MEMBERS of 9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (9RAR) attended the Commemorative Service observing Vietnam Veterans’ Day on 18 August at the Stuarts Point Cenotaph.

Regiment members meet yearly at various locations around Australia at commemorative events such as Anzac Day, Vietnam Veterans Day or Remembrance Day.

On August 18, the platoon wreath was laid with solemn appreciation by Arnold Junge of Gumma and Rosie Gourley, who had travelled from Bray Park in Queensland.

Rosie is the widow of David, a former platoon member.

Mr Junge was proud to relay the history of the Regiment.

“9RAR was raised at Keswick Barracks in Adelaide on 13 November 1967 and shortly thereafter moved into barracks at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills,” he said.

“The raising of 9RAR was unique as the Battalion had to be trained, tested and deployed to South Vietnam within twelve months.

“As such, the Battalion, fully trained and operational, left Australia in the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney for service in Vietnam in November 1968.

“The Battalion had thus been raised and had completed its training in just nine months, the shortest period in which any Australian infantry battalion has ever gone to war.”

Over the course of the tour, 9RAR undertook eleven major operations lasting roughly a month each, along with a number of minor operations.

“The Battalion had many heavy contacts with the enemy during its tour of duty and, sadly, 35 of its members were killed and over 150 were wounded.”

The battalion returned to Australia in November 1969 and from January 1970 reformed at Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera, Queensland.

Scheduled to return to Vietnam for a second tour of duty, the election of the Whitlam government saw a shift in defence policy, resulting in the need to reduce the size of the Australian Army.

To implement these changes, it was decided to reduce the number of infantry battalions, one of which was 9RAR.

Consequently, on 31 October 1973 the battalion was linked with 8RAR to form 8/9RAR, which to this day remains stationed at Gallipoli Barracks as the Assault-Pioneer Platoon (Aslt-Pnr Pl).

The specialist platoon has the primary role of carrying out engineering tasks to assist the Battalion to fight.

These tasks include laying, detecting and clearance of land mines and booby traps, using explosives to destroy ammunition and enemy installations, constructing field defences and fortifications, building bridges and operating small watercraft.

8/9RAR’s secondary role is to fight as an infantry rifle platoon.

By Jen HETHERINGTON