all the best to all i hope that 2009 brings you health happiness and wealth see you all in april

Merry Christmas to all from the 8th along with their families...A happy New Year to all.

Regards

George & Val

To all members of the M8 have a wonderful Xmas and the very best of New Years.Can't wait for April to arrive.

Merry Christmas Guy's. Stay Safe.

Cheers Stroppy Snow

To all members of the Mighty Eighth, their partners, children and grandchildren, may 2009 be the best year yet.
Seems like y'day we were gearing up for the the Canberra run ashore!
April in Brisbane is just a blink away.

Merry Christmas and a happy New year and stand by for a thumping in the cricket next year

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Looking foreward to the Reunion just four months away see you there

Best wishes to all members of the Mighty 8th and your loved ones from Edi and myself. We'll look forward to seeing you all at the reunion.

To all the Mighty 8th, Joy and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year and we will see you all in Brisbane for the Re-union,

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Thanks for the Chrissy card Ronnie (no address or contact Ph no, good on ya mate!)To all the rest of the mighty 8 Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year, and I,ll see you at the reunion, Oh yer Kerb it's my shout for the polo shirts,

To the Mighty 8th. I wish you all a great Christmas and a good new year. Will look forward to seeing a fair few smilling faces in the new year. So to you and all your families have a good one
Speed

Here's a great photo of Toby Milner sent by his father Theo - I have cut it down to show only Toby, but it is him plying his trade as a Radio Operator (Sparker). I will put the full photo in the Rogue's Gallery. A great bloke who is not forgotten, may he rest in peace.

On Friday 28 November, six members of the Mighty 8th gathered at the Family Chapel at Wollongong Crematorium to farewell Geoffrey Wayne 'Charlie' Charlston R94181. Charlie served from 1964 to 1970 and was discharged as an ABUC. Those present from the Intake were Lance Foxon, Rick Watkins, Bob Green, Al Rainford, John Gunn and John Curbishley.

It was a short emotional ceremony but Charlie was farewelled in style by a large gathering of friends, shipmates, wives, children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Fox and I said a few words on behalf of the members of the Mighty 8th Intake during the ceremony. On completion we were welcomed back at Charlie's daughter Dorinda's house where the food and drink were plentiful and where we had the opportunity to mingle with the many members of Charlie's family.

Charlie was much loved and will be dearly missed. He was a lovable rogue throughout his life but lived it to the full with many adventures along the way. His health had suffered during the past 10 years with a couple of brain aneurisms (which he recovered from) and he had only recently had a hip replacement.

Dorinda passed on to us that Charlie had found a new lease on life after attending the 2004 reunion in Canberra and catching up with his many shipmates from long ago. He had also attended a mini-reunion in Gerroa in June this year which Dorinda said he was always talking about.

Farewell old mate. We will remember you and others who have fallen at our reunion in Brisbane next year. Lest we forget.

The following email was received today from Theo Milner (Toby's father). I will pass it on to Bob Jeffreys, I have no doubt Bob would wish to invite him to a function at our 45th next April...

Hi all of you JRs Leeuwin of 64. I am Theo Milner Tobys old man. Have just located your Guestbook entry Tuesday 11.11.08 on my computer, and what I have read makes me a little emotional at your sincere thoughts & concerns about Toby. Unfortunately Toby is no longer with us he passed on to a better resting place with his beautiful mother on the 23/10/08. The only thing I am sorry about is that I didn't locate your Guestbook report before he passed away as he would have appreciated your concernes & sincere thoughts I am sure he will be remembered for along time by every one of you his sincere mates. As for me I will remember him for the rest of my life as I saw him arrive in to this world & was with him when he passed out .

Just a little information about me - I became involved with the Mackay navy league & sea cadets in 1958 or 59 as the president of the navy league because of Toby becoming a sea cadet . I maintained that position for 7 years. At the time we had nothing with reference to finances, my beautiful caplabe wife was my secretary. After 3 or 4 years we had earned $16.000 and had obtained a block of land from the MACKAY Harbourboard on a 90 year lease no rent.

The Mackay navy league is celebrating 50 years of operating on the 21.22. march 2009, for which I will be attending.

Should I be lucky enough to meet any of or all of you, there will be a lot of stories to be told about Toby & no doubt some you can tell me about Toby.

Before closing I would like to extend my sincere thanks to you all & a special thanks to Tony Alexander for his extended assistance towards Tobys concern

Also I am very interested in your project with reference to the JR Memorial & you can put me down for $200.00 on behalf of Toby for I am sure he will further rest in peace knowing he had at least kept in touch with all of his mates.

Was so sorry to hear of the death of Charlie. I remember many of the times at Watson and earlier on the Vendetta along with Jacko. He was our running mate. Will miss the occasional chat and will certainly miss Charlie. Fair winds mate! Fox (and Delles)

My thoughts are with Charleys family at this time. I have some wonderful memeories of the Vendetta trip up top 65-66 when we were ODs trying to make sense of it all. Rest in peace mate. Lest we forget.
Jacko

charleys funeral is at 1300hrs on friday at the wollongong crematorium berkeley road unanderra it would be fitting if as many of the m8 as possible could attend especially those on the nsw south coast to pay our respects to his family and also to one of our own and a bloody good bloke lest we forget

Gents, terrible news. Geoff "Charley" Charlston R94181 unexpectedly passed away this morning. He was found by his daughter Dorinda about 0900. More information to follow as it comes to hand. Lest we forget.

For those of you ex Submariners interested in what happened to HMAS OTAMA, here is a link sent by Bob Green that reveals all.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2008/11/24/2427751.htm

One of my clubmates came to grief on a bike trip in America and we are raffling a custom built Harley Davidson to help him out.
The television show Brisbane Extra did a story on him last week and have put the video on You Tube - here is the link

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=KvePlyhs9V8

Check it out and pass it on. We are trying to get it to be the most watched video on You Tube and, in turn help out a fellow Vietnam Veteran.