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Accession Number | VN/66/0074/26 |
Collection type | Photograph |
Object type | Negative |
Maker |
Westbury, Gerald Wallace |
Place made | Vietnam: Phuoc Tuy Province, Nui Dinh Mountains |
Date made | 6 October 1966 -10 October 1966 |
Conflict |
Vietnam, 1962-1975 |
Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain This item is in the Public Domain |
The RAAF were supporting the Australian Army, in particular, 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian ...
The RAAF were supporting the Australian Army, in particular, 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), with the supply of food, water and ammunition. The large contact of Australian Forces with the Viet Cong (VC) in the Nui Dinh Mountains, north of Vung Tau, near Ba Ria, called for heavy mortar and artillery barrage. The helicopters were the only means of access in the rugged terrain. In two days the six RAAF helicopters flew in over 2,000 mortar bombs and completed over 400 sorties. No 9 Squadron, RAAF, were also responsible for quickly flying the wounded Australians (mainly from booby traps with claymore mines) back to skilled medical attention. Here used mortar shells are thrown out of the Iroquois helicopter onto a tiny landing pad in the Nui Dinh Mountains. The symbol painted on the co-pilot's door showing a Chinook helicopter lifting a kangaroo indicates that this RAAF Iroquois helicopter was recovered after being damaged in an incident and lifted out by a US Army Chinook.