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radio 2UW), plus perhaps one of our most prestigious
members, Norm Phillips VK4CNP. Norm also trained
at Tamworth and became a Commando in New Guinea,
and was well known in other amateur groups and nets.

Perhaps, there are a few stories behind the
formation of other more famous and more interesting
nets than our good old ‘ Montoro’.

In other places, at other times, there have been other
amateurs, notably Jack Parris VK2WM (engineer at
2PK Parkes), Allan Thackeray VK2AT at Young,
George Welch VK2UN, and the late, great Harold
Hepburn VK3AFQ, who was responsible for those
excellent DIY articles and other activities.

Then, as most of us do, we joined the WIA, and a
local radio club, didn’t we. The Hornsby and District
Radio Club has been and continues to be a source of
interest and pleasure for many years, and what’s more,
it is full of amateur radio operators!

The late, great John Heine VK3JUF
In 1942 at Bonegilla, Captain John Heine was mainly
responsible for training a series of special army
communications units. Called ‘Wireless Task Sections’,
these were small semi-mobile groups supplied with the
then state-of-the-art radio equipment.

Heine was singularly well chosen for this job. He
was a radio amateur with the call sign VK3JF (Johnny
Fox in those days - Juliet Foxtrot now!) who brought to
his task all his theoretical and practical know-how, and
passed it on most successfully.

Wireless Task Sections were designed to provide
relatively long range radio communications between

Corps and Divisions, between Divisions and Brigades,
and also between bases, each section consisting of a
small headquarters and two identical groups able to
exist and function separately.

It is a tribute to John Heine that he was able to turn
out units which were versatile and self sufficient. To do
this he realised that the training would be best
accomplished under actual operating conditions, in all
weathers and over all terrains.

This is why units spread out from Bonegilla to
places as far apart as Mt Gambier in South Australia,
into New South Wales, and the rest of Victoria. Thus
the equipment was thoroughly tested and, by the time
the various sections were sent out, they were ‘ready for
anything’.

Throughout all this time John Heine was selecting,
reviewing, training, discarding and promoting personnel
until only the best remained, and the good record of the
operations which followed was testament to his fine
judgment.

On Anzac Day in 1988, John Heine, although in
failing health, was able to meet once again with
members of the 36" and 37" Australian Wireless Task
Sections at a special reunion at Wangaratta.

This was a memorable and moving occasion, where
members were able to express their individual
appreciation for all the training and help received 46
years ago from ‘Captain John’.

John Heine died on 27" September 1988, aged 80
years, but is still well remembered.

ar

OTN — December 2010

Page 51