| 1 August - 4 September 1968 |
| Operation Lyre Bird |
Keen to return to the Nui Dinh mountains, an active area for the enemy, the
Officer Commanding volunteered to command another land clearing operation.
The trail to be cleared was between the Nui Thai Vais and the Nui Dinhs in AO
Warburton, clearing from Route 15 to the north.
Initially W Company deployed along Route 15 in APCs with Engineers of 17
Construction Squadron, a Land Clearing Team, and a section of Mortars. Two
Fire Support Bases were used during the operation - Hague and Hokonui. These
were within range of the guns in Nui Dat. Generally, the APCs and one platoon
provided protection for the engineers, a platoon patrolled well out from the
cut, and the third platoon rested and protected the Fire Support Base.
The enemy reacted quite vigorously to the operation so elements of B Company
later joined W Company to provide greater flexibility in the active patrol
programme. On 4 August, the enemy fired automatic weapons and rockets at
sentries on the perimiter of Hague and badly damaged two bulldozers. (One
bulldozer was buried to extinguish the fire!) Two members of the Company
were injured.
On 12 August a platoon on patrol made contact with five Viet Cong who quickly
withdrew. On the follow up an enemy camp was located which contained a
large quantity of ammunition and supplies hidden deep in a tunnel system.
During the search of the camp two enemy walked in, one was killed and the
other escaped. Although many signs of the enemy presence were picked up
and trails followed, it was not until 29 August that an estimated ten enemy
were sighted and
engaged with artillery and mortar fire with unknown results. Also on the 29th
an enemy hutted camp of fourteen huts and cookhouse was located and
destroyed.
The operation lasted five weeks and in that time a trail through the jungle
some 200 metres wide and 13,500 metres long was cleared, This was an
excellent result considering the heavy rain reduced the area to deep mud and
stinking slush. One night, while at Fire Support Base Hokonui, the Command
Post had to be vacated as it turned into a swimming pool! W Company returned
to Nui Dat on 4 September to prepare for Operation Innamincka.
Officer Commanding volunteered to command another land clearing operation.
The trail to be cleared was between the Nui Thai Vais and the Nui Dinhs in AO
Warburton, clearing from Route 15 to the north.
Initially W Company deployed along Route 15 in APCs with Engineers of 17
Construction Squadron, a Land Clearing Team, and a section of Mortars. Two
Fire Support Bases were used during the operation - Hague and Hokonui. These
were within range of the guns in Nui Dat. Generally, the APCs and one platoon
provided protection for the engineers, a platoon patrolled well out from the
cut, and the third platoon rested and protected the Fire Support Base.
The enemy reacted quite vigorously to the operation so elements of B Company
later joined W Company to provide greater flexibility in the active patrol
programme. On 4 August, the enemy fired automatic weapons and rockets at
sentries on the perimiter of Hague and badly damaged two bulldozers. (One
bulldozer was buried to extinguish the fire!) Two members of the Company
were injured.
On 12 August a platoon on patrol made contact with five Viet Cong who quickly
withdrew. On the follow up an enemy camp was located which contained a
large quantity of ammunition and supplies hidden deep in a tunnel system.
During the search of the camp two enemy walked in, one was killed and the
other escaped. Although many signs of the enemy presence were picked up
and trails followed, it was not until 29 August that an estimated ten enemy
were sighted and
engaged with artillery and mortar fire with unknown results. Also on the 29th
an enemy hutted camp of fourteen huts and cookhouse was located and
destroyed.
The operation lasted five weeks and in that time a trail through the jungle
some 200 metres wide and 13,500 metres long was cleared, This was an
excellent result considering the heavy rain reduced the area to deep mud and
stinking slush. One night, while at Fire Support Base Hokonui, the Command
Post had to be vacated as it turned into a swimming pool! W Company returned
to Nui Dat on 4 September to prepare for Operation Innamincka.
