RAAF drops paratroops in Vietnam

In the biggest exercise of its kind involving Australians in Vietnam, 100 soldiers of No. 3 Special Air Service Squadron were parachuted into open territory about nine miles due west of Nui Dat by a Caribou transport aircraft of No. 35 Squadron, RAAF The soldiers were flown to the drop zone in five sorties from Luscombe airfield at Nui Dat in an aircraft captained by Flight Lieutenant Alan Field, formerly of Bundaberg, with the Commanding Officer of the Squadron, Squadron Leader Stewart Mitchell of Mosman, NSW acting as co-pilot. The operation took three hours to complete, with the troops jumping from 1500 feet using American camouflage parachutes. Item shows soldiers of No. 3 SAS donning parachutes, boarding aircraft and aircraft taking off. Troops are shown jumping from aircraft. Identified personnel: Major Reg Beasley OC. of No. 3 SAS.