RSL South Australia

13/06/2026

13/06/2026

12/06/2026

Vale Howard Hendrick DFC OAM, WW2 Lancaster Bomber pilot, flying instructor, commercial airline pilot, respected Riverland community identity, twice Loxton citizen of the year, aged 102.

We remember his service, endeavour and humility: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/511479

12/06/2026

Transform into a capable, confident soldier at Kapooka, with world-class training to set you up​ for life. You’ll learn, grow, and lay the foundation of your Army Career. Find out more at https://bit.ly/49X1x3M

12/06/2026

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Black Hawk accident in Townsville, in which 18 ADF members tragically lost their lives.

During training for counter-terrorism operations on the night of June 12, 1996, two Australian Army Black Hawk helicopters collided in the Townsville Field Training Area.

As a result of the accident, there were 18 fatalities; 15 from the Special Air Service Regiment and three from the 5th Aviation Regiment. It was Australia's worst peacetime military aviation disaster, and it sent shockwaves of sadness across the nation.

This tragedy highlights the constant risks associated with serving in the nation’s armed services and the commitment and bravery of those who serve.

We Will Remember Them

Corporal M. Baker
Captain J. Berrigan
Captain K. Hales
Signalman H. Peeters
Trooper T.J. McDonald
Lance Corporal D. Frost
Trooper J.G.S. Church
Lance Corporal G.D. Hagan
Lance Corporal D.A. Johnstone
Lance Corporal G.A. Callow
Corporal B.A. Tombs
Corporal D.J. Smith
Corporal D.R. Oldham
Corporal A. Constantinidis
Corporal M.J. Bird
Corporal M. Avedissian
Sergeant H.W. Ellis
Captain T.J. Stevens

Lest We Forget

📸 Ian Coate

11/06/2026

Put this down in your calendar, our 50th Anniversary Open Day, more to follow

11/06/2026

Messines was an area of strategic importance during the war. The village was captured by the German Army in October 1914 and it wasn’t until the Battle of Messines in June 1917 that it was successfully retaken by the New Zealand Division. In April 1918 it was recaptured by the German once again until September 1918.

The Messines Ridge Cemetery was created after the end of the First World War when a number of graves from the battlefields around Messines were brought together. Approximately 1,500 commonwealth soldiers are buried here, of which over 900 are unidentified.

On the site you can also visit the Messines Ridge New Zealand Memorial which commemorates over 800 soldiers from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917/18 with no known grave.

Now and always, we will remember them.

📷 - Messines Ridge British Cemetery © Eric Compernolle

11/06/2026

Grant Kelley is the interview guest for this second of two RSL Today programs. Grant is a local businessman and owner of the Adelaide 36ers basketball team. He talks about his family’s military service in WW1 and WW2, Adelaide 36ers Basketball Team, support of the sporting public, game attendance statistics, new coach Trevor Gleeson, families involvement,

RSL Today hosts David Lyas and Keith Harrison bring listeners information on what’s happening around RSL South Australia and the veteran community, social media, June Mess Lunch, Vietnam Veterans Day 18th August.

RSL Today is a 15-minute program broadcast on Vision Australia Radio Adelaide on Thursdays at 4:30pm and available for listening 24/7 online on the RSL SA YouTube Channel. It contains general and commemorative information, event announcements and guest interviews.

Listen 24/7
Program Two 11/6/26: https://youtu.be/iaCp7o28uQs
Program One 4/6/26: https://youtu.be/UXNPOVEyIy0

10/06/2026

Before leaving Australia, Army Chaplain Luke Skipper arranged for a small, simple object to carry much greater meaning. He had a series of double-sided crosses 3D printed in yellow and blue, the national colours of Ukraine, and asked a Ukrainian Orthodox priest to bless them before deployment.

These crosses travelled with him to the United Kingdom, where Australian personnel were instructing Ukrainian trainees as part of Operation Kudu. Skipper handed them out during graduation, where around 200 trainees lined up to receive one. As he later joked, he nearly gave himself RSI from blessing every individual who came forward.

In Ukraine, Orthodox Christianity holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, so the gesture was deeply meaningful. The crosses were designed to be durable, something trainees could carry with them as a reminder of both their faith and their training.

Though small in scale, these objects speak to the human side of military service and the role chaplains play in providing comfort, connection, and continuity in times of conflict.

Operation Kudu: Supporting Ukraine is now open at the Australian War Memorial, exploring Australia’s role in training Ukrainian forces and highlighting the personal stories that shape contemporary conflicts.