Tony Blake's Story

Part one

INTRODUCTION


A Very Young Tony Blake

Selection of incidents experienced by Private Tony Blake; who served in 7RAR from July 1969 to July 1971. While with the Battalion Tony served in three areas within 'A' Company, they were, 7 Section, and 3 Platoon Head Quarters, and as temporary Medic with Company Head Quarters, on two occasions, despite the fact Tony was a Rifleman and not a qualified Medical Corps Medical Assistant. This story is his words and impressions, after many years on being unable to get the experiences of Vietnam out of his day to day living, Tony has started to commit the stories of 3 Platoon's activities to computer, his first effort was published in Issue 22 of the Military Magazine; Australian & NZ Defender, in June 1998.

Tony's experience with 7RAR encompasses the lead up training in Australia, sailing on the Sydney, on the ground in Vietnam with 'A' Company, and the return to Australia, again on the Sydney. A prolific photographer when he was in Vietnam, Tony is seeking some way to have his work published. Question: How does a pom starting his first full day in the Australian Army, standing on a parade ground at Kapooka on ANZAC Day 1969, find himself in a Rifle Section in Vietnam less than 12 months later? Answer, just lucky I guess.

ANZAC Day 1969, 06:00hrs, Recruit Tony Blake was standing on a parade ground at Kapooka, with a sheet wrapped around him, wondering what all the bugle playing was about. He asked a fellow recruit. "Its ANZAC Day, its for all the Diggers who died fighting for Australia",was the reply, "What a great concept", Tony thought, "I've got a lot to learn".

While it might seem indifferent to some, not be aware of Australia's MOST important day of the year, a short introduction might be in order. Meet Mr and Mrs Blake, their eldest son Tony and his three brothers and two sisters. They have just arrived in Australia in April 1965 from England, and having got off the bus at the Fairy Meadow Migrant Hostel, near Wollongong, they were taken to their huts, not unlike the tin ones at Kapooka, that many would remember, and given a meal, settled down to their first night in a new country. Next morning Tony went for a walk down to the beach nearby, the weather was brilliant, so unlike the cold weather left behind in England some four weeks earlier.

Surveying the 'clear' blue sky, the clean white sand, washed by the ocean which also looked so clean and fresh, experiencing the warmth of the morning, without planning to, but realising that he would probably not make it back to England, and not wanting to anyway, Tony made a commitment on the spot. "From this day forward, Australia is my country, in my heart and in my mind and i am here to stay".Tony was 16!

From that day till 25 April 1969, Tony not going back to school in Australia but working shift work in the Port Kembla Steelworks, learnt Surfboard riding and chasing girls like any teenager, never took much notice of events occurring in Australia apart from TV news about the Vietnam War. In 1968 when his call up papers arrived to say that he was deferred from National Service, he had a big decision to make. His Dad was a Veteran of World War 2. A North African War Veteran in the British 8th Army who after fighting the early part of that campaign was wounded after stepping on a mine in 1942 and ended up as a POW. Although not knowing much about his Dad's service as he did not talk about it, Tony was conscious of the fact that his Dad had "done his duty" and served his Country and as Australia was now Tony's country, it was certainly worth fighting for.

He sent away a letter to the department of the Army and some months later was standing on the parade ground of Kapooka having his first education about the ANZAC legend.

7 BATTALION, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT


With Kapooka behind him, Tony was posted to an Infantry Battalion and arrived at 7RAR's Barracks at Holsworthy, straight from Kapooka to undergo Corps training with 7RAR. (Instead of going to the School at Infantry at Singleton). That took care of the rest of 1969, and in February 1970 the Battalion embarked on the Vung Tau Ferry, or the Aircraft Carrier HMAS Sydney, to be delivered to South Vietnam.

SEPTEMBER 1970, VIETNAM
"The high pitch whistle of the Mine detector, was getting on my wick. It was bad enough trying to sneak into the Long Hais to set up an ambush position without the screeching sound advertising our position, the nogs must hear the bloody thing.

Despite the dark I could see the Ginger Beer (Engineer) sweeping the plate of the mine detector left to right, right to left across our 'track'? I thought we never travelled on tracks? (we did later on in the year and it nearly cost us our lives, when a Digger stepped on an M16 Jumping Jack Mine.)

It was September 1970, how do I remember? It was a day or so to my 22nd Birthday. Great, I had spent my 21st at Canungra doing nearly the same thing, 12 months earlier.

I was a member of an ambush party from 3 Platoon A Company, we were moving AT NIGHT, into an ambush position, at the base of the Long Hais. 'Father' (O.C. 'A' Company) must have had a brain wave about about meeting the Viet Cong on his own ground, the 'Long Hais'.

Earlier that afternoon we had left NDP Bridget, which was situated near the fishing village of, Long Phuoc Hai and moved a few 'clicks' (1 click = 1000 meters) towards the Long Hais. There was no problem with map reading, the Long Hais dominated the country side for many miles, and it was well known for its deadly mines, as other Battalions of the Task Force had found to their cost.

As there was a lot of locals in the area moving live stock, we needed to wait for night fall. Finally after dark, and well after the start of curfew, we started to move towards the Long Hais Fourth in position behind two Ginger Beers and our platoon sergeant, Sergeant King, I was praying for deaf VC, or at least one who would check first before opening fire. At least with the mine detector we would not step on our own mines, the M16 Jumping Jack, one of the biggest stuff ups that the Australians made in the whole war. (I wrote in the Defender:- "although to be honest I don't know whose idea it was". I now know!)

"Weeeeee" I distinctly heard an answering whistle. It had come from the bush to the left of the track, but maybe 10/12 yards forward of our position. The lead Ginger Beer swung around with an astonished look on his face. Sergeant King hit him on the shoulder and pointed to a small open space on our right and swung his arm around in a circle. The Engineer moved forward, we followed, in his track, he desperately attempted to clear as much of the open area as he could, if we triggered a mine here it would be absolute chaos. Sgt. King pulled and pushed the rest of us into position.

There was no time to give the enemy signal, 'thumbs down', doubtful if anyone could see it anyway, but the urgency transmitted it's self to the rest of the patrol and we were all down on the ground in a matter of a seconds. But in NO recognised formation, if they caught us here we would be in deep shit. The area was no bigger than a cricket pitch, relatively soft bush grass, surrounded by dense scrub, the only way out, either the way we had come, or forward towards the 'whistler'.

As we were lying close a few whispers asked, "what the hells going on". The ones close to me I quietly told about the whistle from the trees, a few moved to bring their weapons to bear to our left flank. They could not fire as Sergeant King was still on our left, he had not moved. Sergeant King had seen action against the Indonesians and this was his second tour of Vietnam and it showed. He was armed with an M16, with hand signals he directed a Digger, to move to him.

Not totally dark we could see them move forward towards the place of the 'whistler'. Who ever it was, they might be wondering the reason for the holdup. It was well known that the Viet Cong communicated with 'whistle signals', at least on the radio, so with any luck they might not think that Australians would be crazy enough to be walking on the Long Hais AT NIGHT!

Separated only by the width of the narrow track, King on the left the other Digger on the right, I thought it was one of the gusty actions I had seen. Both had automatic weapons the US made, M16. No Mine detector to clear the path now, both both men moved forward, a step at a time, they used the high step, it looks a little comical, but no one was laughing. I don't know who fired first, but next second both of them poured a full magazine of 5.56 rounds into the area.

Ejecting the empty mag and slapping a second one on, they let fly, within a few seconds four magazines of 5.56 rounds had hit the area. Still on their feet both men had sprayed forward into the area on the left of the track, had they seen or heard something? We could do nothing but keep our heads down in case of return fire, thinking about it now, I am amazed at the discipline exhibited by the other Diggers, no wild shooting or any calling out, only the patrol signaller was talking.

"Three Zero one, Contact Wait Out". The sig let Company Head Quarters, (CHQ) into the picture, we might be in the shit and if we needed help, they would be ready to give it to us. Have you ever heard the sound of something bashing through the scrub without worrying how much noise they were making? Well we heard it then and I can remember feeling dam pleased. It sounded like two people and if it was Viet Cong, who the hell else would it be, they knew artillery fire would be on its way.

