Chronology:
17-19 Aug 1984: Whilst still at school studying for his HSC, Julian attends his first Army Reserve training weekend with the 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse (PWLH) Regiment at Puckpunyal Army Base, situated about 120km north of Melbourne’s CBD in central Victoria
Mar 85: Julian attends his second Army Reserve training weekend with 4th/19th PWLH at Dutson Range, Sale, Victoria
28 Jul 85: Julian applies for entry into the January 1986 intake of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in Canberra, Australia
3-9 Aug 85: Julian attends his fourth Army Cadets Annual Camp at Puckapunyal
9-11 Aug 85: Julian attends his third Army Reserve training weekend with 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse (PWLH) at Puckapunyal
13 Aug 85: Julian attends examination day for entry into the Australian Defence Force Academy. However he fails due to poor school results and is told to re-apply for entry into the Royal Military College (RMC) at Duntroon, in Canberra for Army officer cadet training.
1 Oct 85: Julian applies for enlistment into the Australian Army Reserve
Nov 85: Julian sits his Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations in five subjects
26 Nov 85: Julian successfully enlists in the Australian Army Active Reserve as a reservist trainee soldier (initial rank of Private)
4 Dec 85 – 12 Jan 87: Julian trains as an Army Reservist Trooper in the 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse Regiment
Jan 86: Julian successfully obtains his Higher School Certificate with ‘C’ passes in five subjects [English, Australian History, 18th Century History, Politics, Geography] and with an Anderson Score of 271/410
1-15 Feb 86: Julian attends Army Reserve Recruit Course at Puckpunyal
Mar 86 – May 86: Julian is accepted into La Trobe University (situated in northern metropolitan Melbourne) as an undergraduate tertiary student in a Bachelor of Arts degree and commences studying French, German history and politics. (His interests in French possibly because he is considering that if he is not accepted into Duntroon to apply for Plan B: the French Foreign Legion)
4 Mar 86: Julian turns 18-years-old, becoming an adult. This is the legal age he can have a firearms license in Victoria, so he immediately applies for Victorian Shooter’s Licence at Collingwood Police Station, and is given a German Ruger model 10/22 .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle, a family heirloom by his uncle.
4-20 Apr 86: Julian attends Army Reserve Assault Troopers (mechanized infantry) Course at Puckpunyal
20 Apr 86: Julian is issued with a A, B and C category Victorian Shooter’s Licence at Collingwood Police Station
26 Apr-11 May 86: Julian attends Army Reserve “A” Vehicle (M113 armoured personnel carrier) Course at Sale, Victoria
15 May 86: Julian purchases Mossberg 12ga 8-shot pump-action shotgun from a Melbourne gun dealer
30 Jul 86: Julian applies for entry into the January 1987 intake of the Royal Military College, Duntroon in Canberra, Australia and undertakes a series of aptitude tests and interviews by the Army in central Melbourne
31 Jul 86: Julian purchases M14 7.62mm (.308) calibre semi-automatic military rifle from a Melbourne gun dealer
Sep 86: Now being an adult, Julian is legally able to apply for and receives Freedom of Information documents.
1 Sep 86: Julian attends examination day for entry into the Royal Military College. Passes examinations and advanced to the RMC Selection Board interview process
2 Oct 86: Julian attends the Selection Board for Royal Military College at the Watsonia Army Barracks (located in north-western metropolitan Melbourne). He passes and is placed on a “short list”.
3-19 Oct 86: Julian attends the Army Reserve Radio Operators Course at Sale, Victoria, and is course’s “Student of Merit”
16 Oct 86: Julian is informed of his acceptance into the January 1987 intake of the Royal Military College
Nov 86: Julian attends 4th/19th PWLH Regimental Annual Range Shoot weekend at Puckpunyal, and attains the highest score in the Regiment with the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle Represents 4th/19th PWLH in the 3rd Military District’s 1986 Army Reserve Inter-Unit Military Skills Competition at Fort Gellibrand and Merritt Rifle Range, Williamstown, Melbourne.
SOURCE: http://julianknight-hoddlestreet.ca/ [2013-2017]
In Julian’s own words:
“On 1 October 1985 (at age 17), I applied for enlistment into the Australian Army Active Reserve whilst still at school. I was subsequently enlisted as a private on 26 November 1985. From 4 December 1985 to 12 January 1987, I served as a trooper in the 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse Regiment (4th/ 19th PWLH).
In February 1986, I worked briefly as a door-to-door promoter. During March¬May 1986, I attended La Trobe University in Melbourne as an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Arts degree course. For the remainder of 1986 I was unemployed and so devoted most of time to Army Reserve service. During 1986, I served over the maximum 100 training days allocated to Army Reservists.
I attended my 16-day Army Reserve Recruit Course in February 1986 (at age 17), an Assault Troopers Course in April 1986 (at age 18), an A-Vehicle (Armoured Personnel Carrier) Drivers Course during April-May 1986, and a Radio Operators Course in October 1986.
I obtained above average marks in all categories of assessment in my Recruit and Assault Troopers courses. I initially did well on my A Vehicle Drivers Course, being one of two students to give a driving demonstration to a local TV news crew, but I developed a personality clash with my Australian Regular Army instructor and I was later ejected from and subsequently failed the course.
