1 SAS Squadron South Vietnam 1967-1968

Hatless soldier is 1SAS Squadron, B Troop member, 311515 Private Clive Peter Carroll. L to R. 43384 Christopher Robin Pinnington, 1200161 Colin James Jackson. Private Clive Carroll crossing boarded path from ‘B’ Troop tent lines. His ID Disks (dog tags) have a morphine vial taped to the cord. Pte Clive Carroll and 14104935 Lance Corporal Ian Frederick Conaghan walking past the showers. Dress in camp is shorts and thongs during the day to air the body and feet. The dense clumps of bamboo in the background have been cleared around the tents but left where possible to provide shade. Test firing weapons. From Left 53732 Arthur George Garvin - Silenced Stirling. Ian Conaghan with M16 Assault Rifle. Clive Carroll with L1A1 Self Loading Rifle (SLR). The excessive smoke from the barrel/stock is caused by the liberal use of oil on the weapon whilst in camp. The burning material in the mound of earth is from tracer bullets. Generally used in every fifth round in the magazine and also in the last two or three rounds to indicate the magazine is empty. When moving around within the Squadron area outside the Troop lines it was a requirement that weapons were carried (he would have a loaded magazine in his pocket). Clive strips his weapon for cleaning. His loaded magazine is on the seat beside him. Patrol members in "Tiger Suit's" - camouflaged clothing purchased or exchanged with Vietnamese Special Forces. This patrol member carries a SLR and a M79 (grenade launcher) over his shoulder. The pouch on his right hip is from a Claymore Mine and is used as a convenient way to carry extra ammunition or other patrol equipment. Clive (on the right) and the other patrol members are carrying British issue packs. Most SAS patrol members had these packs as they had more comfortable shoulder harness padding and quick release tabs to jettison the pack if necessary. The pouches carried on the waist were also British issue. Patrols often had a mixture of Australian issue greens or American issue greens (better ability to dry and large pockets in shirts and trousers). As time progressed, more American camouflage clothing and Vietnamese "Tiger Suits" were worn. 15718 Intelligence Sergeant George Arthur Gridley provides the latest intelligence details to patrols just before departing for Kangaroo Pad at Task Force Headquarters. Behind the patrol is the back end of the Officers/Sergeants Mess - the large flat metal object is the back of the refrigerator. Five UH1B helicopters as required to insert a five-man SAS patrol.Two "slicks" - one for the patrol and a spare, two gunships and one "Albatross" lead helicopter. Barbed wire separating Kangaroo Pad from the American Self-propelled M110 8 inch guns and APC's. Clive Carroll (smoking) with George Gridley behind as he takes his pack off a Landrover. 16337 Corporal Donald Murphy Fisher walks past Patrol Commander 15530 Sergeant Gavin Leslie Shaw. Clive in the background (smoking) and George Gridley (shirtless). Clive Carroll (centre) with unidentified and gunship crewman inspecting the belt-fed grenade launching pod on the nose of the gunship. Armament onboard a gunship - smoke grenades in various colours, M-60 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with an improvised can beside the ammunition belt feed tray to prevent the belt jamming whilst firing. Rocket pod hung off side of gunship below gunners seat. Patrols preparing to emplane – 15646 Sergeant Neville Gary William Farley (in greens) with a silenced Sterling and cocking his Beretta pistol before placing it in its pouch. Unidentified with an XM148 (Armalite with grenade launcher). 216842 Private Mervyn Brian Hetherington with SLR and unidentified with SLR and a slung M79 grenade launcher. The UH1B "slick" carrying the patrol takes off. UH1B Gunship takes off - struggling for altitude under the weight of the ordnance. Spare UH1B "slick" takes off - note that it gaining altitude quickly as it has only crew (pilots and gunners) on board. View of jungle below the wing of a "spotter" aircraft - with WP (white phosphorus) target marking rocket on wing. View of "The Horseshoe" Fire Support Base. Bomb craters around junction of wheeled vehicle tracks. Fire trail. Australian airbase at Vung Tau: Caribou aircraft on tarmac and in hangar. US Navy facility at Vung Tau. Nui Dat. SAS Hill viewed from west side looking to the east. "Nadzab" helipad on SAS Hill. George Garvin and 3411630 Pieter John Van As (in tent), 2412382 Private Robert Francis (Clicka) Clark approaches (shirtless). 3411626 Private Michael John (Mick) Smith. Track from HQ looking towards "Nadzab" with B Troop lines on right. 38202 Private Charles David Stewart crossing in front of camera. C Troop soldiers. 1200111 Sergeant John (Jack) Gebhardt with a cobra. Cobra's were commonplace in the bamboo and under tent floorboards. They ate mice and rats. Clive Carroll with the cobra. Dead cobra draped in front of fire buckets. ‘B’ Troop tents shaded by trees and bamboo. 18156 Lance Corporal Allan William Roser. 42357 Sergeant John Mckenzie Duncan leaning against Officers/Sergeants Mess sign. Walkway between rows of 1 Squadron Headquarters tents. B Troop volleyball court. Private Pieter Van As (in shirt) and Private 2412358 Gerald Maxwell (Gerry) Israel fooling around with a red smoke grenade in a bunker. 5411172 Corporal Bernard John (Bugs) Delgado and unidentified filling plastic jerrycans at the Task Force water point. Boeing-Vertol CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter with a slung load of gun ammunition. Chinook with 105mm gun and ammunition. "Dustoff" helicopter. Patrol returning from operations. 15340 Sergeant William Henry (Chester) Roods (hatless with scarf). Scene listed by William Francis Hindson ex 1 SAS Sqn 1967-1968.