Members of the 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), walk in single file through a ...

Members of the 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), walk in single file through a mangrove swamp during a patrol on Long Son Island in the Rung Sat, a vast tangle of waterways between Vung Tau and Saigon. The soldiers, possibly members of Company Headquarters, are carrying heavy loads which include packs, rifles, personal equipment, food and water, and in some cases field radio sets. From 6 to 12 November 1966 5RAR participated in a two sequential operations in the Rung Sat area. The preliminary operation from 6 to 7 November was known to 5RAR as Operation Yass and was later referred to as Phase 1 of Operation Hayman. It involved a cordon and search of Lang Phuoc Hoa village on Route 15 on the edge of the Rung Sat. On 8 November the main stage of Operation Hayman commenced when 5RAR were helicoptered onto Long Son Island in the middle of the Rung Sat. From 8 to 12 November the battalion carried out a search and destroy operation. The Rung Sat has long been used by the Viet Cong to infiltrate troops from North Vietnam, food and supplies.