Whose Name We Share

33 Vietnam 1966 In preparation for deployment to South Vietnam the battery participated in Exercise Cesar Augustus and Exercise Iron Lady, both heavily intense in their own right. In May 1966 the 103 rd Battery would start their 12 month tour of Vietnam, arriving into Vung Tau to familiarise themselves with the area until the 6 th of June. The battery would then be moved by air to Nui Dat, alongside the Australian 105 th Battery and the New Zealander 161 Field Battery to take up positions in the regimental gun area. On the 17 th of August, the Nui Dat Task Force base came under mortar fire in an attack that lasted 15-20 minutes. A total of 30 rounds fell into the Regimental Area, wreaking havoc and destruction as the rounds detonated. 10 minutes into the attack, the battery received orders to conduct counter battery fire – a previously prepared task drawn from intelligence related to likely enemy approaches. Under mortar fire, the battery retaliated insanely quickly once the order was given, having 6 rounds in the air before anybody else had fired. A number of casualties resulted from the attack. Previous write-ups, including those from the AWM have confirmed 2 casualties that came from the attack, however an inconsistency appears when these recounts are compared with the Royal Australian Artillery History Collection’s records. Their records indicate that a total of 6 people were affected by the mortar attacks; Pvt K. Quinell, Gnr P. Norris, Gnr C. Chapman, Bdr Terence Hayes, K. Doehramm and D. Simmons. The RAAHC is comprised of previous serving members who were on the ground on the 17 th of August, so its on good authority the number could actually be 6. Of course, the highlight of the entire tour is the battery’s participation in the Battle of Long Tan – the first major contact by Australian troops during the war. They would fire 1078 rounds over the course of the battle in arduous conditions of relentless rain, failing light and very poor visibility due to both. 103 rd Battery were the General Duties Battery – meaning they’d fire any adjustments in the case of a regimental fire mission. Using 105mm Pack Howitzers, all 6 guns fired in support of 6RAR for Long Tan, as well as guns from the 105 th and 161 st – and at one point 155mm Guns from an American callsign. Teams of people were labouring hard to supply the battery with ammunition, ferrying bombs for the constantly firing Pack Howitzers. According to the AWM, the Battery has been recorded as the only artillery unit to be supplied by air during the battle. A Chinook reportedly delivered ammunition directly to the gun position without stopping. Its reported that the Chinook hovered a few feet off the ground, nose up and skull dragging the tail end to deliver ammunition out the back. This was all done to avoid being an easy target in the case of counter battery fire.