RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam 1965

Introductory scene 315794 Pilot Officer John David Grierson walks into frame wearing a slouch hat and smoking a pipe turns to camera and says “I want you”. Tan Son Nhut airport Saigon a Vietnamese Pan American Airlines hostess walking across the tarmac. Pliot Officer (P/O) David Grierson also known as ‘Grusome’ or ‘Gru’. Titles; 'Gru presents (at vast expense)'; 'Vietnam tour 1965'; ‘A Grusome production’ Title ‘Chief cameraman’. Shows an in flight close up of P/O David Grierson at the controls of a RAAF Caribou. Title ‘Asst. cameramen unpaid!!’ Shows 221234 Flying Officer (F/O) William Duncan (Bill) Baggett patting a dog and then in-flight close-up off 55138 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Anthony Lempriere (Tony) Abbot at the controls of a Caribou. 6572 Flt Lt David Maxwell (Dave) Cooper walking towards camera carrying a firearm possibly a US M1 Carbine. US Iroquois helicopter and an USAF A-1 Skyraider piston engine attack bomber aircraft flying low over the Back Beach at Vung Tau. This Skyraider Squadron from Ben Hoa was commanded by a USAF Lieutenant Colonel who had done a fighter exchange tour in Australia. He loved to “Beat us up”. Road Vung Tau airfield to Vung Tau village via Baria. Market square at Vung Tau. Bar girl at Vung Tau. Market and market family at Vung Tau. Foreshore Vung Tau and Villa Ann the officers’ quarters. Various days preparing for and departing Vung Tau. Unloading somewhere in the Delta a typical load.. Unloading a generator at the Hia Yen Chinese Christian Community run by Father Wah. This was the community that fled North Vietnam at the time the country was partitioned. Approaching Tra Vinh ( 54101 Flt Lt George Godfrey). Mekong Delta. Vinh Long, Mekong Delta. RAAF C-130 Hercules at Tan Son Nhut. Vinh Long, a VIP flight for Mrs Ky wife of the Vietnamese Prime Minister. Vihn Long 41992 F/O Graeme Alexander Nicholson. Loaders, Ben Hoa. Bien Hoa, 218262 Cpl Robert Patrick (Bob) St John, the loadmaster driving a forklift. Old French architecture, probably at Ca Mau. Phan Thiet. Coastal scene in the vicinity of Nha Trang. US Navy A-1 Skyraiders from the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany conduct a strike somewhere in the Delta. Street Scenes Nha Trang. Dornier Do19 aircraft at Ban Me Thuot (City Drome). This was part of the CIA ‘Air America’ operation. Waiting for a load. Flying fill in scenes. Sequence built up at Plei Mrong, Montagnard (Hmong) village and airstrip. Typical Monsoonal weather, Central Highlands. Plei Me Special Forces Camp Central Highlands. Ple Mei was the first camp to be attacked by the NVA assisted by Chinese advisors. The camp was besieged for about a week, during which time the RTFV re-supplied it by paradrop. This was the first landing after the battle and we blew a tyre on shrapnel hence the time to wander about. As the final sequence shows, the threat was such that the camp went underground. Passengers waiting at unknown place. Market day at Dong Tre Central Coast. 5000 ft mountain. Peak near Nha Trang. Loading cattle Nha Trang. Delivering cattle, location forgotten. This was how fresh meat was supplied to Special Forces camps as there was no refrigeration. Viet Cong or NVA prisoners awaiting transportation Central Highlands. Ritual sacrifice of a Water Buffalo and spectators. Monsoonal cloud sequence. Typical flying weather Central Highlands. Vung Tau airfield to Vung Tau village road. Annabelle mascot at the Villa Anna. The dog Annabelle was presented to 9990538 Sister Ann C Boucher one of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Medical Volunteers, in the expectation that she would take it home to Australia but of course she couldn’t so we named the dog after Ann. Relaxing at the Villa Anna, 41992 F/O Nicholson, Flt/Lt Cooper, and unknown civilian Nursing Sister. Preparing for trip to the beach, right to left F/O Baggett, 56263 Flying Officer Peter Yates, 315898 Pilot Officer Robert Andrew Bob McKernan, 218503 Flt Lt Barrie Ian Brown. Back Beach, Vung Tau. The unit Commanding Officer 22012 Sqn Ldr Douglas Clifford Harvey presents commemorative pewter to departing member. Each month the CO would host a welcomes and farewells BBQ, often at the Back Beach as shown. Transporting surfboards, Back Beach to Villa Anna. On the roof, 221476 F/O Trevor Etheridge (white Shorts) 221024 F/O Frederick William Bill Pike. Annabelle sequence with F/O Nicholson. Da Nang airbase showing Cpl Trevor Pratt refuelling. Kham Duc I Corps unloading supplies. Aircraft movements, Da Nang Air base. Aircraft shown include C-123 Providers, Mcdonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom and Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, Martin B-57 (the US version of the Canberra), F104C Starfighter, AWACS Super Constellation. A F104C Squadron scrambling. Operations at various places I Corps. Medevac Super Constellation aircraft at Da Nang. Civil aid project, Northern highlands. By extraordinary chance, I met (in 1965) a man I had studied engineering with in 1957 in Melbourne. The man in the blue raincoat trained as a civil engineer in Australia under the Colombo Plan. Australia was financing a dam in the Highlands. 54468 F/O Gareth John (Gary) Kimberley, An Hoa. Martial Arts, 218763 Cpl Neil Raymond Boss. Landing at Da Nang. BBQ at residence of DeHavilland Canada resident engineer Monsieur Jaques Loreau. Left to Right 34245 Flt Lt John Noel Bellamy, 5920 Flt Lt Reginald William Rockcliff, Col Hannah, 22015 Sqn Ldr Victor Douglas Guthrie, 221179 Flt Lt Richard Keith (Dick) Jones, Monsieur Jaques Loreau. In uniform is Colonel George Hannah, USAF our overall commander. BBQ at airmen’s Villa. Colonel Hannah assist by Sqn Ldr Vic Guthrie presents David Grierson with a Service Award. Left to right Mrs Mickey Loreau and her maid. Mrs Loreau with Cpl Neill Boss in the background. Cpl Bob St John and Flt Lt Tony Abbott.