VIETNAM

Vietnam is a sweltering tarmac in the humid burnt-kerosene stenched heat of the hectic Ton-son-nhut International Airport just north of Saigon. It is used by both military and civil aircraft and I've never seen such a frenetic place. The aircraft landing, taxying and taking off shriek and thunder and the ground vehicles bustle around us. We are met by a liaison officer from the 173rd and welcomed by Colonel David Jackson who is commanding the Australian Force, Vietnam. We find our luggage, weapons container and my old, treasured and travel-battered battle-box. David Jackson gets me aside for a moment as we unpack our weapons and tells me quietly that I'll find that Vietnam is quite mad at the moment and that he has placed 1RAR under the operational control of the Brigade.

We then leave by helicopter and fly directly to the headquarters of 173rd Airborne where we are taken to the General. He briefs us quickly and briskly about what the Brigade is doing and tells me to settle in and look around the Brigade area.

At dinner with the General that evening we collect our plastic trays and mugs and join the 'chow line'. Unlike the others, who find the fender of a vehicle or a plank across petrol drums for a seat, we sit down at a trestle table in the General's tent. We are joined by the New Zealand Ambassador and are given a discourse by the General on the 'way to win the war'. We are told that the war will be won in a few months, once the Viet Cong feel the firepower of the Brigade. I'm sceptical and strain hard to obey my own advise to 'Shut up, Essex-Clark, and listen!'

311479 John Essex -Clark - Maverick Soldier

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We had deployed to Bai Doa and begun operations. The RSM, "Macka" Mackay MM had had a few difficult weeks during July/August. The constant demands of operations, training and base duties had left him no time for relaxation. An ABC reporter (Petersen) offered the use of his room in the Continental Hotel in Tu Do Street, Saigon and I "ordered" the RSM with a number of mates to take an overnight in the city. With him were Cramp, Dean, Pincott and Tim Tyler. They had a ball - Saigon tea for the bar girls and a pub crawl of the local night spots. About 0200 hours they were all flat out in the hotel room Tyler said "RSM, Sir!" "Yes Tim" said Macka and Tyler said "There's about 250 years of military experience in this room and today we were taken to the cleaners like a mob of kids! - wasn't it great!"

2507 Lou Brumfield

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A coy HQ. Jack Cramp, Col Adamson, Ernie Jacobs, Bill Raggatt. Photo taken at GR 997193 after 3 days of successful ambushing. From here the company moved to FSPB Harrison for briefing and then flew in to FSPB Coral.

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1620 A Coy arrived FSPB Coral

1640 Depart for night loc.

426494 Bill Raggatt - Notation in Field Message Book

1RAR was keeping !ATF informed of the action.

0855: C Company being mortared, and request Light Fire Team

0903: C Company being mortared again.

0912: TF Forward to Nui Dat: Contact with C/1RAR is much larger than expected.
They have been mortared twice now. LFT and airstrike now going in.

0930: Jade FAC requested clearance for airstrike on GR 965348.

0935: 1RAR to TF: 7 Platoon completely pinned down and contact very close.

0937: 1RAR to TF:C Company advises enemy closing in on right rear.

1035: 1RAR to TF: CO is calling back C Company and wants airstrike. 7 Platoon are tied down but as soon as possible will pull back 500 metres, then airstrike and gunfire team will take over.

1037: C Squadron to TF: Tanks in contact now, firing canister and MG.

1050:                 TF Forward to Nui Dat: C Company in heavy contact and are pinned down.
                           Have sent A Company 1RAR plus troop of tanks and troop of APCs to assist.
                           Contact continues; unable to extract C Company at this time.

1140: 1RAR to TF: C Company disengaging and will move to XT955290.

1147: TF Forward to Nui Dat: C Company contact continues, breaking contact to allow airstrikes to go in.

1RAR Diary

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WO1 'Macca' McKay, then RSM with Pte John Shortland.

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28609 Wally Thompson OAM,MID,LSGCM and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Served in 30 Inf Bn and 45 Inf Bn (CMF) 1950-1954, enlisted ARA 1954 Instructor British Jungle Warfare School Malaya then Sergeant E Coy 1 RAR (Pentropic). Served with AATTV 1964-1965, CSM C COY 1 RAR 1968 and RSM 4 RAR 1971. Later served as RSM JTC, Infantry Centre and 1 Brigade and in January 1983 appointed as the First RSM-A. Discharged August 1987.

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BIEN HOA 1965.
Blue Veeley, Bob Towns, Paul Israel, Bob Morteson, Speedy Misfud
Clarrie Cavanagh, Alan Wilson-Brown, Geoff Anderson,
Pommy Newman.
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                      Main Gate Sign at Bien Hoa 1965-1966

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In early November 1965 the battalion was conducting operations in War Zone D south of the Song Dong Dai. A Coy was in the area of the Gang Toi Plateau and during the course of two separate contacts on the 8th, Tiny Parker and Peter Gilson were both killed - Col Fawcett, then Pl Sgt was later awarded the MM for his bravery under fire in his attempts to recover Gilson.

