Australian adviser with Vietnamese gunners DPR/TV/695

The South Vietnamese 11th Artillery Battalion, which operates from Quang Tri, about 40 miles from the North Vietnamese border, is the most active Vietnamese artillery unit in the country. The battalion claims to have fired more shells than any other South Vietnamese artillery unit, and averages 500 shells a day from their 105 millimetre guns. Working with the unit is Australian Army Warrant Officer Max Vandyke, of Chester hill, NSW. He has been in Vietnam for about six months, having four months advising infantry troops before joining the 11th Artillery Battalion. Working with an American Captain and Sergeant, Warrant Officer Vandyke assists the artillery commander, his staff and the gunners of the battalion. Being close to the border, the battalion has often been attacked by North Vietnamese ground troops. The gunners have frequently been involved in close ground fighting around their guns.