Headquarters 1st Australian Task Force General Interest Photos

Show

photos

D&E Platoon Area and Sign

D&E Platoon Area and Sign

D & E Platoon lines and "kills" board

Grand Hotel Vung Tau

Grand Hotel Vung Tau

Grand Hotel, Vung Tau

Long Tan Cross

Long Tan Cross

Long Tan Cross

Nui Dat Estate

Nui Dat Estate

Aerial Shot of Nui Dat

Welcome Home Sydney 1987

Welcome Home Sydney 1987

Welcome Home March - Sydney

D&E Platoon ANZAC Day 1993

D&E Platoon ANZAC Day 1993

D & E Platoon - ANZAC Day, Sydney

HQ 1ATF Melbourne 2001

HQ 1ATF Melbourne 2001

1ATF March ANZAC Day - Victoria

Original D & E Banner

Original D & E Banner

The original D & E Banner

Trevor Attwood

Trevor Attwood

Trevor Attwood (KIA) 
RIP

Padre Roy Cosier

Padre Roy Cosier

Padre Roy Cosier

Road between HQ1ATF and Artillery

Road between HQ1ATF and Artillery

The road between HQ1ATF and Artillery 
Nui Dat

Fire Support Base Pamela

Fire Support Base Pamela

Fire Support Base Pamela

Mirror Editorial 21 April 1966

Mirror Editorial 21 April 1966

"MARCHING TO WAR 

Men of the 5th battalion of the Royal Australia Rifles marched through Sydney today before embarking for Vietnam. 

They are going to an ugly and controversial war. But there is no breath of doubt about our feelings for these men. 

Australia is proud of them, and it was grand to see them marching by - businesslike, confident, cheerful, like other contingents in other days. 

We wish them godspeed and a safe and happy return. 

Also on his way to Vietnam today is our earnest Prime Minister, Mr Holt. He plans to be with the Australian troops on Anzac Day, and though it is a tricky moment for a national leader to visit Saigon we can only applaud his courage and good intentions. 

The emotions that are stirred by the pre-embarkation parade and by Anzac Day are natural and genuine. They assail not only those who are for Australia's Vietnam committment, but also those who are against it or suspect it. 

As the men go marching by, volunteers and conscripts side by side and indistinguishable, protest and controversy yield to something else - perhaps our essential oneness as people. The mood will not last. The arguments about Vietnam and conscription will intensify. And, paradoxically, it is our oneness that will embitter them. 

The men of the 5th Battalion should know that nothing can affect Australia's pride in them one iota." 

Newspaper editorial - April 1966 
Prophetic, or pathetic??

First wounded Nasho article

First wounded Nasho article

" Viet "Rough" Says Wounded NS Man. 

Ballarat - Pte Leslie Keith Hyatt, 21 the first National Serviceman to be returned , wounded, to Australia, doesn't want to go back to Vietnam. Pte. Leslie Hyatt returned to his parents' home in Grant St. West yesterday. Pte. Hyatt, who lost 2½ stone in weight after he was wounded in both legs by mortar shrapnel on June 10, said it was unlikely the Army would require him to return to Vietnam. 

"I don't want to go back", he said. It's pretty rough there." 

He was operated on in Vietnam. After three weeks he had recovered sufficiently to be flown to Sydney, where he was a patient for a week at the Ingleburn Military Hospital. 

A member of D company, 5th Battalion, RAR, he was in Vietnam for only a month and had been in operations for 12 days when he was wounded. 

He was hit by shrapnel from 12 mortar bombs which exploded in a paddy field where several Australians were eating a meal. Two servicemen were killed and two others wounded. 

Pte. Hyatt was flown from Sydney yesterday morning and his parents brought him to Ballarat by car. He will stay at home for a fortnight before being admitted to Heidelberg Hospital. He is still being troubled by the wounds to his left leg. 

"It's just terrific to be back in Ballarat," he said. "Yet I suppose any place is better than Vietnam." " 

<hr>

Back on Thursday, July 14, 1966, you could buy a copy of the Melbourne newspaper, "The Sun - News Pictorial" for 4 cents, (now one dollar) and, if delivered by air to the Victorian country side you paid 5 cents a copy. 

The Head lines of the day were, "Holt Sees LBJ Today - Has U.K. Pledge". 

Prices for goods in advertisements were still being printed in Pounds, Shillings and Pence with their new Dollars and Cents prices next to them. 

While "Drive - In" theatres were showing The Paul Newman movie, "The Moving Target". 

Into this environment The Sun, (now The Herald - Sun) reported the wounding of the first National Serviceman in South Vietnam on Page 11; columns "C" and "D": 

The Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans contains the following entry on this soldier: 

Leslie Keith Hyatt, ex 3786985, born 1945. 
SVN Service history: 
06 May 1966 to 06 Jul 1966 - 5 RAR. 

<hr>

Sun Newspaper article - 1966

Newspaper article on Medals

Newspaper article on Medals

Newspaper item on awarding of medals

Roy Kyte-Powell article

Roy Kyte-Powell article

Roy Kyte-Powell 

Roy Kyte-Powell, ex 311627, an Englishman, was born in 1945 and posted to South Vietnam on 16 December 1970 where he was an Instructor at 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit until 21 May 1971. 

On the 22 May 1971, he was posted to Defence and Employment Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Australian Task Force. 

When the above photograph was taken in about June 1971, by Army photographer Peter John Errington, Roy Kyte-Powell was Section Commander, 2 Section, D&E platoon, HQ Coy, 1 ATF. During this period of time, the platoon was located on Courtenay Hill, up near the Phuoc Tuy - Long Khanh province's border near route 2. 

The photo shows Corporal Kyte Powell inspecting an Australian Army 7.62mm calibre L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle (SLR). 

