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Can you circulate the following ASAP please.

Can anyone provide answers to the following:

1.    Following the departure of 9 Squadron from Vung Tau, the units remaining were 1 OSU and 35 Squadron. OSU included a detachment of ADGs. When did 1OSU and the ADGs withdraw?

2.    Within OSU was there a position known as "Base Defence Officer" or something akin to that?

3.    Did/how the ADGs (who I recall had the task of guarding/protecting the RAAF compound) coordinate with the US Army airfield protection component and the Australian Army equivalent at Back Beach?

4.    Does anyone have a map depicting the Vung Tau airfield and adjacent Back Beach area? If so, can you provide a copy?

Why? I have been asked to assist a veteran who has a claim for entitlements that is to be heard by the AAT later this month. He needs some factual assistance!

Your support will be gratefully appreciated and any request for confidence will be honoured.

Please respond directly to Nick (our President) either by
Email nicklm2@bigpond.com ,
telephone 03-9386 6961 or 0408 383 182 in the first instance.

regards

Nick

Nick,
    I was based at Vung Tau with 1OSU there was a Defence Officer Lionel Blakely ( I think ).
    We departed Vung Tau by C130 27 Feb.1972 and after refuelling in Darwin landed at Mascot Am hours 28 Feb.1972.
    I hope this is of some help
        Sincerely
                    Nigel Marshall
                    ADG
                    now retired

I have received the following request for any information anyone may have about the following incident:

It may be that one of our \"dustoff\" crews aided the Americans in this incident. Please respond to the following email address if you can assist.

Ralph Chappell
captrechappell@yahoo.com

I am returning to Vietnam in March and a group of us will be holding a Memorial for some of our friends who were killed flying support missions for the Australian forces.

I am seeking any information you might have about the incident, particularly the location of the crash.

Steve Pemberton, posted at our unit web site two years ago and told us he was the last person to talk to the crew as he was the Radio Operator at Diggers Rest FSB on the day of the event.

We have been unable to locate him since.

The crash date is 08/30/1969 and involved a CH-47A helicopter number 64-13161 and was assigned to the 205th Assault Support Helicopter Company known as \"The Geronimo's\"; based at Phu Loi northwest of Saigon. We had a close working relationship and enjoyed a \"party\" exchange between our unit and the Aussies at Nui Dat, thus we knew quite a number of you.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Ralph Chappell
Geronimo 33

Flight Lieutenant
Kenneth Duncan McLeod DFC
O31479
-:-
Birth Date : 14 April 1920
Birth Place : Sydney, NSW
Dates of Service : 27 June 1950 to 9 October 1950
Days in Service : 105
Honours : DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
Mustering : Pilot
Unit :
No. 77 (Fighter) Squadron

Pom,

Roz Turner, the unit Histories Officer at office of Air Force History put this snippet on the Aviation Folder on our system today:

11 February 1970
Airfield Defence Guards in Vietnam fight

At about 0230 hours on this day, an eight-man section of RAAF Airfield Defence Guards on listening patrol outside the US airbase at Phan Rang, South Vietnam, fought an enemy party of unknown size. In two earlier incidents that night, pairs of enemy were repelled as they attempted to penetrate the base's perimeter. As a result, Corporal Noel Power shifted his section's position to cover two canal crossings most likely to be used by withdrawing intruders. Moments later the patrol exchanged fire with an unseen enemy in an action lasting five minutes. After contact was broken, power conducted several sweeps of the area without locating anything. During a further search at dawn, however, his men found a wounded enemy from whom it was learnt that a raid by North Vietnamese sappers had been foiled.

Power received the first Military Medal awarded to a RAAF member since World War II.

Cheers,

Vic

Pom,

Here's another snippet from "Today in RAAF History" courtesy of Roz Turner at the Office of Air Force History.

RAAF Helicopters gave support to Operation Bribie

On 17 February 1967 a South Vietnamese Army outpost near the fishing village of Lang Phuoc Hai came under attack and called for assistance from the Australian Task Force at nearby Nui Dat. A full battalion (6RAR) was sent in response, the first companies of which were inserted by American Army and RAAF Iroquois helicopters; a fourth rifle company travelled across country in armoured personnel carriers. Although the landing zone had not been secured, seven aircraft from No 9 Squadron and eight from the US Army were used to fly in three companies for what was called Operation Bribie. The enemy force unexpectedly stood its ground during what became a major action that did not favour the Australian Army, resulting in 35 casualties (including eight killed) before fighting ended next day. Throughout the battle, RAAF helicopters flew in food, water and ammunition, and evacuated the dead and injured.

Cheers,

Vic

Well fellas another missing name of 4 course has surfaced
Peter Culbert.

Hi the person between John brown and Pat Allen is me, Peter Culbert, although I failed the trade test due to time out for injury on course I later ended up as telsop c

Regards

Peter culbert

G'day Pom I have noticed that my name is not the nominal roll for OSU.. I was there 1968-1969 with gilly stewie smedley and others. I must not forget JBH the drunken flight sergeant thorley and kenny lovell

Could you add me to the roll please.

Sincerely

Errol (Charlie) Charles
Janice Charles
07 3814 2871
0428 154 917
ejmpstch@bigpond.net.au