32 Small Ships Squadron Vietnam 1968-1969

Scenes include Reel 1. Vung Tau, Scenes of river villages along the Saigon River. Flight of Iroquois helicopters moving into drop zone to the east of Saigon in response to Viet Cong action. Reel 2. Phan Rang, off shore view of mountain ranges as the ship moves inshore to landing position. Loading/unloading operations. Vietnamese workers coming aboard on a crane sling and aircraft overhead including a RAAF DC-3 flying into Phan Rang airbase. Reel 3. Vung Tau, No. 9 Squadron RAAF hanger and "Bushranger" Iroquois helicopter gunship. A flight in a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter with views of Vung Tau harbour including "Clive Steele". Flight over villages outside Nui Dat and then to Nui Dat. View of RAEME armoured workshops. Reel 4. Clive Steele at Vung Tau undergoing repairs to damage caused by a rocket attack. Repair crew led by Sgt "Dutchie" Holland. Scene change to ship's engineers working on the ship's deck. Engineers Tony "Possum" Wilson, Tony "Fiddly di" Filadi, Barry "Pig pen" Parker and Neal Vansleve walking into the scene. View forrad with ship's cook "Shorty" Johnson walking aft, deck hand/coxswain Merv Thompson walking forrad. Morning tea on harbour stations/shore watch. Ships electrician Graham "Sluggo" Inglis in white overalls. Scene change to battle damaged Centurion tank being manoeuvred aboard with a bulldozer. Damage was sustained to the underbelly of the tank by a land mine. Ship unloading APCs at Vung Tau. Unloading Centurion tanks in Vung Tau, ammunition for tanks on the hard. Reel 5. Ships crew on leave in Saigon. Scene change to view of the Saigon waterway north of Saigon. Distant view from the ship of mini gun tracer and flares in action over Long Son Island in response to incoming mortars from that direction. Reel 6. Dong Tam and the small land locked harbour which had been created off the Mekong river. Scene aft of the ship to the small entry from the Mekong, into the harbour area and view of airboats which were used by the Riverine forces in that area. The vessel moving into the harbour before the Clive Steele was rocketed by RPG on this occasion. Reel 7. Scenes of the beach at Vung Tau. Scene change to gun crew on ship and F-4 Phantom bombing and rocketing the river area north of the ship's position at Newport near the Ben Hoa bridge. Reel 8. Opening scene Saigon. Scene change to travelling down river with view of river mine sweepers (ex U.S. MLM type) berthed, gun boats and gun boat maintenance yards and a badly damaged patrol boat. Reel 9. Flares and mini gun tracer from "Snoopy" in the night sky over the swamp land around Vung Tau. Scene change to Vietnamese countryside from the Saigon River. View of the the very large bulk of material collected at Newport, the Ben Hoa bridge, military traffic and guard stations on the bridge. Vung Tau and RAAF Hercules mail airplane flying extremely low over the ship. Reel 10. Scene of Buddhist temple on Cap Saint Jacques. Reel 11 Flares and helicopter traffic in resonse to reported attack on the perimeter defences at Vinh Long early New Years Eve 1968. Scene change to fireworks display by U.S. base personnel at Vinh Long, midnight New Years Eve 1968. Reel 12. F-4 fighter bombers attacking VC mortar positions off Newport opposite ships postion. Scene change to the cargo area of Saigon river, various sampans tied up with freighter, unloading cargo. West Sea frieghter damaged by river mines, "white mice" water police and Vietnamese boat in the ships wake. Pan of Saigon skyline from the river and R.O.K. T-boat LST #815 Buk Han steaming up river through Saigon. Scene change to badly damaged Vietnamese navy ship. Reel 13. Water buffalo grazing in the rice paddies on the river bank outskirts Saigon. Party aboard ship for war orphans. Reel 14. Christmas party in forrad mess on Christmas day 1968. Ship entering Saigon. Bofors gun crew laying down fire in free fire zone south of Saigon, night flares over the Vung Tau anchorage.