© Jack Bradd
C Company 2nd tour |
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I had just arrived at
Ton Son Nhut from my R&R (Rest and Recreation) and was told there were no
flights to Nui Dat till that afternoon so I wandered
over to the Yank OR (Other Ranks') Boozer and settled in. That
afternoon I found where the
Caribou was leaving from and
as I approached the aircraft there were two officers
waiting to board. One I recognised as my platoon
commander, Lt Ian Hosie, and the other officer was a
captain (I think it was Captain Bill Titley, 2IC of C
Company).
Mr. Hosie spotted me and tried to wave me away but
I saluted him and slurred 'Good afternoon Sir', the
captain asked
Mr. Hosie did he know the soldier but he
shook his head and denied he ever saw me before. Dunno
why, I had on Pollyanna trousers, a Yank khaki shirt with
two stripes on the sleeves, admittedly the stripes were
upside down, and no slouch hat. It must have been
because I was staggering under the weight of my echelon
bag that
Mr. Hosie ignored me.
I sat on the aircraft next to a warrant officer and a
reinforcement, and the three of us yarned during the
flight. The WO introduced himself as Ray Simpson* and
was a great bloke, he laughed when I pointed out my
platoon commander, still ignoring me and I told him I
would most probably spend the night in the cells. I
didn't know at the time who Ray Simpson was, but I was
bloody glad to have met the man. (many years later, in
the peace time army I had the misfortune to work with
another recipient but that bloke wouldn't talk to me
because I was a lowly Sergeant).
At the Dat everyone was picked up in vehicles except me
but the captain must have taken pity because he ordered
me into his Landrover. There was dead silence 'till we
pulled up at Charlie Company lines then
Mr. Hosie ordered me
to get into my tent and stay there. I heard the bastards
laughing as they drove off so I went into my tent and
stayed there.
Mr. Hosie was always looking after me when we were in
camp but I reckon he had a mean streak in him. Like the
time we came back from Vung Tau after R&C (Rest and
Convalescence) and the
trucks pulled up in Charlie Company lines, I reckon I was
pushed, the diggers reckoned I fell, but whatever, I
managed to get my webbing tangled up on those hooks on
the side of the bloody trucks and hung there upside
down. As I hung there I distinctly heard
Mr. Hosie
ordering the drivers to take off. The drivers had a
conference around me and came to a decision; it was
against Task Force Standing Orders to drive around with
an unlawful attachment to their vehicle—meaning me.
They untangled me just as the boozer opened.
(
* Warrant Officer Class II Ray Simpson, VC)
TALES FROM THE TIGER
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