7 RAR on Operation Santa Fe DPR/TV/734

The Support Section of Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, is led by Corporal Graham Rae, of Moorabbin ,Victoria, which is currently taking part in "Operation Santa Fe" in the north-east of Phuoc Tuy Province, Vietnam. During the Operation, which has more than 15,00 Australian, American and South Vietnamese troops taking part, the Australians had early successes, locating a number of Viet Cong training camps. The 7th Battalion also had numerous contacts with groups of the enemy who were trying to flee north. Corporal Rae's section located a wired-in compound containing 13 enemy huts, some of which had bunkers beneath them. Explosives and hand grenades were recovered from the compound, and a big store of rice was also found. It was thoroughly checked for hidden weapons. Rice pounding implements were discovered, and a 30 foot deep well was searched for booby traps. Santa Fe is one of the biggest operations that the 1st Australian Task Force has taken part in since it arrived in Vietnam. The 7th Battalion was lifted out of its base camp at Nui Dat to the operational area by giant United States Army Chinook helicopters. As the Australians moved through the area, the fleeing Viet Cong left fowls and chickens behind in their haste. These, however were rescued by the Australian troops before they mapped the compound for demolition by the Battalion's assault pioneers. {Other identified personnel: Pte Dick Bramley of Croydon Park, S.A.; Pte Dennis Hill, of Leeton, NSW]