With the support of highly accurate NZ artillery support A Coy managed to extricate itself but was unable to recover Parker and Gilson.

Remaining Missing in Action, they are remembered at the memorial on Anzac Parade, ACT and the Battalion Memorial at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville.

In 1997, Ken Baker a former medic with A Coy returned to the area on a private mission to teach English to schoolchildren. He also had the hope to get into the Gang Toi area and pay his respects to former mates.

He and Col Butterworth who was also in A Coy at the time got within about 2000m of the general area but mines deterred them from venturing closer.

They finally fashioned a wooden cross with regimental badge, names and dates and buried it beneath a nearby shrine. In the meantime they could hear captured Phantoms operating from nearby Bien Hoa.

Contemplation Bench - Parker & Gilson - Vietnam Memorial
Anzac Parade - Canberra.

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Ken Baker 3 Platoon Medic   Tan Phu 1965

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Section 3 Platoon A Coy Holsworthy 1965

Rear: Bluey Dalton, Speedy Mifsud, John Pearse, Chris Webster, Stretch Bassett.

Front: Alan Carlon, Brian Duncan, Sherlock Holmes, Mick Shreave, Jock Reynolds.

Bluey & Chris returned for a second tour.

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NUI DAT 1994         -         Courtesy Don Weir and Duty First.

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D Company Lines on Nui Dat

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1 Section 1965 Dirk Huckauf, Barry Webster, Signaller (unknown), Colin Coombs, Geoff Cave, Trevor Warburton.

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R & C Centre Vung Tau 1965. Snow Wright, Dave Cruse, Rick Jeffery.
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RTA 1966.
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Vietnam Memorial - Anzac Parade Canberra.

MPC

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Front & Rear of Chu Hoi Pass.

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Second Lieutenant Tim Fischer on Right Christmas Day 1968.
MP, Leader of the National Party, Deputy Prime Minister.
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Gordon Alexander & Blue Ericsson D Coy FOO Party.
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Carey McQuillan Posing-Hobo Woods 1965.

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        Downtown Vung Tau

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     FSPB CORAL 13 May 1968

EXTRACT FROM THE DIARY OF FLT.LT.ROGER WILSON . DFC . FAC.

FSPB CORAL

Call Sign - Jade 07

Thurs May 16th

What looked like being our first quiet night here finished at 0300 this morning when we got scrambled. Maj Anderson in the front and I sat in the back. When we got out to the AO at 0330 there was a hell of a fire fight going on. The ATF had made contact in a big way and were getting the worst until F-100s and Huey gunships got on the scene. There was so much arty coming into the area that we couldn,t plot it all so we just flew around hoping it would miss us. The Spooky overhead did a great job in illuminating the battle. From the time we got on station the Major was either directing Spooky and the gunships or putting a strike in close to the friendlies. At 0630 we scooted back to Phu Loi to refuel, rearm change seats and back to the fight. I put in a pair of F-100s with napalm and 117s (high drag bombs) and then directed Huey gunships. The VC had a few .50 cal nests down there and were fairly trigger happy firing at all the aircraft. The Huey finally silenced them. I ran out of rockets before fuel so landed back at Phu Loi to rearm (Maj Anderson stayed on the ground) before going back to the fight to put in 3 F-100s. 2.30 VR in the PM finished a long day

John Salter OC 10 Platoon
Later Commanding Officer

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        GrahamLittlejohn & Brian Rees D Coy 1968

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Ron Pincott - The Grey Ghost
CSM D Coy 1968
Veteran of Kapyong 1951

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Aboard HMAS Sydney
RTA March 1969

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Graham Littlejohn, ??, Theo Merenda

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Bob Towns, Ron Pincott, Jon Donnelly
D Coy versus A Coy Grudge Touch Footy
"The Napalm Cup" - who has it now?
June 1968

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Off the Phillipines April 1965
HMAS Sydney

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Charlie

                                                                       One of the White Mice in Saigon



Bien Hoa Base Camp 1965





Charlie at Orders

Chris Webster Bien Hoa 1965



Prime Minister Harold Holt with David Paul and John Healy

Andy Anderson with The Big Pretzel

1 ATF Forward HQ and Fire Support/Control Centre

Barry Adams - C Coy Sig

Peter Arnison and Ian McFarlane OC and 2i/c B Coy

Peter was later Governor of Queensland

Jock Bennett, Terry Loftus,Peter Sibree,Merv Kirby and Dave Haines

Bien Hoa 1966

Nui Dat



Bomb Site Clearing Used for Casevac Hill

Cu Chi Tunnel

RAAF Door Gunner