WILLY THE PIG By Jon Hermanniusson, 7 RAR
Willy the pig was the 7 RAR part of the 5/7 RAR mascot team of Quintus Secundus (Tiger) from 5 RAR and Willy the pig from 7 RAR. D Coy brought him (as a piglet) back on a Herc from Tully in 1987. He was the son of Rodney the pig from up there. Anyway, when he was young he used to wander all over the BDE area, even used to eat the flowers at BDE HQ before Willy got to ’em, they spelt out the words 1 BDE.
One day he wandered over the road to 3 RAR and they got him and put him in the cells. They thought it would be funny to paint para wings on him. Very funny until they tried to get him out of his cell. He wouldn’t comply. So the 5/7 RP Sgt and the Guard Comd had to go and retrieve him. The Guard Comd stood at the front door and told the 3 Battalion guard to get out of the way. He made a kissing sound and Willy came running out of the cells. Too cool. There’s many more about Willy. He was a very big part of our identity actually. I think he was put down when the battalion moved to Darwin in 1999 but someone would need to confirm that.
