1 Field Regiment RAA South Vietnam 1966-1967

“C” Company (Coy) 6 RAR area, Nui Dat 10 January 1967. Shows Coy lines in the rubber plantation. Forward Observation (FO) party accommodation. Coy general area and Landing Zone (LZ). Sentry post and officers mess tent. Concert party by a US pop group at 6 RAR. Main entrance to 101 Field Battery RAA. Tpt lines. 131 Divisional Location Battery AN KPQ 1 radar (actually working for a change). Battery Headquarters and the Battery Sergeant Major whitewash works. Sergeants Club and decorations. Tucker Cliff Club area. Panoramic view of gun pits and Command Post. Operation Tambourine 1-7 February 1967. As Forward Observer with “C” Coy 6 RAR. The Coy was tasked as palace guard for 161 RNZA Battery and was ambushed during the air landing and securing of the gun LZ. This action was where the New Zealanders fired into HQ “D” Coy 6 RAR by accident (Barry Windsor’s mob) killing four and wounding thirteen. “C’ Coy HQ and Coy Commander 25632 Major Brian William McFarlane. Coy mortars lay on some “very close” defensive fire on ex ambush positions. Platoon returning. The Mortar Forward Observer (MFO) went along on this one and we had a welcome break. Aircraft and Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) movement on position. APC’s moving in to strengthen position. Following more ambush and other contacts APC’s were called in to provide some additional firepower and protection. New Zealanders moving out by APC. After the accident it was decided to return 161 Battery without delay by APC. Cleaning up the gun position, burning charge bags and rubbish. Foward Observer party members. Aircraft and APCs returning elements to Nui Dat. Operation Dalby an air assault by 6 RAR 16 February 1967. This was a routine Search and Destroy mission scheduled for one day with air movement in and out. I therefore decided to take my camera along. Unknown to us we searched through an area being used as a concentration area by Viet Cong 5 Division elements (275 Regiment). They conducted an unsuccessful major ambush on Route 44 between Dat Do and Phuoc Hai the following day, which resulted in a major 6 RAR Operation. Operation Bribie was the second biggest battle involving 6 RAR (after Long Tan) resulting in massive enemy casualties as well as severe Australian ones. Shows waiting “Slicks” [Iroqouis troop carrier helicopters] at Luscombe Field at first light. US Air Mobile Companies arriving with some rather erratic flying. Sorties lifting off. En route to LZ after routine preparatory bombardment by 101 Bty. Aerial shots and approaching the LZ. LZ traffic. Search and Destroy Mission. Moving through the rice paddies near Dat Do. With Bombardier Mick Allwright. Bombardier Allwright and 1731232 Gunner John William Achilles eating again. Coy HQ scrub bashing. Capture of four Viet Cong in hidden tunnel. (Our efforts entirely. Forward Observer party decided to have lunch in a clump of bamboo which had a big hole in it that had obviously been disguised. Looking into it, I saw an elbow trying to be somewhere else. We altered Coy HQ stood back and watched the action). Trying to flush out the enemy by small arms fire, grenades and finally red smoke. [Army photographer Mike Coleridge shown filming the action; see AWM film F03848] “Our four” Viet Cong. Airlifting POW’s to Vung Tau. Destruction of tunnel with TNT. Checking captured equipment and weapons. Return to Nui Dat. Returning by air and APCs to base. The Horse feature in background. 235116 Nicholas (Nick) Hugh Marshall and 6 RAR Intelligence Officer 242851 Peter John Harris doing what they did best. (Sitting on their….- sorry Nick!). 