World War 2, Papua New Guinea Lae, RILEY, 1945
1945Chaplain Charles Lawrence (Tom) Riley with officers outside the Officers Club in Lae, all named
The Right Rev Charles Lawrence ‘Tom’ Riley was the son of Archbishop C O L Riley. Tom arrived in WA with the family in 1895. He took Holy Orders in 1912 at Caius College Cambridge and his additional university qualifications were MA and LLB (Cantab) and later DTheol from the Australian College of Theology. He was a Junior chaplain in Palestine for a year and a half during the First World War at the time when his father was Chaplain General. On his return to Perth he served in several parish positions in Western Australia, including North Perth. For the early years of World War Two (1940 to 1941), he was a senior chaplain and then became the Chaplain General of the AIF from 1942 until 1957. He has been decorated with the Colonial Auxiliary Force officers' decoration and long service medal. He was senior vice-president of the Returned Soldiers' League in this State for over 10 years, and for many years took a prominent part in the Anzac Day commemoration services. Charles Lawrence Riley was awarded OBE (1920) and CBE (1942).
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he Royal Australian Army Chaplains' Department (RAAChD) is an all-officer corps of the Australian Army that provides ordained clergy to minister to the personnel of the Australian Army. The role of Defence Chaplaincy is to provide spiritual and pastoral support to Army’s people by bringing honour to the dead, comfort to the sick, hope to those in distress, and support to all. The Royal Australian Army Chaplains Department has provided support to Army for 110 years. It is comprised of Australian Army officers representing Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam and Jewish faith groups. Army Chaplains provide religious ministry, spiritual guidance, pastoral care, and a range of other support to Army members and their families.
Army Chaplains maintain an operational focus and are posted to Army units throughout Australia. They are members of the Commander's personnel support team, operating as a key staff advisers. Numbers fluctuate but there are over 60 serving regular chaplains (commonly known as 'padres') in the full-time Australian Army and over 80 chaplains in the Australian Army Reserve.
The Department was granted the privilege of the prefix 'Royal' by King George VI along with a number of other Australian Army corps in December 1948 in recognition of their service during World War 2. The Royal Australian Army Chaplains' Department has two cap badges, one for its Christian chaplains that features a Maltese cross, and another for Jewish chaplains that features a Star of David. Chaplains are permitted to wear their assigned unit's beret if one is worn, but with the RAAChD cap badge.
Christian chaplains wear a cross on the shirt collars and lapels of their uniforms; Jewish chaplains wear a Star of David instead. Principal Chaplains wear gorget patches (of a Brigadier or Colonel respectively) in purple (instead of red) RAAChD chaplains wear a purple lanyard over their right shoulder instead of their assigned unit's lanyard.[3]
Army chaplains, although they are all commissioned officers of the Australian Army and wear uniform, do not carry arms. They are the only officers not to carry swords on parade. Chaplains are permitted to wear a clerical collar and black stock under the service, utility or mess jackets, At services on formal occasions, chaplains wear their medals and decorations on their clerical robes.
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
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