I Was Only 19
“I Was Only 19” Lyrics Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal It was a long march from cadets The sixth battalion was the next to tour and it was me who drew the card We did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left And Townsville lined the footpaths as we…
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RAAF CARIBOU A4-171’s LAST FLIGHT
The only thing unusual about this Wallaby 006 mission on the 30th August 1967 was that an Australian army colonel, Colonel White, had made a request to be a passenger for the day. Apparently he had a day off from duties at Nui Dat and decided to, as he joked. “See what you RAAF blokes…
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My Story: John McDougall
I grew up in Paddington in Sydney early in 1944. As WW II was in full swing, my dad was in the army but as he had been declared unfit for overseas service, he had been posted to the coast watchers group over at Fremantle. Mum and I were left in Sydney and after a while…
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My Story: John Sambrooks
John (Sambo) was born and bred and grew up in Brisbane. He went to school at Grovelly (a northern suburb of Brisbane) and played league with the school and in 1959 was one of the initial players for the newly formed West Mitchelton team. After school he started work at the now gone Arnotts/Morrows biscuit…
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Cheap Charlie
Click Here to View Song Lyrics Background: This song became famous among Australians in South Vietnam. There is hardly an Aussie who served there that did not know it, but these days most only remember the first verse. It is sung to the tune of “The Children’s Marching Song” (From the film, ‘The Inn…
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The Beer Run
We all remember when, if the Airmen’s Bar wanted more beer, we would have to go to the US Navy Commissary in Cholon, a suburb in Saigon, to buy it from them. Do you remember how it went? A couple of blokes would grab the Milk Run to Ton Son Nuit, get off and grab…
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Extracts from Dutchy’s ‘Notes From The Rear’
NOTES FROM THE REAR “Who were you with?” asked the bloke about my age at the bar after the parade. “Wallaby Airlines.” I replied “Wallaby Airlines.” he repeated “The Caribous.” I was quite pleased that he was that knowledgeable. Many Vietnam vets I‟d spoken to since the war had to be filled in on the…
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Lifer
Tuesday, 26th February, 1969. The sound of the four Pratt and Whitney JT3 Jet engines was becoming louder as the speed of the QANTAS 707 decreased as we approached Saigon airport. Looking out the window, I could see the landscape changing from the dark green and shimmering rivers, to more defined shapes, and buildings. Mixed…
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