"tanks" -- HOW I BECAME A GENTLEMAN OF ARMOUR-part 3

A series of interesting articles about the wonderful life and times of Keith Russell.... in his own distinct terms!!!
.... Onya Keith !!!! ....
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Keith Morris
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Location: WYALKATCHEM, WA

"tanks" -- HOW I BECAME A GENTLEMAN OF ARMOUR-part 3

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CONTINUED FROM Part 2 - "HOW I BECAME A GENTLEMAN OF ARMOUR"

The Army again in it's wisdom made 2/14 QMI into a combined ARA/CMF Regiment and I was posted to GSO-2 Int. (Australian Intelligence Corps) at Victoria Barracks, Brisbane, under Major Page, who was GSO2 under the GOC Northern Command. Amongst other duties, the main task was to set-up Wacol for the arrival of "A" Squadron, 1 Armoured Regiment, which I think was redesignated 1 Armoured Car Squadron.
When "A" Squadron moved into Wacol, I was posted out from Intelligence Corps back into QMI and posted to "A" Squadron 2/14 QMI at Wacol. I was living out at that stage and commuted daily from Moorooka to Wacol for parade and duty. My Troop Leader was Lt. Peter Jarratt [later Lt.Colonel and CO of 1 Armoured
Regiment - 1976 era] and under his tender guidance, plus all of the other problems I was going through with my family at that time, I had a nervous breakdown and ended up in Greenslopes Repat Hospital, Ward 14,for 5 months treatment, where they got my head straight, and then Medical Discharged Class 4.

WO2 Percy White [deceased] was running the Northern Command Personnel Depot Discharge Centreat that time and being a Tankie (at least I had a Black Beret) old Percy looked after me pending my medical discharge. Percy had just come from Jungle TrainingCentre , Canungra, where he had "grown roots" and was waiting for his posting as SSM of "C" Squadron 1 Armoured Regiment. He helped me a hell of a lot with my 'cured' condition, and at my time of need I was trying to re-establish
myself in life as a normal person. Lt. Lance (Sir) Lawlor would remember old Percy from a course at Puckapunyal in the early days when they roomed together. Unfortunately, both Gentlemen are now deceased.

I settled down as a P.F.C. [poor frightened civilian] and obtained employment as a Coach Captain for Greyhound Coaches, and also joined the Q.A.T.B. I got my life in a more orderly pattern. After some time in civy street earning a living, I again enlisted in 2/14 QMI- CMF and was posted as Regimental Aid Post [R.A.P.] Sgt., under the Regimental Medical Officer, Captain Alan Davison, who was the State Forensic Pathologist. With my ambulance training and experiencee supporting me I was trained as a Casualty Clearing Sgt. with Royal Australian Medical Corps-2 Field Ambulance, at Water Street, Fortitude Valley, which with my qualifications is why I ended up as the R.A.P. Sgt. at 2/14 Q.M.I.

QMI were short manned so I went over to Full Time Duty CMF, where I remained until the Moonie Oil Field was discovered. The money was goodand the work was hard on the giant C-130Drilling Rig, as I found out when I went drilling for oil, now employed with Delta Drilling Company who were based in Tyler, Texas, USA. I remained with Delta Drilling until the completion of the drilling programme. When construction of the Moonie to Brisbane Oil Pipeline was started, Bechtel Pacific were given my name from 2 Field Ambulance, and asked me to set-up and operate the ambulance for the pipeline crews. The yank money was very good and the conditions were great--equipment was no problem--- "see the guy in purchasing department and tell him what you want" was the instruction given to me by the Project Manager. We started with a Ford Falcon ambulance - air-conditioned, two way radio that worked over long distance, piped oxygen, modern stretches, and all yank mod cons. They were going to ship out the latest model Cadillac Ambulance from the States, but I settled for the Falcon due to the ground clearance as the vahicle would be expected to traverse the pipeline right-of-way.

When the pipeline reached Fort Lyttonthe job was completed and I was transfered over to the Refinery & Chemical Division of Bechtel International for the construction of the Fort Lytton Refinery. I set-up the Aid Centre on the Refinery site, and run that for the duration of the construction phase, handing over to the operating staff when Bechtel had completed the contract. Another move and another transfer -- this time to the Mining & Metals Division of Bechtel Pacific, and uprooted to Savage River Mines on their Iron Ore Mine in the rugged Nor-West of Tasmania. I was one of the original 20 man staff to move into the Savage River site.
I established the Medical Centre [Casualty Aid Post] at the minesite and continued there for the duration of the construction. Due to the remote area and conditions I had two ambulances and a helicopter. What a rough place --we had to tow 6x6 wheel GMC's down the hills with Cat D9's dozers. The roads were mud with no base at all until the rock crushers were commissioned---Ideal Tank conditions for the recovery section of the Army RAEME, but we did'nt have the Army--just plenty of Cat D9's. The transport of the Iron Ore slurry by pipeline from Savage River to Port Latta was a major engineering feat of the day.


