The Royal New Zealand Artillery
![]() |
The Royal New Zealand Artillery Association (Inc) Registered Charity: CC37284 Promoting the fellowship and supporting the wellbeing |
|
LƟƟK! As at 24 August 2023 Keep up-to-date withMuzzle Flashes,The New Zealand GunnerThe Professional Gunner Journal &facebookn |
89th Annual Gathering & AGM, Fri 27th – Sun 29th October 2023 To be held at Trentham Military Camp, Trentham, UPPER HUTT
Date:
Thursday, 24 August, 2023
THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION INC
Fellow Gunners. The 89th Annual Gathering & AGM for the RNZAA will be held in Trentham Camp on Fri 27th to Sun 29th October 2023. Registrations Close on Wednesday 18th October 2023.
Join your comrades-in-arms for a weekend of memories and socialising. Don't let this opportunity slip by – REGISTER NOW.
The organisers have put together a great few days for us. Get together a group of your era comrades for a great catch-up with them.
There are only ten more weeks before the Association’s Reunion and AGM.
Programme Outline and costs:
Reunion Registration Fee
$5 per person (for all attendees regardless of individual events attended).
Friday 27 Oct:
Meet and Greet:
1630hrs – Registration, relax, mix and mingle at WO/SNCO Mess, Trentham Camp. Includes finger food. Cost $10.00 per person. Cash bar.
Saturday 28 Oct:
AGM:
0930hrs - Morning tea/coffee in the WO/SNCO Mess, Trentham Camp. No cost.
1000hrs – Association AGM in the Mess, Trentham Camp.
Saturday Afternoon Activities
The following events are available for attendees (timing and details to be confirmed).
EOD (Explosive Ordnance) Museum Visit. Tour the EOD museum within Trentham Camp. Free of charge.
Fire Support Computer Display. Hirtenberger Defence, the supplier of the new RNZA fire prediction system, will be displaying their technology specifically for the reunion within Trentham Camp. Free of charge.
Self-guided tour of Wellington Artillery sites of interest. Free of charge.
Dinner:
1700 for 1800hrs - Meet at WO/SNCO or Officers Mess (depends on which Mess is open. Both located in same building) for a semi-formal dinner. Dinner in adjoining dining room.
Dress: Gents – Tie, jacket or Mess Kit. Ladies, semi-formal or Mess Kit. Medals/miniatures. Cost $60.00. Includes wine and port with dinner. Cash bar pre and post dinner for other drinks.
Sunday 29 Oct 23:
1000hrs - A brief service at the Trentham Chapel
Accommodation Options
20 single room accommodation has been secured in camp for Friday and/or Saturday night. Linen is provided and this comes as a single bed with breakfast booking. The charge is $10.00 per night per room/person. Breakfast included in the All-Ranks Mess. First in first served basis. One single bed/person per room, so a couple would need 2 rooms. Alternative accommodation options for couples are available within Wellington or the Hutt Valley - google search, booking.com, hotels.com or tripadvisor.co.nz.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW ONLINE.
We do not have a paper registration form this year but if you are unable to register online you can contact the Treasurer to arrange your registration manually –
Chris Pearce - 021918821
Most of you will be aware of the Reg Miles story. Briefly, he was the top graduate of the original graduating class from RMC Duntroon in 1914, with Graduation Certificate No 1. He took the first NZ guns ashore at Gallipoli, was recommended for a VC in France (he got the DSO) and won an MC. He was wounded twice and ended the War as the Brigade Major of the NZ Div artillery, responsible for the fire plans at Messines and Le Quesnay.
In WW2 he was the CRA, commanding all 2 NZ Div’s artillery. He was captured in a slit trench, wounded, and engaging the enemy with a rifle, behind 6 Fd Regt when it was overrun by German Panzers and infantry, at Bel Hamad in Dec 1940.
Imprisoned in the Generals’ camp outside Florence, six senior officers escaped after digging a tunnel under the chapel in the castle walls. The four British escapees were quickly captured; the two NZers got to Switzerland and were interned.
With NZ wanting Miles back in 2 NZ Div, the British secret escape organization got him out of Switzerland, across occupied France and into neutral Spain, where he was to be taken out by submarine from Gibraltar. For his Desert service he was awarded the CBE by NZ, and for his daring escape a second DSO by the British. He was the most senior successful Commonwealth escapee in the war.
Unfortunately, he died in mysterious circumstances in Figueras in Northern Spain in Oct 1943, where he was buried with full military honours by the Spanish, and where he remains.
The room in which he died is now part of a museum. A group of Spanish locals, with the agreement of the Museum, are planning to develop a permanent memorial for Miles in the room, on the 80th anniversary of his death, in late October this year.
