The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Nui Dat: About 600 troops of Australia's 2nd Battalion, RAR, based at Enoggera, Queensland, arrived in Vietnam today on board the troop carrier HMAS Sydney to start a year's tour of operational duty. The battalion was flown off the flight deck of HMAS Sydney in waves of American Chinook transport helicopters which carry twenty seven loaded troops. Troops of the outgoing 6th Battalion, who boarded Sydney on a helicopter turn round basis for the voyage home to Brisbane, cheered as the new arrivals came marching into Nui Dat. The 6th Battalion Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Townsend from Brisbane, officially handed over the unit's operational role with the Task Force to the incoming 2nd Battalion Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel N.R. Charlsworth of Brisbane, before being flown to the troop carrier. The HMAS Sydney was moored off Vung Tau Harbour, 20 miles south-east of Nui-Dat, for the changeover of the two Australian battalions. The Commander, Australian Forces, Vietnam, Major-General Douglas Vincent of Sydney, was on board HMAS Sydney to welcome the new arrivals of 2nd Battalion and farewell the outgoing 6 RAR. General Vincent paid tribute to what he described as "the new series of infantry battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment"... The 6 RAR Commander , Lieutenant Colonel Townsend described his unit's tour of duty in Viet Nam as " Both satisfying and rewarding to all ranks." The 6th Battalion is leaving behind about 200 men. These troops were replacements of reinforcements who arrived in Viet Nam after December to fill gaps left by death or sickness. They will serve with 2nd Battalion to round out the normal 12 months duty in the war theatre. Identified in shot list is Private Alan Pon of Bexley, smiles at being on HMAS Sydney and on his way home.
First elements of 7th Battalion RAR arrive at Luscombe airfield, Nui Dat from their former station, Puckapunyal, Victoria. They were ferried on the final leg of their journey from Saigon to Nui Dat by
The last patrol against Viet Cong by 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, returned to base here this week to be led in by the Band and cheered along the route by officers and men. The patrol marc
More than 500 members of the 7th Battalion arrived in South Vietnam aboard the troop-carrier, HMAS Sydney. The Sydney anchored off Vung Tau and the United States Army Chinook helicopters lifted the t
Members of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, arrive in Townsville tomorrow (June 1), following their relief in South Vietnam recently by 4th Battalion. For the past year 2nd Battalion has
In a brief early morning ceremony at Nui Dat this week Vietnam veterans of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, handed over their responsibilities to the men of the 5th Battalion. The handove
For the first time since 1953 in Korea, three Australian infantry battalions are again together on active service in the same operational are. In Korea the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions were briefly tog
