Fix this text
VETAFFAIRS
Fix this textVol2o No 3
Fix this textDECEMBER 2004
Fix this textA NEWSPAPER FOR THE VETERAN COMMUNITY
Fix this textISSN 0819-8934
Fix this textNew Veterans’ Affairs Minister
Fix this textThe Federal Member for the
Fix this textQueensland seat of Dawson,
Fix this textDe-Anne Kelly, has been
Fix this textappointed as the new Minister
Fix this textfor Veterans' Affairs.
Fix this textMrs Kelly said she was
Fix this texthonoured to be joining the
Fix this textMinistry as the Minister for
Fix this textVeterans' Affairs.
Fix this text“Our veterans are respected
Fix this textby all Australians who also have
Fix this textgreat affection towards them,”
Fix this textshe said.
Fix this text“I have a great deal to learn in
Fix this textthis portfolio and I am trying to
Fix this textmeet as many veteran groups as
Fix this textI can to hear their advice and
Fix this textconcerns.”
Fix this textMrs Kelly was elected to the
Fix this textHouse of Representatives in
Fix this text1996 and from October 2003
Fix this textwas Parliamentary Secretary to
Fix this textthe Minister for Transport and
Fix this textRegional Services and
Fix this textParliamentary Secretary to the
Fix this textMinister for Trade.
Fix this textMrs Kelly was brought up on
Fix this texther family cattle property, and
Fix this textwas taught primary school at the
Fix this textkitchen table by her mother.
Fix this textShe went to secondary school
Fix this textin Rockhampton, and won a
Fix this textscholarship to study electrical
Fix this textengineering at Queensland
Fix this textUniversity.
Fix this textAfter graduating she worked
Fix this textas an engineer and then, with
Fix this texther husband Roger, bought a
Fix this textsmall manufacturing business.
Fix this textSeven years later they bought a
Fix this textcattle property at Dingo and lived
Fix this textin a shed with their baby son.
Fix this textThese days Mr and Mrs Kelly
Fix this textown and operate a cane farm at
Fix this textMirani, in the Pioneer Valley
Fix this textnear Mackay.
Fix this textTheir son, lan, is now 16-
Fix this textyears-old.
Fix this textMrs Kelly's appointment as
Fix this textMinister for Veterans' Affairs is
Fix this texta ground-breaking achievement
Fix this textas she is the first female
Fix this textNational Party member to be
Fix this textgiven a ministry.
Fix this textShe also was the first woman
Fix this textfor the National Party to be
Fix this textelected to the House of
Fix this textRepresentatives.
Fix this textMrs Kelly replaces Danna
Fix this textVale as Veterans’ Affairs
Fix this textMinister. Mrs Vale held the
Fix this textportfolio from November 2001
Fix this textand also served as Minister
Fix this textAssisting the Minister for
Fix this textDefence from November 2001
Fix this textto September 2003.
Fix this text“I really do want to be the vet-
Fix this texterans’ own Minister and I hope
Fix this textthat I can keep faith with this
Fix this textwonderful group of veterans and
Fix this texttheir families,” Mrs Kelly said.
Fix this textNew Veterans’ Affairs Minister
Fix this textDe-Anne Kelly.
Fix this textDVA cooking program unites WWII veterans
Fix this textWhen Bill Hill and Bert
Fix this textFeben were introduced at a
Fix this textCooking for One or Two class
Fix this textbeing run by the Department of
Fix this textVeterans’ Affairs, they did not
Fix this textimmediately realise their close
Fix this textWorld War II connection.
Fix this textThen Bert noticed Bill was
Fix this textwearing a HMAS Warramunga
Fix this textbadge and remarked, “You
Fix this textmust have seen us (HMAS
Fix this textAustralia ) get smashed up
Fix this textby suicide planes”.
Fix this textA union was instantly
Fix this textformed.
Fix this textIt turned out Bert was in the
Fix this textheavy cruiser Australia during
Fix this textWWII, while Bill served in the
Fix this textdestroyer Warramunga.
Fix this textBoth warships were part of
Fix this textTask Force 77.3 (Close Cover
Fix this textGroup) that made a night entry
Fix this textinto Leyte Gulf in October
Fix this text1944 for the Allied liberation
Fix this textBill Hill and Bert Feben met at the Cooking for One or Two
Fix this textclasses.
Fix this textof the Philippines.
Fix this textWhat is even more
Fix this textremarkable about this chance
Fix this textmeeting is that both men served
Fix this textas signallers on their respective
Fix this textships and, during their service,
Fix this textmost likely exchanged
Fix this textmessages without knowing
Fix this texteach other's identity.
Fix this textBert and Bill met up again
Fix this textafter their cooking class and
Fix this texthave spent much time
Fix this textexchanging details and talking
Fix this textabout people relating to their
Fix this textWWII service in the Navy.