We feel that New Zealand needs to also memorialise Miles in the Museum room, and we are calling for donations to raise enough for a suitable bronze plaque to be commissioned and placed with the Spanish memorial, from New Zealand. The alternative is an oil painting of Miles. A bronze is about $6,000, an oil about $4,000.
We have a donor who will match the first $750 raised, dollar for dollar.
Please forward your donation to the RNZA Historic Trust with Miles in the reference field, at BNZ Hutt Central 02-0528-0274552-000.
The trust is a Registered Charity, so donations are deductable for tax purposes. If you require a receipt for tax purposes, please email Barry Dreyer at barryddreyer@gmail.com
Ubique
Barry Dreyer
Many thanks to Lt Col (Ret’d) Steve Newman RNZA for his very generous permission to post his 1988 book “Vietnam Gunners” on our RNZA Association Website.
The book is © Copyright Steve Newman, 1988, and is used by The Royal New Zealand Artillery Association with his permission.
We request that readers of the book as posted here use it with discretion, bearing in mind that it remains copyrighted to the author.
Click here to access the book in our Media section of the website.
Programme Outline:
Thursday 10 Nov 22: From 1600hrs – Registration open, mix and mingle at Richmond Club
Friday 11 Nov 22:
1050hrs – Armistice Day Service at Bridge of Remembrance
1200-1700hrs – Own arrangements, or
1300-1700hrs – Ripapa Island/Fort Jervois Visit – Liaise directly with Pete Dawson (petedawson1950lytt@gmail.com) for details and bookings.
From 1800hrs – Registration open, mix and mingle at Richmond Club
Saturday 12 Nov 22:
0830-1000hrs - Breakfast available at The Richmond Club
1000hrs – Registration open at Richmond Club
1030 - 1200hrs – Association AGM at The Richmond Club
1300 - 1600hrs – Reunion Formal Luncheon at the Richmond Club
From 1600hrs – Richmond Club facilities available to attendees to mix and mingle
Dress for Luncheon: Gents – Tie, jacket with medals /miniatures.
Ladies, semi-formal.
Sunday 13 Nov 22:
0830-1000hrs - Breakfast available at The Richmond Club
1030hrs – A brief Church Service
Registration
The Registration Desk will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (see schedule for timings) within the Richmond Club, 75 London Street, Richmond, Christchurch 8013.
Vaccination Requirements
Please note that under the current Government Traffic Light system, all attendees must be vaccinated.
Accommodation Options
Own arrangements, but the Christchurch Committee have included a list of suggested accommodation. Please Click here to get a list of Accommodation in the Christchurch area.
Register Now
Please Click here to go to the Registration form. You can either use the On-line Website form, or download and print the paper version and send that. If possible, could you please use the on-line version.
Dates:
Thursday 10/11 to Sunday 3/11
Venue:
Richmond Club, London St, Christchurch
Programme:
Thursday 10/11
Early arrival registration and Happy Hour (17:00 onwards)
Friday 11/11
· Christchurch Armistice Day Parade (10:50): Bridge of Remembrance
· Boat visit to inspect Fort Jervois disappearing guns 13:00: Lyttelton launch trip
· Happy Hour and Ode 17:00: With Christchurch RSA
Saturday 12/11
· Annual General Meeting 10:30
· Formal Regt Luncheon 13:30
· Happy Hour 17:00
Sunday 13/11
· Remembrance Service
· Dispersal to home Locs
Costs, registration process and full details will be advised shortly.
RNZAA Committee
In case some website visitors are puzzled by the website looking a little different from 22/10/2020, we have updated the look of it slightly with a different font.
Click here for Details
or
Click here to Register Online.
or
Click Here to Download/Print paper registration form.
The Royal NZ Artillery Association have arranged a special label and a price
exclusive to members of $26 per bottle.
Winemakers Comments
The wine style is operated on a solera system started in 1992 where the barrels are nev-er emptied. Each bottling is taken from the original 5 barrels which are half emptied, then topped with the next oldest wine.
This wine has been matured in barrels for an average of 10 years, the base wine is a blend of red grapes fortified with high strength alcohol. As the wine matures the colour gradually takes on a tawny colour and develops a sweet nutty character.
Much of the wines development has already occurred in the barrel so this wine is ready to drink but can be cellared for many more years. The wine is complex and shows the typical rancio character of a good tawny port, and is an excellent way to end any good meal, or entertainment. To be enjoyed in moderation. This wine can be stored after opening in a decanter for months with no adverse effects.
To order:
Christchurch delivery to a specific address is freight free. Orders to other areas will incur a freight charge,
The wine can be ordered by contacting Torlesse Wines on email:
winery@torlesse.co.nz or phone 03 3146929 or 021758441
Easiest method of payment is by credit card but they can do direct debit as well with an invoice.
The organising team in Dunedin, led by Robbie Gardiner, are putting together a great weekend for us. Thank you Robbie and team.
