MEMBER NEWS

The Nambour Branch of the Royal Australian Air Force Association (RAAFA) has come together to celebrate the 100th birthday of their respected Branch Patron and Life Member, Graham Burgoyne, a World War II veteran who served with No 24 Squadron under No 82 Wing in the South West Pacific Theatre.

On Friday, 15 August 2025, Australians will mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day, a historic moment that ended the Second World War in the Pacific.

A dedicated Veterans’ and Families Hub to service the Southwest Perth region is one step closer – with its new location confirmed at 65 Dixon Road, Rockingham, WA 6168.

Ms Annabelle Wilson has been appointed as the new Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner, commencing on 18 August 2025.

Efforts are underway to establish a memorial cairn and plaque at RAAF Park in Brighton, Queensland, to honour the six aircrew of No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron’s Lockheed Hudson Bomber A16-27, which mysteriously vanished on 12 August 1940 during a navigational exercise off Brisbane’s coast.

The small coastal town of Cardwell, located 165 km north of Townsville, has held its annual Battle of the Coral Sea memorial, a heartfelt tradition organised in collaboration with the Cardwell and Cairns RSL branches.

The Australian Aviation Hall of Fame (AAHOF) has unveiled its 2025 inductees and the recipient of the esteemed Southern Cross Award, honouring extraordinary contributions to Australian aviation and aerospace.

In Australia, a ‘veteran means a person who has served, or is serving, as a member of the Permanent Forces or as a member of the Reserves’. This definition is found in the Australian Veterans’ Recognition (Putting Veterans and Their Families First) Act 2019. The extent of this definition provides for any person who has served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), which includes the Navy, Army and Air Force. It ensures that every person who has served in the ADF is recognised as a veteran, whether their ‘defence service means warlike service, non warlike service or peacetime service.’

The Department of Defence has launched a free mobile app designed to support Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and families as they navigate their transition to civilian life.

The Air Force Association (AFA) is pushing forward with fresh momentum, as National President Air Vice-Marshal Joe Iervasi (retd) shared updates from recent engagements in Melbourne, Russell and the Ex-Service Organisation Round Table (ESORT) in June.

A National Commemorative Service was held at the Australian National Korean War Memorial in Canberra on 25 June 2025 to mark the 75th anniversary of Australian involvement in the Korean War.

To recognise the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific, the Air Force Band will conduct two commemorative concerts at the Canberra Theatre Centre on 14 August 2025 to honour the service and sacrifice of those who contributed to the victory during the Second World War.

The Air Force Association (South Australia) recently hosted the Hon Joe Szakacs, Minister for Veterans Affairs in South Australia, in Adelaide for the monthly Combined Ex-Services Mess in Veterans Lunch and to present two 60-year AFA Membership Certificates to 100-year-old South Australian World War 2 Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force Veterans.

The Air Force Association (South Australia) recently joined with RAAF Edinburgh in celebrating the centenaries of three World War 2 Air Force veterans as part of an ongoing local program to recognise the service of our World War 2 veterans who turn 100.