Fix this textDominating discussion has
Fix this textbeen the events of a single day
Fix this text- 21 October 1944 - the day
Fix this textthat Australia was attacked in
Fix this textLeyte Gulf by a Japanese
Fix this text'kamikaze' aircraft. Thirty
Fix this textcrewmen were killed or died of
Fix this textwounds and 53 were wounded.
Fix this textEach veteran tells the story
Fix this textfrom a different perspective -
Fix this textand each has been keen to learn
Fix this textmore about what the other saw
Fix this textand how he felt on that day.
Fix this textBert was in the Australia
Fix this textwhen it was hit, while Bill was
Fix this texton watch in the Warramunga
Fix this textand saw the attack.
Fix this text“I was on the bridge as
Fix this textwatchman on the morning of 21
Fix this textOctober 1944 and all of a sud-
Fix this textden I saw a great fire - I
Fix this textthought it was an ammunition
Fix this textdump,” Bill said.
Fix this text“A few minutes later we knew
Fix this textAustralia had been hit.
Fix this text“We stayed where we were
Fix this textuntil we received signals to go
Fix this textto Australia' s aid.
Fix this text“Warramunga took on the
Fix this textwounded and escorted the
Fix this textAustralia to Manus Island to
Fix this textget repaired.”
Fix this textBert’s experience was quite
Fix this textdifferent.
Fix this text“It was just coming dawn and
Fix this textI was asleep when Australia
Fix this textwas attacked,” Bert said.
Fix this text“I was on the deck and I
Fix this textremember a 'fizz' noise all
Fix this textaround me. Many around me
Fix this textwere showered with petrol. I
Fix this textwas luckily sheltered from the
Fix this textspray.
Fix this text“Action stations was called
Fix this textand I started sending signals out
Fix this textto let others know of what was
Fix this texthappening, and signals were
Fix this textcoming in.
Fix this text“I remember one particular
Fix this textmessage from the signalman in
Fix this textanother ship asking if his son
Fix this textwho was in Australia was OK -
Fix this texthe was.”
Fix this textBert and Bill both reminisce
Fix this textabout Captain Emile
Fix this textDechaineux, who was mortally
Fix this textwounded when Australia was
Fix this texthit. He had previously been the
Fix this textcommanding officer of
Fix this textWarramunga.
Fix this textAfter Australia was repaired,
Fix this textthe ships linked up again. In
Fix this textJanuary 1945 at Luzon, in the
Fix this textPhilippines, Australia was hit
Fix this textby five more kamikazes.
Fix this textAnother 44 crewmen were
Fix this textkilled and 69 wounded,
Fix this texthowever, Bert had left
Fix this textAustralia by this time.
Fix this textFinding each other some 60
Fix this textyears after the war has offered
Fix this textboth men a clearer picture of
Fix this texttheir pasts and rekindled the
Fix this textnaval bond.
Fix this text“It is overall an amazing
Fix this textcoincidence that we met up at
Fix this textthe cooking class and we have
Fix this textreconstructed so much
Fix this texttogether,” Bert said.
Fix this text“It is interesting to have
Fix this textstruck someone who was at the
Fix this textsame place but in a different
Fix this textsituation.”
Fix this textBill said the pair shared a
Fix this textdefinite bond.
Fix this text“Being part of the Navy is
Fix this textlike a family,” he said.
Fix this text“We are like ships passing the
Fix this textnight - an interesting
Fix this textinterlude.”
Fix this textOn the cooking front, the pair
Fix this textlearnt a few tricks to use in the
Fix this textkitchen
Fix this text“The cooking class has
Fix this textopened my eyes to the
Fix this textattraction of cooking,” Bill said.
Fix this text“I'm more eager to cook
Fix this textsomething - the classes
Fix this textinspired me.”
Fix this textBert said the classes gave him
Fix this texta chance to try expanding his
Fix this textcooking skills.
Fix this textContinued Page 5.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
With your Trove account you can:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706
Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. (). Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, Retrieved April 24, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706
Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [Canberra]: [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs], . Web. 24 April 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706>
Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. , Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs], [Canberra] viewed 24 April 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706
{{Citation
| author1=Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs.
| title=Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs
| year=
| section=v. : ill. ; 35-40 cm.
| issn=0819-8934
| issue=Vol. 20 No. 3 (December 2004)
| location=[Canberra]
| publisher=[Dept. of Veterans' Affairs]
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706
| id=nla.obj-1113914706
| access-date=24 April 2025
| via=Trove
}}
Citations are automatically generated and may require some modification to conform to exact standards.
Select the images you want to download, or the whole document.
You can order a copy of this work from Copies Direct.
Copies Direct supplies reproductions of collection material for a fee. This service is offered by the National Library of Australia
Copyright varies by issue and article
Copyright varies with each issue and article. You may have full rights to copy, or may be able to copy only under some circumstances, for example a portion for research or study. Order a copy where circumstances allow or Contact us for further information.
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply.
For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
Copy and paste one of these options to share this book elsewhere.