Remember the Association welcomes anyone who has served the Guns for 3 months or more, so get together a group of your era comrades for a great catchup.
The great looking DRAFT program is below, as are accommodation suggestions from the Dunedin team. More details, cost, and registration forms will follow later once the program has been finalised and confirmed.
Click here to register online OR Click here to download/print paper registration form.
Click here to see Accommodation suggestions from the Dunedin team.
Auckland/Northern Semi-Formal Dinner, Evening of Saturday May 26th 2018. Point Chevalier Memorial RSA, Auckland. Click here for more details and registration.
Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Coromandel gunners casual get together and dinner 2pm-7pm, Te Aroha RSA, Saturday May 26th 2017. Click here for more details.
Wellington, Service at National War Memorial and casual lunch. Click here for Details.
Christchurch Gunners Day 2018. A "Formal'ish" Dinner (with partners & friends invited) on Sat 26 May. Click here for Details.
The Battle of Coral 50th Anniversary Weekend will be held from the 11th to 13th May 2018 in Canberra, coinciding with the National Coral Gunner Dinner to be held on Saturday evening the 12th May 2018.
Click Here for full details about the Anniversary Weekend and to register your attendance online at the dedicated webpage on the RAAHC website.
This is going to be one big event!
Regards,
Graham Hampton,
Australian Artillery Association
QUEENS BIRTHDAY WEEKEND 1 – 4 JUNE 2018 WAIOURU MILITARY CAMP
The Ex Vietnam Services Association Inc.
Click Here for further information and a downloadable/printable registration form for the reunion.
Dear fellow Gunners,
Happy New Year to you all.
I would like to welcome Woody Barrett on board as our new editor. I am very sorry that we havent been in a position to send out the December 17 edition earlier, but we have now got things sorted and we look forward to lots of contributions from ALL interested members for future editions. Contributions can be submitted to Woody via email at editor.rnzaa@gmail.com.
Please make a note that the 2018 Reunion/AGM will be held in Dunedin over Labour Weekend 19-21 October 18. Lets get in behind Robbie Gardiner and the boys from the deep south. There will be a very full and interesting program of activities so book early.
Your elected committee have already had their first meeting and we are working towards four major objectives:
1. Maintain contact with previous generations of Assn flag holders, in particular our Vietnam era of Gunners.
2. Provide a strengthened base for the development of the esprit de corps of our TF Batteries (established and non-established)
3. Develop stronger relations with the post Vietnam era (1972-present) of Gunners, with emphasis on operational deployment groupings.
4. Strengthen our relationship with the serving soldiers of 16 Fd Regt.
These objectives require a team effort to achieve, so if anyone thinks they may be able to contribute in any way, please let us know. Colin Jansen's Op Ubique, which gathers Gunners together to maintain equipments around the country, is a wonderful example of how we may meet our objectives and achieve our comradeship goals.
My best wishes for a great 2018 for you all
Click this link to read or download The New Zealand Gunner Issue 179.
Ubique
Tony McLeod
President
With the shut down last week of all Vodafone NZ email addresses, which affects all email addresses ending with the suffixes in the list below, the Royal NZ Artillery Association is concerned that we could potentially lose contact with some members who have been using those addresses, so this is a reminder to all association members who are changing their email address as a result of this change, to please send an email to the secretary of the association at rnza.association@gmail.com letting the association know what your new email address is.
@clear.net.nz
@es.co.nz
@ihug.co.nz
@paradise.net.nz
@pcconnect.co.nz
@quik.co.nz
@vodafone.co.nz
@vodafone.net.nz
@wave.co.nz
Ubique.
Click here for more details.
Many thanks to new Editor Mike Dakin.
As the seasons change, so do the way we do things in the Association, to ensure that we keep current with the times.
Therefore, it is intended to trial a new electronic format for our Quarterly Newsletter, which is accessible from the clickable link at the end of this message. We will be trialing this over the next four issues, and we welcome any feedback that you may have.
The Editor is always on the outlook for contributions - please send to : editor.rnzaa@gmail.com.
Once you have the newsletter open simply click on the clickable part of any of the articles/images that feature on the Main page of the newsletter, which will lead you to the article/item in full. Don't forget to read ALL of them.
Ritchies Transport are short of bus drivers in Auckland (in fact Nationwide and not only Ritchies). On the Shore they could do with 20 extra drivers of various availability.
There must be ex-servicemen and women who are semi-retired or retired and in good health that still have a Class 2 licence.
Click here for more details
We are expecting a big turn-out not just from the families of 163 Bty soldiers but all the RNZA family and the wider public. This event is associated with the Charter Parade that will occur earlier in the day. Click here for Flyer with full details.
Auckland Gunners
Wellington Gunners
Canterbury
16 Field Regiment - Regimental Activities