Many thousands of Australians who served in Phuoc Tuy Province will remember the Nui Dinh Hills some 10 kilometres west of Nui Dat. They were the scene of many operations by different battalions and were known to all as the "Warburtons" or "The Warbies." How did this come about?
At the time there was a song “Wolverton Mountain” sung by Claude King being played on the hit parade and in its first verse said,
"They say don't go on Wolverton Mountain
If you're looking for a wife,
Cause Clifton Clowers has a pretty young daughter
He's mighty handy with a gun and a knife."
A popular member of 10 platoon, D Company, Private Graham "Nugget" Warburton was, for no real reason, teased with the lines, "they say don’t go on Warburton Mountain." When 10 platoon was being briefed another member, Colin Illman piped up "that’s Warburton Mountain." During the night a small flag bearing that name was placed on the mud map and the name stuck. 5RAR took the name to Vietnam, little knowing the extent to which it would be used and remembered.
A poignant postscript to this story is that Graham Warburton was killed in action on 1st October, 1966.
Mal Lyons, (D Coy 1st Tour) decided to write his own lyrics to the tune, I nagged him for permission to place it on the website; and here it is.
Warburton Mountain
They say don't go on Warburton Mountain
If you're not looking for some strife
'Cause VC Charlie is there awaiting
He might get you with a gun or knife.
His dirty tricks are worse than many
AK 47's protect him there
The mines and panjis help VC Charlie
Should ever an Aussie go up there.
All of our kills are on Warburton Mountain
We've run them out of here below
He's up there hiding with his mortars
From us the ones who hate him so.
His dirty tricks are worse than many
AK 47's protect him there
The mines and panjis help VC Charlie
Should ever an Aussie go up there.
We're going up on Warburton Mountain
Blow VC Charlie to kingdom come
we'll find his panjis, destroy his mortars
There'll be no place that he can run.
His dirty tricks are worse than many
AK 47's protect him there
The mines and panjis help VC Charlie
Should ever an Aussie go up there.
We don't care about VC Charlie
We're gonna climb up on that mountain
We're gonna take the ones we hate
We don't care about VC Charlie
We're gonna climb up on that mountain
we're gonna take the ones we hate
We don't care about VC Charlie
We're gonna climb up on that mountain.
(repeat and fade)
© Mal Lyons
D Company Vietnam 1st Tour