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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Virtual Tour of US Airforce Museum
Click on the link below to view: Virtual Tour of US Airforce Museum (May need to update Flash Player to view)
Salts, Blue Orchards and Us
There has always been rivalry between all three military services but as for me, I now wave a flag of truce as I reflect on days gone by in peace and war. There are so many memories, the reliable and beloved Huey helicopter, the seemingly vulnerable Spartan patrol boats and then of course those magnificent…
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The Origins of The Callsign “Wallaby” R.A.A.F. Transport Flight Vietnam (RTFV) 1964
As the RAAF is planning to demob Caribous it is an appropriate time that the origins of “Wallaby” are explained. The like most tales of origins the name “Wallaby” Airlines was a combination of different events. To the best of my recollections this is how the nameless form; a name which later became famous in…
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