| Accession Number | P04655.304 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Digital file |
| Maker |
Gibbons, Denis Stanley |
| Place made | Vietnam: Phuoc Tuy Province, Nui Dat |
| Date made | 9 March 1970 |
| Conflict |
Vietnam, 1962-1975 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
At the Kangaroo Pad at the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) base, soldiers of 7RAR (Royal ...
Description
At the Kangaroo Pad at the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) base, soldiers of 7RAR (Royal Australian Regiment) wait to board helicopters to commence Operation Finschhafen, the battalion's first operation of its second tour of duty in Vietnam. The men are fully armed and some have their faces smeared with camouflage paint. The soldier in the foreground is Private 55645 John Joseph Smith of 5 Platoon, B Company 7RAR from Cottesloe Western Australia. He is armed with an M72 66mm Light Anti-tank Weapon (LAW). This weapon was not used after this initial operation because soldiers found it too difficult to move through dense vegetation with it slung across their back.