W3 Photo History 5

General Operations [other photos are with the various stories]

first view South Vietnam from RNZAF C130 window, approaching Vung Tau 14 November 1969 [Young]	prepared position FSPB Discovery - half round steel culverts as overhead protection reinforced by further layers of sandbags [Young]

road deployment from Nui Dat, possibly 3PL, first W3 operational deployment in Vietnam [Young]	Jan 1970 Op Napier- Coy and 2PL HQs vicinity Viet Cuong Rubber Plantation - Maj Torrance, Cpl Glendinning, Pte Howell, Lcpl Auld, Lt Upton [6RAR/NZ ANZAC history]

mortar action from the Nui Dat mortar compound, Mihinui, Condon and Rich [Binning]	dismounted mortar section dug in FSPB Picton [Binning]
general duties inside FSPB Leloi - Atatu in rear, Wilson beside driver [Stock]	2Pl dismantling FSPB LE LOI by day then doing patrols and ambushes at night [Stock]
Op 'Bluewater' - deploying from 'Eagle Farm' LZ Nui Dat. Eagle Farm was next to the ANZAC battalion lines. [Young]	MFC 85B Young displaying his prowess in the 2PL beard growing competition, in the Light Green area near the coast [Young]
Dave Flintoff, mortars	Colin Fraser 2Pl enjoying siesta..
Campbell 2Pl [on ground], PB Harris 2Pl, Cooper 3Pl [Welsh]	Hoani 2Pl guarding the Land Clearing Team [Welsh]
2Pl post op admin parade, Lt Bob Upton on left [in shorts], Sgt Hemana behind, Rowsell walking past [Young]
Manu Fong 3Pl beside section MG post [hopefully with sentry forward..!] [Welsh]	VC weapons and ammo cache captured in Light Green area NE of Horseshoe [probably 1Pl]

Helicopter Types Encountered
Helicopters were part of the overall experience of infantry in 1ATF, the sudden rush to do an insertion from secure base to insecure LZ, the welcome resupply [maintdem], casevac of injured, delivery of heavy loads [often ammunition and defence materials]. The sound of the Iroquois flying in formation over 'Parade 98 - Vietnam Remembered' in Wellington 1998 reduced many veterans to tears...
'slicks' lifting a platoon or larger force to and from the field	typical single UH1 resupply for a platoon, usually every 3 days
Sioux light observation helicopter - it was this model that CO 2RAR was shot down in, late in the tour	'throw smoke..!' chopper on LP, soldier with pack on waiting to return to Nui Dat, possibly for leave [Rowsell]
Chinook delivered large quantities of stores by underslung and internal means. One Chinook delivered over 100 ARVN soldiers to FSPB PICTON for local training	Skycrane were the ultimate lifters, at FSPB PICTON one removed 2 bulldozers by underslung strops on a single trip [Young] click photo for a photo of Skycrane above HMAS Sydney

extraction by 9 Sqn RAAF end of Op Napier Jan 1970 - probably 2Pl or Coy HQ [6RAR/NZ ANZAC history] [In five and a half years in Vietnam 9 Sqn UH-1 helicopters flew 237,000 sorties, carried over 414,000 passengers, 4,000 CASEVAC and 12,000 tonnes of freight. The Sqn suffered 7 aircraft destroyed or written off and 37 damaged, 23 by ground fire. 4 members of the unit were killed]

Nui Dat 2005
Ross Milne W2 visited SVN in 2005. He advised "Nui Dat is now occupied by D445 and it seems they won the battle of Long Tan cause it cost $US30 to view the cross (a replica at that!) They have about 1000 visitors per year. The now named Vung Tau/Ba Ria province is quite wealthy and the progress being made in both Vung Tau and Ba Ria is quite spectacular."
2005 - ANZAC Bn flagpole base [photo Ross Milne W2] The rubber trees are new plantings.	original HQ 2RAR/ANZAC with flag base in rear of fenced area
2005 - front gate Nui Dat base [photo Ross Milne W2]	2005 - looking from SAS Hill across base area toward Dat Do and Horseshoe
2005 SAS Hill - it has been extensively quarried [photo Garry Adams]	2005 Kangaroo Pad - taken from the SAS Pad at Pelican Heights [this was the main helicopter dispersal area when 9 Sqn RAAF were forward deployed] [photo Garry Adams]