Film Collection Online: With the Royal Australian Navy in Vietnam
One of the many highlights in the Memorial's film collection is its Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Public Relations films. This particular showreel pays tribute to the service of the RAN during the conflict in Vietnam by highlighting different aspects of the RAN’s activities from 1965 until 1972.
The first part is made up of clips from the RAN newsreel ‘On the Gunline’ (F10296) and out takes (F10730) which shows the guided missile destroyer HMAS Perth in action. It ends with the return of the Daring class destroyer HMAS Vendetta to Sydney in 1971. Due to the footage being silent the audio was lifted from the newsreel and was sourced from sound effects in the collection (S04696) also an interview given by the Captain of HMAS Brisbane upon the ships return to Australia in 1971 (F10889) is included.
The second segment shows footage highlighting activities of the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam. Members of the Fleet Air Arm served with the US Army's 135th Assault Helicopter Company based at Vung Tau. The silent footage is overlaid with the sound recording of an Iroquois helicopter (S00642).
The third part looks at the activities of the RAN Clearance Diving Team 3 (CDT3) in ship searches and removing friendly and enemy ordinance both in the water and on dry land. The audio comes from an interview with the officer in charge of the first contingent, Lieutenant Michael Shotter, upon the team’s return to Australia in 1967 (F10929).
Finally the film ends with a sequence of clips showing HMAS Sydney ferrying material to Vietnam and returning with Australian troops to Sydney. An interview with former sailors gives a brief idea of conditions on board HMAS Sydney during this time (S01120).
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Links to collection items used in the show reel -- F10730, F10889, F10296, F10839, F10899, S04696, F11173, F10937, F10938, S00642, F10931, F10929, F10930, F03965, F10918, F10443, F10745, S01120