Arthur Edmund James ‘Ted’ Pott’s parents married on 11 September 1943 while his father, also Arthur Edmund Pott, was serving in the RAAF. Ted’s father was killed in action off Timor on 9 October 1944 before Ted was born in Bowen, Queensland, on 15 March 1945.
Ted’s mother Heather (nee Stuart) lived with his grandfather, Arthur Pott, on the property ‘Burnfoot’ near Bowen. After the war, probably after Arthur Senior died, Ted’s mother, Heather, moved herself and Ted to her parent’s home at Buranda, an inner southern Brisbane suburb. Heather married Rob Eberhardt and they would have Janine and Rob, Ted’s half-siblings. Later Ted attended the Stafford State
School. In 1961 he found work with the Bank of NSW (now Westpac) as a Bank Officer. He was still with the bank when called up for National Service. He commenced at 1 RTB Kapooka as 1730857 on 30 June 1965. Ted was selected for officer training, commencing at the Officer Training Unit (OTU), Scheyville, on
16 July 1965 as a member of Captain Norman Uniacke’s 17 Section, 6 Platoon, B Company in Room
7, Hut C2, the hut on the Lower Road nearest to the Parade Ground. His Section mates were Alexander Bomm, Angus McNeilage, Alan Plummer, Dave Roberts and Robert Toyer who all graduated. In his Senior Term Ted was the Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant (BQMS), the second highest ranking Officer Cadet. Ted graduated with his class on 18 December 1965, was allocated to the Infantry and posted to 5 RAR with Finney Roe, Terry O’Hanlon, Harry Neesham and John Deane-Butcher.
5 RAR had been raised at the Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney on 1 March 1965. It was comprised of surplus 1RAR soldiers, 1 RAR by this time serving in Vietnam, and was brought up to strength with ‘Nashos’ of the first intake who had completed Recruit Training and Infantry Corps Training. The
battalion arrived in Vietnam on 19 April 1966 and established the Nui Dat Task Force Base. Another of Class 1/65, Kerry Rinkin, who was initially posted to 3 TB Singleton, joined 5 RAR in Vietnam through the 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit. Sadly, shortly after taking over 6 Platoon, B Company,
Kerry was killed on 7 April 1967.
The 2IC of D Company, 5 RAR, Captain Ron Boxall, said ‘In early 1966 Ted became a member of
an historic group of five young Australians posted to 5 RAR upon graduation, they would become
the first members of the first Scheyville class to be committed to war. Customarily we have never
dwelt on the source of commissioning of our fellow ‘Tiger’ officers but, some 60 years down the
track, we would do well to remember that we counted among us five young men who are unique in
Australian history. Ted Pott was one of these special men.’ Note: to gain combat experience Captain
Boxall took over Ted’s platoon when Ted went on R&R! Ted returned to Australia with 5 RAR on 12
May 1967.
Mick Deak, now known as Baron von Berg, said Ted was “a wonderful, unassuming dedicated young
fellow platoon commander!” Post National Service Ted returned to the bank and became the Chief
Clerk for Queensland for the bank. He married Kay on 4 May 1968 with classmate David Beasley as his Best Man. Ted and Kay would have three children: Anita, Glenn and Lyle who sadly died at
Toowoomba in 2013 aged just 37 years. Ted had a varied working life. He returned to the bank post-NS but left and took on a Mini Mart at Chermside. He then decided to become a farmer and took
over a 2,000 head piggery near Toowoomba. While still running the piggery he then worked with Dalgety’s and later Elders. The piggery was sold in 1986. A change saw him train for and become a Financial Adviser. But farming was his preferred occupation, and he retired from his Financial Adviser role in the late 1990s and he and Kaye left Toowoomba and took over part of his late grandfather’s property,
Burnfoot, at Bowen and raised cattle. The property was sold in 2011 and Ted and Kaye returned to
Toowoomba, but Lyle’s death in 2013 in a car crash changed everything.
Later in life Ted was affected by Alzheimer’s and was moved into Palm Lake Care in Toowoomba.
Ted died at Toowoomba on 16 July 2025, the 60th Anniversary of the day that he and his fellow classmates of Class 1/65 marched in to OTU Scheyville. His funeral service was held at Toowoomba on 24 July 2025 and was attended by numerous members of his platoon from Vietnam. His Scheyville Graduation classmates Laurie Muller, Terry O’Hanlon (right), who spoke during the service, and
Gordon Hurford attended. Unfortunately, David Beasley, who was due to speak, had caught Covid and could not attend.
At the funeral service it was mentioned that Ted could be described the words loving, supportive,
selfless, protective, fearless, generous (in particular for volunteering) and humble. He was a man with a
true sense of duty. Was a member of Lions, a regular volunteer at the softball competitions and
his pride and joy was a Jaguar motor car.
(David Beasley, 1/65 and Neil Leckie 3/68)

Barry James Murray, born Chinchilla, Queensland, on 14 January 1945. He was educated at Chinchilla State High School and the University of Queensland. He deferred his National Service to complete a Bachelor of Science in 1967. He was employed as a Computer Programmer with the Commonwealth Department of Works prior to entering the Army at 3 TB Singleton as National Serviceman 1734157 on 1 May 1968. Barry was selected for officer training and entered OTU on 17 May, with Intake 2/68 as a member of 4 Platoon, B Company. In his ‘Senior’ Term Barry was the Platoon Sergeant of 4 Platoon. He graduated with his Class on 10 October 1968, was allocated to the Signals Corps and posted to 5 Signals Regiment at Kissing Point Road, Dundas. This Sydney suburb is about a third of the way out from the city towards Scheyville. On 13 January 1969, Barry was detached for duty at HQ Eastern Command with the Chief Signals Office (CSO). He discharged on completion of his National Service.
Barry married Margaret and they would have two daughters, Caitlin and Lucinda. Later the couple would
have two grandchildren.
Barry died on 16 June 2025 with his family by his side. A celebration of Barry’s life was held at the Prince
Henry Centre in Little Bay, a south-east Sydney suburb, on 26 June 2025.