Barossa the beginning DPR/TV/634

The 2nd Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment, has begun its Viet Nam tour of duty with Operation Barossa - a one day shake down operation aimed at clearing a likely Viet Cong area. Although there was no enemy contact during the Operation, members of the battalion were able to familiarise themselves with the helicopter techniques and terrain which will become part of their normal way of life during the next 12 months. United States' helicopters settled one after another on Nui Dat's Luscombe airfield and were quickly filled by the 2nd Battalion troops. From the airfield the troops were landed at a nearby airfield where Operation Barossa was launched. Spread over a vast area, members of the Battalion moved quiuckly and quietly through an established rubber plantation in search of the elusive Viet Cong. No Viet Cong were found. A cleared area near the plantation was selected as a pick up point for the troops, but before the helicopters could be summonded it was necessary to ensure that the surrounding area was safe from Viet Cong attack or sniper fire. As troops ensured the safety of the area, tropical rain hampered the operation. With the area secured, the helicopters appeared and rapidly lifted members of the battalion out of the area and back to the Task Force area at Nui Dat. For members of the 2nd Battalion, Operation Barossa was uneventful but it provided a basis for operations to come during the present monsoon season. Identified personnel: Pte Eric Johnson, of Mitchelson, Brisbane moving through rubber plantation; Pte Robert Elliot of Warrananbool Vic, patrolling; Reg MacDonald, Sydney Daily Telegraph reporter talking to diggers on patrol.