Photos Aussies and Kiwi's in Vietnam

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Helicopters arriving with troops for Operation Bribie. One of a collection of images relating to the service of 2781632 David Mark Buckwalter, 6 RAR.

 

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During operation Bribie. One of a collection of images relating to the service of 2781632 David Mark Buckwalter, 6 RAR.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - After an airborne assault in Operation Bribie, No 9 Squadron, Iroquois crews and a helicopter wait on standby at Luscombe airfield, ready to re-supply, evacuate casualties, and fly more troops to and from the operation area. The helicopter in the right background is a US Army Helicopter Gunship.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - Iroquois helicopters from No 9 Squadron, lined up on Luscombe Field at the 1 st Australian Task Force (1ATF) Headquarters before a heliborne assault against the Viet Cong (VC). The helicopters swept waves of troops from the 5th and 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR and 6RAR) into the attack during Operation Bribie.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - Iroquois helicopters and their crews of No 9 Squadron, wait on standby at Luscombe airfield before the commencement of Operation Bribie.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - Iroquois helicopters and crewmen from No 9 Squadron, wait on standby at Luscombe Field, near Vung Tau, South Vietnam, after their initial airborne assault in the opening stages of Operation Bribie. No 9 Squadron inserted men from A and B Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), into a landing zone east of Hoi My, to establish a blocking position and prevent the withdrawal east of the Viet Cong (VC) D445 Battalion that had unsuccessfully attempted a major ambush on Route 44, between Dat Do and Phuoc Hai the previous night. The crews are ready to re-supply, evacuate casualties, fly in more troops or bring the soldiers back. In the foreground is the helicopter’s M60 machine gun.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - A view across a door gunner's M60 machine gun as Iroquois helicopter crews from No 9 Squadron wait on standby at Luscombe Field, near Vung Tau, South Vietnam, after their initial airborne assault in the opening stages of Operation Bribie. No 9 Squadron inserted men from A and B Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), into a landing zone east of Hoi My, to establish a blocking position and prevent the withdrawal east of the Viet Cong (VC) D445 Battalion that had unsuccessfully attempted a major ambush on Route 44, between Dat Do and Phuoc Hai on the previous night. The crews are ready to resupply, evacuate casualties, fly in more troops or bring the soldiers back. The aircraft in the background are US helicopters.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - Iroquois helicopter machine gunners from No 9 Squadron, check their weapons after a mission in support of Australian troops in the rubber plantations near the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) Headquarters, near Vung Tau, South Vietnam, known as Operation Bribie. During a reconnaissance run over the Long Tan area, the RAAF men spotted three Viet Cong (VC) moving through the rubber trees. They swept into the attack and the three VC guerrillas were believed killed. Draped in machine gun 7.62mm ammunition belts, the crewmen are A18504 Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Brian Víncent Taylor, of Rockhampton, Qld (left), and A56669 LAC Brian Boyd (Ron) Hill, of Subiaco, WA (right). These men along with O37576 Flight Lieutenant Robert Andrew Macintosh, and co-pilot O37553 Geoffrey Alfred Banfield, flew the Bell UH-1B Iroquois A2-1019 during Operation Bribie. This aircraft is now part of the Australian War Memorial's collection.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - Three unidentified Australian diggers unload mortar bombs from a No 9 Squadron, Iroquois helicopter during the recent Operation Bribie against the Viet Cong (VC). During the operation the helicopters flew thousands of pounds of supplies to the troops engaged in the battle.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - During a lull in the fighting of Operation Bribie, two pilots from No 9 Iroquois Squadron, O37576 Flt Lt Robert Andrew (Bob) MacIntosh, of Ainslie, ACT (front right), and O219176 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Leslie Wilfred (Les) Morris, of Frenches Forest, NSW, (rear) grab a quick meal at the Vung Tau Air Base, South Vietnam, before returning to their aircraft. These men along with A56669 Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Brian Boyd (Ron) Hill, of Subiaco, WA and A18504 LAC Brian V Taylor, of Rockhampton, Qld, flew the Bell UH-1B Iroquois A2-1019 during Operation Bribie. This aircraft is now part of the Australian War Memorial's collection.

 

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NEAR SONG RAI RIVER VIETNAM. 1967. DURING OPERATION BRIBIE OR PORTSEA - A SOLDIER OF 'A' COMPANY, 6TH BATTALION, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT, MOVES A DEAD VIET CONG WITH A TOGGLE ROPE ATTACHED TO HIS FOOT.

