Click to go to Master Index

The Fighting Fourth is part of the Digger History group of sites.

Chapter 6.2

A history of the 4th Bn Royal Australian Regiment during their second tour of Vietnam when with members of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment they served as 4RAR/NZ ( ANZAC )

Home ] Chapter Index ] [ Chapter 6.2 ] Chapter 6.3 ] Chapter 6.4 ] Chapter 6.5 ] Chapter 6.6 ] Chapter 6.7 ]

Page 2 of Chapter 6, The Fighting Fourth. Reflections.

Newspaper clipping September 22, 1971

TAOR patrol, SAS Hill (Ptes Wayne Butcher, Greg Studsbury, Doug McClelland, Greg Connolly, Ray Stevens and Michael Whitehouse).

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

Second Lieutenant Graham Spinkston was involved in the contact of 21 September with 33 Regiment but it was not until a month later that he found out how lucky he had been. Graham had a book entitled "A Taste of Courage" in his left basic pouch just behind his left hip. After recovering from a shrapnel wound in the leg, he found that the book had stopped and now contained between the pages, an AK 47 round. It shows how lucky one can be and with that in mind, the book, round and story were sent to the Australian War Museum for display as an unusual incident of the Fourth's second tour.

It was a good book too (2Lt Grahame Spinkston).

To The War Museum

It is interesting to note that 4 RAR/NZ, on behalf of the ANZAC Battalions, made contributions to the Australian War Museum, for preservation. The CO's weapon, a 5.56 millimetre SMG XM, was an oddity and is now preserved there. The ANZAC memorial cairn built at Nui Dat to commemorate the tours of the ANZAC Battalions, and another, though not directly involved with the ANZAC Battalions but in itself a story worth noting, that of Second Lieutenant Graham Spinkston and his famous book.

If he can smoke one, so can I (Pte Peter Dwyer).

"Here's looking up your kilt" (Sgt Hai)

"There goes Seven Platoon's jungle warfare expert".

What? (Pte Larry North).

Cam My

Conveying the finer points to the village chief of Cam My (Cpl Dennis Rayner, Cpl "Mac" McGurk and Capt Bob "Editor" Sayce).
You sell me watch, uc-dai-loi? (Cpl "Ike" Robin).

Doc Trevillian at Cam My

 

Next

Email 

 Search   Guestbook  Last Post    The Ode     FAQ    Digger Forum 

Click for news

Sponsor:   Currently vacant.        Hit Counter since 16 December 2004   

The Fighting Fourth; the history of 4RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Bn. 2nd tour, 1971/72