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 — 21 to 31 Tet 1968 February — 1 to 14 February — 15 to 29 March — 1 to 15 March — 16 to 31 April — 1 to 30 May — 1 to 31 June — 1 to 20 Conclusion Abbreviations
January 1968 — 11th to 20th
- Thursday — 11 January 1968
- W02 GALLAGHER took 5 men to VUNG TAU to collect a wrecker and a 2.5 ton MK 3 from 102 Fd Workshops. The TQMS also went to the Self Service.
- We had to collect 2,000 sandbags today and we have an order for 2,000 more tomorrow. Concrete laying is still in progress out at the site.
- I approached A Branch to upgrade our loan for the Canteen and Messes. $600 to $1500. This morning I went to the Canteen and costed the week's supply for 250 men.
- I saw Capt MARR (Q) and asked to have our refrigerator fitted and working by 28 January as we collect our Stores on January 29 and prepare our first meal on 30th when the Main Body arrive.
- Operation DUNTROON (2RAR, 7 RAR, 1 CAV, TF Arty) are in position. The guns were firing brackets most of the night. It will be interesting to see if we can trap the VC Battalion 274.
- I sited the workshop's temporary site for the construction period of the main workshop.
- Friday — 12 January 1968
- The Deputy Commander (Col WHITE), visited our site today to see if we had any problems. Col WHITE has promised to make sure that our area will not be fired upon by friendly troops.
- Weather continues to be hot and fine; the nights are cool and comfortable.
- Just lately our artillery has been firing until the early hours of the morning, and sleep for the uninitiated is not easy. I will be pleased to get to our area and away from the artillery.
- The Officers', WO'S and Sgts' lines are almost complete. It has taken about 1,000 sandbags per tent. A 5-ton truck can carry 500 bags and a 2.5-ton, 250 bags.
- We had the engineers clear an area for our cinema. The workshops will place urinals (2) in the cinema area.
- Ken and I went to 1 I'd Sqn RAE Officers Mess last night. I saw and spoke to Capt Brian WADIE, Capt Len MASTERS OC LAD, Capt Peter SNOWDEN, OC 4 Fd Regt LAD.
- The recovery policy here is, if it is at all possible, recovery will be done immediately. There is little possibility of the casualty being booby-trapped. If the vehicle is left overnight there is a fair chance that the casualty will be booby-trapped.
- It is essential to have the recovery vehicles hot to trot 24 hrs per day, seven days a week. Protection parties arranged through 1 ATF HQ.
- Saturday — 13 January 1968 SATURDAY
- The Deputy Commander came to the site again today and informed me that 3 RAR would put in a single eight barbed wire fence from 3 RAR to the Engineers mine field. Also 2 RAR will put up a similar fence from 2 RAR to 3 RAR. This means we will be well fenced in without any workload.
- The sumps (30' x 12' x 2') have been dug for our showers and laundry water.
- Nine 3' x 10' round holes have been dug for our urinals. The sumps and urinals will be filled with quarry rubble to within 1 ft from the top. The shower sumps will have 12 inches of dirt on galvanised iron and the urinals will be placed in the rubble-filled holes and earth packed around the outside. The facilities constructed will be superior to any in NUI DAT or VUNG TAU.
- I spoke to Maj COHEN (21C 3 RAR), co-ordinating defence in our area. We will site the 2 M113 FRVs as the strong point when the main body of the Workshops arrive.
- Sunday — 14 January 1968
- Today we consolidated what we had achieved and assessed our priorities.
- 28 16' x 16' tent floorboards completed.
- 4 16' x 16' tent floorboards still to complete.
- 14 tents have been sandbagged (1,000 per tent).
- 9 protection pits 8' deep, 12-15' long with 3' overhead cover completed. 7 to go.
- 3 shower drains dug. 24' long x 12' deep x 2 ft wide. These to be filled with blast rock.
- 9 Urinal pits 3' in diameter 10' deep dug. These to be filled with blast rock.
- 12 Urinals made using syphon system.
- Priority for work on the site.
- Complete floorboards for tents.
- Prepare urinals and shower soakage pits for blast rock and complete and fill with blast rock.
- Collect sandbags and dump 1,000 by each floorboard.
- Ken and I collected RO Part I for 1967 so we can have ROs started. Lt. CATTERALL and I will work on this. Ken and I also got a loan of 1 Fd Sqn RAE SOPs. I will use these as a guide for our SOPs.
- Operation DUNTROON is going very well. I believe the NZ Infantry Coy has done a good job.
- Monday — 15 January 1968
- Two tip trucks carried blast rock to our site all day today. All the urinals and shower sumps have been filled. This still leaves a lot of work to make the job complete; i.e., stench pipes for the toilets, breather pipes for the shower sumps, gauze for the urinals plus oil, and clearing the spoil away.
