Rodney Usback

Vale John Griggs

In the Class Biographical Notes of 2004 John Griggs summarised his adult life up to that time as: “Left the Army in February 1982 after 21 years of Service in NSW, Qld, Vic, PNG, SVN and UK.  Since then, it has been hotels in Narrandera, Dubbo, Bowral.  Ann and I have raised Belinda and 3 boys: eldest of whom is Tim, a RAA officer; Justin, a chartered accountant in London; and Nathan managing the Bowral business.  I am very active in industry and community affairs with the AHA, liquor accords, Rotary and other groups, while Ann is very active looking after John, work and home.  Time for a third career – retirement.”

John passed away 20 years later on 6 March 2024 – detailed in the Notice below:

Four members of our Class attended John’s Funeral Service.  There were three eulogies delivered, including this one following delivered by John Jansen:

VALE GRIGGSIE

THE STEAM TRAIN FROM SYDNEY SLOWLY GROUND TO A HALT AT THE CANBERRA RAILWAY STATION AT 12.35PM ON 10^TH FEBRUARY 1961, WHEN A LOUD VOICE ECHOED THROUGHOUT THE STATION ‘GET OUT OF THE TRAIN WITH YOUR LUGGAGE AND ONTO THE BUSSES’.

THIS VOICE WAS THE VOICE OF THE REGIMENTAL SERGEANT MAJOR AT THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE DUNTROON – PETER STEER – 6 FOOT 13 INCHES TALL - AND THAT’S TALL - WITH A MOUSTACHE – AN EX-GRENADIER GUARDSMAN – A VOICE THAT WOULD ECHO IN OUR EARS FOR MANY MONTHS AHEAD.

I GOT INTO THE BUS, SAT DOWN AND INTRODUCED MYSELF TO THE YOUNG MAN NEXT TO ME, HE REPLIED 'JOHN GRIGGS'.

ON REFLECTION – HOW INCREDIBLE. HE WAS FROM SYDNEY; I WAS FROM BRISBANE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NAME IS JOHN JANSEN AND I WILL RECALL ASPECTS OF JOHN’S LIFE IN THE MILITARY.

JOHN ENTERED THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE DUNTROON ON THE 10^TH FEBRUARY 1961 AND WAS ALLOCATED TO GALLIPOLI COMPANY. HE SOON BECAME FRIENDS WITH THE OTHER 4^TH CLASS CADETS IN GALLIPOLI COMPANY – IN PARTICULAR JOHN ONGLEY, JOHN KINGSTON, COLIN TOLL, ROD USBACK AND MYSELF. THE SIX OF US WOULD GET TOGETHER IN SOMEONE’S ROOM AT THE COMPLETION OF THE FORMAL STUDY PERIOD FROM 7-30PM TO 9-30PM AND HAVE COFFEE AND TOASTED (ON AN UPTURNED RADIATOR) CRUMPETS OR TOAST AND DISCUSS THE DAY’S ACTIVITIES BEFORE 10 PM WHEN WE ALL HAD TO BE IN OUR OWN ROOMS.

THIS GROUP OF 4^TH CLASS CADETS GOT ON EXTREMELY WELL, WE MOTIVATED EACH OTHER TO SUCCEED. WE ALL GRADUATED AND HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE FRIENDS EVER SINCE.

DURING SPORTING TRIPS TO SYDNEY, WHILST AT RMC, JOHN WOULD ALWAYS INVITE ME TO STAY AT HIS HOME IN SYDNEY. I GOT TO KNOW HIS FAMILY VERY WELL, HIS PARENTS BRAD AND PEG AND 6 BROTHERS AND SISTERS. I WAS ALSO INTRODUCED TO JOHN’S GIRLFRIEND, WHO LATER BECAME HIS WIFE, ANN STJOHN, WHOM JOHN WOULD WRITE TO EVERY SUNDAY EVENING.

WHILST AT RMC JOHN PLAYED RUGBY, WATER POLO, SWIMMING, SQUASH AND WENT SNOW SKIING.

JOHN GRADUATED FROM RMC ON 8 DECEMBER 1964 AND WAS ALLOTTED TO THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF AUSTRALIAN ARTILLERY, BASED AT HOLSWORTHY. BEFORE TAKING UP THE APPOINTMENT, HE WAS REQUIRED TO ATTEND A 4 MONTH DURATION YOUNG OFFICER’S COURSE, UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF CAPT IAN DARLINGTON, ALONG WITH MYSELF, AT THE SCHOOL OF ARTILLERY NORTH HEAD SYDNEY. AT THE COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, HE TOOK UP HIS POSTING TO 103 FD BTY AT HOLSWORTHY, SYDNEY AND I WENT TO 105 FD BTY AT WACOL, BRISBANE.

JOHN MARRIED ANN ROBIN STJOHN AT OUR LADY OF DOLOURS CHURCH IN CHATSWOOD ON 26 APRIL 1966, 3 WEEKS BEFORE JOHN WENT TO VIETNAM. THE SYDNEY NEWSPAPERS HAD THE HEADLINES ‘JOHNNY GOES TO WAR’.

I HAD DEPLOYED TO VIETNAM IN SEPTEMBER 1965 AND JOHN CAME TO SEE ME ON HIS SECOND DAY IN VIETNAM IN MAY 1966. ON 18^TH AUGUST 1966, PERHAPS THE BIGGEST BATTLE OF THE VIETNAM WAR OCCURRED, THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN. DURING THIS BATTLE, JOHN WAS THE GUN POSITION OFFICER OF 103 FIELD BATTERY AND I WAS THE GUN POSITION OFFICER OF 105 FIELD BATTERY. EACH BATTERY FIRED APPROXIMATELY 1,000 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION DURING THE BATTLE. THE GUN POSITION OFFICER IS THE OFFICER ON THE GUN LINE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CORRECT DATA BEING APPLIED TO THE GUNS BEFORE FIRING AND PASSING ORDERS TO THE GUNS. I DEPARTED VIETNAM NOT LONG AFTER THE BATTLE HAVING COMPLETED MY 12 MONTHS TOUR OF DUTY.

