KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCH

Newsletter No. 555
January 2025

NOTICE OF MONTHLY MEETING
This SATURDAY 18^th January 2025

The first meeting of 2025 will consist of TWO presentations.

The short DDH starter will be by fellow member Roy Bowman and will be:
“The Western Approaches Tactical Unit (WATU)”

This unit played a major role in developing strategy to combat the German U-Boat campaign, ultimately allowing Britain to survive during the critical stages of WW2

The main talk will be by another fellow member John Hart who has a major interest in the current Russia/Ukraine War. His talk however will take us back slightly to explore some of the origins of unrest amongst the new Russia’s subservient states and is entitled:
"The Chechen Wars: Nato and Putin"

In particular, he will examine how the First Chechen War led to “NATO expansionism” which Putin now cites as one of the reasons for his Ukraine "special military operation". We can expect to learn a little of somehistory about which most of us know little.

The starting time for the meeting is 1.30 for 2.00pm on SATURDAY 18^th January 2025.
The venue remains the St Cyprians Church Hall off Umbilo Rd, with snacks, secure parking, and liquid refreshments available for cash.
Entry is free and open to all, but a donation of R10 for the raffle and R10 for the car guard are requested from all attendees.

NEWSLETTER
Past December Meeting

The end of the year meeting followed our usual format of a single talk followed by snacks and the Vicar’s Alms open for liquid refreshments.

The well attended talk by raconteur Col Steve Bekker (SAAF Retd) was an informative and often humorous account of the somewhat ill-conceived airfield arrangements for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, semifinals. He detailed the frequent warnings given to all concerned insofar the inadequate aircraft parking facilities at King Shaka [International] Airport and requests for the use of the old Durban airport to accommodate the “overflow”. He illustrated the incompetence of appointed officials who refused to accept advice from those more qualified and experienced. Examples included private jets parked at KSIA that were locked & and could not be relocated to another site. This resulted in some domestic flights with passengers booked to see the respective soccer matches, having to return to their departure airports as there was nowhere to park or land due to space constraints. The international outcry was voiced in the media and reflected badly on RSA and its ability to host any international sporting event. (report by Charles Whiteing)
The presentation was followed by generous and well received snacks arranged by Charles Whiteing which enjoyed by all. Members and guests then had time to relax and end the year with some informal chats.

ADVANCE NOTICE OF FEBRUARY 2025 MEETING

This will be on the THIRD Saturday ie 15^th February 2025, in order to avoid the clash with the Book Launch of the new history of the NMR (now QNMR).

Although the official launch will be a closed function on the 8th February, anumber of our members have been invited. However, for the benefit of ALL our members and guests OUR meeting on the 15th February will encompass a PowerPoint presentation on the history of the NMR by book co-authors fellow member Matthew Everitt, together Wray Maine, curator of their Regimental Museum. This will be accompanied by a short book launch at which orders will be taken.

Full details will be provided in the newsletter next month but remember to reserve the date!

Journal

The latest edition of the Journal is currently undergoing final proofing and will be ready for delivery to members within the next few weeks.

Due to the state of the SA Postal services (non-existent mostly), and the prohibitive cost of couriering to individual members; the Society couriers to a few members who provide “hubs” from which the journal can be collected by members. Current “hubs” are Tex Westgate for Kloof/Highway, and Dr Chris Pearce for Durban North. Graeme Fuller was a hub for central, but I will be taking over this duty (I am at Carrington Hts/Glenmore). The easiest is for couriering to me and for me to bring and distribute at meetings (or you can contact me to collect).

Please indicate if you wish to collect from Tex Westgate or Chris Pearce by emailing Joan at joan@trolleyscan.com
You may also indicate to Joan if you need it posted. However, the very few mostly immobile members who are currently in this category sometimes wait up to 5 months for delivery, if in fact it arrives!

Anyone who does not indicate otherwise will be allocated to me as the default.

Membership 2025

Please may I ask all members to pay as soon as they are able(I know January is a bad month for most people), as we receive a percentage back as subsidy from National Office based on subscriptions paid.

Unfortunately, it has been necessary to increase subscriptions by R20 for 2025 thus:
Single R320
Family R340

NB Please do not pay in the difference if you have already paid. The amount of R20 will be carried forward - genuinely - to 2026 subscription invoices.”

Please pay via EFT,to account below to avoid Bank Charges below incurred by cash deposits as banks nowadays do not like cash!.
If paying by cash deposit please add R100.00 for bank charges !

FIRST NATIONAL BANK EASTGATE,
Branch code 257705;
a/c no. 50391928346;
name S.A.Military History Society

REMEMBER your NAME as reference!!
A discount is given to members over 80 years old
- contact scribe@samilitaryhistory.org if applicable

(NB Invoicing apology from Joan Marsh at National Office
“The invoices sent out on 4th January suffered from a software error. Fictitious amounts carried forward - created by the software - were shown. These, when added to last year's subscription amount, still totalled the correct amount owed by the member."

If you are attending meetings as a guest, please consider joining – details at National website:
http://samilitaryhistory.org/applic25.pdf

Apart from supporting a worthy Society which often handles queries from local and international researchers and interested partiesmembers receive the following benefits:
1. Invites to all SAMHS KZN Branch meetings and events.
2. Invitations to Zoom lectures held and tours organised by KZN, Johannesburg, and Eastern Cape Branches.
3. An excellent Journal twice per year.(NB the national website holds all publications and branch newsletters from and is fully searchable by word)

That’s all for now folks, see you on THIS Saturday the 18^th January 2025! Please spread the news of the meetings and encourage others to come along.
Regards
Phil
P R Everitt
Chair KZN Branch SAMHS
Cell/WhatsApp 0844371636