This disc belonged to Frank Wright. The letters ENSA refer to the Entertainments National Service Association, which was set up in 1939 to provide entertainment for the British armed forces personnel. Frank Wright was a renown resident of Smeaton, where he was born in 1901. He lived at Laura Villa, and attended Smeaton State School. His father William was a gold miner and his mother's name was Sarah. He was the youngest of eleven children. Their family won many singing and instrumental awards. Frank was tutored by Percy Code and was awarded a gold medal for the highest marks in the ALCM examinations in the British Colonies at the age of seventeen years. He became the Australian Open Cornet Champion by the age of eighteen. A year later, Frank conducted the City of Ballarat Band, and later the Ballarat Soldiers’ Memorial Band. He formed the Frank Wright Frisco Band and Frank Wright and his Coliseum Orchestra. These bands won many South Street awards, and Frank as conductor won many awards in the Australian Band Championship contest. In 1933 Frank Wright sailed to England to conduct the famous St Hilda’s Band and was appointed in 1934 as the Musical Director of the London County Council (the GLC or Greater London Council), where he organized many amazing concerts in most of the 150 parks, in and around the London district. He was also responsible for some of London’s major concerts at Kenwood, the Crystal Palace and Holland Park. He was made Professor of Brass and Military Band Scoring and Conducting and was a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Frank was often invited to adjudicate Brass Band Championships around Europe, in Australia, including South Street and in New Zealand. Frank was awarded an M.B.E. in 1967 and he died in November 1970. The Frank Wright Medal at the Royal South Street competition is awarded to an individual recognized as making an outstanding contribution to brass music in Australia.This red coloured 3.5 cm leather disc has been stamped with the letters ENSA Frank Wright CE. It has a hole pinched in the top, through which a string has been threaded.frank wright, armed forces entertainment, musician conductor, brass bands, ensa, entertainments national service association

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 black and white photograph of L/Cpl Normie Rowe in the studio at the US Army's Armed Forces television studios in Saigon representing Australia on the 1969 Armed Forces Television Christmas Show. The produces of the show jumped at the chance of using Normie once advised of his pop status.photograph, l/cpl normie rowe, gibbons collection catalogue, entertainment, us army's armed force tv studio, saigon, 1969 armed forces christmas show, denis gibbons

From a collection of 253 images on slides taken by Corporal Peter Stanley Sims (Service no: 44304) while on deployment in Vietnam in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, 1969 - 1970Big Pretzel (Pat Wordsworth) performing at a Christmas concert at Canberra bachelors and enlisted men's quarters, Vietnam 1969.peter stanley sims, 44304, slides, royal australian army medical corps, vietnam war, sims, hq australian forces vietnam, australian force vietnam, 1969 armed forces christmas show, christmas concert, big pretzel (pat wordsworth), wordsworh, big pretzel, performer, entertainment

From a collection of 253 images on slides taken by Corporal Peter Stanley Sims (Service no: 44304) while on deployment in Vietnam in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, 1969 - 1970Female entertainer performing at a Christmas concert at Canberra bachelors and enlisted men's quarters, Vietnam 1969.peter stanley sims, 44304, slides, royal australian army medical corps, vietnam war, sims, hq australian forces vietnam, australian force vietnam, 1969 armed forces christmas show, christmas concert, entertainment, concet, show

From a collection of 253 images on slides taken by Corporal Peter Stanley Sims (Service no: 44304) while on deployment in Vietnam in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, 1969 - 1970Singer performing at a Christmas concert at Canberra bachelors and enlisted men's quarters, Vietnam 1969.peter stanley sims, 44304, slides, royal australian army medical corps, vietnam war, sims, hq australian forces vietnam, australian force vietnam, 1969 armed forces christmas show, christmas concert, performer, entertainment

From a collection of 253 images on slides taken by Corporal Peter Stanley Sims (Service no: 44304) while on deployment in Vietnam in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, 1969 - 1970Female entertainer performing at a Christmas concert at Canberra bachelors and enlisted men's quarters, Vietnam 1969.peter stanley sims, 44304, slides, royal australian army medical corps, vietnam war, sims, hq australian forces vietnam, australian force vietnam, 1969 armed forces christmas show, christmas concert, performer, entertainment

From a collection of 253 images on slides taken while on deployment in Vietnam by Corporal Peter Stanley Sims (44304). He served in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, 1969 - 1970.Big Pretzel (Pat Wordsworth) at a Christmas concert at Canberra bachelors and enlisted men's quarters, Vietnam 1969.peter stanley sims, 44304, slides, royal australian army medical corps, vietnam war, sims, hq australian forces vietnam, australian force vietnam, 1969 armed forces christmas show, christmas concert, big pretzel (pat wordsworth), entertainment, performer