8 RAR in Shoalwater Bay DPR/TV/1182

Part 1. Tropic Glow, the first of two exercises to be held in Queensland's rugged Shoalwater Bay Area during the next fortnight began on Saturday with a demonstration of the mobility of today's forces. Exercise Tropic Glow is primarily a "warm-up" period for the 8th Battalion, before the real test of Exercise Straight Kris beginning on October the second. Nights are cold at Shoalwater Bay, and the rumble of Armoured Personnel Carrier transport looked better to Alpha company than the prospect of an early morning walk. Fourteen carriers from A squadron of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment took the company almost five thousand metres towards the Freshwater section of the Shoalwater Bay area from base camp near Samuel Hill. It's a quick method of transport...and surprisingly comfortable. Only the omni-present red dust gets in the way. The company moved out to secure a Fire Support Base for artillery gunners, who are supporting the Battalion on exercise. Behind the company came 102 Field Battery who within an hour had the Base ready for action with six 105 millimetre howitzers. For the other three companies of the 8th Battalion, it was a different story. With the emphasis on Air Force-Army co-operation during this exercise period, five RAAF Iroquois helicopters were brought into the action. The rest of the Battalion was rapidly airlifted from Samuel Hill into the Freshwater section of the training area to begin operations. The entire lift took less than three hours. In addition to Iroquois support, regular Caribous and Hercules services, three Sabre jet fighters and Canberra bombers are joining the exercise. A total of almost 2,000 personnel are involved in the two exercises, which are due to conclude on October the eleventh. This is the final period of training for the 8th Battalion, which leaves later this year on its first tour of duty in South Vietnam. Part II. Exercise Straight Kris, the last and largest of the exercises training the eighth Battalion for Vietnam swung into operation today, Thursday, in the rugged Shoalwater Bay Training Area of Central Queensland. The Battalion has been in the area for over a week now, readying itself for Straight Kris. For the past 5 days, they've been taking part in a warm-up maneouvre entitled Exercise Tropic Glow. The last phase of Exercise Tropic Glow, was a cordon and search operation on a specially constructed simulated enemy village. Complete to the last detail, including the village name of Ap Nuc Dai (pron Ap Nork Day), it was constructed by RAAF personnel, and Army men from 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. Two platoons of the 8th Battalion moved through the village in the early hours of the morning to search out the seventeen huts for hidden enemy, and rice or weapons caches. They found all three, enemy, rice and weapons, and discovered a number of booby traps, as well. Giving the Battalion an idea of what is to come is the keynote of these operations. The 4th Battalion, which built the village with RAAF assistance has already been to Vietnam. Brigadier Trainor, the Director of the exercise who watched this operation said that there were a great number of experienced men taking part in the manoeuvres, which could not help but assist the 8th Battalion in its training. The end of Tropic Glow signalled a brief respite for the Battalion. The following day, the start of Exercise Straight Kris, the last exercise before the Battalion leaves for Vietnam. RAAF Iroquois helicopters were swung into action to airlift troops out of the freshwater area, where the village search had taken place. In other sectors, armoured personnel carriers were brought in to move the soldiers. The soldiers of this company were landed at a Fire Support Base, code-named Tiger, from the beachfront at Freshwater Bay, to begin the new series of operations. The four companies of the Battalion later moved out to begin reconnaissance in force exercises in an area about 20 miles north of Byfield in Central Qld.