

Reconnaissance Platoon, Binh Ba Villa, 1966
© Michael 'Deaky' Baron von Berg MC
Recce Platoon Commander |
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The above photograph shows the members of Recce
Platoon celebrating Christmas dinner in the Binh
Ba villa in 1966. The platoon was tasked to
assist Capt George Mansford and his AATTV
(Australian Army Training Team Vietnam) team
over the Christmas period during what was also
supposed to have been an agreed ‘cease fire’ by
the enemy which turned out to be a complete
fallacy. Our task was to assist in the training
of the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam)
Sergeants in night ambushes while the rest of
the Battalion enjoyed a bash up Christmas Dinner
served by the officers, Recce Platoon was very
much left to its own devices. Attempts by the CO
to fly some goodies up to the platoon by RAAF
Huey’s were thwarted by Task Force due to other
more pressing requirements on the RAAF choppers
and a last minute attempt by the CO to fly up to
Binh Ba in an aircraft of
161 Recce Flight with a bag full of goodies
was also cancelled due to once again the
aircraft required for another task. The platoon
had every confidence and respect for the CO and
if there was a way of getting some cheer to them
he would have pulled out all stops but when the
resources available to him were withdrawn the
platoon just had to accept that Christmas 1966
on the face of it was going to be a very lonely
and “goodie” free affair.
Like all of the Battalion, Recce Platoon had
been busy over the previous months and really
did need a bit of a break, hoping perhaps for
Vung Tau but they got Binh Ba. The task was one
of working in with the soldiers and their
families in the ARVN compound and defensive
position, the centre piece
of
which appeared to be a 1920 style old French
Villa. Good views from the upper windows and
balcony which can be seen in the photograph of
the villa, but also a whopping big target for an
enemy RPG or mortar attack and that’s probably
why the villa was surrounded by weapon pits and
accommodation all with pretty solid overhead
protection. That old soldier George Mansford
would have been right on top of all that was
required to defend the location and that was
evident in the relationship between him and his
team and the ARVN officers and soldiers.
Thankfully the platoon had the services of an
interpreter and a quick walk around the
permitter with George and WO2 “Sooty” Smith and
chatting to the local ARVN about the defensive
strong points and likely enemy approaches all
settled into a fairly normal routine and
although there was supposed to be this
hypothetical ‘cease fire’ the platoon maintained
its normal routine to tie in with the AATTV team
and ARVN in this outlying defensive position.
It also gave the platoon an opportunity to clean
up some gear and Personal Make and Mend tasks
which included some game enough to have a
haircut provided by one of the ARVN soldiers who
was a barber before his call up. Barbed wire and
cut-throat razors in the middle of a rubber
plantation
seem to put a different “spin” on the
traditional haircuts and incremental extras
enjoyed by some on R & C in Vung Tau. The ARVN
and local commander was very accommodating in
that night pickets were shared but a member of
Recce Platoon was always present at each
location strong point. Interestingly the
defensive perimeter was totally different to
what the platoon was used to where it was in the
form of a square, almost 17th century stuff, but
if it was good enough for George it was good
enough for the platoon.
The lack of “goodies” however did not deter the
platoon from celebrating an appropriate
Christmas Dinner albeit in Vietnamese style.
Platoon Commander with Sergeant interpreter and
some of the usual suspects (escorts) arranged an
ARVN vehicle to take them to the Binh Ba village
and market to purchase some local goodies after
the platoon had pooled their meagre financial
resources. You just don’t think about taking
large amounts of MPC (Military Payment
Certificate) when on operations, and the locals
didn’t accept Amex, but there was enough to
secure some really interesting items after the
appropriate haggling with the local traders. The
culinary delights purchased were chickens,
ducks, (yes all dressed ready to cook) pork,
local vegetables, some of questionable usage,
tropical fruits, sweets, and even some Christmas
decorations
ala Vietnamese style. Oh and I nearly forgot the
most important “goodie” with copious quantities
of that local elixir Bah Mui Bah or 33 Beer as
it was called. Good sized 32 fluid ounce
(Darwin) stubbies albeit slightly warm really
did the trick. The purchasing team not wanting
to let their team mates back at the villa down,
simply had to check the quality of the beer
before the final purchase much to the amusement
of the locals.
The Platoon Commander who fancied himself as a
bit of a gourmand prepared the meal with the
help of some of the ladies in the ARVN compound.
Vietnamese roast chicken and duck and with both
specimens being what can only be described as
“old boilers” there certainly was much boiling
and more boiling before the remains were let to
dry and set as there was no oven. The stock from
this process provided and excellent base for
some Vietnamese soup and noodles, which went
down a treat with the ARVN, because the boys
from Recce reckoned it looked a bit suspect.
Lots of fruit and sweets and of course the tepid
local beer, and although the locals offered some
rice whisky, it was wisely declined, with many
having had serious hallucinations when in
another setting imbibing this dangerous local
brew..
The previous night many of the boys attended the
midnight mass that the local priest conducted
within the compound at a make shift altar built
by the ARVN and the platoon. A small rubber tree
resembled a Christmas tree complete with some
decorations purchased in the village. Initially
when tasked to assist the AATTV boys over the
Christmas period there were some misgivings
about missing out on all of the goodies and fun
back at the Battalion location, but as the old
saying goes “you make your own fun” and that the
platoon certainly did in their accustomed style.
And Battalion Headquarters thought the
platoon was doing it tough?
In Australian culture, Christmas is mostly about
family and in particular children and that’s
where the platoon from within their meagre
resources purchased some sweets to distribute to
the children on Christmas Eve which the
Vietnamese Catholics seem to celebrate European
style which is on Christmas Eve which must be a
legacy of the French colonial days. These
children of the ARVN
soldiers
who were severely underpaid and sometimes not at
all, had very little to look forward to over the
Christmas period except whatever their parents
could provide so the sweets were very much
appreciated.
Although there were contacts and sightings and
one of our platoon Taffy Cheeseman was wounded
by a booby trap (sadly missed in the platoon as
he was repatriated to Australia) that period
between the 24th and the 25th December 1966 and
the platoon's Christmas celebration was almost
surreal in what proved to be a bloody and
unfriendly place for the Battalion on both
tours. In retrospect the platoon's activities
over that period had a bit of a “MASH” feel
about it but without a Klinger or attractive
nurses. The opportunity to celebrate the
festivity with the families in the compound (all
Catholics); to barter and purchase the
requirements in the local village; to quietly
celebrate and reflect as a platoon in isolation
is something that the platoon will never forget.
This was a great Christmas, albeit far from
loved ones at home and the normal great
Christmas celebrations within an Infantry
Battalion on operations. It was an invaluable
lesson in human relations and how a cultural
divide can be breached through
respecting each other values which in this case
was family, faith and a common enemy.
It is also a testament to so many other
documented and sadly forgotten incidents and
tasks carried out by the Battalion on its tour
where there was always compassion and respect
for the villagers caught in a very precarious
situation and nothing has changed where the
early lessons of hearts and minds and the
Battalion in more recent operations are still
valid today.
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