The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
The last of the present battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment - the 8th Battalion - has begun its year of duty in South Vietnam. Five hundred and forty of the men arrived on board the fast troop carrier, HMAS Sydney, off Vung Tau, during the early hours of November 28th. The Commanding Officer of the returning battalion, 9 RAR, Lt Col A. L. Morrison of Inverbrackie, SA, arrived to see his men off - he is flying home soon - and to greet the CO of the incoming 8th, Lt Col Keith O'Neill of Alderley, Qld. With the navy's medium landing craft alongside the 8 RAR men passed their baggage down into the well of the craft before filing down themselves to make up the first load ashore. HMAS Sydney, is a veteran of trooping runs to Vietnam, this is her 15th visit to the waters off Vung Tau. While waiting for their turn to board the men of 8 RAR line the rails to get the first glimpse of the country in which they are to fight the battalion's first battles. All aboard for another run to the shore, the LCM pulls away from the Sydney and heads for the harbour at Vung Tau. Overhead flies a giant Chinook, carrying an Army Pilatus Porter aircraft ferried to Vietnam on the Sydney's deck. On the way the landing craft passes another, similar, craft carrying the homeward bound men of 9th Battalion. The ramp goes down and the men file on to the soil of Vietnam. After passing through checks, they board trucks and head, in convoy, for the 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, 15 miles north in Phuoc Tuy Province. Inside the base, the convoy heads to the SE corner, recently vacated by 9 RAR, which is now 8 RAR territory. There, in strange surroundings which will become increasingly familiar, the men are shown to the tents which will be home for the next 12 months.
Main body of 4 Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (4 RAR) arrives in Vietnam. Shows troops disembarking from the fast troop transport HMAS Sydney onto Landing Craft Infantry to be taken to shore
Men of 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment arrived at Vung Tau, recently, for the battalion's second tour of duty in South Vietnam. In 1966, during its first tour it killed 245 enemy in the b
The changeover of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in Vietnam was completed today with the arrival at Vung Tau harbour of troops of the 9th Battalion aboard HMAS Sydney. The Sydney docked
The men of the Tiger Battalion arrived in South Vietnam today to relieve the veteran troops of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, which has ended its second tour in the theatre. The Tiger B
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
Today was a day of arrivals and departures for the Australian Force in Vietnam. The troop carrier HMAS Sydney, with troops of 1 RAR, anchored off Vung Tau at first light, and seven hours later was on
