Flushing the Nui Dinh hills in Phuoc Tuy Province DPR/TV/764

Troops from 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, and 1st Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers, have rounded off another phase of Operation Forrest, with finds of numerous Viet Cong installations and their destruction of the Nui Dinh hills in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam. The Nui Dinh hills overshadow the 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, five miles to their east. They have been a haven for the Viet Cong for years. The Viet Cong have used them as lay up areas for their units, and also as a store house. The search of the eastern sector of the range was the most extensive by task force troops in the past 12 months. Charlie Company of 7th Battalion made the best find following intelligence that a large Viet Cong camp was in the north-east of the range. After it was located, tunnels, which branched out from natural caverns and extended for 150 yards down the mountainside, were searched by Lance Corporal Mike Grey of Avoca, Tas, with a pistol at the ready, and Sapper Brian Sheehan of Ascotvale, Vic. The camp, which the Viet Cong had built in three levels down the mountain had bamboo pipes for water reticulation through the system and even a chicken pen to give guerillas fresh eggs and meat. Weapons found in caches throughout the area were checked by Private Neville Phillips of Strathalbyn, SA, and Sapper Ron Richards of Peterborough, Vic. After the installation had been searched Iroquois helicopters from 9th Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, lifted in a chain saw and 8000lb of high explosives to demolish the tunnel system. Then a landing zone was prepared to lift out Charlie Company from the site, and home to Nui Dat for Christmas.