National Service in the 1960's

As part of the 13th Intake of National Servicemen hundreds of 20 year olds gathered in Singleton NSW from the 17th July 1968 till the 25 September 1968. 46 of them were in this group.
By the end of that time some had fallen by the wayside for medical or unsuitability reasons, some had been chosen to go to Officer Training Unit and the rest had done 10 weeks of the most intensive physical activity of their life up to that point.
They had scaled walls 12 feet high, jumped water obstacles, climbed ropes and rope ladders, overcome obstacle courses, handled their own washing and ironing for the first time ever in most cases, crawled through mud, learned about and fired weapons of several sorts and in a lot of cases they had grown up.
Some were city boys and some were from the bush. The great majority went on to become Diggers after another 10 weeks of Corps training. Some went to Viet Nam. Some went to Malaysia. Some were posted to units in Australia. All benefited from the experience.
It might be argued that some did not benefit from service in Viet Nam but I am sure that there was benefit to all in the Recruit and Corps Training that they undertook.
They were. . .


back; L to R	S Franklin; R Hawkins; F Murray; W Schuba; R Blyton; P Brew; J Fredricksen; W Watson; T Shrapnel; D Nixon-Smith; D Sparrow; J Smith.
3rd row	T Dwan; A Greaves; G Chatfield; J Elliot; C Wright; G Dutton; R Herbert; D Richard Preston; I Douglas; D Udell; G Smith; T Sievers; R Sullivan; E Harris
2nd row	D Doring; B Gioseffi; B Hermann; Cpl 'Johnno' Johnson; Cpl Ken Carlson; Sgt 'Jock' Kelly; 2nd Lt McLeod; Cpl 'Ned' Kelly; Cpl Pat Healy; B Corran; J Myers; ? Atkins
front row	D Ellwood; G Lloyd; P Brady; R King; P Cottrell; P Oudyn; J Mole; H Wolff; L Whelan;
missing	Rees and K Hoy to OTU; J Singleton, P Ellis discharged-medical; K McCloud discharged-unfit to serve. D Love (possibly in hospital).

These huts at Singleton were home to 16 men per hut, 4 each in 4 cubicles.

Toilet and ablutions blocks were 150 yards away.

The Mess hall was 400 yards away.

Washing and drying rooms were 200 yards away.

Scotty Franklin;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
R Hawkins;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
F Murray;	Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps
W Schuba;	?
R Blyton;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
P Brew;	Royal Australian Engineers
J Fredricksen;	Royal Australian Artillery
W Watson;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
Tony Shrapnel;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
Derek Nixon-Smith;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
D Sparrow;	?
J Smith;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
T Dwan;	Royal Australian Army Service Corps
Alan Greaves;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
G Chatfield;	?
J Elliot;	Royal Australian Signals Corps
C Wright;	Royal Australian Artillery
Gary Dutton;	Royal Australian Engineers
Rick Herbert;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
D Richard Preston;	Royal Australian Artillery
I Douglas;	Royal Australian Army Service Corps
D Udell;	Royal Australian Corps of Military Police
G Smith;	?
T Sievers;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
R Sullivan;	?
E (Ted) Harris;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps
D Doring;	?
Boris Gioseffi;	Royal Australian Armoured Corps
B Hermann;	Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
B Corran;	?
J Myers;	?
? Atkins;	?
D Ellwood;	Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps
G Lloyd;	Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
P Brady;	Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
R King;	?
Peter Cottrell;	Royal Australian Armoured Corps
P Oudyn;	Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
J Mole;	?
H Wolff;	Royal Australian Dental Corps
L Whelan;	Royal Australian Infantry Corps