Photos Aussies and Kiwi's in Vietnam

Vietnam War. July 1967. Because of thick jungle and lack of a suitable helicopter landing pad, soldiers from B Company, 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR), had to carry five days rations and make use of local resources on Operation Coorparoo, a search and destroy mission in Phuoc Tuy Province. Here diggers scoop up water into canteens from a jungle stream fed by monsoon rains east of the 1st Australian Task Force Base. Photo by Michael Coleridge. [AWM COL/67/0529/VN]

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Vietnam War. Phuoc Tuy Province. 11 December 1969. During Operation Atherton, Private Raymond Asmus of 1st Platoon, A Company, 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8RAR), moves cautiously through the jungle undergrowth while on a patrol out from Fire Support Base (FSB) Peggy in Area of Operations (AO) Zulu. Operation Atherton, the battalion's first in Vietnam, is a reconnaissance and ambush operation in the northwest of the province. Photo by Denis Stanley Gibbons. [AWM P04655.193]

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Bien Hoa Province. c 3 December 1968 - 19 February 1969. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), on Operation Goodwood.
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Phuoc Tuy Province. 1967. Australian infantry hitch a ride on a 3rd Cavalry Regiment M113A1 APC
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Phuoc Tuy Province. 1971. Marcian the black Labrador tracker dog and his handler Private David Nelson, 4RAR/NZ (ANZAC).

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Known as a bit of a sook because of his dislike of water, Marcian the black Labrador tracker dog looks very unhappy as his handler, 219905 Private David Robert Nelson, 4th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment - New Zealand (ANZAC) (4RAR), carries him across a fast flowing stream. Despite not liking water, Marcian was highly rated as a very fast dog, obedient and proficient at keeping a track scent. Marcian was retired from 4RAR in November 1971 and was adopted by the Consul General at the British Embassy in Saigon.

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Too much bitsa, not enough lab in that tracking dog I'd reckon.
 
South Vietnam. February 1971. A final ammunition check by troops from the 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR), before they move out to lay an ambush for Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Inspecting his rounds is Private (Scho) Schofield of Merredin, WA, a soldier with the Battalion's D Company.

Original description and photo sourced by...
www.awm.gov.au/collection/C324883

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At Night Defensive Position (NDP) Brigid near Long Phuoc Hai, three members of 7 Platoon, C Company, 7 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR), display a Viet Cong flag recovered from an enemy soldier in an ambush during Operation Concrete. The soldiers are, left to right: 2792350 Private (Pte) Anthony (Tony) Bonvino, rifleman; 313297 Pte Ian William Conroy, forward scout; and 3796000 Corporal William John Abernethy, section commander.


Original description and photo sourced by: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1193813

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We Remember Private Brian ‘Jock’ Rennie

Today we pause to remember the life and service of 312641, Private Brian ‘Jock’ Rennie, who died of wounds on the 7th of September 1969, whilst serving in South Vietnam.

During his 287 days of service in South Vietnam, Jock served with 1ARU, 1RAR, 4RAR, 9RAR and HQ1ATF. On the 6th of September he was shot during a patrol and was evacuated to the 25t...h US Evacuation Hospital.

He succumbed to his wounds 11 hours later on the 7th. He was only 21 at the time of his death.

Lest we forget.

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1969-12. One of these Army tracker dogs, Justin, is to retire from active service with the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) and return to civvy street in a comfortable Saigon billet. The dogs, Justin (left) and Tiber sit with their handlers, Private (Pte) Dennis Rowlands of West Heidelberg, Vic and Pte Bill Palmer of Cobar, NSW. Both troops are members of 5th Battalion, The... Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), tracker platoon. Justin came to Vietnam with 7RAR in 1967 when about two and a half years old. When 7RAR returned to Australia, he joined 1RAR, and then 5RAR. Tiber was about three years old when he landed in Vietnam with 2RAR in 1967 and has since joined 5RAR.


Original description and photo sourced by
www.awm.gov.au/collection/C323342

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At the Kangaroo Pad at the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) base, soldiers of 7RAR (Royal Australian Regiment) wait to board helicopters to commence Operation Finschhafen, the battalion's first operation of its second tour of duty in Vietnam. The men are fully armed and some have their faces smeared with camouflage paint. The soldier in the foreground is Private 55645 John Joseph Smith of 5 Platoo...n, B Company 7RAR from Cottesloe Western Australia. He is armed with an M72 66mm Light Anti-tank Weapon (LAW). This weapon was not used after this initial operation because soldiers found it too difficult to move through dense vegetation with it slung across their back.

