John would be pleased
if you could read this at the funeral.
it's on behalf of all the members of 101
Battery Malaya.
LONG BEFORE
RECONCILIATION WAS TALKED ABOUT LONG
BEFORE THE ABORIGINAL ISSUE WAS
FASHIONABLE THERE WAS A BLOKE CALLED
HARRY SCHNAARS… HE WAS A MEMBER OF 101
BATTERY…HE WAS ABORIGINAL AND HE WAS OUR
MATE!!
FUNNY THING ABOUT HIM
WAS…. YOU COULDN’T MEET A PROUDER
ABORIGINAL HE NEVER BEAT A DRUM
ABOUT IT AND HE NEVER USED IT…… HE JUST
WAS…….. SURE HE WAS BLACK BUT THEN HE
DIDN’T MIND US BEING WHITE….. SO I GUESS
THAT SAID IT ALL.
HE WAS AN OUTSTANDING
ATHLETE AND WE OFTEN MARVELLED AT HIS
PROWESS ON THE SPORTING FIELD. HE
ENJOYED REPRESENTING THE BATTERY AND THE
REGIMENT AND FEW OF US WHO PLAYED WITH
HIM OR AGAINST HIM WILL EVER FORGET WHEN
HE HAD DONE SOMETHING SPECIAL THE
APPEARANCE OF THAT TOOTHY GRIN AND THE
EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE WHICH SAID “SO”.
WELL OLD FRIEND GUESS
ITS TIME TO SAY SO LONG…THANKYOU FOR
SHARING PART OF YOUR JOURNEY WITH US IT
WAS GREAT MAKING THOSE MEMORIES AND
HAVING SO MUCH FUN……AS YOU RETURN FROM
WHENCE YOU CAME PLEASE TAKE THOSE
MEMORIES WITH YOU.
TOMORROW THINGS WILL
GO ON AROUND US PRETTY MUCH AS IT ALWAYS
HAS DONE BUT FOR YOUR MATES FROM 101
BATTERY IT WILL BE JUST A LITTLE
DIFFERENT AND I GUESS AMONG MATES THAT
IS HOW IT SHOULD BE……… JUST KNOW THAT
WHENEVER WE GATHER TO GETHER AND DRINK
TO “ABSENT FRIENDS “ YOU WILL AGAIN BE
WITH US AND JOIN ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GONE
BEFORE.
YOUR
TASK IS FINISHED GUNNER AND UNTIL WE
MEET AGAIN.
“STAND EASY"
By:
Ken Murphy