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Hey you RCA Gunners! What is you or your Unit doing St Barbara's Day

1feral1

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As usual every St Barbara's Day here in Sydney, there is a church pde down at the Rocks at Circular Quay. All serving and former RAA and BCW Gunners are encouraged to attend, and there will be a heap of pers. I am going, and I will take my camera.

Since I am posted out of the RAA, I wouldn't miss it for quids   :-* It should be a real Barry!

Ubique!

Wes
 
Traditionally 1 RCHA Gunners all ranks participate in what is arguably one of the longest running Ice Hockey competitions in the world. Gunners have been doing so since the late 1800's with A & B BTY competing for the Kingston Cup. I am not sure when we started doing this on St Barbara's day but rest assured, it was before my time. The Kingston cup competition will be followed by three more games, SNR NCO's Vs Officers and MBdr's Vs Gunner's/Bombardier's. The Hugsweir Cup will be played for by C & HQ BTY. Anyone not playing will be attending as spectators. Although I do not play Hockey, I would not miss the rivalry and the fans antics during the game.

Cheers.
 
I remember YEARS ago we played on the ice behind the Howard Johnson's in downtown Kingston. To give us that "old time" baggy look we wore our winter whites over our equipment. What a blast that was.

PS. Where are these hockey games taking place?......obviously not on the "ice" I described.
 
    We played the games in the Gunners Arena at CFB SHILO MB. There is no natural ice here yet, rather strange considering the time of year. B Bty won The Kingston Cup and HQ Bty won The Hugsweir Cup. The Officers won their game against the SNR NCO's and the MBdr's won against the GNR's/BDR's. A good time was had by all and next week everyone will be packing things away for the Christmas Holiday season.
 
Well, married up with some of the LAds from 11 Bty, scrounged a ride in a Hi-Ace, and made it to the Garrison Church, The Rocks about 0950, where about 250 pers were all beginning to arrive.

Even the Govoner of NSW was there along with her entarage, COLs LTCOLs RSMs and the rest of us. Plenty of old Diggers too.

Unfortunatley, I forgot my camera, and I did not get any pics. After the church service, we gathered in the museum next door, while the band played the song Waltzing Matilda, and others.

This was followed by morning tea which was OJ, tea, and biscuts.

As we were leaving, I noticed two old grissled Vets, one about 6 ft large build with cane, the other about 5 ft 2, skinny as a rake also with cane. Both had their shaggy old slouch hats on, with puggeree, and rising suns. The taller bloke was escorting the smaller, with their arms interlocked, as both limped away to a nearby charterted bus. I sure wish I had my camera! One word come to my mind, it was simply "Mates".

In the not too distant future, all these 'living treasures', both here, and abroad will be gone, and so will end a chapter in our history.

Initiative, teamwork, courage.


Wes
 
30th FD had their own "Super happy floor hockey fantastic challenge wish tournament", in which (as in 1 RCHA) the gunners/bombers played the Mbdrs, and SNR NCOs played the Officers. the Officers' beat the SNRs and the Gunners/bombers beat the Mbdrs. Then the  Gunners/bombers beat the Officers - taking the "cup".

Afterwards all the new Gunners were "initiated".

-River
 
Here at 20th Field Regiment, We had a great mess dinner and then we all got pissed up at the bars here in Edmonton. The guns thank god the guns!
 
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