Vietnam

5RAR Move to Long Bin March 1969

Convoy of APCs (foreground) and TCVs
(distant right rear of photo) At Long Binh 27 March 1969

Captain D.S. Wilkins's diary describes it thus: "The threat of an offensive upon Long Binh has now become very remote owing to the trouncing the enemy received trying to get into here. The only existing threat that may occur is along an east-west axis to the south of Route 1 ('Street Without Joy') leading through Long Binh."
Street Without Joy was the name given to Route 1 where the Viet Minh constantly ambushed the French during the first Vietnam War in the1950s. It was also the title given to the history of that war, written by Bernard Fall.
"As a result of this possible threat, our battalion is moving today (27 March) to a new AO, (Area of Operations) called 'Manuka'. The move by road using APCs (From 3rd Cavalry Regiment) and TCVs (troop carrying vehicles) was an absolute monster, especially the occupation of the new Fire Support Base 'Sally'." "In addition to our normal Battalion Headquarters group and mortars, there were 105 Field Battery (Australian Artillery with 105mm guns), the B Battery 2/32 Medium Battery (US) consisting of tracked armoured vehicles with 155mm guns, and Golf Troop of 11 Armoured Cavalry Regiment (US), which consists of APCs."

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