Alexander (High (Sandy) MacGregor as the Commanding Officer 3 Field Troop Australian Engineers interviewed by Greg Swanborough for 'The sharp end'

CO 3 Field Troop Australian Engineers 19 September 1966 to 29 April 1966. 1 Field Squadron 30 April 1966 to 12 October 1966. Scene 9, Take 1: Describes early techniques used to enter tunnels. Men were lowered down head first with torch in one hand and bayonet in the other. Then miner’s torches used on heads which left hand free to carry a pistol and the bayonet to feel out booby traps. The tunnel entrances were very small and narrow. Men had to continue into the tunnel until it widened out enough to allow them to turn around. Peering around corners with torch on head made for a good target. No Australians shot in tunnels but one died of asphyxiation. Gas and smoke were used to clear tunnel entrances and men often collapsed from remaining fumes. It was difficult to pull them out backwards. On 11 January Robert (Bob) Bowtell collapsed in an entrance that was so small, he was not able to be rescued in time and died in the tunnel. Tunnel complexes were massive and thousands of sheets of paper (good intelligence) and tonnes of equipment were retrieved. General Westmoreland, US military commander in Vietnam then decided that all tunnels will be search out. Tunnel complex was searched for five days for three quarters of a mile in both directions before being told to pull out. Australians part of American 173 Airborne Brigade. This was disappointing as another entrance was found that seemed to lead to yet another lower level of tunnels. [Good detailed description of tunnels and clearing techniques on ‘wild’ interview that also identifies Ho Bo Wood as the area where these events took place.]