JOHN RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA IN MAY 1967 AND TOOK UP A POSTING AS ADJUTANT OF 10 MEDIUM REGIMENT IN GEELONG. ON 10^TH FEBRUARY 1968, HE AND ANN WERE BLESSED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR FIRST CHILD BELINDA. LATER THAT YEAR, THE FAMILY FLEW TO THE UK WHERE JOHN ATTENDED A 12 MONTH LONG GUNNERY STAFF COURSE AT THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF ARTILLERY AT LARKHILL. IN 1969 HE RETURNED WITH HIS FAMILY TO AUSTRALIA, TRAVELLING 1^ST CLASS ON A P&0 CRUISE SHIP, THE TRIP TAKING 5 WEEKS (MUST HAVE BEEN HELL, I WONDER IF HE STILL GOT PAID). MY GIRLFRIEND MARGIE (NOW MY WIFE) AND I GREETED THEM ON THEIR ARRIVAL AT WOOLOOMOOLOO IN SYDNEY. HE THEN TOOK UP HIS POSTING AS AN INSTRUCTOR IN GUNNERY AT THE SCHOOL OF ARTILLERY AT NORTH HEAD SYDNEY. I WAS ALSO AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE SCHOOL AT THAT TIME. WE SPENT 2 YEARS TOGTHER AS INSTRUCTORS.

DURING THIS PERIOD, ON 28^TH MARCH 1970, JOHN WAS BEST MAN AT MY WEDDING. ON 11^TH NOVEMBER 1970, JOHN AND ANN WERE AGAIN BLESSED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF A BABY, A SON, TIMOTHY. I WAS LATER HONOURED TO BE ASKED TO BE TIMOTHY’S GODFATHER.

IN 1972 JOHN WAS POSTED TO 4^TH FIELD REGIMENT AT TOWNSVILLE AS THE OPERATIONS OFFICER AND SUBSEQUENTLY PROMOTED TO MAJOR AND COMMANDED 107^TH FIELD BATTERY.

IN 1973, HE WAS POSTED TO PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA AS THE TRAINING MAJOR AT MURRAY BARRACKS. IN 1975 HE ATTENDED THE 12 MONTH COURSE AT THE COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE AT QUEENSCLIFF IN VICTORIA.

HE RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL OF ARTILLERY IN 1976 AS THE SENIOR INSTRUCTOR IN DEVELOPMENT WING. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, I HAD THEN RECENTLY ARRIVED AT THE SCHOOL AS THE SENIOR INSTRUCTOR OF GUNNERY WING. WE AGAIN HAD 2 GREAT YEARS TOGETHER. JOHN AND ANN PURCHASED THEIR FIRST HOUSE AT NORTH ROCKS IN 1976 AND THEY WERE BLESSED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR 3^RD CHILD, A SON JUSTIN, ON 6^TH AUGUST 1977.

IN 1979 JOHN WAS PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND POSTED AS THE DEPUTY COMMANDER HEADQUARTERS 3^RD TRAINING GROUP IN MELBOURNE. ON 30 MAY 1979, JOHN AND ANN WERE BLESSED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR 4^TH CHILD, A BOY NATHAN.

IN 1981 JOHN WAS POSTED TO A STAFF OFFICER’S POSITION AT HEADQUARTERS TRAINING COMMAND IN SYDNEY AND THE FAMILY RETURNED TO THEIR HOME AT NORTH ROCKS.

AT THE END OF 1981, AFTER 21 YEARS SERVICE, JOHN RESIGNED FROM THE ARMY AND MOVED TO THE FAMILY HOTEL AT NARRANDERA.  

WE HAD A LOT OF FUN SERVING TOGETHER BECAUSE WE KNEW EACH OTHER LIKE BROTHERS. AFTER 4 YEARS OF CLOSE FRIENDSHIP AT DUNTROON, BRIEFLY TOGETHER IN VIETNAM, TOGETHER AS CAPTAINS AT THE SCHOOL OF ARTILLERY AND AGAIN, LATER ON, AS MAJORS AT THE SCHOOL OF ARTILLERY.

JOHN WAS AN ABSOLUTE GENTLEMAN. HE WAS A VERY DEAR AND LOYAL FRIEND. GRIGGSIE WAS RESPECTED BY EVERYONE. HIS RELAXED LEADERSHIP STYLE ENCOURAGED COUNTLESS PEOPLE TO FOLLOW HIM. HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.

ANN, BELINDA, TIMOTHY, JUSTIN AND NATHAN, MAY GOD CARE FOR EACH OF YOU DURING THIS PERIOD OF EXTREME GRIEF. OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

LET US ALSO NOT FORGET DURING THIS PERIOD OF EXTREME GRIEF, JOHN’S SIBLINGS, PETER, PAUL, MARK, MARY JANE, SIMON AND LIZZIE. OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE ALSO WITH YOU.

ON REFLECTION, IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT JOHN AND HIS SIBLINGS WERE TOGETHER ON 6^TH AUGUST LAST YEAR TO CELEBRATE HIS 80^TH BIRTHDAY.

GOD, PLEASE BLESS GRIGGSIE AND CARE FOR HIM. REST IN PEACE MY DEAR FRIEND.