With his 5.56 mm M16A1 automatic rifle propped between his knees, an unidentified Australian ...

Accession Number P05565.031
Collection type Photograph
Object type Negative
Maker Flynn, Sean L
Place made Vietnam: Phuoc Tuy Province
Date made c 18 November - 3 December 1966
Conflict Vietnam, 1962-1975
Copyright

Item copyright: Unlicensed copyright

Description

With his 5.56 mm M16A1 automatic rifle propped between his knees, an unidentified Australian soldier from 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), inspects a captured 7.92 mm Mosin Nagant Model 1944 carbine. The rifle was captured after contact was made with a single Viet Cong (VC) fighter, who was in the process of placing an anti personnel mine (similar to a claymore) on a jungle trail which was set for remote detonation. The photographer Sean Flynn, who was travelling with the Australian patrol, began to photograph the unfolding event when he discovered the mine (partially visible left, foreground) which was wired and ready to detonate. Flynn shouted "Claymore!" whereupon the patrol leader raced to the mine, ripping out the wiring before the VC could detonate it. Other members of the patrol pursued the fugitive VC into the jungle, where he was shot dead. Once he was spotted by the Australian patrol, he immediately dropped this weapon and ran to detonate the anti personnel mine from a remote location but was shot dead. After the mine was discovered, the patrol leader frantically tore out the wiring