Supply exercise DPR/TV/143

Regular and Citizen Military Force soldiers on a supply exercise on the NSW north coast are using a fishing trawler and a RAAF Dakota to simulate the Maintenance of a 3000 man battle group. The 5 day exercise in supply and maintenance methods is known as Tidal Wave. It ends on Friday (April 17). More than 500 troops are involved belonging to the 8th Supply and Transport Column part of the Army's Communication Zone. Most of the troops are Citzen Military Force members supported by regular soldiers and many of them are acting as stevedores during the unloading of the trawler. The exercise is being held in the Port Stephens area at Gan Gan, where supplies from the trawler are loaded onto 26 amphibious DUKW's and transported to the beach. Here they are loaded from DUKW's onto Army trucks and transported inland into the Tea Gardens area. Sub-units taking part are the 38th Supply Company from Randwick, 12th General Transport of Marrickville and the 16th Amphibious Company from Newcastle. Interstate units are also taking part. Regular and CMF soldiers acted as enemy during the operations.