Welcome to the Down Under Club of Winnipeg. We’re a social club based far, far from our original homes and hold regular events for members and guests. We also produce a monthly newsletter about connections in our new community and all things happening down under. Go on, explore our site and consider joining our group. Hooroo, mates!
The November December issue of The Southern Yarn is available online now, in full colour with links to source and extended content. It will also be in the post this week, in its glorious goldenrod analog paper edition, for those who still anticipate delivery in their letter boxes.
To get you started, here is the editorial:
On 20 September, 1939, Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced to Parliament that Australia was offering the British Government an expeditionary force to bolster the Royal Air Force as it expanded for World War II.
Apart from a force headquarters, the offer comprised 1 Fighter Wing Headquarters with Nos 7 and 15 Squadrons; 2 Bomber Wing Headquarters with Nos 1 and 8 Squadrons; 3 Bomber Wing Headquarters with Nos 16 and 17 Squadrons; and an Air Stores Park, a Medical Receiving Station, a Base Area Headquarters and a Base Depot. The number of personnel required to service this force totalled 3,200 officers and personnel, including a reinforcement pool of 225. Continue reading
The September October edition of The Southern Yarn is available for your reading pleasure. Yes, it’s later than we hoped, but some great content in there as usual!
It’s also on the Yarn page.
And here is Charlie’s editorial to get you started:
As we remind readers, from time to time, most of the founding members of the Down Under Club of Winnipeg ended up here as a result of their involvement in WWII. More specifically, most had come here for air and navigation training, under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan, before being shipped on to more active duty. Then, having survived, they returned to their Canadian sweethearts who were waiting. Continue reading
AIR NEW ZEALAND – Seat Sale – book before Sept 26!
Canada to Auckland and Beyond – Free flight from Auckland to other NZ cities
Book your flight with Air NZ from Canada to Auckland and get a free flight from Auckland to any other city NZ flies to.
Book before 26th Sep 2023 with Downunder Travel Ltd
Travel Period 04th Oct 2023 to 30th June 2024
*Conditions apply, contact us now for full details.
From Jason Webb and our friends at Downunder Travel, Calgary
403-270-4414 Phone
1866-470-4414 Toll Free
The Southern Yarn, July-August 2023
Interesting how one thing leads to another, eh? I recently came across a good example of this concerning the other Australian national anthem. In the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Waltzing Matilda was played by mistake for Marjorie Jackson’s gold medal presentation, instead of God Save the Queen. Anyhow, to find out how its tune came to be, see “Did you know” p.7.
Also included in this issue are several stories of how the “Lest we forget” sentiment continues to be honored: a commemorative ceremony in Cairns, Queensland, for a WWII Catalina crew, a similar event in Summerville, Nova Scotia, for the loss of 4 airmen in a training accident 80 years ago, and the efforts of many dedicated volunteers and service personnel to honor the war dead through involvement in War Graves projects.
And there’s the usual variety of other news, humour and summer-reading pleasure.
Haka Rugby is once again hosting its Elite 2-Day Camp right here in Winnipeg on Thursday July 27 and Friday July 28 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Assassins Rugby Football Club, Maple Grove Rugby Park, 190 Frobisher Rd.
The goal is to use rugby and Māori culture as a tool to develop future world leaders.
To register, go to https://hakarugbyglobal.wildapricot.org/event-5257925/Registration or connect locally with Caleb Stick at https://www.facebook.com/caleb.stick
Feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested in participating.