- The Engineers moved in today and the toilet and shower buildings are going up. The RAE have also left the timber for the stand for the 1,000 gallon water tank for the shower.
- Out of the blue the Deputy Commander said "what a good job the boys are doing". I agreed they have worked very well.
- I started Camp Standing Orders today. The Orders will cover Security, Patrolling, Resupply, Gambling, Intoxicating Liquor, Camp Timings, etc. It is a lot of work but needed to run our camp when we move out.
- Today Major BADMAN was due in according to past information and letters from home.
- I must compliment the HQ Staff. They have assisted us in every way possible. It is without doubt the best Staff I have ever worked with.
- At an Amenities Conference we will not be getting a projector before late February. This is not good enough. I will see what I can do.
- Tuesday — 16 January 1968
- Today was mainly concerned with preparing Camp Standing Orders. The aim of the Orders is purely to get the Unit off the ground when the Main Party arrive.
- Out at the site the lads completed 9 urinals, the toilet and the shower sumps.
- Sent a signal to Australia requesting 2 projectors and 4 110-volt transformers. Maj GURNEY (DAQMG) said he was going to follow up our refrigeration.
- I went over to A Sqn 3 Cav Regt Mess for pre-dinner drinks and dinner. I had a look at the M113 Al APC which had been hit by rockets. Both rockets hit high and the poor blighters were very unlucky to have been hit. The carrier buckled beyond repair.
- The TQMS received our 1/2-ton trailer with all our Q and Orderly Room documents. The salt water had got into it badly and has caused a lot of duplication of work. The mistake we made was not to pull the plug out of the bottom of the trailer.
- No mail for 2 days due to the postal strike.
- Wednesday — 17 January 1968
- Today was a very satisfying day. David CATTERALL and I completed Camp Standing Orders (Prov) for C Sqn Gp. The defence plan was made for the workshop area. This area will be occupied prior to the C Sqn Main Party moving in.
- All protection pits completed. All showers and urinals completed. 17 tents sandbagged with 15 to go.
- The Deputy Commander and the DAQMG have been full of praise for the work we have done and standard we have achieved.
- Laurie LILLEY (CSM) is making shaving-washing benches for our shower area.
- Tomorrow we start our camp erection and tent wiring.
- A front end loader and two tippers are available for clearing our perimeter for our defence wiring.
- Owing to our position I intend to erect two 4-strand barbed wire fences around our perimeter, one each side of the road. The reason I do not intend to put barbed wire entanglements is that it would only be temporary, whereas the fences are a necessity to define the workshop area and will be permanent.
- The possibility of enemy infiltration in large numbers is almost nil at this stage.
- There has been intense patrolling and thousands of rounds of artillery fire. Both the RAAF, US Air Force and Army Aviation sweep our areas constantly and have their eyes peeled for enemy action of any sort.
- Thursday — 18 January 1968
- I did the Workshops and 1 ATF LAD pay today to assist Capt BRIGGS who wanted to go to VUNG TAU.
- Ken JONES and Peter GALLAGHER have taken a vehicle each and gone to VUNG TAU on a scrounge trip.
- Maj BADMAN arrived today. I showed him the paper work and the fact that I had part sorted it out. We did a tour of the C Sqn site and discussed defence in three stages.
- Overall defence when the tanks are in.
- The inner perimeter for when the F echelon is out.
- The temporary perimeter for the Workshops and Advance Party of C Sqn as from 30 January.
- The Deputy Commander (Col WHITE) spoke very well of our efforts in preparing our site.
- Friday — 19 January 1968
- Attended a Defence Recce with the Deputy Commander, Maj BADMAN, OC 1 Fd Sqn RAE (Maj KEMP), 21C 3 RAR, (Maj COHEN) and a Maj from 2 RAR.
- The main outer wire or perimeter wire was sited. This is being laid by 2 and 3 RAR.
- The Deputy is considering strong points in the valley out from our Workshops.
- Engineers gave us a front-end loader and 2 tippers for the day. We had them clean some defence perimeters for wire laying and in the banana plantation we had the front-end loader clear out every second row of bananas, allowing air gaps and ease of cleaning it out.
- W02 Bob PETTETT has most of the electric light poles in position and has started tensioning the wire up.
- The site is looking very well. The men continue to do a very good job.
- WO1 JUERS has had a large picture screen made . This has to be erected and painted.
- W02 LILLEY has made three washing benches for shaving etc. He has done a good job.
- The ORs kitchen and mess hall is well under way. If things continue the way they are going we will have completed our commitment; i.e. tents completed with floor, sandbags and lights; showers and toilets completed; rations, beer and pictures available when the troops arrive. We may not get a projector for showing films.