. The book consists of 120 pages of photos and stories from the personnel who served in 107 Fd Bty in Vietnam, plus 30 pages of historical information including the nominal roll, manning on deployment to Vietnam, fire support bases occupied and the extract of the "Commanders (CO 4 Fd Regt RAA) War Diary".