ANZAC Day 2011

[Senior Pilot]

For those in Australia marching with current and past helicopter pilots involved in action around the world: enjoy the game of Two Up, and the respect of fellow pilots around the world :ok:

And a special tribute to RAN Detachment, 9 Squadron (http://www.navy.gov.au/RAN_Detachment,_9_Squadron_Vietnam) with thoughts of Tony Hill and others

http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/royal-australian-navy/images/9-sqn/gallery/P02975_001.jpg

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Ta for the linky, Senior - I didn't recognise my SOAF Sqn boss in 1982-3 from his picture there, I have to say.

[SASless]

Last weekend was my Vietnam Chinook unit Reunion (205th Geronimo's)....we were privileged to work with the Australians during the War.

We formed a close relationship with our friends from Down Under....and had some really smashing parties at both Phu Loi (our place) and Nui Dat (their place) along with some hard days working.

We raised a glass again last weekend in memory of them and those times!

Proud to have served with you!:ok:

[topendtorque]

Much to my dismay at the time, I didn't get to VN but for other reasons I always watch a march on telly it being the only way to get close to one.

I have to say that the Brisbane one today had an excellent turnout of Nine Sqdn., the best and biggest of all the returned Air Force section.

We have an extra day holiday this year over Easter because of today, so I guess they'll be drinking lemonade all day tomorrow as well.
cheers tet

[Igor13]

Thoughts go out to 3 Sqn RNZAF, 12 months after their tragic accident on the way to the ANZAC Day flypast last year.

Lest We Forget

[Peter-RB]

Senior Pilot,

Like many of us here in the Northern part of our Globe, I only ever heard of the Austrailian SAS doing things in the Vietnam conflict/theatre. having just read from the link you posted I am embarrassed to find a huge gap in my knowledge of what these chaps from the Australian Armed Service really did to help the US.

Very brave actions seem to have been involved with very little attention drawn to it (if any) by our Northern Hemisphere Press Barons.

Gentlemen, one old Heli guy from Lancashire Salutes you for past deeds and undoubted bravery......:ok:

PeterR-B
Vfrpilotpb

[bellsux]

135th Assault Helicopter - Taipans (http://www.135ahc.net/)

The 135th Assault Helicopter Company.

[Brian Abraham]

Peter-RB, for Oz Vietnam Naval operations see here

Naval Operations in Vietnam - Royal Australian Navy (http://www.navy.gov.au/Naval_Operations_in_Vietnam)

For Oz Navy aviation operations

RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam - Royal Australian Navy (http://www.navy.gov.au/RAN_Helicopter_Flight_Vietnam)

[Peter-RB]

Bellsux & Brian A.

Thank you for those very interesting links, I have spent the last 4 hours since 0500 this day reading throughthe script,

Extremely interesting and I say again what a brave set of guys, not forgetting the guys on the ground who kept the entire circus flying and fed. a little more history has been added to fill an obvious void.

Thank you guys !! :D

Peter R-B
Vfrpilotpb

[Senior Pilot]

I should (of course!) have mentioned Brian in my original post:

Kien Long

The first major action for RANHFV '70 occurred on October 11 near Kien Long, on the eastern fringe of the U Minh about fifty miles south-west of Can Tho where an enemy force thought to be a battalion with a heavy weapons company was entrenched in a treeline. EMU aircraft landed four times under heavy mortar and B40 rocket fire to insert ARVN troops. Five of the helicopters were hit and one, with LEUT B.G Abraham as co-pilot, was forced down nearby. The enemy withdrew to the U Minh as night fell, leaving twenty-six dead in the field. The ARVN troops suffered eighty-eight casualties.
Near the end of the month, the direct combat support helicopter assigned to Dinh Tuong was badly damaged while parked on a road when a small boy threw a rocket canister into its tail rotor.
Dinh Tuong province remained the major area of enemy activity in Military Region 4 during November. The Viet Cong continued with the pattern of night attacks which they had established three months earlier by harassing small outposts on moonlit nights to probe their defences in preparation for later attacks during moonless nights.
On 5 November, the EMU gunship platoon killed three Viet Cong in the Ca Mau peninsula and the following day, near Mo Cay, Kien Hoa province, two Viet Cong were killed by the crew of the command and control helicopter and one by the Taipans.
http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Gunship-firing.jpg (http://www.navy.gov.au/File:Gunship-firing.jpg) Taipan gunship in action


Early in the morning of 22 November, armed Viet Cong were detected attempting to land from a junk onto a beach in Kien Hoa province. The EMUs took ARVN troops to the area and the command and control aircraft killed one Viet Cong. The main target of Viet Cong attacks in December was the South Vietnamese pacification program, by which the government sought to extend education, health and social welfare schemes to the rural population.


Rescue at Giong Trom

An insertion of units of the 7th ARVN Division near Giong Trom proved disastrous for the troops concerned when the helicopters received heavy fire from the rear as the soldiers were disembarking. The Viet Cong had known of the location of the intended landing Zone and had prepared it as an ambush site. Out of forty soldiers, twenty-two were killed and ten wounded. Led by LEUT Abraham, the helicopters quickly took off under fire. Two crewmembers in the flight were injured and one helicopter was so badly damaged that it was forced to land nearby in an insecure area. It again came under heavy fire as the command and control helicopter, that landed twice to take off the crew and rig the aircraft for lifting out, rescued them.
http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Company-lift.jpg (http://www.navy.gov.au/File:Company-lift.jpg) Company lift


Late in February, a gunship flown by SBLT W.J. Shurey was hit twice when supporting the 21st ARVN Division north of Cai Nuoc, An Xuyen province. The hydraulic system was damaged and the aircraft was forced to land at Quan Long (Ca Mau).


Along with Bomber, Gibbo, Bill, et al, there were just too many names to remember :ok: