The 4 Charges in one go story
I was working in the Vehicle Platoon at 2AOD in May1969.
I was due to RTA in April, so I guess I had well and truly switched off.
There was a small area where we used to keep BER (Beyond Economical
Repair)Vehicles. We held onto these as long as we could. To be
cannibalized. But that practice was frowned upon by the Gods in far
away places.
There was also a place at the Airbase, where the Yanks collected al
this scrap metal and sold it to the locals (so they could make stuff to
use against us) to assist these same people to get very rich on the
black market.
But I digress
So it came to pass that the Gods from far away places decided to that
we had too many of this type of Vehicle and that they must be put into
the system as decreed by themselves.
So I was tasked to take 3 of these vehicles to the Yank compound.
We had bodgied up one of these BER Landrovers so we could use it around
the camp.
So I put an "A" frame on the drivable one and connected the other piece
of junk behind it.
Two down one two go!
So I grabbed another bloke and said, "get the duty Vehicle and "a
frame" that other piece of junk to it"
That solved to problems, one how to get the other vehicle there and two
how to get back to camp.
Now two soldiers together, thinking, is not a good thing in the
Australian Army.
Off we go, me in the lead with the other bloke trailing behind.
But by this time it is late in the afternoon
Everything is going fine until I notice a Landover wheel passing me,
realizing that it is from the vehicle I'm towing I of course pull over.
My mate also stops and we go over and collect the errant wheel.
What to do..we don't have a jack and no wheel brace. This is where
training steps in. I don't particularly want to be waiting by myself,
in the dark, on the side of the road while my mate looks a jack and
wheel brace. So we make the only sensible decision to be made.
We throw the errant wheel in the back and drive on
I haven't driven more then 500 Mts when I get passed by two MP's going
the other way. Bravely I don't bat an eye and we proceed.
We make it to the junk yard and I'm making a deal with the blokes there
about scrounging all there batteries (we where forever short on
Batteries) when these MP's pull up.
It all went down hill from there
Turn's out that one of these MP's is the head honcho RSM in Vietnam and
was in Vung Tau on an inspection.
He asked me in rather a loud voice "What in hell did I think I was
doing"
Me…"delivering these vehicles for scrap, Sir"
Him…."Did you notice that the vehicle you where towing had
only three wheels?"
Me.."yes Sir"
Him…"You were easy to find, the brake drum left a bloody
great grove in the road."
Him..."Where is your G2 ?" (authority to use a vehicle)
Me…." I don't have one, you can't get one for a BER Vehicle,
Sir"
Him…" What about the Vehicle you are driving, where' is the
G2 for that?"
Me…"Ahhhhh that is also BER Sir"
Him…"WHAT"???????
I thought he was going to punch me then and there. He took a couple of
deep breaths and asked me in a quieter voice
Him…."What is the permissible towing speed?"
Me…getting very very nervous.." I don't know Sir"
Him …." Why are you out of uniform?"
Me…" I left my shirt at camp Sir?
He than looked at his driver and said " Put this man in the back seat
and we will take him to 1 ALSG.
TRUE STORY
That my friends is how you can end up on 4 charges when a bloke is only
trying to do his job.
As I said it doesn't pay to think in the Army
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