Original description and photo sourced by:
www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1178969

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1969-12. One of these Army tracker dogs, Justin, is to retire from active service with the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) and return to civvy street in a comfortable Saigon billet. The dogs, Justin (left) and Tiber sit with their handlers, Private (Pte) Dennis Rowlands of West Heidelberg, Vic and Pte Bill Palmer of Cobar, NSW. Both troops are members of 5th Battalion, The... Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), tracker platoon. Justin came to Vietnam with 7RAR in 1967 when about two and a half years old. When 7RAR returned to Australia, he joined 1RAR, and then 5RAR. Tiber was about three years old when he landed in Vietnam with 2RAR in 1967 and has since joined 5RAR.


Original description and photo sourced by
www.awm.gov.au/collection/C323342

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Justin was eventually homed with the British Consul in Saigon and was apparently well loved however, a gate was left open and he took off. There were reports of a black Lab being run over and killed later but not confirmed if it was Justin :(
 
South Vietnam. February 1971. A final ammunition check by troops from the 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR), before they move out to lay an ambush for Viet Cong in Phuoc Tuy Province. Inspecting his rounds is Private (Scho) Schofield of Merredin, WA, a soldier with the Battalion's D Company.

Original description and photo sourced by...
www.awm.gov.au/collection/C324883

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I knew Schoey family in Merredin from the Merredin RSL branch when I was the OIC of Mukinbudin police station 38km's away in the early 2000's;)
 
Vietnam War. c 1970/71. Private R. Maszak of A Company, 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC) (The ANZAC Battalion comprising 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and a component from 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment) on an operation in the Rung Sat Special Zone. Photo by Lance Corporal Leonard Pavich. [Photo courtesy of the 2RAR Historical Collection]

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Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province. 1970. A Bell UH-1 Iroquois of No. 9 Squadron RAAF being prepared for a "People Sniffer" mission at Kanga Pad at the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) base. The "People Sniffer" or Airborne Personnel Detector Mk3 was a device for detecting by scent the presence of humans on the ground beneath the aircraft, as it flew at treetop level. At right, WO2 Trent Kea...ry, Air Intelligence Section, Detachment 1 Division Intelligence Unit, 1ATF, is attaching the air sample probe for the "People Sniffer" to the skid of the helicopter. The major components of the device consisting of a large metal box with smaller boxes on top of it are visible in the doorway of the aircraft. Photo by R. Hyland. [AWM P01782.001] See More

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Vietnam War. May 1971. Corporal Peter Johnson opens his map while Sergeant John Bojarski takes a bearing during a patrol in Phuoc Tuy Province. Together with other soldiers of C Company, 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC) (The ANZAC Battalion comprising 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and a component from 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment), the two soldiers were taking part in their final operation in South Vietnam. The battalion will return to Australia later this month. Photo by John Alfred Ford. [AWM FOD/71/0253/VN]

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A wounded North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldier receives medical attention from company medical orderly Corporal Brian Mills of Townsville, QLD. The NVA soldier was wounded in an ambush set by D Company, 6RAR/NZ (ANZAC) (the ANZAC battalion comprising 6 Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment and a component from 1 Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment), during its first operation on the battalion's second tour of duty in South Vietnam. In the ambush six NVA soldiers were killed and two captured. The wounded soldier was later evacuated to hospital by helicopter.
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Silhouette of a soldier of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), armed with an Owen gun, on guard at a base or camp in Bien Hoa Province. In 1965 1RAR was deployed to the Bien Hoa Province to serve alongside the US 173rd Airborne Brigade. As well as contributing to the security of Bien Hoa airbase, 1RAR conducted a range of operations against Viet Cong (VC) forces.

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Iroquois helicopters of No 9 Squadron, are based at Vung Tau, South Vietnam, and are armed with M60 machine guns. These rapid firing weapons are also mounted on jeeps and used for airfield security work and Australian Army convoys. Pictured examining a jeep mounted M60 machine gun at the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) base are, from left; Lance Corporal (L Cpl) John Spence, of the Royal Australian Army Service Corps; A39888 Corporal (Cpl) Victor Edward (Vic) Williams, of East Brighton, Vic, No 9 Squadron door gunner; O219176 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Leslie Wilfred (Les) Morris, of Frenches Forest, NSW, No 9 Squadron co-pilot.

#VietnamWarStories #Anzac #RAAF#vietnamwarfootageandstories #VietnamWar

Original description and photo sourced by: www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1128941

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Trooper David Fisher, SASR
Today we pause to remember the life and service of 2787344, Trooper David John Elkington Fisher, who was killed in action on the 27th of September 1969 at the age of 23, whilst serving in Vietnam.
David volunteered for national service and served with 3 Squadron SASR. On the 27th of September, his section was on patrol in the Cam My district when they came under fire from the Viet Cong and subsequently requested a ‘hot extraction’ by helicopter.
During the extraction, David fell into thick jungle from a rope that suspended him below the helicopter. Several air and ground searches were unable to find any trace of his body. He was officially listed as ‘missing in action, presumed dead’.
His body was recovered and repatriated to Australia in 2008.
Lest we forget

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