Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Nicholas lived in the small coastal village of Seaton/Downderry on the south coast of Cornwall (UK) until the age of 14.  He migrated with his parents and three siblings to Adelaide, South Australia in January 1959.  He continued.  his secondary education at Brighton High School (SA).  During his time at Brighton High School, he was actively involved with the Army Cadet Unit.  With no specific employment objectives, and no desire to undertake tertiary education, Nicholas  enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in July 1963.

Following three months Basic Training at 1RTB Kapooka, he was posted to the Australian Survey Corps, training as a Topographical Surveyor.  Following a Basic Survey course at the School of Survey Balcombe (Vic), he was posted to AHQ Survey Regiment, Bendigo (Vic).  While with the Regiment, he was involved in mapping survey in Victoria, and Papua New Guinea. At this time, the Australian Government was preparing to relinquish the duties of administering the territory under a trust arrangement, to full self-determination.  One particular task was to establish an accurate boundary between Papua New Guinea and West Irian, effectively the boundary between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The Australian Department of National Development undertook this task, utilizing the resources of the Division of National Mapping, and The Royal Australian Survey Corps.

By 1966, The Australian Government had committed National Servicemen to the war in South Vietnam. Nicholas believed Regular Army personnel should be used rather than conscripts.  He believed there was only a limited possibility he would have the opportunity for active service while attached to the Survey Regiment.  He applied for a corps transfer to a unit likely to serve in Vietnam.  He was offered, and accepted a transfer to the Royal Australian Artillery, as an Artillery Surveyor.  He was posted to 131 Divisional Locating Battery based in Holsworthy (NSW).  In September 1967, he was posted to Detachment 131Div Loc Bty based at the Task Force Base, Nui Dat, South Vietnam.  While in Vietnam, he was appointed a Temp Bombardier in the Survey Section.  During the 12-month attachment to the unit, his tasks were to establish Regimental Survey to the gun batteries when establishing Fire Support Patrol Bases.  While the FSPB were operating, the surveyors would operate and maintain a Listening Post to provide search bearings for the detachment’s counter-mortar radar.  In conducting these tasks, a substantial amount of time was effectively out of the Task Force Base, on operations.  Between September 1967 and September 1968, he was involved in most of the FSPB’s.  These included the Anderson/Harrison bases during the TET Offensive, and the later FSPB Coral/Balmoral, where casualties were sustained within the bases.

Returning from SVN in September 1968, Nicholas was posted to 8 Medium Regiment at Holsworthy.  8 Med Regt was effectively a staging unit for replacements for Vietnam, and National Servicemen preparing for discharge.  Nicholas remained at 8 Med Regt until transferring back to Adelaide for discharge in July 1969.