National Memorial

[JoeLinaker]

In collaboration with National President Les Bailey, Ian Davenport President of the National Malaya Borneo Veterans Association, and Peter Colliver RAAF Association, work has commenced on this project. We are busy building the infrastructure to manage what will be an enormous challenge for everyone who served in the FESR. Our submission to the National Capital Authority is with that body for evaluation and a follow-up meeting with their Project Officer has encouraged us to proceed with the establishment of a FESR National Memorial Foundation to raise funds for this project. The NCA designs the Memorial and we have to meet the challenge to fund it. Two sites are available on Anzac Parade Canberra and project costs are expected to be 3-4 million dollars. The foundation will be incorporated in the National Capital and Bendigo Bank of Victoria is entrusted with the funds. The list of stakeholders in this project is comprehensive as is the business plan under development to guide the critical path of the project. Patrons, Executives,and project managment leaders are being sourced from all levels of the Veterans Community to ensure we give this project every chance of success. Involvement of DVA, the RSL, the AWM,and the ADF is of course imperative. Captains of Industry & Commerce will also be important targets for funding and sponsorship, and funding initiatives will be put in place to allow the wider veterans' community and their families to participate. We would like to think we could involve NZ, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei in the project but that will be subject to Government protocols and I suspect the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. This forum will be subject to continuous update to record our progress. JL

[docrice]

looks like you have got things well nutted out here Joe and I particularly like the idea of including the foreign nations you mentioned
BZ

[JoeLinaker]

For Information, our submission to the National Capital Authority to get the wheels turning:

Ms. Annabelle Pegrum AM
Chief Executive Officer
National Capital Authority
GPO Box 373
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Monday 4th August 2008

Dear Ms. Pegrum,

Re: NATIONAL MEMORIAL to the FAR EAST STRATEGIC RESERVE

May I seek your consideration and the guidance of the National Capital Authority to establish this memorial in the National Capital.

I have read the “Guidelines for Commemorative Works in the National Capital” and believe this proposal meets the criteria outlined in the following sections:

3. Commemorative Sites 3.2 - Siting Areas North of Lake Burley Griffin 3.2.1 - Commemorative Sites that Honour Military Sacrifice, Service and Valour.

To assist your deliberations in respect of the Stage1- Mandatory Criteria and Evaluation Criteria contained in 2.6 - Assessment Criteria for Commemorative Subjects of the Guidelines, I offer the following:

• This Memorial would commemorate the service and sacrifice of servicemen and women of the Australian Defence Force, Federal Police, and if appropriate, personnel of the New Zealand Armed Forces who served in the Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve from 1948 to 1971. The inclusion of NZ personnel would present a true ANZAC memorial.

• This period remains today, as the longest operational commitment in Australian Military History and embraces the Malayan Emergency 1955-1960, the Borneo Indonesian Confrontation 1962-1966 and several periods of unrest until 1971.
• Australian Defence Records and Military Historians should verify the following broad statistics of government allotments to the respective theatres:

Malayan Emergency 1955-1960

• RAN- 13 Ships, some with multiple tours of duty, plus personnel seconded to the Royal Malayan Navy.

• Army- 1, 2 and 3 Battalions RAR plus Ancillary Services

• RAAF- No. 1 and No. 38 Squadrons.

• Australian Federal Police

Borneo Indonesian Confrontation 1962- 1966

• RAN – 13 Ships, some with multiple tours of duty

• Army- 3 and 4 Battalions RAR, RA Signals Corps, RA Engineers, RA Artillery, Ancillary Services, and 2 Squadrons of the Special Air Service.

Casualties

The Australian War Memorial records the following numbers of Australian Defence Force personnel killed whilst serving in the respective theatres:

• Malayan Emergency 38 (27 Army, 9 RAAF, 2 RAN)
• Borneo Indonesian Confrontation 15 ( Army)

The numbers injured from, or disabled by active service in both theatres is known to be considerable, and of course many have since died from medical legacies of their service discharged for this country some 50 years ago.

Footnote: Commonwealth casualties from the Malayan Emergency were 1,961 and 425 from the Borneo Indonesian Confrontation. Numbers from New Zealand were not available to me at time of writing.

Prior to writing to you I have undertaken preliminary enquiries with a number of stakeholders across the wider veterans’ community to form a steering committee and discharge the directives on the National Capital Authority in regard to this memorial project. I believe this steering committee will have the appropriate leadership and management skills to:

• Establish a competent Project Management Team to develop critical path analysis for all elements of the project

• Establish an official fundraising body and register it with the appropriate controlling organization.

• Research and Development of Memorial design as laid down in criteria set by NCA.

• Prepare bids for sponsorship from Captains of Industry and Commerce relevant to the project.

• Produce professional applications for grants from Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and Community grants available through the RSL Funding Directory.

• Establish a national fund raising campaign throughout the veterans’ community and their conduits to the civilian populace.

• Ensure the full transparency and audited accountability required of a public project.

• Establish a website or select an existing one controlled by stakeholders as the hub of project activity.

Members of the project management team to be selected will bear qualifications to clearly demonstrate their capabilities to achieve the long term objectives of this memorial project.

I understand stakeholders in this project would include

• Defence Force Chiefs
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• RSL National President
• Federal Police Chief
• Relevant ex-service Organizations.
• National Capital authority
• National Memorials Committee
• RAN veterans of 26 units who served during the period ( many on multiple tours of duty)
• RAN veterans who served in the RMN & Shore establishments during the period
• Army veterans of 1,2, 3 & 4 Battalions RAR who served during the period
• Army veterans of RA Signal Corps who served during the period
• Army veterans of RAE who served during the period
• Army veterans of Ancillary Corps who served during the period
• Veterans of N0. 2 Squadron SAS who served during the period
• RAAF veterans of No.1 and No. 38 Squadrons who served during the period
• Widows & families of personnel KIA and WIA during the Malayan Emergency and Indonesian Confrontation.
• Widows and Families of Veterans of FESR who have since died of medical legacies from that service.
• The Australian War Memorial

By no means complete, this list highlights the magnitude of service given by our people in uniform.

Annabelle, military service in the FESR continues to be overlooked in the national capital. Only recently authorities gave approval for our recognition on the Naval Memorial on Anzac Parade some 22 years after the unveiling. For this I am most grateful. I understand Army and Airforce endeavours specific to service in the FESR have also fallen on deaf ears.

I believe the criteria I have offered warrants national recognition for our defence personnel who served with distinction during the 22-year operational commitment made by this country in the defence of Malaya, and protection of her regional interests. It beggars belief that after 50 years this service appears to be forgotten. I do hope you see fit to table this request before your team for their consideration.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely






Gary (Joe) Linaker

Special Projects Manager

[docrice]

Approval and support from the National Capital Authority will defitely add more weight to the claim
Well done Joe

[ronhobba]

BZ Joe

Ron

[Keghed]

No need for comment Joe, we know you're doing a fine job. Give me a 'yell' next time you're in town (Canberra) if you need anything.
Keghead

[vk2ern]

Excellent Joe, I am sure your push to go ahead in this direction, will at last bring deserving recognition, for all who served during this hostile period. Well done, and thank you...

[Namvet]

G'day, friends, crew, supporters and FESR followers.

Cheers
John