Exercise Temple Tower DPR/TV/1577

Townsville, 22 October 1973: The first phase of Exercise Temple Tower ended near Townsville today when soldiers of the Papua New Guinea-based 1st Battalion, The Pacific Islands Regiment, joined in a battalion attack on an enemy position. Three companies of the 2nd/4th Battalion captured the high ground and the Pacific Islanders swept through in armoured personnel carriers to attack the enemy on another position. Before the second attack sappers from 3 Field Regiment cleared a simulated minefield around their position. Led by their OC, Major Malcolm McCallum of Lae, the Pacific Islanders lost no time in moving their action and putting the enemy to flight. This week the PNG soldiers will move to country more familiar to them - the dense rain forest of the Mount Spec area, near Ingham. Temple Tower has given the Pacific Islands soldiers the opportunity to operate with facilities and resources not normally available to them in New Guinea, such as armoured personnel carriers, artillery and RAAF helicopters. They will train with the Townsville-based soldiers until November 1 1973, when they will be flown back to their home base at Lae by RAAF Hercules transports. In the second phase of Temple Tower a company of New Zealanders will operate with the NSW-based 5th Battalion. The overall aim of Temple Tower is to maintain and practise the skills required of an infantry battalion and to practise joint service procedures. Also identified: Private (Pte) Geoffrey Lackman of Clayfield, Qld; Pte Bruce Hale of Caloundra, Qld; Sapper Stafford Smith of Bexley, NSW.