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