“Charlie’s complaint: Vung Tau”: Home movie relating to the service of O224149 Flying Officer Bevin John Pettitt, 9 Squadron RAAF in South Vietnam. Footage includes: An Australian unit (SAS?) prepares for patrol at Nui Dat Airfield, boarding a fleet of RAAF Bell UH-1 Iroquois for flight; take off; introspection in cabin during flight; view of aircraft in air; landing in jungle clearing and offload of unit; take off and view of jungle from air; return to smoke grenade and collection of unit; Vung Tau refuel; take off; RAAF photographer in cabin (possibly O318709 Pilot Officer Alfred (Fred) Adler, Headquarters, Australian Force Vietnam (RAAF Element)); floodplains and other aerial views.
Source: Australian War Memorial 4262356
Rare footage – thank you Bevin. My recollection dated 27 Feb 22 regarding this movie taken in 1970 (recognition of people involved). I would change the description above to read: ‘An Australian SAS patrol and 9 Squadron aircrew brief insertion of the patrol at the 9SQN ‘alert Shack’ at Nui Dat, just south of ‘Kanga Pad’ (helicopter pad) near the west end.
Patrol and aircrew walk to the 9SQN UH-1H ‘Hueys’ board, and depart for the patrol insertion. Inflight views of the cabin interiors and external views of the flight to the insertion point, both the troop carrying ‘slicks’ (Callsign prefix ‘Albatross’, rescue hoist right side, single M60 machine gun each side), and the escorting gunships (Callsign prefix ‘Bushranger’, twin M60 machine guns each side).
Insertion of the patrol, departure. Return to smoke for extraction of the patrol.
Return to Nui Dat and refuel at Kanga Pad, before departure and flight to 9SQN base at Vung Tau.
People recognised (sequential AWM time reference number on the image):
415 – Neville Pratt ?, crewman, 9SQN.
463 – Graham Dutton, pilot, 9SQN.
518 – on left, Richard McLaren ? (nomad suit); on right, Bob Redman, pilot 9SQN light green cotton suit).
644 – Alan Sewell, crewman, 9SQN.
873 – John Warbrick, crewman, 9SQN.
2280 – George Sheehan, crewman, 9SQN.
2460 – Des Long, pilot, 9SQN.
2667 – Steve Milsted ? crewman, 9SQN.
Please correct &/or add using the sequential AWM time reference number. Send me an email if you prefer.
I agree with your description Bob, or should I say “Rags”. I can confirm; 415 is Neville Pratt. 518 is Richard McLaren and 2667 is Steve Milsted.
Good to come across you on this site.
With best regards, -Joe.