That project completed, I was re-assigned to the Mt. Newman Iron Ore Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, initially to establish and operate the Medical Centre on-site at Hedland, and then later at the minesite at Mt. Newman. I had good staff and where possible I employed Army trained Medics. Another stage in my life -- another project completed, and this time a move to the Moomba Gas Field for the Moomba to Adelaide Gas pipeline from the Simpson Desert, via the Streslecki Track into Adelaide.
My next assignment was to Gladstone Queensland for the construction of the Alumina Refinery, with the same task at hand. The project was completed ahead of schedule which was in time for me to be again re-assigned to Bougainville T.P.N.G., for the construction of the Bouganville Copper Mine. I thought that Tasmania was rough but Bouganville was another story altogether---what with the indigenous riots, lack of supplies due to everything having to be shipped from Australia on a monthly basis, if and when the landing barges could unload to a non-existing wharf ---just hell !!!

I had 18 months in that Bougainville hell hole at Loloho, which was the Port for the project, and I was on duty when the big mud slide wiped out a complete village, people and all, at Panguna, with the loss of life of all of the inhabitants. The bodies were never recovered. The village did not exist any more. On completion of the Project I was sent back to the Pilbara for the Robe River Iron Ore Mine Project, still employed by Bechtel Pacific, who held the construction contract. I completed a 3 month 'crash course' in Radiography at the Armidale Hospital, which was arranged by Bechtel and the Health Department of the WA Government, in order to operate the x-ray unit on-site at the Medical Centre/Aid Station.

My next assignment was back to Queensland for the Hay Point Expansion project for the coal mines, where I spent just over one year living in Mackay. On completion of the project Bechtel International wanted to send me to Saudi Arabia so it was over to San Francisco for re-assignment, visa, and vacinations etc, and I was told that my Division Head [Jack Crawford-now deceased] was inspecting the project. When I managed an international phone hook-up b with him he advised me to reject the assignment, so I retired at the age of 36 years.
I thought; Hell, I had been on Bechtel's International payroll for over 10 years working in very remote areas, not getting any younger-- so I "pulled-the-pin and retired from the work force. I travelled to Perth WA for a 2 week holiday and ended up purchasing a Town House in Perth in the suburb of Ashfield/Bassendean, and a 360 acre [2 sq km] estate in Gingin, and I settled there. I also ended up with a country house in Wyalkatchem, a town of 300 people in the Central Wheatbelt of WA, 190 km from Perth. where I now live.

I was a member of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Association, WA Branch and I got to be the Treasurer and Editor of the magazine -- but that's another story. I could go on with details of the 4 day live-in Reunion organised by Cpl. 'Shorty" Tanner at Puckapunyal in the year 1992, where AT LAST, I got into a Tank; and YES it was a Centurion Tank. I also managed a ride in a Leopard Tank over the "Knife Edges" , which was almost as thrilling as riding the Harley over the knife edges with "Blue" Keldie or Sgt. Jim in persuit on the other Harley; so many years ago.

The dedication of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial at Canberra ACT got me back into the fold of the Armoured Corps. I did not do a Tour over there, but served with a lot of the Corps members who went "Out of Country" I joined up with a lot of the "OLD FARTS" at the 3 Cavalry/1 Armoured Regt. Reunion in Fremantle.
Ivan the terrible, Wally Greig, Jim & Jill Dickson, John "baby face" Horton, and many other ex-service members.

The Fremantle reunion and my eventual move with the caravan convoy around Australia is another chapter in my life which is posted in several parts on the Forum for those members who may be interested. Thanks for your patience with me as I use my two finger typing skill, and my fading memory to recall the many aspects of my life over the past 60 years.

I do miss the many friends and associates I have had, as most of the "GENTLEMEN" have now passed on.

Stuff the cuppa and biscuits-----------It is NOW TIME FOR A SINGLE MALT, and a read of the Forum to find out what the Motorhoming Family have been up to.
Keith "tanks" Morris.

I'm now 85 years of age and living in WA, single (gave up looking), white hair, no teeth, no address, no money, no worries.
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dapope
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Re: "tanks" -- HOW I BECAME A GENTLEMAN OF ARMOUR-part 3

Post by dapope »

You packed in a lot in a short time. I hope you share a few more yarns
Wobblybox on wheels
Pace Arrow. La de da, property in two continents..
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