Australian Army Apprentices Association Inc

[Neale]

I guess all have some memories of Mace Oval. That is the oval next to the front gates. It is named after Mick Mace who is still alive and lives around the corner from me here in Seaford - he has been here about the same time as me, 30 years. I first met Mick as the WO2 Plant Troop in 21 Construction Sqd. at Puckapunyal. I had just come back from Vietnam as a Tunnel Rat and Mick Mace was one of the first people I met.

Mick was highly decorated in the Pacific during WW2 the story told to me is that he crawled across a beach under fire and deloused the mines as he went. I am a bit hazy on these details Later he was a staff members in the trade wing at the AAS. He went on to do three tours of SVN.

A few years back Mick had to sell all his medals to raise funds to place his wife in a nursing home. I think he is now 84 years old.

Funny after all these years I have just made the connection between the oval and the man and had it confirmed. Jerry Neale - 20th Plumber

[snaff]

Well.. I might have met Mick at some point in my early teens..just a few years prior to joining the Appy School. My father ...Tom O'Brien was a W.O.-2, posted to 21 Const. Sqn at Pucka... I think the year was 1969. So it's conceivable that at some point during 21's "social occasions", I could have met him. .

I do remember a story about him, from those days at Pucka. It was told that he had a pet wombat kept in his backyard. No mean feat considering that as far as I know it's illegal to have one ... now... let alone back then. Also given the transitory nature of Army life, the concept of trying, wanting.. to keep such a pet. It also got around that being in the Engineers, and having 'connections'.. he was able to get a pit lined with concrete, placed in his backyard, to house the wombat.

As for Mace Oval... well no doubt, many would recall the 'story' of the buried Harleys that supposedly formed part of the foundations of the oval.

I was in 29th Class, and remember coming home from my first year of Appy School, eager to share things with my parents. When I mentioned the oval and the buried harleys to my Dad, he just burst out laughing. I said well that's what they reckon.. Dad.. that there's a small fortune of buried harleys still in packing crates 'war surplus' from the USA etc.

He just looked at me.. and said.. You know WO. Mace.. in my unit, I said yeah.. sort of... He continued .. Well the oval is called that.. named after him.. and was constructed around (if I recall correctly)...1967... so there aren't any buried Harleys. Just lots of compacted dirt etc.

From that moment onward, I was never ever 'taken in' about the Legend of the Buried Harleys. I do remember wondering who created the rumour and why it had to be Harleys. Guess the idea of it being surplus weapons.. wouldn't be considered such a 'treasure'. On a trivial note..it would be interesting to see how far back people can remember hearing the story. Get some sort of idea as to which Class it was that started the whole thing.

Off topic but related to 'appy school history' ... I remember being told about the "Stolen Car - Spare Parts" scandal. How a few years prior to arriving at the school in '74, that there had been a Car Stealing racket, and that the enterprising individuals involved had created little nooks and crannies in various buildings around the camp to store the various parts taken from stolen vehicles. That you could literally find car parts categorised in certain huts.. go to hut N-? for Nissan parts... H-? for Holden parts etc. I recall being shown loose floor boards and told about how things had been stored there. Anyone care to shed some light on that one?

Next time you say Hello to Mick, you might mention to him that Tommy O'Brien is still getting around. Doesn't play golf any more, and is now living in Melbourne.

[webmaster]

Re: The Harleys
Was told the same story about the buried Harleys but were under the parade ground at Bandianna.

Re: Spare parts.
I was there 69 to 71 & was told the same story. Similar story but was supposed to have been a few intakes before ours (24th).

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AAAA Inc Webmaster

[NMace]

I'm certainly interested in this one, as Mick is my grandfather. Where abouts is the Oval located? Is this the one in Mt Martha?

If anyone has any more stories, i would love to hear them

[caggs]

[Jason Chellew]