CHAPTER MEETINGS ARE HELD ON THE FOURTH MONDAY OF THE MONTH AT THE WAVERLEY RSL
The Waverley RSL is located at 161 Coleman Parade, Glen Waverley, and is conveniently situated opposite the Glen Waverley railway station. The RSL car park is free but you need to display a ticket on your dashboard (obtainable from reception) or use the public car park opposite.
The next meeting is on 24 February 2025 and will feature guest speaker Tim Whitford.
His topic is “Enemy POWs and Internees in Victoria during WW2.
Tim Whitford is a South Gippslander who spent 15 years in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps in Cavalry and Heavy Armour. He served overseas with the British Army in Germany and Cyprus.
After leaving the ADF, he worked at the Shrine of Remembrance as an Education Officer/Outreach Officer where he travelled all over Victoria telling the stories of our veterans to students. In 2014 he took up a position with RSL Victoria as a professional Veterans Advocate for 7 years.
He also pursued a lifelong passion for study of the Great War. He was part of the team that researched and advocated for the “Missing of Fromelles” which led to the discovery and recovery of 250 previously missing Australians killed in battle in 1916. He was one of only three Australians awarded the “Medaille de commune de Fromelles” by the French for his role. He has also led about a dozen tour groups of Australian pilgrims to the old Western Front battlefields and the WW2 sites of France, Belgium and Germany.
His presentation will cover the WW2 POW and Internment camps in Victoria, identifying their locations and purpose. He will highlight some interesting characters and personalities that were behind the wire, including the crew of the German raider HSK Kormoran. His fascinating talk will describe the scheme which saw thousands of Italian POWs working on farms in regional Victoria where they left a lasting impression. He will also touch on Japanese POWs who came to Victoria after the Cowra Breakout in NSW and the profoundly different views they had on captivity.
Membership of the NHSA automatically entitles you to be part of the Victoria Chapter and to share in its activities.
We hold our monthly meetings in the well-appointed “Sunset Room” at the RSL – easy access is provided by an adjacent lift. Our program is listed on the website, and we either have a Guest Speaker or show a film. Meetings start at approximately 7.00 pm and finish by 9.00 pm.
The “Warramunga Restaurant” on the ground floor opens at 5.30 pm and a number of members and guests take the opportunity to enjoy a few drinks at the bar before heading to the Restaurant.
Our Secretary Lynda Gilbert coordinates the booking of tables, so please let her know in advance by email lynda.gilbert@aol.com if you are intending to join us for dinner.
If joining us for the first time, please let us know when you plan to visit by contacting Andrew Mackinnon and we will ensure you are made welcome.
The Chapter produces a monthly newsletter called the ‘Three-Headed Dog’, containing a variety of articles of interest. Edited by Andrew Mackinnon, this is published 11 times a year and is distributed by email to Victorian members free of charge. Copies of the latest and previous ‘Three-Headed Dog’ newsletters can be found on the
Visit Navy Victoria Network
President: Andrew Mackinnon
Address: 8 Gleneagles Court
CROYDON VIC 3136
Mobile: 0429 096 911
Email: andrewmackinnon0404@gmail.com
Secretary: Lynda Gilbert
Email: lynda.gilbert@aol.com