I was the Student of Merit for my Radio Operators Course.
During 1-15 February 1986, I attended my Recruit Course at the Army Reserve’s 3 Training Group at Puckapunyal, with the assessment categories being the following:
- Acceptance of (Army) discipline
- Self-discipline
- Teamwork
- Determination
- Navigation
- Dress and bearing
- Personal organization
- Drill at halt
- Drill on march
- Weapons
- Field training
- Physical assessment.
I passed all the tests and examinations, and I was the top recruit in my platoon when assessed at both the end of week one and at the conclusion of the course, with gradings of ‘1’ in all the assessment categories on a scale of 4 (as follows):
- ‘1’ = Above Average (the highest grading)
- ‘2’ = Average
- ‘3’ = Below Average
- ‘4’ = Unsatisfactory
I passed my Physical Training Test (PTf) (* Which had to be completed by all Army personnel on an annual basis and which required the completion of: 60 sit-ups in 2 minutes, 7 complete chin-ups to a high bar and a 5km run in under 25 minutes) with a high B grade, and I ran the 5km run portion of the PTf in 19:45 minutes.
My platoon commander, 2nd Lieutenant Max De WAN, made the following Course Final Assessment:
‘REC KNIGHT achieved good results throughout the course. He worked hard to assimilate the training. REC KNIGHT invariably participated in platoon activities with enthusiasm. His dress and bearing was adequate but there was room for improvement in this area. REC KNIGHT displayed a good acceptance of self and military discipline. His physical fitness and co-ordination was good.’
During 4-20 April 1986, I attended my Assault Troopers Course at Site 6, Puckapunyal.
The course’s Senior Instructor, Captain G.L. SMITH, made the following comments in my Course Report:
“Tpr (Trooper) Knight was adequately prepared for the course. He participated in all course activities. He readily assimilated most instruction with ease and rarely required additional assistance. His dress and bearing was adequate.”
During 26 April-Ll. May 1986, I attended my A Vehicle (M113 APe) Drivers Course at 4th/19th PWLH’s A Squadron depot in Sale and at the Dutson bombing range. I grasped the driving aspects of the course quite quickly, but I developed a personality clash with my ARA instructor, Sergeant Gary WYND.
On 6 May 1986, I failed the verbal test on’ Instant Panel Reactions’.
On 7 May 1986, the twelfth day of the 16-day course, I failed the re-test. Failing this re-test effectively meant that I had failed the entire course. That afternoon a regional TV station sent a reporter and a camera crew to the Dutson range to file a story on the A-Vehicle Drivers Course.
The training was suspended while two APCs were used to provide a demonstration of the recovery of an APC from a bog, and a display of cross-country driving. Two trainees were required to drive the two APCs used throughout the demonstration and the driving display. The two trainees chosen by the course’s Senior Instructor, Lieutenant ODOWD, were Lance-Corporal BROWN, who later won the course’s Student of Merit award, and me.
The TV crew filmed the recovery demonstration and the display of cross-country driving. During the cross-country driving demonstration, the TV crew filmed me driving my APC from the back of Lance-Corporal BROWN’s APC. The story was broadcast that night during the TV station’s evening news broadcast. The following morning I was seen by the driving course’s ARA Trade Testing Officer (TTO), W02 Kevin HUNTER, in one of the offices at the barracks.
HUNTER informed me that I was being thrown off the drivers course because I had failed my Instant Panel Reactions re-test. Sergeant WYND made the following comments in my Course Report:
‘Tpr Knight approached the course with an immature attitude. During the course he did not apply himself and required constant supervision. He lacks mechanical aptitude and will find this aspect difficult to improve unless he is prepared to get himself dirty rather than watch others work. Although he grasped the techniques of driving early in the course, he developed a brash and overconfident manner which at times placed both vehicle and crew in jeopardy.’
During 3-19 October 1986, I attended my Radio Operators Course at Sale. I was the course’s Student of Merit on the basis of my ‘hard work, determination and responsibility.’ The course’s Senior Instructor, Lieutenant CHAMBERS, made the following comments in my Course Report:
‘Tpr KNIGHT was adequately prepared for the course. He worked well throughout to achieve good results. He is determined, aggressive in his studies and seeks responsibility. Tpr KNIGHT has a good knowledge of all subjects. To attend the next available A VEH D & S [Driving and Servicing] Course.’
During the course I passed my PTT with a high A grade.
During my service with the 4th/19th PWLH Regiment I attended weekly training nights and various training weekends, and a number of Freedom of Entry and other ceremonial parades. I also volunteered for camp advance parties, dining-in nightsandgeneralfull-time servicebothwith4th / 19th PWLH and at Armoured Centre, Puckapunyal.
In November 1986, I attended the 4th/19th PWLH Regimental Annual Range Shoot weekend at Puckapunyal, and attained the highest score in the Regiment with the LIAI Self-Loading Rifle.
In November 1986, I also represented the 4th/19th PWLH Regiment in the annual 3rd Military District Army Reserve Inter-Unit Military Skills Competition at Fort Gellibrand, Williamstown.
[SOURCE: Julian Knight’s Personal Account of RMC Duntroon to the Australian Parliament’s Defence Abuse Response Taskforce, 2013, pp. 4-8].