The Battle of Long Tan by David W. Cameron

Author:David W. Cameron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Non-Fiction
ISBN: 9781743485781
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Earlier, Sergeant Buick was heading towards where he hoped CHQ was located when he collided with Private Ron Crane of his platoon and together they went down into the mud and slid for a short distance. Both noticed the yellow smoke and made contact with Lieutenant Sabben’s 12 Platoon. Buick later recalled that he could hardly believe his eyes – he had found D Company.19 Private Alan Parr of 12 Platoon recalled that the first person he saw come in from 11 Platoon was Buick, who had a ‘stunned look on his face – I’ll never forget it. Little did I realise at the time we all would have looked the same. I saw a few more of the boys come into our position but by this time we had started to take a few casualties.’20 Close by was Corporal Laurie Drinkwater, who had thrown the smoke grenade. He recalled that they were still pinned down but soon saw some men from 11 Platoon making their way to their position. He and others were calling out to them and he thought the first in was Buick, but very few came in after him.21 Private Stan Hodder of 12 Platoon also recalled few from 11 Platoon making their way to their position: he could remember seeing only ‘Bob Buick and a couple of others . . . when they came to us Bob Buick was the only one I can remember as he came into platoon headquarters.’22 Corporal Kevin Miller recalled how ‘Bob Buick lobbed himself right next to me’ and a few others arrived. One asked if he had ‘any ammunition, so I threw one of the blokes a magazine, as they were out of ammo, some of them’.23

Another who made his way to Sabben’s platoon was Eglinton, who recalled making it back to 12 Platoon’s area with some relief and seeing Robbins, who had been wounded twice.24 Buick recalled that by this time around six men from 11 Platoon had made their way to Sabben’s position.25 Sabben recollected some shouts and waves as they made their way to him in ones and twos.26

Buick remembered that the first person he saw from 12 Platoon was the recently engaged Private Paul Large, who was taking cover behind a tree trying to unjam his Armalite rifle. Then Buick came across Sergeant James ‘Paddy’ Todd, who gave him a cigarette. Buick recounted that Todd appeared to be wounded as he could not move his feet; even so, he was relatively calm as they lay there sharing a smoke. Buick made the comment as they smoked in the downpour with bullets cracking over their heads: ‘Paddy, you’re getting too bloody old for this shit!’27 Todd, a veteran, had been wounded in Korea and was now in a rubber plantation in Vietnam wounded in both ankles. Sabben recalled that his sergeant had been in a prone position when a 60mm or RPG round came screaming through the trees and landed between his ankles, burying itself in the mud before exploding.

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