Christmas time in 5th Battalion DPR/TV/536; Senator McKellar visits 1 ATF DPR/TV/535

[DPR/TV/536 filmed by Mike Coleridge]. Immediately following the Christmas truce period in Vietnam it was back into action for troops of the 5th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment. For the soldiers of Bravo Company, local perimeter patrols meant they had even missed out on Christmas dinner. Moving out in armoured personnel carriers 5 Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment's Bravo Company entered the heart of a ten mile tract of jungle which the Vietcong had long regarded as their own property. Corporal Wally Gregg of Puckapunyal, Vic. keeps a sharp eye open for the enemy as he hunches to his twin browning machine guns. Out of the carriers the troops string out for a long and hazardous trek through the jungle to reach pre selected ambush positions. Private John O'Callaghan of Sydney covers his mates with a machine gun. In Vietnam any precaution neglected can mean friendly causalities. Entering an open area, Bravo Company crawls more than 200 yards, one of the three long crawls made during the this patrol. To stand up here could mean risking instant Vietcong fire. The crawl is hard with up to 50 lbs of equipment and Private Tom Griffiths of Sydney struggles with his radio set. The clearings crossed, it s into the slush of half dry creeks. Entering bamboo thickets the troops move through a trench which has been cut by Vietcong along a creek bank to make a fish trap. Nearing their destination American Super Sabre sweep in for a napalm drop as a large group of enemy are sighted ahead. Moving into a recently dug Vietcong weapon pit, it s not long before action starts. Vietcong who had hurriedly abandoned the camp ahead of the Australians left behind deadly souvenirs. Sometime later a platoon returns to the area carrying enemy weapons. Three Vietcong have been killed in separate actions in the jungle. A captured sub machine gun was put out of action when a bullet from an Australian rifle hit the barrel near the muzzle. After three days of jungle fighting this 5th Battalion Company returned to base for a long delayed Christmas dinner. [Start DPR/TV/535 filmed by William Cunneen] The Minister for Repatriation, Senator GC McKellar spent Christmas Day with Australian soldiers in Vietnam. The Senator accompanied by his private Secretary, Mr C E Clarke and the Chairman of the Task Force rubber plantation camp at Nui Dat by the Commanding Officer of 6 Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR), Colonel Townsend. A whirlwind tour of units followed and the first soldiers the Senator met were men of 'A' Company 6 RAR who were celebrating Christmas in their Company canteen. After a brief talk to the men about their jobs, the Senator passed on Christmas messages from his Department and the Minister for the Army Mr Malcolm Fraser. Next stop on the itinerary was at the company kitchen of 'B' Company, 6 RAR, Officer Commanding, Major Ian MacKay. Later Major Mackay showed Senator McKellar over the company perimeter machine gun post. Next stop was 101 Field Battery, visited by men in their mess, he chatted with senior officers of the Task Force before moving on to the mess of 103 Field Battery, whose men had just begun their Christmas Dinner. After passing on Christmas messages, the Senator sat down to Dinner himself. It was a big occasion and in keeping with Army tradition, Christmas Dinner was served by the officers and senior NCOs. The celebration was climaxed by Brigadier O D Jackson, DSO giving the soldiers his own Christmas message.