Lieutenant-General Daly makes farewell visit to Vietnam DPR/TV/1389

The Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Daly, paid a farewell visit to Australian soldiers in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, last weekend. General Daly, due to retire on May 18, flew into Nui Dat, headquarters of the 1st Australian Task Force. After a briefing on the situation in the province, General Daly boarded an RAAF helicopter to visit and talk with diggers on operations throughout Phuoc Tuy. Among those he talked with were troops working at Fire Support Base, "Beth", field headquarters of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, General Daly moved freely throughout the base, talking with soldiers manning various installations within the complex. From "Beth" General Daly flew to the geographical feature, known to soldiers throughout Phuoc Tuy Province as the Horseshoe. The Horseshoe has been the scene of many an Australian operation during the involvement in South Vietnam. General Daly then visited the Jungle Warfare Training Centre, where Australian instructors are training Vietnamese officers in Australian techniques. He spoke to members of the highly decorated Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, before a quick tour of the Australian Logistic Support Group at Vung Tau. On the Sunday General Daly visited the Nui Dat base area, where he talked with members of all units, before moving to Luscombe Airfield. General Daly inspected a farewell guard of honour on the Airfield, before boarding an Army aircraft to leave Nui Dat for the last time. No stranger to Vietnam, General Daly was making his twelfth visit to the country, and his fourth since he became Chief of the General Staff six years ago. The four-day visit to Vietnam was part of a farewell tour, culminating 41 years of service that have taken him to all operational theatres where Australian soldiers have served. The retiring Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Daly, makes a farewell tour of Vietnam. Also identified: 4721724 Private (Pte) Barry William Spry of South Plympton, SA; Lieutenant Dave Peakes of Ringwood, Vic; 4721879 Pte Philip John McDonough of Brompton, SA; 411653 Pte Richard Leonard (Dick) Brown of Lower Mitcham, SA; 313010 Pte Robert Thomas (Bob) Allen of Balaclava, Vic; Craftsman Ian Winning of Miranda, NSW; Pipe Major Sergeant Dave Elliott of Toowoomba, Qld; RSM Len Williams of Townsville, Qld.