On This Day

1960-1975 > Vietnam era

March 25, 1969

CPO A. V. Rashleigh, and AB A. J. Sherlock, of Clearance Diving Team 3, cleared an enemy log barrier more than 30mts long, blocking a channel in the Mekong Delta. Troops dispersed along the channel banks kept the enemy at bay, while the divers fastened explosive charges under the log barrier.

March 23, 1969

The Daring class destroyer HMAS VENDETTA, (CMDR E. E. Johnson, RAN), carried out naval gunfire support duties in operations off the coast of Vietman.

March 21, 1969

The following personnel of the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam, were decorated for their service:-MID (Posthumous) LEUT A.A. Casadio, RAN MID LEUT R.J. Godfrey, RANMID SBLT J.W. Dagleish, RANMID POE (AW) R. Muscio

March 20, 1969

The guided missile destroyer HMAS BRISBANE, (CAPT A. A. Willis, RAN), sailed from Sydney on her first deployment in Vietnam.

March 17, 1969

The guided missile destroyer HMAS PERTH, (CAPT D. W. Leach, RAN), acted as naval gunfire support ship for II Corps in support of an operation by the US 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam.

February 22, 1969

The Attack class patrol boat HMAS BAYONET, (LEUT A. VODIC, RAN ), was commissioned at Urangan, QLD. BAYONET was laid down in Walkers Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in October 1968. Mrs Purves, (Wife of RADM F. W. Purves, RAN), performed the launching ceremony on 6 November 1968.

February 13, 1969

The former HMAS ARUNTA, (Tribal class destroyer), sank 65 miles off Boken Bay while under tow to Japan for breaking up. Although efforts were made to stop the flooding, it was decided that recovery would be impossible, and Arunta was left to capsize and sink off Broken Bay.
While it was never proven the rumour at the time was that former members of ARUNTA’s World War II crew had sabotaged the ship to prevent it reaching Japan to be scrapped.

February 2, 1969

A helicopter crewed by SBLT M. A. Perrott, RAN, and SBLT R. J. Kyle, RAN, rescued the crew of a helicopter gunship shot down within 20 metres of a Viet Cong bunker. The rescued crew were SBLT W. E. Symons, RAN, and SBLT T. E. Supple, RAN.

January 18, 1969

HMAS LAE, (patrol boat), rescued injured and removed dead when Cyclone Ada devastated northern Queensland coastal resorts. For conspicuous gallantry in the rescues the following awards were announced:-MBE LEUT J. Scott, RANBEM ERA K. MattersBEM RO Sehi

January 13, 1969

CPO B. W. Wilson and AB R. H. Spicer of Clearance Diving Team 3, participated in an amphibious operation to destroy enemy positions on 5km of river bank in southern An Xuyen Province, Vietnam. The divers destroyed 65 bunkers, 13 huts, and a concrete revetment while under enemy sniper fire.

January 11, 1969

The Attack class patrol boat, HMAS BUCCANEER, was commissioned. BUCCANEER was laid down in Evans Deakin Yard, QLD, in June 1968, and launched on 14 September 1968. BUCCANEER was decommissioned on 27 July 1984.

January 10, 1969

HMS TRUMP, (submarine), the last of the British submarines on loan to the RAN for training, sailed from Sydney to return to the UK. TRUMP was credited with making the last torpedo attack on an enemy vessel by a British submarine during World War II.

January 9, 1969

HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), fired her 5000th round on her second Vietnam deployment.

January 3, 1969

A 135th Assault Helicopter Company helicopter captained by Sub Lieutenant Anthony Huelin, RAN crashed after striking power lines near Saigon. The mission involved flying from Bearcat to the Seven Mountains area, Chau Doc Province, a distance of about 140 miles. Low cloud and fog conditions were prevailing at the time, but because of the importance of the mission Sub Lieutenant Huelin was unwilling to abandon it. He took off on the long flight early in the morning and, remaining dogged by thick cloud, hit the power lines just before dawn. Those killed in this tragedy included Sub Lieutenant Huelin, RAN, Warrant Officer William Childers (USA), Specialist 4 Ernest Dodson (USA) and Specialist 4 Larry McPherson (USA).

January 1, 1969

The following awards were made for bravery and resource in HMAS HOBART when the destroyer was struck by American aircraft missiles off Vietnam:

• DSM for ME G. H. Sculley
• MID for CAPT K. W. Shands
• MID for LCDR I. A. Callaway

The titles of all RAN Fleet units became fully Australian:

• Guided missile destroyers became the First Australian Destroyer Squadron
• Daring class destroyers the Second Australian Destroyer Squadron
• River class destroyer escorts the Third Australian Destroyer Squadron
• The Fourth Submarine Squadron became the First Australian Submarine Squadron
• The Sixteenth Mine Counter Measures Squadron became the First Australian Mine Counter Measures Squadron.

The RAN adopted the numbering practice used by the US, Canadian and Pakistan Navies, removing the pennant number letter prefix from its ships’ hulls.

December 20, 1968

HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), provided naval gun support in IV Corps sector in Vietnam.

December 14, 1968

The Attack class patrol boat HMAS BANDOLIER, (LEUT R. S. Blue, RAN), was commissioned. BANDOLIER was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in July 1968, and launched on 2 October 1968. Mrs Mary Benson, (Wife of CAPT S. J. Benson, RD, MP), performed the launching ceremony. BANDOLIER was transferred to the Indonesian Navy on 16 November 1973, and renamed KRI SIBARAU.

December 13, 1968

HMAS Curlew recommissioned after conversion to the RANs first Minehunter. She had previously decommissioned on 19 December 1966 for the conversion.

December 10, 1968

Clearance Diving Team 3 recovered bodies, weapons and diving equipment from a Viet Cong supply sampan, sunk in an ambush at Rung Sat, Vietnam.

November 28, 1968

The Attack class patrol boat HMAS MADANG, was commissioned. MADANG was laid down in Evans Deakin & Co Pty Ltd, Brisbane, in March 1968, and launched on 10 August 1968. Mrs Feldt, (Widow of CMDR E. A. Feldt, RAN), performed the launching ceremony.

November 24, 1968

RAN’s Helicopter Flight commenced operations at Bearcat Base in Bien Hoa province, Vietnam.

November 21, 1968

HMAS SYDNEY, (fast troop transport), landed the Australian 9th Battalion, RAR, at Vung Tau, Vietnam.

November 9, 1968

HMA Ships Attack and Sydney (III) left Adelaide and proceeded to cross the Great Australian Bight in atrocious weather. Sydney’s captain, Captain Domara Clarke, MVO, DSC, RAN, later reported that it was the worst crossing of the Bight he had ever experienced while Lieutenant Commander Coleman, a merchant navy officer in civilian life, reported that it was the worst weather he had ever encountered at sea. Coleman and his crew were later commended by both the Naval Officer in Charge, West Australia Area, and the Naval Board for their seamanship during the crossing.

The Australian Government issued the first Vietnam Medals to RAN personnel.

November 5, 1968

The Attack class patrol boat HMAS BOMBARD, was commissioned. She was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in April 1968, and launched on 6 July 1968.

November 1, 1968

New Queen’s Colours were presented to the RAN by His Excellency, the Governor General at a special parade held at Olympic Park No.2 in Melbourne.