Roy Kyte-Powell relocated with the rest of Headquarters Company, 1st Australian Task Force from Nui Dat to Vung Tau in about October 1971, and remained with Headquarters, 1st Australian Task Force until 29 February 1972 with the final withdrawal of the Task Force from South Vietnam. 

With the end of his service in the Australian Army, Roy returned to his native country but was filled with the spirit of wanderlust and adventure. 

Roy died in suspicious circumstances in the Central American country of Belize on or about 3 April 1981. He was a soldier and adventurer to the very end. 

Main Source: Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans, August 1997 edition.

Nui Dat produced Punch A Postie

Nui Dat produced Punch A Postie

Punch a Postie 

You will recall and remember how important the mail from home was. How after many days of "Jungle Bashing", on return to Nui Dat, the mail parade was eagerly looked forward to. 

Or if you had been out scrub for a while, and you were lucky enough, the mail came out on a Huey with the normal rations re-supply. 

In the latter 1960's all sorts of strikes and embargoes were forced upon the Australian troops serving in South Vietnam on the pretext of "helping the Aussie digger in South Vietnam". 

All too often these strikes and embargoes were to the detriment of the average Australian soldier in South Vietnam. The mail was delayed and didn't turn up. 

The Jeparit wasn't loaded by the wharfies, was delayed and in the end the army loaded the Jeparit. 

The various campaigns and strikes against the war in South Vietnam was unfortunately aimed at the individual soldiers and was to have a great impact upon the average Australian soldier serving in South Vietnam. 

It is of no wonder then that they were to feel aggrieved by these strikes and other actions which took away their few basic essentials, comforts and enjoyment's in the otherwise harsh lifestyle of war in South Vietnam. 

Clarrie Hair reports: "The flier above was produced in Nui Dat when the Postal "workers" in Australia refused to handle our mail, so we were in the bush in Vietnam wondering why our mail wasn't coming through". 

It was also during this period that the wharfies went on strike in Melbourne and refused to load the HMAS Jeparit with our supplies, resulting in the Army having to do the job. But you would know that anyway.

Safe Conduct pass

Safe Conduct pass

Hoi Chanh "Safe Conduct" Pass 

Vietnam was the "funny war", no doubt about it. Part and parcel of the war and psychological warfare program of "winning the hearts and the minds of the people" was the "Safe Conduct" pass. 

Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regular soldiers were freely given the opportunity to change sides. With a pass similar to the one depictured, an enemy soldier could surrender to soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam or its Allies without jeopardy to his person in any form or manner. Though one hates to think what would have happened to the person about to change sides if he was caught by his fellow soldiers or officers with one of these passes on his person. 

The Pass depictured, is from the era April 1968 to April 1969 and Clarrie Hair says; "....... the following is a copy of the "Safe Conduct" passes we used to throw out of Huey's over known VC locations. As you will see the two copies relate to the one pass showing back and front of this pass." 

A literal translation of the "Safe Conduct Pass" in our vernacular would read: 
"Bring this leaflet ( passport ) and co-operate with the office of the chief of the country / nation. Your friends will receive you with kindness, your safety will be guaranteed and you will be treated as an equal. This leaflet ( passport ) is valid with all agencies of the VN military administration and it's allies". 

We were fortunate enough to be able to have the Vietnamese on this pass translated into English by one of our members, Ernest Christopher Michael "Bud" BRANDON-CRAMER, ex 2793136. So we have the following: 

GIAY THONG-HANH 
passport.. (literally, not the same as a traveller's passport) 
MANG TAM GIAY THONG-HANH 
mang = bring 
tam = a classifier for things like this, tickets, photos etc. 
NAY VE CONG TAC VOI CHANH PHU 
nay = this 
ve = to 
cong tac = co-operate 
voi = with 
chanh = the head or chief 
phu = office 
QUOC GIA CAC BAN SE DUOC: 
quoc gia = state, nation, country. 
cac = each 
ban = friend 
se = will 
duoc = OK 
DON TIEP TU TE 
don tiep = receive 
tu te = kind, honest. 
BAO DAM AN NINH 
bao dam = guarantee 
an ninh = security 
DAI NGO TUONG XUNG 
dai ngo = to treat 
tuong xung = (difficult because it means to match each other or be symmetrical) equally would be the best translation. 
TAM GIAY THONG HANH NAY CO GIA TRI VOI TAT CA CO-QUAN. 
this " passport" has validity with all agency. 
QUAN CHINH VIET-NAM CONG HOA VA LUC-LUONG DONG MINH. 
military administration VN republic and mighty (or powerful) allies. 

The setting out of the words is not correct but probably done because of the small leaflet space 
The words QUOC GIA should be on the end of CHANH PHU and have a full stop 
CAC BAN SE DUOC is a separate sentence. 

It was written by a Southerner who went to school in the south and he used an incorrect diacritical mark on the word DAI (dai ngo). This is common in the south because the tones are almost identical in speech. The mark used is ? (remove the dot under the question mark) and should be ~ .

Entertainer Lyn Dutton clipping

Entertainer Lyn Dutton clipping

Lyn Dutton

This photograph of Lyn Dutton was taken between the period 15 July to 28 July 1971. As the caption indicates Lyn was a member of the Victorian Concert party number 5/71.

The concert party, consisted of a group of eight entertainers In addition to Lyn, the other seven members were Julie Arthur, Trevor Courtney, Raymond Gilson, Michael Hamilton, Verity Milhuisen, Geoffrey Skewes and Phillip Spurdle.

It is possible that this photograph was published in a Army magazine newspaper of August - September 1971.

Main Source: Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans, personnel supporting the Australian Defence forces, August 1997 edition.

D & E Platoon Move Out

D & E Platoon Move Out

D & E Platoon with their APC in a state of readiness