1 Armoured Squadron Workshop, RAEME, South Vietnam
OC's Diary — January - June 1968
Index of Links
About the Author Preface Introduction January — 1 to 10 January — 11 to 20 January — 21 to 31 Tet 1968 February — 1 to 14 February — 15 to 29 March — 16 to 31 April — 1 to 30 May — 1 to 31 June — 1 to 20 Conclusion Abbreviations
March 1968 — 1st to 15th
- Friday — 1 March 1968
- Worked from the R&I and P&C Building for the first time today. All workshop sections functioning well.
- Maj McDONALD looked over the workshop yesterday and is quite pleased with it.
- It is thought that the workshop will get all the Tels and Instr tradesmen and be responsible for all Task Force Instr repairs.
- Clean up where the old workshop site was. Now looks a lot better.
- Carby trouble on Cent main engine. Float level.
- Saturday — 2 March 1968
- Tanks zeroed their 20 pounders today and their 30 cal Brownings. Infra reds tonight.
- The carby job will take longer than thought as special tools had to be made.
- My new tent is about half sandbagged and should be finished tomorrow.
- R&I and P&C procedures are well in control with Lt JONES and ASM JUERS.
- Workshop Flying Squad worked until 10 p.m.
- Sunday — 3 March 1968
- W02 GARCIA crushed his second finger left hand and has to get it X-rayed tomorrow. W02 GARCIA went back to work as soon as he got back from the Doctor. The finger is definitely broken.
- The workshop men laid the wire for our outer perimeter fence 3 RAR to Engineer Road. Burnt off the undergrowth down to the dam so that we can continue the wire and eventually go across to the Engineer perimeter.
- My tent is now sandbagged (Officers' lines) and the tent is erected. Move up tomorrow.
- Tanks have been firing all day. Workshop work up to date. Carby job OK.
- Monday — 4 March 1968
- A RAEME Tradesman working for RAE has badly cut his foot with a chain saw. At least two days no duties. Two accidents in two days.
- A warning order has been issued for C Sqns first operation — Operation PINNAROO.
- RAEME Tradesmen to go out —
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- M113 Al (FRV)
- Sgt CRAIG (VM)
- Cpl VEARING, (VM)
- Cpl BROOKS (GCE)
- Cpl HUGHES (GE)
- Cfn PARKINSON (VM)
- Cfn ROSS (VM)
- Cfn KELLY (VM)
- L/Cpl STEVENS (Radio)
- ARV
- Sgt DeJONG
- Cfn SHEDDON
- Cfn MATUSZAZAK
- Cfn KEARTON
- Modifying ARVs by fitting ARV Command Gun Shield plus side plates above the jib racks with half inch plate to the height of the turret.
- M113 Al has placed all reserve ammunition external stowage.
- A warning order was placed with RAAOC to set up RAAOC Stores for the Fire Support Base for the above operation.
- The area being worked is full of M16 mines. This area has been constantly bombed. It is thought that the VC would have collected many of the UXBs and set them up as mines. It is a calculated risk using tanks as mine clearance. In Stage 5 the tanks will be in a good role as Fire Support. This operation will make or mar the use of tanks.
- Tuesday — 5 March 1968
- The crews are now ready for the first major operation.
- The M113 Al FRVs have been re-positioned in the workshop area behind the R&I office. Duty people to sleep in an 11' x 11' tent behind the M113.
- Moved into my office today.
- Operation PINNAROO has six stages (LONG HI Mtns 3–5 week operation)
- Stage 1 —Infantry secure area
- Stage 2 —Dozer tanks clear lanes for infantry to work
- Stage 3 —Air, artillery soften up
- Stage 4 —Not before 15 March cordon, clear cps
- Stage 5 —Clear high ground by infantry. Fire support by tanks
- Stage 6 —Clear the area by US land clearing teams plus 1 Fd Sqn.
- Wednesday — 6 March 1968
- General McDONALD, Commander 1 ATF, visited this area today.
- Operation PINNAROO - our part has been postponed for 24 hrs at this stage.
- Dust is very bad in this area and will continue to be a problem till May when the wet starts. Every day the wind blows strongly (February / March).
- R&R leave is sorted out allowing for trade, R&R vacancies, and unit allocations. The soldiers are all going where they have nominated, but not when they nominated it. This is, of course, subject to change.
- Cfn BLACKFORD is still out of action with his cut foot. 6 stitches — quite painful.
- Cpl MASON is going to keep my maps up to date and will use it himself for recovery.
- At approx 2100 hrs a fire started at the fire point. I went over and got clearance to move beyond the wire to put the fire out. When the fire was out Lt Jerry McCORMICK and his crew sighted a light. I had my compass with me. Bearing 1600 mls and 1 hr later moved to 1750 mls. Could not get a clearance to fire as patrols are in the area.
- Thursday — 7 March 1968
- I missed writing this day up. I remember we worked up until lights out, but each day is so like the next it is hard to recall.
- The tank dozers cleared a big area down by the workshops and the area is now cleared ready for defence wiring.
- Friday — 8 March 1968
- Two dozer tanks, one bridgelayer tank, one ARV, two M113s moved out at 0730hrs.
- SITREP by Sgt DeJONG as at 0815hrs.
Trip down minor boggings including myself - no winch needed. First contact by 3 CAV - no hits
Second contact - sited by the layer and myself. I VC at Bound "Devil's Kitchen". I opened fire first. Missed him, damn it. VC looked as if he was carrying AN PRG. I am carrying the first round fired in anger. VC fled to hell out of it.
The crew are excellent. Cfn SHEDDON is a good driver and should become very proficient. Cfn MATUSAZAK OK so far.