 

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Phuoc Tuy Province, Vietnam. 17 February 1967. Members of 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) sitting on Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) during Operation Bribie. Seven members of 6RAR were killed and twenty six were wounded during the operation. During the battle, one of the APCs was destroyed by a direct hit from enemy recoilless rifle (RCL) fire killing the driver and wounding the commander. Unable to move it, the Australians set fire to it so that the Viet Cong could not salvage any working parts. After leaving it overnight, the Australians returned to find `Du Me Uc Dai Loi'(roughly translated to `Australians get stuffed') painted on the APC in blood. (Donor P. McNamee)

 

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Members of 6 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), stand near Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) of A Squadron, 3 Cavalry Regiment, in a dry paddy field during Operation Bribie. The previous day, one of the APCs was destroyed by a direct hit from enemy recoilless rifle (RCL) fire, killing the driver and wounding the commander. Unable to move it, the Australians set fire to it so that the Viet Cong could not salvage any working parts. After leaving it overnight, the Australians returned to find 'Du Me Uc Dai Loi' (roughly translated to 'Australians get stuffed') painted in blood on the vehicle. Seven members of 6RAR were killed and twenty six were wounded during the operation.

 

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June 1967 - South Vietnam. 1967-06. Interior of a burnt out Australian M113A1 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) belonging to A Squadron, 3 Cavalry Regiment. The vehicle was destroyed during Operation Bribie on 17 February 1967, however much of the visible damage to the vehicle was caused by a fire deliberately started by order of the squadron commander when the APC could not be recovered in time under fire. The driver had been killed and the crew commander injured by a Viet Cong (VC) 75mm High Explosive (HE) recoilless rifle round hitting the front of the vehicle.

 

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Feb 1967 - The battlefield where 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), were ambushed by elements of Viet Cong (VC) D445 Mobile Battalion during Operation Bribie on the 17 February 1967. Seven men from 6RAR were killed and 26 were wounded in the engagement, as well as one man from A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment.

 

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The battlefield where 6th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), were ambushed by elements of Viet Cong (VC) D445 Mobile Battalion during Operation Bribie on the 17 February 1967. Seven men from 6RAR were killed and 26 were wounded in the engagement, as well as one man from A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment.

 

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18 Feb 1967 - Soldiers of B Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), loaded with gear arriving back at B Company lines after Operation Bribie. The morning after the action 6RAR conducted a sweep of the Bribie Battlefield but the enemy had vanished. After the battalion sweep, B Company, supported by APCs, patrolled across the "Light Green', about two kilometres to the east, and thought to be the enemy's likely withdrawal route. After an uneventful day the APCs carried B Company back to Nui Dat arriving late in the afternoon. Seven soldiers from 6RAR and one trooper from A Sqn 3 Cav Regt were killed in action and 27 wounded during the operation.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - The RAAF contingent in Vietnam must be kept well equipped with gear that will stand up to the rigours of the tropics. The most important is the RAAF men's weapons, as a surprise attack by the Viet Cong (VC) is always a possibility. Seen here examining weapons in the Vung Tau equipment store, prior to Operation Bribie, are equipment assistant A19780 Corporal (Cpl) Kevin Thomas Seckington, of Bribie Island, Qld (left) and motor transport fitter, A219848 Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Richard Louis Mattiazzi, of Wollongong, NSW.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - Informal group portrait of nine members of 5 Platoon, B Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), in the B Company lines at the Australian task force base. The photograph was taken in the morning, some hours before the platoon took part in Operation Bribie. Identified left to right, back row: 5713975 Private (Pte) William Anthony Trevenen, 216372 Pte Garry John Chad, 1200606 Pte Victor Kenneth Otway, 1730851 Pte Malcolm Stuart Mustchin, 5713986 Pte David Raleigh Webster; front row: 214031 Corporal (Cpl) Robin William Jones (Section Commander), 5713981 Pte Brian David Waters, 5411599 Pte Wayne Maurice Riley, 2784297 Pte Donald Peter Rumble. This was the forward right hand section during the assault. Pte Webster, Pte Waters and Pte Riley were killed in action during the operation later that day, while Privates Trevenen, Chad, Otway and Rumble were wounded. Pte Otway was wounded during the platoon's final charge, and was rescued the following morning when 6RAR returned to the battleground. Pte Mustchin was wounded during the first assault and after being treated fell back to the reserve section for the final assault. Cpl Jones was later awarded the Military Medal for his actions during Operation Bribie.

 

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17 Feb 1967 - Informal group portrait of four members of 5 Platoon, B Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) and an interpreter (probably a conscript) of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in the B Company lines at the Australian task force base. The photograph was taken in the morning, some hours before the platoon took part in Operation Bribie. Left to right: 15319 Sergeant (Sgt) Mervyn Victor McCullough, 2781906 Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt) John Patrick O'Halloran, 6708317 Private (Pte) Michael John Nichols, Pte Quoc Tuan Nguyen, 16646 Pte Richard Beverley Odendahl. Sgt McCullough was later wounded in action during the operation. 2nd Lt O'Halloran was awarded Mention in Despatches (MID) and Pte Odendahl the Military Medal (MM).