Friday, October 5, 2012

Release of the 1940s and 1950s Listening Post

The next release of the Listening Post is scheduled for the 15th of October at www.rslcentenary.org.au.  One of the initiatives of the RSL during WWII was the Volunteer Defence Corps, and its development and progress is reported in the Listening Post during the early 1940s.

RSL VDC armband
The Volunteer Defence Corps was formed in 1940 at a meeting in Melbourne between the State Presidents and Secretaries of the RSL.  The administration of the VDC fell to the RSL with guidance from the Army.  Membership of the VDC was largely made up of veterans from WWI and branches were formed across Western Australia attached to the sub branches of the RSL.  The VDC became a valuable part of Australia's defence system and its operation was taken over by the Army in May 1941.