Photos Aussies and Kiwi's in Vietnam

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Vietnam. 1967. The original Nui Dat All-Star Australian Bush Band gives its farewell concert at the sergeants mess; 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), in Phuoc Tuy Province. Left to right: John Gibson (bongo drums), Ray Solomon (lamp shade), Tpm Witheridge (tea chest), Keith Mavin (stick), Peter Roby (big drum), and Bob Trenear (singer).

 

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Troops of 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, (7RAR), dive for cover in a banana patch near battalion headquarters at Nui Dat. Private (Pte) Geoff Leach of Bendigo, Vic (left), down on hands and knees, and Pte Peter Barnett of North Balwyn, Vic, squatting with his gun in hand.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-04. Trooper Tom Cowburn of Glen Iris, Vic, a member of C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment, shows a Centurion tank track to Private Ralph Elliott of Dandenong, Vic, during infantry tank training for the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR).

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-04. Corporal Len Cadzow of Seymour, Vic (left), a member of C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment, during infantry tank training with members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), shows Lance Corporal Greg Dasilveira of Caulfield, Vic, the working principles of a Centurion tank.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-06. Entertainer Helen Driessen of the Helen Driessen Trio performs for the Australian and New Zealand troops at the Luscombe Bowl during a concert party for members of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF). The party included New Zealand vocalist, Joy Yates, Joyce Harper, Milton Ward, Tom Bone and compere comedian Sean Kramer.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-06. Members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), relax as they wait to be airlifted by helicopters into Bien Hoa Province to set up Fire Support Base (FSB) Kiama, north-east of Long Binh. The battalion was going in to relieve an American unit in the protection of the Long Binh and Bien Hoa bases during the second phase of Operation Toan Thang.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-06. Members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), wait to be airlifted by helicopters into Bien Hoa Province to set up Fire Support Base (FSB) Kiama, north-east of Long Binh. The battalion was going in to relieve an American unit in the protection of the Long Binh and Bien Hoa bases during the second phase of Operation Toan Thang. Note the gun and field radio in centre foreground and a helicopter preparing to land.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-06. One of the members of 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), waits to be airlifted by helicopter into Bien Hoa Province to set up Fire Support Base (FSB) Kiama, north-east of Long Binh. The battalion was going in to relieve an American unit in the protection of the Long Binh and Bien Hoa bases during the second phase of Operation Toan Thang. Note the helicopter in the background.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-06. Corporal Eric Kistensen of Tauranga, NZ, test fires an M60 machine gun into a test firing pit. He is a member of the 12th Field Artillery Regiment's Light Aid Detachment (LAD), which is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the Regiment's eighteen guns, small arms, vehicles and instruments.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-06. Sergeant John Brankstone of Holsworthy, NSW, (in a go-kart) speaks with Sergeant Jock Gemell of Holsworthy (in a truck). Both are members of the 12th Field Regiment's Light Aid Detachment (LAD). They have helped to build the go-kart for spare time amusement around the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) Base.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-06. Craftsman Sid Angelopoulos of Kensington, NSW (right), completes a large drawing of the mascot of the 12th Field Regiment's Light Aid Detachment (LAD), Beatnik (Craftsman) Irving Schwartz. Looking on is the Commanding Officer of the LAD, Captain Ross Bland of Ingleburn, NSW. Beatnik Irving is proudly stamped on the unit's writing paper and adorns notice boards and walls around the unit's lines.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-07. Reading the Australian paper, the Smith's Weekly, during a break in operations are Trooper David Carra of Swan Hill, Vic, and Trooper Peter Hutton of Frankston, Vic, seated in front of the Centurion tank. Sitting on the tank are Trooper Ted Powers of Innisfail, Qld, and Trooper Dan Kenny of Balmain, NSW. They are all members of C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment, Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC).

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-07. Smith's Camera on Vietnam, a weekly page of photographs from Smith's Weekly, receives a place of honour among the pin up girls on the notice board at 12th Field Regiment Light Aid Detachment (LAD), at the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) Base. Pinning up the photograph is Craftsman Garry Turnbull of Warwick Farm, NSW, a technical storeman with the unit.

 

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South Vietnam. 1968-08-13. Signalman Garry Daniels of Camp Hill, Qld (front), and Corporal Ron Luker of Cobden, Vic, at work on the switchboard of the 104th Signals Squadron based at Nui Dat. The soldiers take turns at the 200-line switchboard at the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) Base and handle approximately three calls every ten seconds.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-08-21. Craftsman Sid Angelopoulos of Kensington, NSW, refuels the go-kart of the 12th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), before the go-kart Grand Prix race. He is assisted by Craftsman Russell Ruygrok of Maitland, NSW, while the driver, Craftsman Tony Raff of Strathfield, NSW, looks on. Note the writing on the gerry can's (Go Stuff).

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-08-21. Go-kart racer, Trooper Ted Ball of Horsham, Vic, a member of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) Light Aid Detachment (LAD), adjusts his muddy goggles during the Grand Prix race. Several of the 1ATF units improvised the miniature racers from spare and salvaged military equipment

 

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Vietnam. 1967. Lance Corporal Chris St Clair of Campbelltown, NSW, carries entertainer Miss Mary Wise through the mud from her tent to the stage at the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat. Miss Wise, wearing a bikini, was a member of an Overseas Forces Fund Concert party which performed for the troops.

Nui Dat, Vietnam. 1967-08. Members of the Weird Mob concert party look over the Australian Forces Overseas Fund hut at the 1st Australian Task Force base. The party was visiting Australian service bases throughout South Vietnam. They were led by Australian author John O'Grady (Nino Culotta), fourth from left.

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John O'grady, AKA Nino Culotta, I read all of his Weird Mob, Cop This Lot, Gone Fishing and Gone Gougin books as a kid and a few times since. Funny old bugger.

 

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December 1967. Nui Dat, Vietnam.
Newly arrived members of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), preparing their base camp for the Christmas season.

November 1970. Nui Dat, South Vietnam.
Corporal Arthur Wallis, 21, sharpening a knife in preparation for carving the three prime hams he has prepared for Christmas.

December 1971. South Vietnam.
Private David McColl of Canberra, hanging puddings to mature before Christmas.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-08-21. Arriving for the go-kart Grand Prix race is Sapper Brian McMahon of Newcastle, NSW. He is sitting in the driver's seat of the 21st Engineer Support Troop's (EST) go-kart as it is towed to the track by the unit's Land Rover. Enthusiasts aboard the Land Rover help with the unhitching of the go-kart.

 

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Nui Dat, South Vietnam. 1968-08. Private John Ward of Richmond, Vic, and Private Ken Ashton of Murwillumbah, NSW, both members of the 8th Petroleum Platoon Detachment, crank a petrol pump into action to feed outlet hoses at the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) Base. Note the Army jeep and other equipment at left.