Ian Darnton Watson was a member of a prominent family of civic leaders in Wodonga. He was born on 6th July 1925 in Albury, the first son of Kenneth Darnton Watson and Phyllis Lenore Emily Austin. He completed his primary education at Albury Grammar School, and later became a boarder at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School. He enlisted for military service at Albury on 25th January 1944 and commenced full time service on 8th February 1944 at Royal Park in Melbourne, Victoria and was allocated to the 2nd Medium Artillery Regiment. He embarked on overseas service in Borneo on 30th July 1945 and disembarked in Australia on 15th April 1947 after serving with the Australian occupation forces in Japan. Mr Watson was discharged on 22nd April 1947 at which time he was a member of the Australian 2nd Medical Regiment. On discharge he returned home to help his father farm his property, de Kerilleau in Wodonga which was classified by the National Trust in 1974. Ian described his father, Kenneth as a hardworking, practical man, who for two years from 1929 - 1931, had been the Wodonga Shire President. Cr K. D. Watson was again elected to the Council in 1943 and served until he died in October 1951. In March 1957, he married Miss Lesley Buttfield, of Sydney, NSW. They had three children, Fiona, John and Rowena. John was later to become a member of Wodonga Council and served as Mayor. Ian was President of the RSSAILA (Returned Sailor's, Soldier's and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia) branch at Wodonga from 1953 to 1955 and remained as a member after that time. The League was renamed to the Returned Services League in 1965. Mr Ian Watson died on 14 December 1981, aged 56.This certificate is significant because it recognises the service of Ian Darnton Watson in support of Returned Servicemen in Wodonga.A framed certificate mounted on card. The frame is plastic with a wood grain finish.On Certificate:- R.S.S.A.I.L.A. VICTORIAN BRANCH Presented to Ian D. Watson, As a token of esteem and in grateful recognition of valuable services rendered as President of the Wodonga Sub Branch Years 1953 to 1955.wodonga rssaila, ian darnton watson, watson family wodonga, rsl wodonga

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection. A colour photograph of Hat Dich, South Vietnam, December 1969. Australian United Press International War Correspondent Denis Gibbons, in a night harbour position with members of the 8th Battalion from the Royal Australian Regiment, watches a medic burn contaminated dressings following the treatment of wounded diggers in a contact with the NVA/VietCong.photograph, hat dich, united press international, war correspondents - australia, 8th battalion, royal australian regiment, medic, nva/vc, gibbons collection catalogue, 8 rar, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, (1961-1975). history- sources, nva viet cong

These photographs of Royal Australian Survey Corps commissioned officers was taken at the Army Survey Regiment circa 1962-1965, 1972 and circa 1973-1974. Officer appointments to the Army Svy Regt were typically the CO, 2IC, Adjutant; and an OC, 2IC and Troop Officers assigned to the Headquarters, Topographic/Air Survey, Cartographic and Lithographic Squadrons. RAN and RAAF liaison officers were usually appointed to the Regiment; and occasionally exchange officers from other Corps, the USA or UK.This is a set of photographs of RASvy Officers at the Army Survey Regiment, Bendigo. The photographs were printed on photographic paper and are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. The photographs were scanned at 300 dpi. .1) Photo, black & white c1962-1965. .1) Photo, black & white c1962-1965. Corps Conference Back row – L to R: 3rd LT Jorge Gruszka, 5th CAPT Peter Constantine. 7th MAJ Brian Dalton Front row – L to R: 1st CAPT Carol Castor, 2nd MAJ NRJ Hillier, R3rd MAJ Bill Howarth, 4th CO LTCOL Frank Buckland, 5th DSVY-A COL Don Macdonald, 7th MAJ John Nolan, 8th MAJ Eddy Anderson. .2) Photo, black & white, c1972. Back row – L to R: CAPT Jack Gore, LT Royal, FLT Sinclair, LT Fred Brown, LT John Winzar, LT Gary Kenney, LT Reg Smith, 2LT Terry Edwards, LT Bob Roche. Front row – L to R: CAPT McNeale, 2LT William, MAJ Keith Todd, MAJ Don Ridge, LTCOL Bill Howarth, MAJ Brian Dalton, MAJ John Bullen, LT C. Chittleborough, LT Bailey .3) Photo, black & white c1972. Back row – L to R: 1st 2LT Terry Edwards, 7th LT Gary Kenney, 9th LT Bob Roche. Front row – L to R: 1st CAPT Jack Gore, 3rd LT Bailey, 4th MAJ Keith Todd, 5th MAJ Don Ridge, 6th LTCOL Bill Howarth, 7th MAJ Brian Dalton, 8th MAJ John Bullen, 9th FLT Sinclair, 10th CAPT McNeale. .4) Photo, black & white, c1972. Personnel named as per .3) .5) Photo, black & white, c1973-1974. Back row – L to R: 1st LT Graham Baker, 4th MAJ John Sinclair , 7th CAPT Reg Smith, 8th LT Terry Edwards. Front row – L to R: 3rd MAJ Peter Constantine, 4th LTCOL Don Ridge 5th MAJ John Cattell. .6) Photo, colour print of .5), c1973-1974 Personnel named as per .5).1 no annotation, .2 Personnel (surnames, no rank) annotated on back, .3 to .6 no annotationroyal australian survey corps, rasvy, army survey regiment, army svy regt, fortuna, asr

The 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles was raised as a regiment of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps on 1 May 1948 with Headquarters in Melbourne and squadrons in Sale, Benalla/Wangaratta and Albury. In 1955 Regimental Headquarters moved to Wangaratta and a second squadron was located at Albury. The Sale squadron transferred to 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse. In 1977 8/13 VMR Regiment was reduced to an independent squadron A Squadron 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles and in 1991 was linked with 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse forming the VMR Squadron of that regiment.Coloured flag, red and yellow field divided diagonally with badly faded 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles crest superimposed at centre.vmr, victorian mounted rifles, flag

In 1965, B Squadron 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles was drawn from Wangaratta and Benalla.Collection of photographs showing an armoured regiment of the Citizen Forces in the 1960s as it transitioned from wheeled armoured vehicles to tanks to M113 armoured personal carriers.Black and white photograph of eight soldoers from Benalla Troop 8th/13th Victorian Mounted Rifles photographed at Benalla Rifle Range c.1971." Left Front: Les Firth, Lt. Jackel, Bernie Ginivan, Rear: Laurie Green, Peter Sholders, Lance Gawley, Neville Grant. "jackel, benalla, 8/13 vmr