Download or read book Duty First written by David Murray Horner and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2008-03-01 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Duty First is the complete history of the Royal Australian Regiment, which has been the mainstay of the Australian Regular Army for over sixty years. With the formation of the regular army, including the Royal Australian Regiment, for the first time Australia had a permanent professional army, available in peacetime and in war for any task the government might direct. The Royal Australian Regiment is the key fighting force of the army and has carried the main burden of active service since the Second World War. Its history throws important light on the development of Australia's defence. In late 1945, three battalions were formed to serve with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. Active service began with a 'baptism of fire' fierce combat in the Korean War. This was followed by counter-guerrilla service in Malaya during the Emergency, action in Borneo during Confrontation, including the top secret 'Claret' operations into Indonesian territory, and active service in Vietnam. The book examines how the regiment adapted after the Vietnam War to the demands of peacetime soldiering, including the pressures of peacekeeping. Finally, it reveals how the regiment's traditions of flexibility and readiness have stood it in good stead in recent operations in East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan. Duty First concludes with a series of short pieces in which former members of the regiment, from general to soldier, present fascinating accounts of their personal experiences in a range of different operational and peacetime circumstances. This is a story of humour and courage, of professionalism, and above all dedication to duty. The Royal Australian Regiment's motto, 'Duty First', continues to reflect its ethos and spirit today, over sixty years since its foundation.
Download or read book Vietnam Vanguard written by Ron Boxall and published by ANU Press. This book was released on 2020-02-28 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Vietnam War, and Australia’s part in it, was a major military event, calling for willingness to face death and destruction on the battlefield on the part of those sent there, especially the men of our infantry battalions who formed the spearhead of our forces in Vietnam. For many reasons, the Australian public know relatively little about what our Army did in Vietnam during the war, particularly during the years of our peak commitment, 1965–72. This book attempts to make the true nature of the war clearer to readers, emphasising how hard fought it was during major operations. Twenty-seven of the contributing authors of this book were involved in the 1966 deployment of the 1st Australian Task Force into Phuoc Tuy Province. This formation was the first Australian Army force larger than an infantry battalion group to be deployed into a major war since World War II. 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (5 RAR), was in the vanguard as the task force’s first element committed to operations to seize and occupy Nui Dat base and embark on establishing dominance over the enemy. The narratives presented in this book give rare insights into thoughts of the soldiers at the time and how they have come to view the Australian Government’s hurried expansion of its initial commitment to that war, the Army’s state of preparedness for that wider involvement, and how those in its forefront adapted to get the job done, both in and out of operations, despite numerous shortcomings in higher level planning. Both professional soldiers and conscripted national servicemen have contributed viewpoints to these pages.
Download or read book A Duty Done written by Fred Fairhead and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The book describes some fifty major operations each with accompanying maps and sketches and covering all of the sixteen Battalion tours of duty in Vietnam - from 1RAR in 1965 to 4RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion's last operations in 1971." -- publisher's website.
Download or read book Ghost Platoon written by Frank Walker and published by Hachette Australia. This book was released on 2013-06-25 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'thoroughly researched and compelling . . . a chilling account' - The Sun Herald An eye-opening account of Australian combat history, untold . . . until now. In 1969 a ragtag unit of 39 men were thrown together at Nui Dat, Vietnam. It was so slapdash a group it didn't even have an officer or sergeant in charge. A rugged ex-Royal Marine stepped forward to take the lead. Jim Riddle was only an acting corporal but he knew enough of war to keep these young diggers alive. When the platoon was involved in a high-risk ambush Riddle proved his leadership skills, bringing his men through unscathed and leaving the battlefield littered with enemy bodies. Despite their success, immediately afterwards the platoon was disbanded. According to the army they'd never existed ? theirs was a ghost platoon. Frank Walker details what happened at that ambush and why the army buried their existence, and the secrets that went with it. His findings are a shocking indictment of the long-term effects of war. The men of the platoon ? who'd fought so hard for their country ? had to fight again to reveal the truth. But the price they all paid was far too high. Ghost Platoon is a gripping story of the soldiers who should never be forgotten . . . or denied.
Download or read book The Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Battle of Long Tan written by Harry Smith and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-06-05 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the afternoon of 18 August 1966, just five kilometres from the main Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, a group of Viet Cong soldiers walked into the right flank of Delta Company, 6 RAR. Under a blanket of mist and heavy monsoon rain, amid the mud and shattered rubber trees, a dispersed Company of 108 men held its ground with courage and grim determination against a three-sided attack from a force of 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troops. When the battle subsided, 18 Australian soldiers lay dead and 24 had been wounded. Battlefield clearance revealed 245 enemy bodies with captured documents later confirming the count at over 500 enemy killed and 800 wounded. These men were led by a gruff and gusty perfectionist, Major Harry Smith. Now, some 53 years after the battle, Harry tells his story. The Battle of Long Tan is more than just an account of a historic battle. Harry Smith takes his readers on an extraordinary journey — one that ultimately reveals a remarkable cover-up at the highest military and political echelons. The Battle of Long Tan is also Harry’s life story and portrays his many personal battles, from failed marriages to commando-style killing; from a horrific parachute accident through to his modern-day struggles with bureaucracy for recognition for his soldiers. Harry’s battles are tempered by his love of sailing, where he has at last found some peace. The Battle of Long Tan portrays the wrenching, visceral experience of a man who has fought lifelong battles, in a story that he is only now able to tell. Harry can still hear the gunfire and smell the blood spilt at Long Tan. For him, the fight continues.
