A Battalion's Baptism of Fire
On the night of 2 March 1971, 3RAR's rifle companies settled into their
night defensive positions and began the routine of posting sentries,
eating, and cleaning weapons. This had now become second nature, and the
riflemen were growing accustomed to the rigours of patrolling and
searching for the ever elusive enemy. Many of the riflemen still felt
that the training "in country" was almost like an exercise being
conducted in Australia. This was to change within a few hours. By 1820
hours on the night of 2 March, C and D companies had settled into their
respective night positions. C Company harboured up with 5 Troop C
Squadron 1 Armoured Regiment. D Company harboured up on the edge of a
narrow finger of a paddy field with a reasonable amount of visibility.
At 2000 hours both Cand D companies reported movement on their
perimeters and probing by an enemy force of unknown strength.
At 2020 hours, 11 Platoon, under the leadership of Lieutenant David
Horner, sighted one to two enemy 20 to 30 metres away from their
position. The claymore mines were immediately fired and the area to
their front was engaged by the platoon's machine-guns. Illumination was
also called for and a sweep of the area was about to commence when
approximately ten enemy were sighted outside the perimeter. The
machine-gunners opened fire in an effort to suppress the area with small
arms fire.
At almost the same time, 10 Platoon, commanded by Lieutenant John
Wheeler, sighted an unknown number of the enemy in front off the
south-east section of the harbour. The platoon immediately engaged the
area of the sighting with small arms fire.The enemy were using whistles
and flares as a means of signalling and directing their fire and
movement onto the perimeter.
Incoming AK47 small arms fire was being received by 10 Platoon. Suddenly
a large explosion was heard in the 10 Platoon position, and, amid the
flying metal fragments, two of the riflemen were killed--Lieutenant John
Wheeler and Private Paul Manning-- with Private E.G. Strickland and
Private Keith R. Hammond wounded. These casualities had a profound
effect on the whole battalion; nobody could believe it had happened and
so quickly after 3RAR's arrival.
Before the explosion Lieutenant Wheeler was seen moving fron position to
position, at great risk to himself, giving support and encouragement to
his troops. It was later suggested that for an explosion of such a
magnitude it could have only been a satchel charge. A close inspection
later revealed that many of the trees in the surrounding area had metal
fragements embedded in them, similiar to a 20 pound high explosive
round.
Those involved directly and indirectly in the battalion's first major
contact came to the sudden realisation that Vietnam was a real war where
people got killed and wounded.Many of the riflemen in the battalion came
to grips with the situation very quickly, yet others never made the
transition. They would, years late, become the unseen casualties of the
Vietnam war.
Supplied to me by Mike English
from his proposed book "The Riflemen", thanks Mike