Sadly, John Henry (Ken) Buhmann, another
of our well-liked and much respected
members of the Royal Regiment of
Australian Artillery passed away on 26
October 2006.
Ken's record of service received from
the Central Army Records Office was
rather simplistic and lacked key dates
and postings. In fleshing out these
bare bones, I am truly grateful to the
following people for their assistance:
Peter Tedder, Tom Banfield, Ron Haskard,
John Pollock, Rex Taylor, 'Skeeta'
Wills, George Salmon, John Humphrey, Don
Quinn, Vern Mullins, Alan Windsor and
Paul Feeney.
At the mature age of 23 years, Ken
Buhmann enlisted in the Australian
Regular Army planning to 'do his bit for
Queen and country' by serving in Korea.
However, by the time he had completed
recruit training, was allotted to the
1st Battalion The Royal Australian
Regiment (1 RAR) as a gunner rifleman,
and arrived in Korea, it was 31
March 1954 and the Armistice had been
signed. Private Buhmann served on with
1 RAR in Japan and by September had
earned his first stripe - lance
corporal. The battalion returned to
Australia in June 1955, Ken went back to
the Gunners and three months later he
was promoted to bombardier.
It would then appear that Ken then went
to the Proof and Experimental
Establishment at Port Wakefield before
being posted to the Recruit Training
Battalion at Kapooka. From 1958
onwards, then Sergeant N E 'Skeeta'
Wills got to know Bombardier Buhmann
well and describes him as 'well liked by
all and an excellent instructor'.
Ken Buhmann was one of the early members
to join the fledgling 4th Field Regiment
RAA at Wacol in 1960. On promotion to
sergeant in 1961, he became a gun
detachment commander. Ken was never a
loud sergeant, but accomplished much
with his quiet approach which was
respected by his Diggers. In the words
of a fellow gun sergeant, retired WO1 R
P (Rex) Taylor, 'He was an absolutely
marvellous Number One [of his gun].' He
then became the D Troop TARA (Technical
Assistant Royal Artillery) sergeant.
Brigadier G T (George) Salmon AM (Retd)
was the GPO (gun position officer) at
the time and recalls, 'Ken was one of my
best gun sergeants, but then [TARA
sergeant] Jim Neill took him under his
wing and "bred him" as his very
competent successor.'
When 105th Field Battery was warned for
service in 1965 as the first RAA unit to
be deployed to Vietnam, Ken was the
battery commander's assistant. Running
a BC's party under operational
conditions was a significant task, but
Sergeant Buhmann took this all in his
stride. The BC, later Lieutenant Colonel
P N O (Peter) Tedder (RL) said, 'I never
had any real problems with the BC's
party. Ken did not throw his weight
around - he handled all matters quietly
and firmly. I felt comfortable leaving
both administration and operations
matters in his capable hands. He
combined well with [Captain M C (Mal)]
Peck's mortar party in the battalion
command post. I had a great deal of
affection for him and his first wife and
believed that he was obviously RSM
material.'
On return to Australia Ken was promoted
to Warrant Officer Class Two and became
an AIG (assistant instructor in gunnery)
at the School of Artillery. George
Salmon was an IG (instructor in gunnery)
at the time and recalls, 'WO2 Buhmann
was a very competent AIG' who was
confident in his work and handled
students particularly well.
Battery Sergeant Major (BSM) at 13th
Field Regiment RAA (CMF) in Adelaide was
Ken's next challenge. This was the
perfect foundation for then moving back
to Wacol as the BSM of his old 105th
Field Battery. This was 1971 and a very
busy time as 1st Field Regiment RAA was
working up to return to Vietnam.
Suddenly Australia's commitment to that
war came to an end and the unit somewhat
lost direction. Ken was posted to a
local CMF unit, 5th Field Regiment RAA
as a BSM and the unit's 2IC, later
Colonel V W (Vern) Mullins RFD ED (Retd)
remembers him for being 'very
knowledgeable and 'getting on very well
with both officers and soldiers'.
Across Brisbane at 1st Field Regiment,
the RSM was detached and Ken took his
place on promotion. The commanding
officer of the time, later Colonel J H
(John) Humphrey (Retd) remembers Ken as
'good at anything . . . he ran the
Sergeants' Mess well . . . [and] was
very quiet but got the job done very
well'. Colonel D (Don) Quinn AM (Retd)
was the next CO and describes Ken as 'a
great RSM . . . tremendous . . . he had
the welfare of his Diggers in his heart
. . . [and] was quiet and competent'.
In 1976, WO1 Ken Buhmann was appointed
the 1st Division Artillery Sergeant
Major, the senior non commissioned
posting within the division. This was
an emerging time for the divisional
artillery as it increasingly took over
control of Gunner units from the task
force / brigade headquarters. Ken's
quiet approach in dealing with his peers
across the division earned him respect
and firmly re-established the role of
the DASM.
Having become very settled in southeast
Queensland, but still wanting to serve
on, Ken accepted the appointment as QM
of the fledgling Army Reserve 5th/11th
Field Regiment RAA at Annerley in
Brisbane for his final two years in the
Army. The CO he served at this time,
Lieutenant Colonel P J (Paul) Feeney RFD
(Retd) and the ARes RSM, retired WO1 M (Maurie)
McGuire remember him as a very
experienced senior soldier who blended
well with the Army Reserve all ranks and
just 'got the job done'.
Ken was discharged from the Army on 8
March 1980 after 27 years of dedicated
service. Always one for mixing well
with people, he kept in continued as a
taxi driver until his final retirement.
John Humphrey recalls passing the local
taxi rank on this morning walk in the
Clayfield area and often receiving a
cheery wave from and having chats with
Ken awaiting a fare in his taxi.
Ken Buhmann enjoyed retirement. He had
remarried, to Dawn and they were
enjoying the twilight years together.
He was a strong supporter of the 105th
Battery Association after it was raised
in the early 1990s. Well groomed and
with his signature razor straight part
in his greying hair, he brought an old
world influence amongst the younger
Vietnam veterans. Quiet of nature as
always, he still had the respect of all
ranks at the reunions. Sadly, dementia
crept into his life and Dawn was obliged
to have Ken accommodated in a nursing
home. Old mates visited him until his
condition prevented recognition and Dawn
pulled an appropriate and protective
curtain around him. Soon after,
he passed away with quiet dignity.
Ken's final parade was held at the
Gregson & White Chapel, Nambour on
Tuesday 31 October 2006. The strong
cross section of all Gunner ranks
attending bore testimony to the esteem
in which Ken was held.
Vale Warrant Officer Class One John
Henry 'Ken' Buhmann - an old breed truly
professional Gunner, a quiet achiever
and a highly respected member of the
Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery.
Gone to that Great Gun Park up above at
76 years of age.
On behalf of the Royal Regiment, a
letter of condolence has been sent to
Ken's widow, Dawn Buhmann, 67 Albatross
Place, 171 David Low Way, Bli Bli, Q
4560.
*****************************************************************
ARTHUR BURKE OAM
Colonel Commandant RAA - Northern Region
7 Aspley Court, Aspley, Q, 4034,
Australia
Phone/Fax: 07 3263 6025
Email:
Click Here
******************************************************************