I found the 30 cal mount very poor. Continual stoppages due to disintegrating belt links becoming blocked on RH side where gun is fixed to mount. Also stoppages and double feeds due to accumulation of shells underneath 30 cal where gun mount is fixed to upright. Suggest this be modified on 38B. If I did not have stoppages, we would have had our first kill. Also butt of 30 cal is too close to the centre of cupola. Eddie NAUGHTON might back me up on this. I find that a 50 cal would do a better job than a 30 cal as we have to fire through thick scrub and undergrowth and would do this better. You can tell Dick GARCIA that the gun shield and side plate armour are excellent and that they did a good job. The ARV is running like a dream. No trouble. The bridgelayer 92A had a broken hydraulic line. I think Kevin CRAIG has it fixed.
At the moment I am lost without a crew commander's headset. If one becomes available could you send it ASP. If I have to talk to the driver I miss messages.
I will keep you informed on everything possible so you can pass the information on to anyone that requires it.
Signed Peter Dejong
PS. We were fired upon with some small arms , no hits. A later message stated both tank dozers out of commission. Require one hydraulic pump, one elevation amplifier. Both parts immediately available.
- FFR Radio training today. 38B got bogged during training while attempting a river crossing. War Museum painter, Ken McFADGEN taking photographs during the recovery at the river crossing.
- Fire at the helipad.
- Cfn PEARCE got his finger caught as he jumped off a vehicle. Had to get his finger amputated. Rings on fingers are dangerous.
- Pte. COOK had his rifle stolen when he was in BARIA.
- Saturday — 9 March 1968
- Sgt. MILLINGTON, Dozer commander, went out in a 113 with A Sqn 3 Cav., and got a wound in the head. This meant that the dozer tank was without a commander. The dozer tanks are vital to Operation PINNAROO.
- Pte COOK's rifle given to the Provosts, so it is no longer lost.
- Copy of a letter from Sgt. CRAIG.
Repairs to tank dozer taking longer than expected, due to inaccessible flange nut between left hand fuel tank and bulk head.
Both hydraulic pipes have broken in the same position. This being due to the pipes being brass and no room for movement between the main engine and the hull.
Repairs taken to rectify can only be classed as temporary due to the pipe being held rigid.
Suggest this be looked into, with a view of pipes being changed to copper or some suitable material.
If diagram of pipe cannot be located in your area, send copper pipe 1/2 inch outside diameter 8' long. We can make pipe with our resources.
All members of crew working well. No worries otherwise.
K. Craig.
- The pipe was obtained and flown out on the first possible plane.
- Sunday — 10 March 1968
- Completed the modification to Sgt NAUGHTON'S ARV; i.e., side plate and gun shield.
- Welding section worked until 10 pm. 14 hrs without a stop. Relayed through meals. Almost finished slasher blade for the tank. Cfn STAPLES caught reading whilst on picquet.
- The projector broke down again 3/4 way through a film. This happens too often.
- A dozer tank smashed a LH front Idler wheel. Fell in a big hole. An idler wheel weighs 2961b. It went out by chopper.
- Burnt off the crock park area of the workshop and around the Tels section. Cleaned up very well.
- An accidental fire occurred from the canteen incinerator and burnt out the banana plantation by the canteen. Only damage — no communication to EBONY switchboard (Salvo Maj. Jack OSBORNE could have knowledge as to how the fire started).
- Monday — 11 March 1968
- Welding sect started at 0600 hrs and completed the trial slasher blade by 0920 hrs.
- A two day shake down operation starts at 1000 hrs today. 0 Group was at 0800 hrs. Our crew consisted of
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- M113 Al (FRV)
- Sgt JENSEN
- Cpl SZELEST
- Cpl LANGRIDGE
- Cpl LORD
- Cpl TINDALL
- ARV
- Sgt NAUGHTON
- Cfn RICKARDS
- Cfn FINCH
- Cfn Cfn BENTLEY
- Defence Conference. We man two pits in the workshop area and two pits in the Sp Eq area during Stand To. Only man two listening posts at night and one during the day.
- The first frame has been erected for the workshop building A Vehicle repairs.
- Tanks performing quite well on the local operation.
- Dozer tanks not performing very well. Hydraulic leak in dozer jacks.
- Tuesday — 12 March 1968
- The dozer hydraulic jacks and 20 pounder buffer parts arrived from Australia.
- The dozer tank that broke the LH idler wheel has now lost the RH idler wheel. Two troops commanded by Maj BADMAN were due in tonight, but two tanks have been badly bogged and have been working since 10 am to extricate them. The two troops have to stay out until tomorrow.
- WO Peter GALLAGHER has bought a photograph album and we have set up our photographs showing the forming of the unit. We may present this to Brig. MARTIN when he arrives at the end of March.
- Wrote a letter today requesting that all requests for spare parts are processed through Workshops and not RAAOC. Parts have been sent out without knowing what vehicle they are for. Also wrong parts have been sent due to lack of understanding of requirements.
- The C Sqn tank track outer perimeter is 1.2 miles around
- Workshop living accommodation area 100 yds x 150 yds Workshop working area is 150 yds x 150 yds
- Wednesday — 13 March 1968
- Message for Bluebell. "Get all people ready for work on AFVs immediately they arrive in. Think about replacing all shackles etc on the ARVs."
- It will be interesting to see what is required.
- The tanks arrived in 1130 hrs. The Major was quite pleased with the ARV crews. Breakages were tank tow ropes plus one of our tow ropes (short).
- In general the tanks only had minor work; i.e. side track guards sprung due to bogging.
- The tank workshops has three frames up. It is a monster building.
- Thursday — 14 March 1968
- The tanks are repaired and ready for operation except 049 buffers and 090 suspension and 007 zeroing.
- Generally we are up to date with our work.
- Friday — 15 March 1968
- Two troops moved out on an Inf Tank Trg Operation. No trouble.