4 RAR departure for Vietnam DPR/TV/1408

It was the culmination of a year's extensive training for members of the 4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (4RAR) when they sailed from Townsville this week for South Vietnam, on board the troopship, HMAS Sydney. The battalion has been working-up for the tour at Lavarack Barracks and Northern Queensland training areas. After saying goodbyes to families and friends in Townsville's Anzac Park the men formed up and boarded 90 man landing craft, which took them to the Sydney, anchored off-shore. For some of the men this was their second tour of duty in Vietnam and for others their third operational overseas tour with the unit. About half the men are national servicemen. 4RAR was the first regular battalion to be raised on Australian soil at Woodside, SA, on February 1, 1964. The commanding officer then was Colonel, now Brigadier D. S. Thomson, the present commanding officer of 3rd Task Force, Northern Queensland Area. Brigadier Thomson flew to the ship by helicopter to farewell his old unit. 4RAR first saw action in Malaya and Borneo during the confrontation in 1965-66 and after its first tour of South Vietnam, moved to Townsville in 1969. During this tour of South Vietnam, 4RAR will be an ANZAC Battalion with the attachment of a New Zealand rifle company of 150 men. The second-in-command of the Battalion is a New Zealand major. 4RAR will take over from 2RAR which has just finished its one year tour and on returning to Australia will be stationed at Townsville. Also identified: 14967 Major Ronald Edward (Ron) Boxall and family; 3799313 Private Mathew William Robinson with wife Jan, of Trafalga, Vic; 54839 Corporal Ronald Hector Templeman of WA.