© By Bob
Cavill
C Company &
Assault Pioneers |
 |
|
Foreword
About
1971 I thought to put some of my memoirs to paper.
On an old mechanical typewriter, I banged away
knocking holes in the paper instead of "Os" This
scribbling was in private, and for my own benefit
because, as I was often reminded on my return in
various public places such as RSL clubs, If I
mentioned the "V" word "It wasn't a real War ... was
it?" One of the first persons (where I
was employed and he a returned veteran) I confided
in on my return, told me, "we were a lot of powder
puffs." I was deeply offended, not so much for
myself but for those men, some of them my mates,
that had been smashed, blinded and broken in "That
Place." For in Vietnam your chances of being killed
or maimed by a mine or booby trap were always higher
than being shot. Mines are very impersonal things,
they are "a terrible technicolour of death." This
was a fearful business, you cannot show courage to a
mine, or even offer it terms, there is no forgetting
the after-sounds of a mine event "they," these
sounds, are etched into the survivors' minds like
some "audio tattoo" that hides in the dark private
recesses of the mind, there to be faded by time but
never completely erased; they inevitably leave a
scar that can drift back into consciousness, unless
kept "back there," in that private place. Some have
tried to drown those sounds in an amber fog, but
manage only to drown themselves in the process.
Soldiers in
the Second World War may have endured hours of fear if caught in
a mine field, but In Vietnam you entered a minefield every time
you went outside the wire. Recent statistics (American) revealed
an infantryman, (US Army) in the Pacific during WW2 averaged 40
days over 4 years in combat conditions. On average an
infantryman in Vietnam endured 240 days of combat conditions in
12 months. It was originally estimated that the Australian Army
would need 3 battalions of infantry, plus support units
consistently on operations. This would amount to a brigade
strength force, in order to pacify and secure Phuoc Tuy
Province. Because only 2 battalions at any one time were
eventually committed, the Australian combat troops spent most of
their time in country, outside the wire. In a very short time
after being committed these two battalions were not up to
strength, with some platoons of 30 men down to 20-25 or less. |
MINES! Where Fate Punishes the Brave
Take Care, Those Who "Tread Here."
Picture moving through a world where you cannot trust the very
ground you walk on. Hours and days where simply sitting down
next to a tree, or bumping the wire on an innocent looking fence
may have deadly consequences. You come to a fence, you simply
step over this fence, you may not even hear anything, you will
just slowly become "aware" that something has changed, if you're
lucky, or perhaps unlucky, your eyes will come into focus and
you will become conscious that ... for some strange reason you
are unable to hear anything! Like being underwater! And then you
realise you're not standing up anymore. Now! The full horror of
your condition swims into focus; colours, bone white, liquid
red, grey and black ash of burnt cotton; and what is that smell?
Now you will start to scream ... and scream as your mind refuses
to accept the evidence before your eyes. But it is true! It is
you! Those that see you, Their minds are tormented between
'freeze, don't move' and 'help him'. Only the very brave will
move to help you. It goes on ... I cannot, will not write about
it, but ask yourself ... would you? ... could you move to help?
Imagine having to
endure this fear for up to two weeks at a time without a break.
You cannot understand the Vietnam War without understanding that
after the sound of the 'chopper,' it is the after-sound of the
mines that live in the memory of those who fought there. It is
said, that it is not those people who are naturally courageous
that represent the true essence of courage, but those who feel
terror and manage to overcome it. These are truly the brave.
Mines and/or
booby traps were almost never placed singularly, but in groups,
sometimes referred to as nests. Usually the first indication of
the existence of mines or booby traps is an explosion. The
soldier, who suddenly finds himself in this "trap," is
immediately faced by a terrible conundrum. Perhaps literally
trembling with fear, he knows he may be safe if everyone
around him remains still. Perhaps the Pioneers, or
Sappers (Field Engineers) can be brought up to help, but almost
certainly not in time for those that have already been
wounded! And there again, any man who moves to assist those
wounded risks not only his own life, but those closest to him!.
He is torn between wanting to help those men who are calling for
assistance. Remember they are now as close as brothers to him,
and fear for himself and those men closest to him; for many
mines or booby traps were cruelly set, so that the man who
tripped a device at one point, killed or wounded the men
standing 10 or 15 metres behind, in front, or beside him. Many
men live today, with the decisions they had to make on such a
day ... some touched with doubt ... "did I do enough to help?"
Still, then as is
the case today, very few soldiers' hated the Viet Cong. They
were brave men and women, who were the very epitome of a jungle
fighter, cunning, stealthy, well armed and fearless. These were
worthy opponents who expected, and gave no quarter.
We only hated the
politicians who gave "them" comfort, back in Australia. And
those political pygmies' in the reception committees, when we
returned.
The men of B
Company 5 RAR; "Where fate punished the brave" on this day, 21
February 1967, many gave their lives trying to help their mates.
9 were killed or died of wounds received that day, and many were
wounded. In any other Army, medals would have been forthcoming,
but in the Australian Army it was considered they did ... "only
what was expected of them."
Dedicated to the
memory of private Trevor Lynch (Deceased) 3 section Fifth
Battalion Assault Pioneers, blinded completely by a mine October
18 1966 On Nui Thi Vai Mountains and those wounded with him; and
all those men of the Royal Australian Regiment who fell to
Mines.
