Pete Retallick Weighs in!

OK. I want to add a comment to this lot. To refresh my memory I’ve been trying to read all the previous comments but most seem to have disappeared from the site or maybe its my navigation – geez I hate computers.

Message for Sam – I dictate Sam, Elaine does the typing these days.

Hey Trotty, we lost touch. Thought I’d never hear from you again. Tried to find you but that’s another story. Hope you still have that wonderful and spontaneous sense of humour (young fella). Laughter was quite therapeutic during the uncertain times in Leeuwin, and we certainly did plenty of that. Do you still follow Essendon? We need to catch up.

Nobby – when were you in Tarangau? I was there for 12 months in 1968 (only 40 years ago). Does anybody know the whereabouts of/or heard from Trevor (Bart) Bartholomew?

Gooday Rocky! Allan/Pony/Farmer, it doesn’t matter what they call you because you have done a good job with this site. I find the navigation a bit confusing but thats me and computers. Whatever happend to that girl from Wingham that you tried to attach me to? Hope she’s had a happy and fulfilling life.

To everybody, please do me a favour. When we meet in Freeo next year, let’s spend Sunday afternoon playing snooker and drinking milkshakes at the Seamans Misson – Oh, and if someone can lend me a quid, a feed of fish at the fish market. Come on, that would be wild (lol). Now, on a more serious note, tonight is NRL state of origin night – GO THE BLUES!!!!!!

Pete

8 thoughts on “Pete Retallick Weighs in!”

  1. G,day Peter and Barry,
    Pete, definitely got the dates right, Barry was the PO in the clothing store at the time, and I releived Doug Symes in the Victualling Office. One of your old bosses from up there lives in Inissfail, Chief Stevens/ Stevenson I think his name is, haven,t seen him for years. Big Jim Thompson was also up there, a leading stoker at the time. God ,over 40 years ago. Mareeba is thriving at the moment, many mines opening up outback, and Mareeba is the gateway to the gulf and savannah country, apart from the terrific weather, 360 sunny days a year, the rest are just cloudy.
    Barry, have been though Rocky quite a few times in our travels back “down south” Next time will stop off and look you up.
    I did my 20 years, and my last sea posting was on Diamantina, was in the paying off crew in 1979, what a ship that was, good to see that it is still being preserved in the Brisbane Maritime Museum.
    SDhould be quite a few “warries” spun in Freo next year

    Nobby

  3. Max, what a memory! The worst day of my life, and the only day on chooks thanks to Lt. Foster. Offence? Boot polish smudge on gaiters gained whilst walking to the parade ground. So unfair.
    I can reveal now that “crashing out” was all a FAKE! But it did give others a break.
    Farmer

  4. Hi Nobby,
    Also welcome to Rocky Gannon, long time no speak! Both Nev Samson and Blue Higgins were communicators like myself, so have kept in touch over time. Last time I saw Sammy Samson was at one of our communicator reunions, he was enjoying life on a Harley with a bird strapped to his back!
    Blue and Pat live up near Mildura and hope he is coming next year, I have seen a photo and he is no longer ‘blue’.
    Pony/Farmer, I thought we knew you as Farmer, as I remember you crashing out doing chooks one day when we were doing laps around the parade ground with our 303s.
    Ah, they were the days! Keep up the good work!
    Regards Max

  5. G,day Pete, was in Tarangau from late September 68 to October ’69, loved it up there. Do you remember when you were in the sea cadets and came down to Bendigo for a camp? Need more than a quid for a feed at the fish markets these days, and the quality is not the same. But then again the value of a quid then compared to now. might even get change. Oh and I see the Blues won the fight last night. See you in Freo.

    Nobby

    1. G’day Nobby, Great to hear from you and your’e right, the Blues won the game and the fight – good result. I was in Tarangau from January 1968 to January 1969. I posted there as TO and picked up a hook while I was there. Mate, I don’t rember you there. You don’t seem to remember that I was there either? God, are we getting that old – I am scared Nobby. I’m thinking possibly you were in the PO’s mess hiding.
      I was married in 1969 when I returned from Tarangau and paid off after first term. We moved to Brisbane in 1983 and have two married daughters also in Brisbane. I’ve been in the courier & taxi truck business since 1985 after years of working in the TNT group.
      How’s the great town of Mareeba?
      Please reply telling me you’ve got your dates wrong.

      Regards Pete

      G’day Maxie.

  6. Well done Pete!!!
    You did manage though to put your entire message in the HEADLINE! i’ve fixed that for you.
    Unfortunately I don’t recall the Wingham girl – she would have been a beauty but not as beautiful as Elaine!!!!! (Brownie points).
    We intend to go to Wingham next week to do a bit of grave restoration.
    The comments are all still there but under each post. You can get too them on one page by going to your Dashboard then clicking Comments on the left hand side
    I had forgotten that I had been christened “Farmer” (among other things) until someone here said they didn’t know me as Pony.

    Pony

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