When our bus arrived bus at Puckapunyal's 2RTB on January 29, 1969, we were met by a lanky two-striper who we came to know as Corporal Green. He shouted and carried on like just every other recruit instructor that you've seen on television. 2RTB was the starting point for all national servicemen, i.e. conscripted soldiers. It would be our home for the next twelve weeks. While Corporal Green was theatrical, he was a skilled instructor. In 48 hours he taught us how to make our beds, fold clothes, iron shirts, and march in step.
By Week Two we learned to fire our 7.62mm self-loading rifles, and how to strip, clean, and re-assemble and re-load. This was followed by doing the same with the F1 submachine gun. Even though I wasn’t naturally drawn to weapons, most of enjoyed learning to shoot from the various positions (standing, kneeling and prone).
Week Three saw us in our new greens which replaced the second-hand ones we’d been using. This included new boxer shorts. The dye in my boxers caused my testicles to glow red. I doubled up in pain and was taken to the Batallion's hospital. There were 1200 recruits in my intake and I was the only one with the reaction. My testicles mist be special.
Ours was the 15th intake of recruits at Pucka, all from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia. Recruits from New South Wales and Queensland were trained at Singleton in the Hunter Valley.
We were split into twenty platoons, each with sixty recruits. Not everyone got through recruit training, though. For instance, one recruit from 18 Platoon cut off his finger with a bayonet. I think he got the discharge he was after.
The magnificent troops of Hut One, 19 Platoon,. Corporal Green, centre, second row, was obviously sad we were leaving.
The previous December, three of us recruits had completed our fitting and machining apprenticeships at Geelong's International Harvester factory. Out of the three, only one was alloc-ated to the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Me. As for the other two, Tim and the late John Penning (far right, back row in the photo), were allocated to Infantry. Relieved, I was sent to Bandiana to undertake a six-week course in the maintenance and repair of artillery guns, Howitzers and the like.
I was next posted to A Squadron, 3 Cavalry Regiment in Holsworthy as an armament fitter, repairing and maintaining things mechanical. 3 Cav was an Armoured Corps unit equipped with M113 person-nel carriers, mounted with .30 and .50 calibre machine guns. There wasn’t a Howitzer for miles. I quickly adjusted and got on with the job. The leaders of both my unit and the Regiment itself were impressive officers and soldiers. Major John Coates, rose to be General of the Army.
My enthusiasm for army life grew, and by September I successfully applied for Officer Training. Both of us were accepted, with plans to begin training at Portsea in January. However, the very next day, I received my posting to Vietnam. The Colonel who headed up the Selection Board suggested that I complete my deployment in Vietnam (a 'safe' posting in my case) and then go to OCU in the July intake. I agreed and was promptly sent off on exercise followed by jungle training—mandatory for everyone with a Vietnam posting.
South Vietnam
Infantry battalions were typically trans-ported to Vietnam aboard the Sydney, a retired Navy aircraft carrier. However, the majority of us—around 70 to 80%—traveled on a weekly Qantas flights instead. During a refueling stop in Sing-apore, we were required to change our army shirts for civilian clothing. This was Singapore's strategy for distancing itself from involvement in the Vietnam War. We arrived in Saigon early in the morning. Our final approach was steep, presumably to minimise being hit by rockets.
The ground below was punctured with craters and the airfield was crowded with military aircraft. As we came to a stop, I could see Australian soldiers waiting to board. Each one was carrying an AK-47 as well as their personal weapon. Turned out they were an advance party of 5RAR soldiers waiting to board the outward flight.
We waited around in the heat for about three hours before being flown to Vung Tau in a Fairchild C-123 Provider aircraft like the one in the banner above. It had two turbo-prop engines and two booster jet engines. Sorry, I'm an aircraft tragic.
My new unit was As we came into land I noticed that I had a sore throat. I soon found out that five of us were heading for my new unit 102 Field Workshop at the Australian Logistics Support Group. Bill Brady was one. Bill, an auto electrician from Colac, was in my hut at Pucka (third from left, back row), and also at corps training at Bandiana.
My throat got so sore that I didn't sleep very well on my first-night 'in-country.' I had difficulty swallowing. My new sergeant-major sent me to the hospital (it was just over the road) to get check-out. The duty medic (not a doctor) could not see any signs of infection. I was referred to a doctor and then a psychologist. His first question was, "are you missing your mother?" I spent the night in the hospital and was released in the morning without a diagnosis. Maybe I was more fond of my mother than I thought.
25 Apr 2025