The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
After an all night march through deep jungle, troops of 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, moved into position shortly after dawn to surround a Vietnamese Village. They were acting in co-operation with Vietnamese government officials, who suspected the village - Binh Ba, - of harbouring members of the Viet Cong. The village is north of the Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat. The villagers have seen Australian troops before. The last time the village was searched, 17 Viet Cong were found hiding among its population of about 1000. Vietnamese national police and government officials moved the villagers into a special compound area for questioning. Outside the compound area, the children were separated from the adults. For the children it was a picnic day, as Australian soldiers gave them free soft drinks and sweets, and later showed moving pictures in a marquee theatre they had erected. While some of the Australians entertained the children, others went about the more serious part of the operation - searching the village house by house to make sure that no-one was hiding from the interrogators. Nearly all these villagers are against the Viet Cong cause, and many have suffered at their hands, but some are believed to be harbouring the enemy because of threats made against them and their families. As villagers were security cleared by the Vietnamese officials, they returned to the village, where Australian troops gave them gifts of food and clothing. Medical attention was also given where it was needed. This type of Australian assistance has made out troops popular among the Vietnamese - a telling blow against the Viet Cong cause. As a result of this operation, nine Viet Cong were identified, and several other suspects were detained for further questioning.
After an all-night march through deep jungle, troops of 5 Battalion RAR moved into position shortly after dawn to surround the village of Binh Ba. Vietnamese National Police and Government Officials
Officers of the 5th Battalion RAR are briefed by their CO, Lieutenant Colonel J A Warr for an operation to cordon and search a village for suspect Viet Cong and their sympathisers. Troops disembark f
Split second timing is needed when troops go into action in Viet Nam, and many hours of planning and preparation often precede a battalion move. This scale model of a small village and its surrounding
As the current national elections of South Vietnam draws near, troops of the 1st Australian Task Force this week were "choppered" in aboard Iroquois helicopters to the wealthy fishing village of Phuoc
Helicopters...a sure sign in the South Vietnam province of Phuoc Tuy that troops of the 1st Australian Task Force hve begun another operation. This time it was a search of Dat Do, a village of 1600 pe
Men of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, this week cordoned and searched the hamlet of Phu My, 15 miles north west of the Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat. During a screen of the
