Some Sth Vietnam snippets from documents.

[DennisM]

Would that be this vehicle Glen, 113-243 cheers Dennis
http://www.remlr.com/photos/pics4/wrviet3.jpg

[Carzee]

Thx for that Glen. I feel like i have had a flyover the place in the tardis. I was not aware it was the local tip beforehand. Perhaps that this fact helped command make the decision - taking a good spot or prime real estate may have antagonised locals.

Regards the 65-66 era at VT, I remember obtaining a Par Oneri magazine via a certain Mjr. Spruce one day about 10 years back and I set about typing it up for the website. I found its contents very descriptive and informing compared to anything in the local library at that time. (although even these articles edit out the picturesque descriptions of 'p-phone' urinals that Mjr. Spruce gave me). (this was sometime before your page of photos came along):

"1Coy RAASC main body is deployed in the sandhills about one mile from the township and about 300 yards from the sea. During the wet season it is under water and during dry it is under sand. (One warning. If any wife or sweetheart asks an ex 1 Coy RAASC Vietnam veteran to take her to the beach, we do not accept responsibility for the consequences.) The sand during all seasons is intolerable, except that at least everything remains clean, and only requires dusting. All food, water, clothing, vehicles, beds and bodies are perpetually covered with the powder-like sand. One is glad in many ways to leave the ALSG area to go north on the re-supply convoys. Upon leaving the main gate the convoy passes over a causeway type road through a swamp and then eventually past the Vung-Tau Airfield where elements of the US Army and Air Force are located. Then through villages whose smell is reminiscent of O'Riordan St, Sydney.
...

"Baria, the main town in the Phouc Tuy (pronounced 'Fook Twee') Province, is a reasonably clean, neat place. However, as can be understood after almost 30 years of war, signs of disrepair are evident. The main impression here, though, is that the people are friendly and smiling. Remembering the first convoys that weaved through the town when eyes of doubt were cast, it cannot but be thought that -here at least- the war is being won, not only the shooting war against the VC, but just as important, the war to win the hearts and minds of the people."

(I underlined the WHAM reference)

[zulu delta 534]

Would that be this vehicle Glen, 113-243 cheers Dennis
http://www.remlr.com/photos/pics4/wrviet3.jpg

That's the one Dennis.
Regards
Glen

[Carzee]

In that photo there is a canvas shower hanging up - at about the 7 o'clock position.
At about 3 o'clock is a much larger hanging bag of some sort. It has a proper framework.

? I wonder what it is.

[zulu delta 534]

They are both large water bags. They were made out of canvas, had a spout that came out of side at the base and to have a drink one simply unhooked the top end of the spout, dropped it down lower and filled ones mug. To stop it one simply hooked the end of the spout back up to the top.
Wonderful old inventions, similar to the ones we used to hang on bull bars if you can remember them, but a lot bigger. Worked on latent heat exchange.
Water didn't cost $4 a bottle back in those days.
Regards
Glen

[Carzee]

The drinking water was purified by some means; the pills or the filter?
I love camp trivia like this. In those early years was there a mess tent and cook or only after mid 67?

Also, does the bushrat make an appearance around the sandhills? In all the VT diaries I don't see any mentions of pests except the call to hurry up lotion on backorder (to deal with sand mites I think).

[Carzee]

I have been looking at a c1970 photo of 1ALSG. I think I see a yard with the Scammell prime movers for the Centurians etc (86Tpt?). Near them (near the Hospital landing pad) are some dams (same old high water table problem).
1. On the left side is a what appears to be a cement pad - is that the vehicle wash plant we have been mentioning?
2. And the higher sand hills at about the 2 O-clock posn - is that "the bowl" from a different angle?



Regarding the drainage and high water problem... nowadays the solution is to use it as golf course water traps:
https://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=vung+tau,+vietnam&sll=10.3737,107.0982&sspn=0.006543,0.009795&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=10.373686,107.09816&spn=0.141332,0.112782&z=13&iwloc=addr

[zulu delta 534]

The Bowl is the big flat area where all the trucks are parked.
Regards
Glen

[Carzee]

From july 71:

[Carzee]

  17 Construction had a wide variety of vehicles but when the order above is dropped in amongst the Orders... no need to mention "Land Rover", its just 'understood'.

[Carzee]

Wow, is this right?
Provos in Vung Tau using Radar Speed detectors - 1971?

[4X4-566]

I have been looking at a c1970 photo of 1ALSG. I think I see a yard with the Scammell prime movers for the Centurians etc (86Tpt?). Near them (near the Hospital landing pad) are some dams (same old high water table problem).
1. On the left side is a what appears to be a cement pad - is that the vehicle wash plant we have been mentioning?
2. And the higher sand hills at about the 2 O-clock posn - is that "the bowl" from a different angle?



Regarding the drainage and high water problem... nowadays the solution is to use it as golf course water traps:
https://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=vung+tau,+vietnam&sll=10.3737,107.0982&sspn=0.006543,0.009795&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=10.373686,107.09816&spn=0.141332,0.112782&z=13&iwloc=addr

According to M&D there were only two Leyland/Scammel prime movers in theatre with two 70 Ton floats, most of the other prime movers were the 20 Ton Diamond Reo and eight 25 ton Federals. 

You can see them in Noel P's images

Diamond Reo and Freighter trailers on foreground, tail end of tank floats (Scammel) mid ground 12 O'Clock


Reos in foreground, Federal and tanker trailer in mid ground 12.30 O'Clock


If a load was more than 25 Ton wouldn't they have used the Scammels with the 30 Ton plant trailers?  The RAE had a lot of heavy equipmemt and the Scammels with the Steco trailers were standard heavy haulage for RAE in Australia.

Doug E

[Carzee]

Good pix of the semis. The b/w aerial photo of the yard has a caption stating circa 1970. Mistake?
Some questions arise. In Mud n Dust, p34, a caption of one of the Diamond-Reo semis with Fruehauf trailer states they didn't arrive in SVN until 1971. From Sept 71 heavy items were RTA by ship and by early Feb 72 all the gear (and diggers) were RTA.

Did they already use the same type of civvy semi-trailers in Australia 65/66/67? If so, the arrival of Aussie semis for freight, fuel tanker and heavy armour transport so late in the Aussie Zone could have been because (some guess's);

1. the Aussies didn't bring over the civvy semis earlier -65/66/67- because they simply hired US military heavy haulers (i.e., high ground clearance and a diff on the front axle)?
2. the Zone's routes were not safe for civvy semis until all the big civil works and upgrades on road and bridge tasks were accomplished by the RAE? (civvy semis couldn't cope with monsoon conditions/degradation etc)
3. the RAE engineers only signed off and 'approved' the route safety (regards civvy semis) at a certain point in early '71?

[Reading the 17Construction diaries... they sure did do a lot of roadwork. There are SVN govt letters of commendation for the RAE regards the huge improvement in civil economy in the province due to the infrastructure improvements and repairs of damage done during the earlier war with the french etc. They are probably still in use.]

[Mike C]

Carzee,

Your question may be answered by reading M&D pages 234-235.  The Diamond Reo wasn't accepted for Aust military service until 1970. First arrivals into SVN were April 1971. The s/tlr requirements before that were 'covered' by hired US transport, as per policy to hire US transport where practicable and available.

Mike C

[4X4-566]

Would the C1970 on the B&W image explain the issue, circa meaning "sometime around 1970" which would include early 1971?

Doug