Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

14/3/69

9th National Service ballot my birth date 27/5/49 was drawn whilst working at National Bank Darwin NT as savings bank officer.

2/10/69

Enlisted in ARA (NS) to commence recruitment training located at Puckapunyal Victoria. My recruit basis was Dcoy 18 platoon RTB and flew there by air flight. Took possession of my EH Holden station wagon in December 69.

3/1/70

Commence RASSC (Army Service Corps) Clerical Training also at Puckapunyal which went for 12 weeks total. Went to Adelaide about fortnightly weekend during training but struggled with 8 hours each way getting back by 6am Monday. Became friends with John Will from Maitland SA who usually accompanied me to Adelaide and return to Pucka.

28/3/70

Drove Adelaide to Townsville 2400kms with John Will going through Camooweal and Miles which were very tricky as roads were sand hills at times.

Transfer to Lavarack barracks Townsville Qld assigned to Communication Zone Postal Unit which had a Lavarack post office.

Worked at Stuart Park and Townsville central post offices doing counter duties and mail sorting. Played Aussie rules football including representing Townsville against Cairns match.

Friendship with John Will continued as he was also posted to Lavarack barracks postal unit.

12/8/70

Drove EH wagon Townsville to Adelaide 2400kms singularly in preparation for Vietnam posting.

Took Qantas flight for Sydney then spent 2 days at Watson Bay overnight accommodation awaiting flying to Vietnam by Qantas.

20/8/70

Arrived in Saigon (Ho Chi Min) to take place in 1det Communication Zone Postal Unit with my initial posting to AFPO1 (Australian Forces Post Office 1) in Saigon as my main role was undertaking mail courier travelling up to Da Nang twice weekly to collect Australian mail.

Our living conditions were relatively fine by residing in a five-story building known as Canberra House which was reinforced with front wire mesh and continually had weapon style 24 hours infantry guards.

Flying to Da Nang twice weekly normally on Tuesday and Thursday was an experience. I had to try and get a flight usually on a US Hercules A30 before 12noon, so I was in Da Nang by 1pm as I needed to be there to meet US army personnel returning from Sydney on R&R and meet their Panam plane. These planes landed anywhere between 2pm and 3am the next day.

I was promoted to corporal early in my Vietnam term due to the work involvement.
Interesting there was a rocket that landed at the other end of the Da Nang housing but did not go off and it was this event that made me no longer awaiting for the flight in the housing but I remained on the American base situated within their music and booze bars
The most difficult task was to arrange return flights to Saigon with some 15 to 25 blue mail bags and trying to cheat with the level of weight sometimes saying they were so many kilograms when they were in reality ounces weight.
11/3/71
After six months in Saigon I was transferred to AFPO4 located at Nui Dat where I continued postal duties including front office cash tasks along with mail handling. 
There was nightly collection of mail completed by individuals that required servicing all the different battalions and other army parties.

Our postal unit was originally housed in 75 Transport unit but while I was stationed at Nui Dat, we had to be relocated to 161 Independent Recce unit which was across the road from AFPO4.
Some operations involved social partying with much drinking as the group met at VungTau AFPO3 where we socialised on the beach.

I was also asked to perform the postal operations at Phan Rang Australian Air Force base where the Canberra bombers were located. The three weeks spent there was very interesting as Air Force life was a bit different to our army life.

19/7/71

Returned by Qantas flight to Adelaide having completed my 365 days overseas.

1/10/71

Finally received my approved discharge from the army while in Adelaide after 2 years.