"Anybody got spigot grenades?" the Ginger Beer wanted to know. "Yes me" I said. I had taken part in a support weapons course in Australia, so now, a chance to fire the bloody things, after carrying them for months. Quickly I cleared the SLR, and made it safe, I was very careful about that after I had heard a story that someone had fired a spigot from an SLR, without taking the ball cartridge out of the weapon, nasty. I chambered a balastite cartridge, this would provide the propulsion for the spigot grenade. Positioning the angle of the muzzle to fire through the gap in the trees, and hopefully in front of the sounds of the VC scrub bashing, the Ginger Beer took the grenade off me & placed it over the muzzle, "fire" I pulled the trigger, Bang, off it went! Quickly I placed another cartridge in to the breach and placed the butt on the ground. "Fire", the grenade arched up and over the trees. In all we shot off four grenades.

We strained to hear the 'Bang' of the grenades. Unlike the movies, grenades do not explode in a ball of fire, the M26 grenades were fragmentation grenades. A length of wire, serrated, that is 'cut part way through' is wrapped around an explosive, the wire shreds, along with the casing of the grenade, and the effect is designed to kill or cause nasty injuries.

Excitement over for now, we admired the 'pop sshhhh' of the artillery rounds arriving overhead, as they broke open and gave us some light, a bright yellow light, on the area with 'para flares'. Only thing you have to worry about is the canister, it has to go somewhere, hopefully it will not it decide to fall in your area. However the Australian Gunners work over time when you need help and these flares were 'right on target', 'popping overhead and thus the canisters would drop away from us. Sgt King and the other Digger rejoined us, what were we going to next?

I was more interested in getting as much water down me as possible despite being night time, it was bloody warm and I needed a drink, "Surely 'Father' would pull us out now, not much point going in now that they know we are here", I was thinking!

Sgt King was taking to 'Father' on the radio, I was fully expecting for us to be pulled out, not much point now? Yet I could just hear 'Fathers' modulated pommy tone over the handset, "Yes I think we can proceed with the ambush plan", and that was that!

The last flare fizzled out and darkness soon returned to the area, we waited a while to allow our night vision to re-establish, and for a few fast beating hearts to slow down, mine included.

With the Ginger Beers leading, we formed up again and started moving. We seemed to move up slightly, then across the feature, you could see the outline of the Long Hais against the night sky. I always hated working in this area but to be on the bloody things seemed like madness. My heart was in my mouth all the way, after about a 'click' we stopped. Sgt King and I did a recce of an area near a well worn track junction.

Now off the track it should be safer but the area was given the once over for mines, just in case. I then moved back to the few yards to the waiting Diggers, to give them the 'thumbs up', they filed through to were Sgt King placed them in the Ambush setup he wanted. The first thing was to 'stand to' and wait, watch and listen in case we had been picked, so all focus was on the track. I have no idea of the time but it must have been well after midnight, we then re-adjusted the position to place out claymore mines, but no trip flares this time.

Then after 'stand down' it was time to get your own area fixed up. Pack off, Gat within arms reach while bedding was layed out, in this case only a silk inside the 'blow-up' cover, and try and get some sleep until your turn on the M60 machine gun. The rest of the five days were a bit of an anti climax, except for a couple of events, first the odd 'thumbs down' sign, from someone who reckoned they could hear movement, that set the pulses racing, until it was clear that know one was coming our way. Second, I spent another of my birthdays in the scrub, that made it birthdays 21 and 22, I could only hope that the 23rd was to be somewhere better?

FOOTNOTE:-


A mine field was laid from Horse Shoe down to the sea. A distance of many, many miles, ignoring the rules of war, it was never covered by fire or watched by the local South Vietnamese Forces who had neither the skills, number of men or the interest. The result of which the V.C. 'lifted' and removed many hundreds of the mines and used them against Australian Forces. Many of the Battalions including 7RAR, suffered many casualties because of the dam things.

The mine that a 3 Platoon patrol detonated was near to a small stream and after a night ambush we were returning to NDP Bridget and 'John' who was in the patrol in front of me, detonated it. Talking about the incident weeks later we concluded that the Monsoon had soaked parts of the explosive the result, it failed to jump, thank god, the shrapnel went mainly up, not through the rest of the patrol.

Although John was badly injured he was alive and did not, that I know of at that time loose his legs. I spent a few days in 1 Aust Field Hospital, due to the blast and minor frag wounds, sleeping in a proper bed and having real food, instead of rations. After a few days of pestering the doctors I was allowed to rejoin 3 Platoon, who were at this time, back at Nui Dat. It was now December 1970, only a few months before the Battalion would head back to Australia. I had signed up for a futher six months, to ensure that I did go home with the Battalion and spend some time with them in Australia prior to discharge.

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