BETTS, Ronald William
| Service Number: | O118325 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 March 1968 |
| Last Rank: | Pilot Officer |
| Last Unit: | No. 9 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Launceston, Tasmania, 1 March 1947 |
| Home Town: | Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Avondale College, Cooranbong |
| Occupation: | RAAF Helicopter Pilot |
| Died: | GSW, Long Binh, South Vietnam, 20 March 1971, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Carr Villa Memorial Park, Tasmania Cremation - Monumental Block C - Row 14 - Grave 60 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Devonport Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, Grafton Clarence Valley Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Kallangur Vietnam Veterans' Place, Port Pirie Vietnam Veterans Honour Wall, Seymour Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk Roll of Honour, Wollongong Vietnam Memorial |
Biography
Ron Betts was born in Launceston, Tas, in 1947. Like a lot of young men of his time, the only thing he ever wanted to do was fly aeroplanes. In 1958, Ron’s family moved to Hobart where his interest in flying continued to grow.
After finishing High School in 1965, he left Tassie for Cooranbong in NSW where he attended Avondale College and did his aviation theory subjects. Finishing and passing those in 1966, he hitch-hiked to Cairns then flew to PNG where he started work as a clerk with the PNG Administration.
His father, Mannie Betts, who had been a radio operator with the RAAF in PNG during WWII; he knew a few people and helped Ron get the job. While there he spent all his spare funds on learning to fly and eventually obtained his Private Pilots Licence (PPL).
In 1968, with his PPL and a few hours in his log, he applied to the RAAF to become one of their pilots. He was accepted and undertook his basic training at Point Cook on the Winjeel. Then it was over the RAAF Pearce in WA to complete his training on the Vampire where he graduated in June 1969.
After Pearce, in September, 1969, he was posted to a fighter squadron but was ultimately sent to 5 Squadron at Fairbairn to train on the Iroquois. In July 1970, Ron and a number of his course colleagues were sent to 9 Squadron in Vung Tau.
On the morning of the 20 March 1971, 9 Sqn was required to carry out a “Sniffer” flight which proved to be a routine task with few readings. The “Sniffer” was an electronic personnel detection device, developed by General Electric for the US Army Chemical Corps and was mounted in the helicopters. It detected effluents unique to humans such as those found in urine and sweat.
Early in the afternoon of 20 March, after the completion of the Sniffer flight, two Bushranger aircraft, Bushranger 71 and Bushranger 72, (with B73 and B74 in reserve) were called to support 8 Platoon C Coy, 3RAR, which had run into a bit of trouble to the north of Xuan Moc, Phuoc Tuy. A patrol was engaged by enemy in bunkers, with small arms RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenades) and hand grenades mortally wounding the Platoon Commander, 2LT David Paterson (/explore/people/21076), and seriously wounding the Machine Gunner.
The remainder of the patrol was forced to withdraw with another seriously wounded soldier (Pte MS Macanas) and called in the Light Fire Team but on arrival the aircraft could not engage effectively because the patrol was unable to mark the target having run out of smoke grenades and were in very close proximity to the enemy.
The enemy were entrenched close to an escarpment on the northern side and only about 30 meters from the Australian platoon's position which meant the aircraft had to fly low and close to the enemy’s position. Such was the terrain that, after each pass, the Bushranger had to break right to escape. Whilst that happened, it was covered by the other Bushranger. On one pass with Ron flying, the aircraft broke right, the turn being so tight that it experienced retreating blade stall.
Recovering from this manouevre the aircraft (B-71) had to return to Nui Dat to rea-arm and re-fuel. Ron it was said was keen to return to the fray 'to get his hsours up', and in due course they were back over the contact. The "Bushranger" (Pilot FlgOff DC Freedman) attempted to drop more smoke grenades. It came to the hover over the patrol when it was hit some 47 times by small arms fire just 50 feet above the patrol. One or more bullets hit the co pilot (FlgOff Ron S Betts) mortally wounding him and forcing the aircraft to land at Fire Support Patrol Base Beth, where Ron Betts died; the first RAAF pilot to die in Vietnam.
Eventually the patrol was joined by the 3RAR Assault Pioneer Platoon (LT Peter Abigail) mounted in Armoured Personnel Carriers and a troop of tanks which forced the enemy to withdraw, The bunker system (20 bunkers) which had been occupied by elements of D445 Battalion Headquarters and one of its Recce Platoons was subsequently destroyed by a tank dozer.
This biography a compilation of material from the RAAF Radschool Association Website (permission pending) and material submitted by Bob Wood (3RAR)
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