The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
RAAF ground crew, who are posted to the Australian Army's No 161 Reconnaissance Squadron at Vung Tau, regard themselves as a 'queer kettle of fish', because although they are RAAF, they live and work to Army rules. No 161 Squadron flies Bell Sioux helicopters, nicknamed 'possums' because they operate at tree top height with a Cessna forward air control aircraft to spot Viet Cong (VC) artillery posts. Originally the RAAF carried out all of the maintenance on the squadron's aircraft, but now they are being phased out and only eight RAAF men remain. Soon the work will be done entirely by Army ground crew. Here 342872 Army Craftsman Herbert Rex Willis, of Mildura, Vic (left), services the tail rotor of a Sioux helicopter helped by two RAAF ground crew, A11639 Sergeant (Sgt) Douglas William Henry (Doug) Kennett (centre) and A217613 Corporal (Cpl) Donald Stewart (Don) Patterson, (right), both of Ipswich, Qld.
RAAF ground crew, who are posted to the Australian Army's No 161 Reconnaissance Squadron at Vung Tau, regard themselves as a 'queer kettle of fish', because although they are RAAF, they live and work
RAAF ground crew, who are posted to the Australian Army's No 161 Reconnaissance Squadron at Vung Tau, regard themselves as a 'queer kettle of fish', because although they are RAAF, they live and work
RAAF ground crew, who are posted to the Australian Army's No 161 Reconnaissance Squadron at Vung Tau, regard themselves as a 'queer kettle of fish', because although they are RAAF, they live and work
RAAF ground crew, who are posted to the Australian Army's No 161 Reconnaissance Squadron at Vung Tau, regard themselves as a 'queer kettle of fish', because although they are RAAF, they live and work
RAAF ground crew, who are posted to the Australian Army's No 161 Reconnaissance Squadron at Vung Tau, regard themselves as a 'queer kettle of fish', because although they are RAAF, they live and work
RAAF ground crew, who are posted to the Australian Army's No 161 Reconnaissance Squadron at Vung Tau, regard themselves as a 'queer kettle of fish', because although they are RAAF, they live and work