Download or read book Green Shadows written by G. M. Byrnes and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book We Too Were Anzacs written by Brian J. Avery and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A story of great personal courage, determination and endurance in a difficult war fought against an elusive enemy over harsh terrain. Provides details of each of the major operations mounted by 6RAR/NZ which are complemented by many photos and maps.
Download or read book Long Tan written by Harry Smith and published by ReadHowYouWant. This book was released on 2016-04-21 with total page 566 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the afternoon of 18 August 1966, just five kilometres from the main Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, a group of Viet Cong soldiers walked into the right flank of Delta Company, 6 RAR. Under a blanket of mist and heavy monsoon rain, amid the mud and shattered rubber trees, a dispersed Company of 108 men held its ground with courage and grim determination against a three - sided attack from a force of 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troops. When the battle subsided, 18 Australian soldiers lay dead and 24 had been wounded. Battlefield clearance revealed 245 enemy bodies with captured documents later confirming the count at over 500 enemy killed and 800 wounded. These men were led by a gruff and gusty perfectionist, Major Harry Smith. Now, some 47 years after the battle, Harry tells his story for the first time. But Long Tan is more than just an account of a historic battle. Harry Smith takes his readers on an extraordinary journey - one that ultimately reveals a remarkable cover - up at the highest military and political echelons.Written in partnership with award - winning journalist Toni McRae, Long Tan is also Harry's life story and portrays his many personal battles, from failed marriages to commando - style killing; from a horrific parachute accident through to his modern - day struggles with bureaucracy for recognition for his soldiers. Harry's battles are tempered by his love of sailing, where he has at last found some peace. Long Tan portrays the wrenching, visceral experience of a man who has fought lifelong battles, in a story that he is only now able to tell. Harry can still hear the gunfire and smell the blood spilt at Long Tan. For him, the fight continues.
Download or read book Ever Vigilant written by Paul A. Rosenzweig and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Footsoldiers written by William Crooks and published by [Brookvale, N.S.W.] : Printcraft Press [for the 2/33rd Australian Infantry Battalion, A.I.F. Association. This book was released on 1971 with total page 716 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The History of the Sixth Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment written by Fred Fairhead and published by . This book was released on 2021-10 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This first volume in the history of the Sixth Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), covers the period 1965-1970 when the battalion served on two twelve-month tours of Vietnam. It includes a background to the battalion's deployment and detailed information on both friendly and enemy weapons, units and tactics.After formation at Enoggera Barracks, Brisbane, in 1965 6RAR's first tour of Vietnam commenced in June 1966 and included the landmark Battle of Long Tan. After its return to Australia in 1967 the battalion moved to Townsville, prior to the second tour which commenced in May 1969. This second tour saw 6RAR serve within the auspices of an ANZAC battalion, alongside two New Zealand infantry companies. The tour was noteworthy for the length and the success of operations and also the sad experience of mine warfare. Overall, 6RAR established a deserved reputation for battlefield proficiency during its time in Vietnam, but at the cost of 69 killed and many more wounded, some very seriously.
Download or read book Bold Steady Faithful written by Ronald J. Austin and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: History of one of the oldest infantry battalions in Australia. Provides an insight into the life of this unit of citizen soldiers in both war and peacetime. Includes 16 appendices providing information such as battle honours and lists of commanding officers. Includes a foreword by Major General R R Gordon, a bibliography and an index.
Download or read book The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History written by Peter Dennis and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2008 with total page 634 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: War has been one of the defining forces in Australian history. Participation in war, whether in the armed forces or on the home front, or in opposition to a particular war, has shaped the lives of successive generations of Australians. The Department of Defence remains one of the largest single consumers of the annual federal budget, and Anzac Day continues to hold a special place in the Australian calendar.This major new edition of the Companion builds on the strength of the previous edition. It provides learned, accessible and up-to-date studies of Australia's varied and colourful military matters - both past and present - by Australia's foremost military scholars.The Companion is the most comprehensive guide to Australia's military history, ranging from the colonial period to the 21st century. It is also supplemented by more than 30 specially commissioned maps. The Companion is highly readable and user-friendly - arranged in a handy A-Z format, the book is thoroughly cross-referenced and indexed to permit easy access to all the information. The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History is the indispensable and vital reference for anyone with an interest in Australian military history.
Download or read book 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment 1957 2007 written by Paul Koorey and published by . This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1ST BATTALION ROYAL NEW ZEALAND INFANTRY REGIMENT 1957-2007 commemorates the service of the Battalion both nationally and internationally and reflects upon the excellent leadership, training systems and innate soldiering abilities which have earned New Zealand's Army an international reputation for producing extraordinary light infantry personnel. This book should be widely read by not only those that have served or are serving, but by the New Zealand public who are interested in how 1RNZIR has served our nation.
Download or read book Conscripts and Regulars written by Michael O'Brien and published by Allen & Unwin Australia. This book was released on 1995-01-01 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CONTENTS Illustrations Abbreviations Vietnamese terms and conversion factors Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction 1. Raising and training - 'Aged Lentils and Fresh Greens' 2. Phyoc Tuy and the context of war 3. The first tour - Puckapunyal to Southport 4. Suoi Chau Pha - a broad and noble stream 5. Atherton to Forrest 6. Duntroon and the Tet Offensive 7. Oakleigh to the end of the tour 8. Re-forming and retraining 9. The second tour - Operation Finschhafen 10. Increasing ambushing 11. Pacification and Vietnamisation 12. Final operations 13. The battalion in peacetime 14. Legacies of services Appendices Indeces
Download or read book Out in the Cold written by Ben Evans and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
