Description
Object description
Australian sapper and NCO served with 1st Field Squadron Group, Royal Australian Engineers, 1st Australian Task Force in South Vietnam, 1968-1969
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Biberach an der Riss, Germany, Guernsey, Channel Islands and GB, 1944-1963: birth to Channel Island internee parents in Iflag V-B, Biberach an der Riss, Germany, 1944; return to Guernsey; education; emigration to Australia, 1964. Aspects of emigration to Australia, 1963-1967: background to enlistment in Australian Army, 1967; interest in joining military during education in GB; attitude towards Communism; opinion of quality of education in Australian; initial impressions of Australia; question of attitude to Australian nationality.
REEL 2 Continues: attitude to threat of Communism; degree of awareness of Vietnam War. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Australian Engineers in Australia, 1967-1968: origins of military recruits; attitude to rank in Australian Army; adjusting to military life; immediacy of Vietnam War; American military presence in Sydney.
REEL 3 Continues: impressions of American military personnel; opinion of how Australians were pursued to enter Vietnam War by Americans; his introduction to mine warfare and sketch of engineer training; opinion of training received; opinion of Reginald Bandy; drill; instructors during training.
REEL 4 Continues: knowledge of situation in South Vietnam; character of three-week course prior to deployment to South Vietnam. Recollections of operations as sapper and NCO with 1st Field Squadron Group, Royal Australian Engineers, 1st Australian Task Force in South Vietnam, 1968-1969: flight from Australia to Saigon, South Vietnam via Singapore; arrival in Saigon; flight to Nui Dat; initial impressions of base at Nui Dat base; lack of all arms training in Australian Army; latrines; accommodation and Regimental Aid Post.
REEL 5 Continues: compositions of field squadron; mine threat and method of obtaining experience; opinion of etherised rations; behaviour of personnel; visits to South Vietnamese town, near base; lack of questioning of war; move to fire support base; accidental firing on patrol; digging in.
REEL 6 Continues: danger of clearing minefields; first sight of mine utilising Chinese manufactured TNT; need for sappers to spot indications of mines; communicating with crew of armoured personnel carrier; need to move in armoured convoys; procedures of discovering threat of mine; North Vietnamese forces use of mine markers to slow down convoys; incident of armoured personnel carrier bogging down in swamp; types of mines encountered; questionable attempt to improve knowledge of mines.
REEL 7 Continues: first firing of M16 Automatic Rifle in test pit; squadron sergeant-major's dealing with unusual devices; use of bayonet to probe for mines; use of C4 explosive to deal with mines; role of infantry, armour and engineers.
REEL 8 Continues: reaction to first times under fire; first engineer casualty; story of personal morale whilst leading patrol as section commander at Nui Dat; reaction to unit casualties; use of alcohol; civilian run rest club.
REEL 9 Continues: amusing story of moving vehicles; memories of Tet Offensive, including obtaining supply of ice cream from American forces; awareness of political unrest about Vietnam War in Australia and reaction of unit towards it; taking out Australian citizenship on return to Australia, 1969; parading through Sydney, Australia.
REEL 10 Continues: attitude to perceived rejection of military and psychological problems; attitude towards military service; attitude to service in Vietnam War.