The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Squadron Leader Peter Bladen took this film while serving as Medical Officer with 2 Squadron RAAF operating Canberra bombers. 2 Squadron was attached to the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing USAF based at Phan Rang South Vietnam. Shows inside of Canberra bomber while taking off on bombing mission. Lying in the nose while taking off. Aerial views of the countryside, coast and Phan Rang Air Base. 750lb bomb carried on the wing tip - one of the six carried. View from position next to the navigator, looking down the corridor bombsight in the nose. Fires from previous bomb drops. Aerial view of Mekong River. View from the bombardier’s bombsight. Heading home. Aerial of Phan Rang base. Landing on the runway filmed from nose position. Views of Phan Rang Air Base from local hills. Australian airmen’s quarters. Marker signals. Headquarters. Australian South Vietnamese South Korean and US flags flying. Ammunition dump. Stored bombs. Starter cartridges for Canberra’s engines. 750lb bombs and bomb transporters. USAF Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopter. Protective revetments against mortar attacks. USAF Fairchild C-119 Flying Box Car transport aircraft. USAF F-100D Super Sabre fighter-bombers taking off. US F-100D landing. Operational readiness. Canberra in protected revetment with bombs. Some 35th TFW USAF squadron insignias and hangars. Maintenance. RAAF Officers Mess and Australian swimming pool. Hill above base with radar. RAAF medical station and Medical Officer’s (MO) office and vehicle. Bruce the Medical Officer’s mad medical orderly. Peter Bladen with weapons F-1 machine gun and 9mm pistol. Local farmers. Local village where RAAF medical officer supervised local first aid post trained Vietnamese orderly for villagers’ benefit. Villages waiting to be attended to. Primitive kitchen arrangement. Prickly Pear village perimeter fence. Local hills denuded with Agent Orange defoliant. Distant temple ruin. Local land mine area (off limits to all RAAF personnel). Township of Phan Rang. Schoolgirls in uniform. Local temples still standing despite 20 years of war. Old French tank battle field (mines in evidence). Local graveyard. Temple above tank battlefield. Local guide, interpreter and liaison person. Bullet marks and shell scars. Base perimeter, raised machine gun and observation towers. Two layers of fence with mines in between. Air Defence Guards drills for deployment and evacuation. Phan Rang Air Base from nearby hills. US airman’s quarters (off limits to Australian personnel because of muggings and murders.) “Mad” orderly again Corporal Bruce (surname unknown). 2 Squadron RAAF Officer’s Mess with foreground mortar bunker and RAAF Sergeant’s Mess. Open air theatre. Cartoon of Viet Cong “Charlie” writing down everything that he hears. “Herbie Bilabong” the Australian home made swimming pool. This pool was one of two on the base. Because it was private Australian use of all ranks, Australians were always receiving hospitality from other countries, mostly US, in the hope of receiving return invitations to swim as it was very hot at times - the only other pool was always terribly crowded. 2 Squadron Commanding Officer Wing Commander T H Thorpe. Local markets at Phan Rang. Large local lobsters available at a price. Market life goes on despite the war. Local orphanage children. US F-100D fighter-bomber. Planting the rice crop. Local food preparation in one of the villages the Australians were responsible for. Members of 2 Squadron invited for lunch at the village of the officer’s mess Vietnamese orderly /bar manager. Food being prepared. Buffalo. US Huskie helicopter now in flight. Ceremony to mark the return of the last Canberra bombing mission prior to withdrawal. The last bomb dropped by 2 Squadron was on 31 May by Canberra A84-244 crewed by Flying Officers DR Smith and Murphy in support of US forces in the A Shau valley. Fly past and salute. Ceremony commences. Canberra A84-244 with all pilots and navigators on wings for final arrival. Ceremonial hose down. USAF Commander showing his appreciation with the fire hose of services rendered. Pilots’ retaliating and general free for all. Ground training preparatory to returning home. Champagne is all the rage.
US Air Force coverage of the arrival of the RAAF at Phan Rang, South Vietnam. Shows the arrival of Caribou A4-191 of No. 35 Squadron RAAF. Australians deplanning with luggage possibly members of No.
Edited version of F03544 covering the arrival of No 2 Canberra bomber Squadron RAAF at USAF Base Phan Rang, South Vietnam.
Phan Rang, South Vietnam 25 May 1971. [Roll 1] Shows RAAF and No 2 Squadron sign outside of headquarters. RAAF flag outside of headquarters. Armament crew hooking bombs to crane at bomb dump. Crane sw
Phan Rang, South Vietnam, 1971. Coverage of activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the RAAF. Shows Canberra bomber of 2 Squadron RAAF taxiing, taking off, parade, exhibits, pesonnel marching a
No. 2 Canberra Bomber Squadron RAAF received the Duke of Gloucester Cup at Phan Rang airbase South Vietnam 10 June 1967. The Cup was presented by the Minister for Air Mr Howson to Wing Commander Aron
No 2 Squadron RAAF Canberra bombers being bombed up with 500lb and 1000lb bombs which had been drawn from 1939-1945 stocks. Shows the 21,568th bomb 'Last of the oldies'. The RAAF switched to the US