161 Bty. “A” Bty and 101 Bty lines from the air enroute to Luscombe. Rest and Convalescence villages on the road to Vung Tau. (Pretty jumpy film due to some typical 101 Bty driving). Military airfield at Vung Tau. Australian Logistic Support Group Vung Tau. Area shots. New Constructions. R1 (the admin/resupply Land Rover vehicle) and Forward Observer party members reporting in for Rest and Convalescence. Vung Tau Back Beach at th Australian Logistic Support Group (ALSG). FO party relaxing on the beach checking out local talent. The fleet waiting to be unloaded off Vung Tau 9-11 February 1967. Deployment for air assault by 6 RAR 5-7 March 1967. Operation Ayr. We deployed at Luscombe Field by Landrover the only deployment ever done that way. I had just returned to the Bty to take up duties as Gun Position Officer 47038 John Antony “Knox” Napier with nothing better to do. Waiting to go to 6 RAR as FO. Preparatory bombardment of 6 RAR LZ at first light. Operation Leeton 15-22 March 1967. This was a 1 Australian Task Force (ATF) operation involving most gun units as well as a United States Navy cruiser off shore. It had been decided to build a fence from Dat Do down to the coast to prevent Viet Cong movement along the coast. Needless to say it proved to be totally useless in the end. We deployed into the Horseshoe feature at Dat Do with three guns, the first unit to deploy there. Later the Horseshoe became a secondary Task Force base. This operation continued on into Operation Portsea which kept us out until 16 April 1967 the longest we had ever been out. Chinooks arriving with HI (Tac sign for main Command Post Vehicle) internally and guns externally. 61409 Lieutenant Ian Victor Reid trying to communicate and stay serious. The gun position from the crest of the Horseshoe. Gun at the Song Rai Bridge (22 March – 16 April 1967) Operation Portsea was a 1 ATF Operation closely co-ordinated with US ground forces. It was primarily a Search and Destroy mission between Nui Dat and Xuyen Moc to the east. The first phase was the repair and re-opening of Route 23 to Xuyen Moc. The three guns from the Horseshoe were airlifted to a position way out in the sticks and joined there by the other section from Nui Dat. We redeployed to a position adjacent to the Song Rai River for phase two and were joined there by “A” Bty 2/35th US Artillery our mates from next door in Nui Dat. For those who can remember we were also joined there by the 155 mm Self Propelled Guns from “H” Bty 11 US Cavalry Regiment for a few days. The bridge on the river Rai. Gun pits. 155mm SP guns from “A” Bty and 105mm guns from 101 Bty. 1 Lieut Chuck Heinrichs Executive Officer, 2 Lieut Harry Litchfield and “Doc” Kelly all “A” Bty 2/35th US Arty. Horsing around with my old mates from my days as Liason Officer with “A” Bty. Sandbags and more sandbags. Softball with the Americans. Opening of Baria Xuyen Moc Road. The first and only day in Vietnam that we did not fire a single round. South Vietnamese civilian traffic with occasional military flavour. Lambrettas and more Lambrettas and buses full of “interesting people”. 8 inch and 175mm guns base camp. With Lieutenant Nobby Clark at 1/8rd US Arty, Nui Dat. 101 Fld Bty the Command Post- quick view of the “torture chamber”. Fire Mission with White Phosphorous into the Nui Dinh hills. 6 RAR returning home. Chinook arriving with replacements for “C” Coy. “C” Coy members ready to go. 101 Fld Bty gun maintenance Nui Dat. Bty area being sprayed with DDT by USAF Fairchild C-123 Provider. Rest and recreation Vung Tau. Street scenes and locals. Main square. Rest and recreation Than Son Nhut Saigon. Airfield traffic. HQ Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Saigon. Luscombe Field Nui Dat, RAAF Caribou transport aircraft. 101 Bty returning home. Waiting for the Chinook, 28387 Harold Max Sare and Battery Commander and the boys. At long last loading. Oops forgot one! Going, going gone! March through Brisbane. (Taken by a medical student friend who unfortunately could not tell one soldier from another let alone units. He mistook 6 RAR for us. Still 101 Field Battery does appear briefly). 101 Bty Nick Marshall, 47030 Captain Steve Newman Gower and Knox Napier then me (17686 Juergen Raasch) the other elements of the Bty! 6 RAR lots of them. Meeting up with family, friends and fiancée!