Vale Neville Woodward, 20 July 1936 - 15 June 2011

Below is a CV of Neville prepared for the soon to be published book, " The History of Australian Air Dispatch ". The author WO2 Garry McGravie has kindly released the CV in memory of a well remembered SSM of 176 AD Sqn RACT.

Squadron Sergeant Major - August 1974 - December 1976

Warrant Officer Class Two Neville Alfred Woodward

Warrant Officer Class Two Neville Woodward enlisted into the Army in March 1958.

After initial Corps training at Ingleburn, NSW, he was posted into 2 RAR as a rifleman.
Nev was born in Griffith, NSW, on 22 July 1936. He attended Griffiths and Parramatta Junior High schools where his schooling was completed at year 10.
He would remain at 2 RAR until 1965, which included a tour of duty in Malaya over the period 1961 - 1963.
He was then posted to 5 RAR, as the Tpt SGT, until 1966, and he was unfortunately brought home early from SVN with a relapse of malaria, contracted in Malaya after two months. He then transferred to RAASC.
Neville was posted to E. Command Trade Training and then HQ, 10 Task Force, and remained there until December 1968. Whilst there he served a detachment with the US Army's 1st Division where he was Mentioned In Dispatches (MID) for distinguished service.
He was promoted to Sergeant and upon return to Australia he was posted into 186 AD Coy at Holsworthy, NSW, as the Tpt SGT.
At the completion of his tenure he was then posted to 1 RTB, Kapooka, Wagga Wagga, as the Tpt Supervisor.
In January 1972, he was posted to 1 Tpt Sqn as the Pl SGT of 1 Tpt Pl, and remained there until August 1974. On promotion to Warrant Officer Class 2 he was posted into 176 AD Sqn as the SSM, replacing WO2 Smyth who was posted to AMTDU. Nev enjoyed this posting as he felt this was one of the hardest working units in the Army, but unfortunately it never received the accolades deserved.
At the completion of his tenure at Penrith, he was posted to the Corps Training Wing, at the RAASC Centre, Puckapunyal, and then one year later he was posted back into the Aerial Delivery world when posted into 177 AD Sqn as the Training Warrant Officer.
Neville decided to hang up his greens, and in October 1978 he retired after over 21 years of loyal and dedicated service.
Neville was happily married to Pat for 40 years and have two children; unfortunately, Pat passed away in 2002. His daughter Leisa had the tenacity to marry a sailor, and his son Jason served in Recon Pl, 5/7 RAR for five years. Jason served in Bouganville as a Nursing Officer and he now serves as an Army Reserve Officer in his spare time whilst serving as a NSW policeman.
Neville's hobbies include assisting veterans as the NSW Secretary of the Vietnam Veteran's Federation of Australia (VVFA), as a pension officer and an Advocate. He likes all sports and he has been known to enjoy a punt. He currently lives in St Mary's, NSW, halfway between Penrith and Wallgrove, NSW.
Neville has fond memories of the Air Dispatch fraternity, and remains in contact with a number of ex members through the VVFA. Characters like the Bear Burney, HRK, Peter Simpson, Tommy Dawson and BBQ Bill Ramsay made life very interesting.