The Daily Gaggle

Like most of us vets did during WW2 and then choose to migrate and remain in Australia as Citizens for up to SIXTY YEARS. You will be technically referred to as 'Lower Grade Australians.' If you put your life on the line in the defence of Australia in times of war, as did friends relatives and other colleagues of mine and who died as a result, also the other men who survived the horrors of war and chose to stay or migrate to Australia at the first opportunity and become Australians by choice, you must pass a stringent test, and on graduation you will be invited to sing, "We are-you-are-wer'e all Australians" etc. But wait!! That is only until when you apply for The Elusive Veterans Medical benefits 'GOLD CARD'. At this point you will be informed, "Well!! you are not really Australians are you". This degrading Gold Card fiasco is a blight on the democratic principles of the Australian Federal Govt, This type of discrimination is similar to that sh

I am left wondering, under what circumstances and by whose whimsical conception WHY ? the hard attitudes of consecutive bigoted Federal Governments of the People of Australia, have decreed that, the Magnitude of the Sacrifice and Achievements by the men of the British Royal Navy in the Pacific Theatre of war 1944-1945, by whose actions gave enormous benefit to our country Australia and its people, should be ignominously considered contentious and unequal to Australians 'Born and Bred. Sir, If such system of measurement exists, it would be purely hypothetical and genetically passed on by successive leaders who have an axe to grind, and who better to dislike than the Boss or Mother Country, from whence we came to do our bit. To those 'True Blue Australians' who served with us on British ships and those who crewed borrowed British ships I say well done,you deserve your Medical benefits 'GOLD CARD'. I would also like to thank the Royal Australian Navy for their role in

FLEET STRENGTH AT THE TIME OF THE JAPANESE SURRENDER BRITISH PACIFIC FLEET AND BRITISH EAST INDIES FLEET Battleships, 40,000 ton 4. / 2, one French Fleet Aicraft Carriers 5. Escort Aircraft Carriers 12. / 16 Heavy & light Cruisers . 6 to 8,000 Tons 10, 2 NZ,1 Canadaian. / 13, 1 Dutch Destroyers 40, 6 on loan to RAN. / 45, 1 dutch 2 French ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The above ships formed the fighting force, except the 6 RAN destroyers on N A S Duties escorting Supply Ships and 'Bringing up the Mail' The "GOLD CARD MEN' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frigates & Sloops 31./ 59, 5 R Indian Navy Submarines 29. /14 Minesweepers 33./ 31, 15 R INDIAN NAVY Landing ships - 21. Maintenance/Repair ships 15. /21. Fleet Oil Tankers 22. Hospital Ships 6. Ammunition & Store Ships 43. TOTALS 245 Ships in all. 222 Ships in all. ------------------------------------------

LEAST OF ALL I EXPECTED SOME RESPONSE FROM THE PERSONS WHO MAY HAVE BENEFITTED BY THE OFFER OF THE VETERANS (AUS)MEDICAL BENEFITS GOLD CARD So it seems you only have your selves to blame, that, my platitudes have fallen on the deaf ears of the cheats in Canberra. Oct 4, I received a letter from people who described themseles as an offshoot of the (RSL)Returned Servicemans League. I was offered tickets for the chance to win a posh house in Queensland(Fat Chance) at $5-00 a pop. The benefits from this lottery going to Australian ex Servicemen, like legacy etc. As a British ex service man who fought for Australia during WW2, and not a gold card recipient, I wrote in reply to their letter telling them where to stuff their begging letter, why in heavens name should I be considered unworthy of recognition, yet be expected to pay the beer and poker machine expenses of some of the fit and healthy and some younger gold card recipients I know, who frequent my local clubs and pubs. Don't they