6 RAR begins Ops in South Vietnam DPR/TV/1115

Australia's newly arrived battalion in Vietnam, 6th Battalion, has completed its settling in stage and is now engaged in its first major operation. The operation, aptly named Lavarack after its barracks in Townsville, Qld, is being conducted north of the Task Force base at Nui Dat and is already meeting with success. Battalion HQ has moved into the field to conduct the operation from a fire support base named Virginia. Each morning a major briefing is conducted to bring the HQ up to date on night activities by the Coys in the field and to set out tasks for the day. It is the main opportunity of the day for the CO of the Battalion, Lt-Col D. Butler of Townsville, Qld, to see his senior staff at the one time. The support base was established at the start of the operation and it took the soldiers little time to dig in and make themselves comfortable in the red mud among the rubber trees. But they were not letting their thoughts of field comfort lull them into carelessness. Siting the mortar base and sand bagging everything is a big start in the steamy monsoon season but the task was faced cheerfully. The guns of the Brisbane-based 101st Field Battery also lost no time getting down to business, in fact in the first three weeks of being in South Vietnam they have fired more than 5000 rounds against the enemy. The infantry in the field away from the base appreciate what the artillery means when they come under heavy attack. It can be ranged right in until it is dropping on the enemy only a matter of 100 metres in front of them...or better. A man's best friend, the dog, is another comfort to the digger when blood trails found. A tracker and handler are quickly sent in to follow it up. Already soldiers of the Battalion have been killed and wounded in action, but the dust-off system is working smoothly to bring them back to base for the not so seriously wounded like this man or to take them out to hospital. The companies away from the first support base are constantly sending out patrols like this section of D Coy which won the Presidential Citation for the Battle of Long Tan in 1966 on the Battalion's first tour in South Vietnam. The patrol is looking for trails which the enemy might be using as supply routes. This patrol scouted through a rubber plantation and checked some of the workers. That night D Coy ambushed a 120 strong NVA Coy killing 6 and capturing 2. In the morning the diggers searched the area to retrieve the bodies and discovered from the prisoners that two of the dead was the Company Commander and another a Mortar Specialist Officer. The POWs were given cigarettes and drinks while waiting to be evacuated for detailed medical attention. The captured gear and documents were also quickly flown out for examination and assessment. The 6th Battalion is back in operations in Vietnam. Also identified: CO, Maj Iain Stewart; Intelligence Officer Captain Fred Fairhead of South Head, NSW; Private (Pte) Dennis Wesson of South Perth, WA; Pte John Chessor of Temora, NSW; Pte John Feathersone of Highet, Vic; Corporal John Bryant of Manly, NSW; Pte Dick Rothwell of Baldivis, WA; Coy medic, Cpl Brian Mills of Townsville, Qld; CSM Warrant Officer 2 Brian Burnett of Riverstone, NSW.