Treble Change - 1 Rar September 1972 a Jurassic Journey Into Papua New Guinea
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TREBLE CHANGE - 1 RAR SEPTEMBER 1972 A JURASSIC JOURNEY INTO PAPUA NEW GUINEA Abalinx 8 March 2014 Peter Adamis 31 January 2018 review. FORWARD. "Warrie" George Mansford (Brigadier retired). I remember it well. In fact I have the Exercise report somewhere in my study and no doubt it would take months trying to find it and you will want to know before such a time lapse. As you know, although the war in Vietnam was drawing to a close in regard Australian commitment, 1RAR under command of Blue Hodgkinson was placed on notice for another tour of operational duty. So it came to be the battalion commenced a very long and demanding phase training which (apart from distractions such as Cyclone Althea, searching for a lost helicopter in the Cairns region) culminated with the mandatory sub unit training at Canungra where you may recall B Company encountered the well-known General Westmoreland of Vietnam fame. I cannot recall the date but at some stage when the battalion was on a very, very big high the official word came that it was all off. It was a huge disappointment particularly for the clean skins and Blue was most concerned. There was a conference and it was decided we would need a big challenge to distract the soldiers from such disappointments. Thus there were discussions with higher on the need to provide a significant challenge of an operational environment based on the reality that: One. We had been earmarked to return to Vietnam for a third tour. Two. We needed a tough operational challenge preferably in a hostile environment which would take soldiers minds away from Vietnam, mischief and sex and provide a sense of individual and collective achievement. Three. Provide the base to continue to maintain, enhance unit preparation for war. Thus Treble Change. From Vietnam (1) to New Guinea (2) and Wherever (3) It was an immense success and to my mind as the Ops Officer and certainly Blue Hodgkinson (CO) and Jack Currie (RSM) thought the same. The previous training in Canungra, the three exercises (Basch, Byrne and Berry) in the Atherton Tablelands, reinforced by much competitive training in Lavarack and not forgetting regular clashes at night while on leave with various civilian types provided a very sound base for New Guinea and Treble Change. It certainly reinforced the Maxim (Train hard, fight easy or how your train is how you fight. (Take your pick). Blue was a great commander and there are such proud memories of young soldiers who wore the Blue Lanyard and Skippy badge. There it is! Warrie George Mansford (Brigadier retired) TREBLE CHANGE. This article is dedicated to all my mates and leaders in 1 RAR who embraced me as one of their own. The article is but a consortium of yarns, anecdotes, memories, tall tales but true. Many of which are memories still fresh (as if it was but yesterday) and drawn from my meagre diaries and hand drawn pictures some 42 years ago. It is a living document and will be reviewed as new information is obtained. This one diggers recollections from notes, memory, cobbers and images. Disclaimer. To my old Platoon Sergeant, Phil (Butch – 6 RAR) Buttigieg who is forever chiding me for my poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and punctuation, this article has been edited by Jeannette Bartlett (wife of Neil Weeks - Brigadier retired) and helped write the Spirit of Australia for "Warrie" George Mansford) has also kindly assisted with the editing. I thank them dearly for their support and assistance. Duty First. Preamble. What was Treble change in 1972? For many it would be meaningless, but for us at 1 RAR (First Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment) it meant sheer hard work. A very challenging, exhilarating, exciting, boredom, testing of inner strengths, endurance, being resourceful and above all never giving up when the going was tough or the conditions became hard under extremely difficult terrain. It was not a place for weaklings or “jack men” that was for sure. It is of interest to note that unit histories (1 RAR in particular) have wrongly named it as "Treble Charge" and for the life of me, I wonder why those who wrote it did not bother to conduct the proper research by speaking to those who did in fact participate on this arduous and challenging piece of military entertainment. Political reasons. Mount Sattelberg Lae Treble change was also a political statement on behalf of Finschhafen the Australian Government of the day. The Australian government (Liberal leadership) wanted to send a clear message to our neighbours in the North. One to the future Government of Papua New Guinea that Australia could respond quickly and effectively should the occasion arise and two to the Indonesian Government. The exercise was a success and it was emulated some 27 years later when an Australian Task Force was flown into East Timor and secured the tiny nation from Indonesian interference. (It is of interest to note that Papua New Guinea was to obtain Nationhood within the next couple of years.) In fact everyone who happened to be serving in Papua New Guinea at the time received an award to mark the occasion under the Labor Government. It was also a time when the Australian people would vote for a change of Government some three months later. A government that would go down as the only one that had its Prime Minister sacked by the Governor General. (Buts that's another story for people better qualified than I to report on it) Dedicated to WW2 Diggers. Although this yarn is really dedicated to those who fought in New Guinea during WW2, it is also dedicated to all my mates and leaders in 1 RAR who embraced me as one of their own. Why? The reason is simple. We were fit, tested and were well prepared for the journey that was before us. The WW2 diggers were not equipped properly, nor had the required clothing, the jungle knowledge or the medical and health back up support that we had. The 39th, a Victorian Battalion in particular needs a special mention. It was they, who took the brunt of the Japanese offensive until relieved. The 39th Battalion was made up of youngsters with little training and yet were able to stem the flow of the Japanese advance long enough for reinforcements to arrive. They were ill equipped but led by a brilliant Commanding Officer, Ralph Honnor from West Australia. Ralph Honnor ad also seen action in Greece and Crete prior to taking command of the 39th Battalion. Australia's Thermopylae. And yet, one cannot but help admire what they achieved during WW2. After going through our area of operation in Papua New Guinea, I am forever in awe of what our predecessors achieved. I for one salute them. One could rightly call it "Australia Thermopylae". Even now some 42 years later, I am still in awe of the Aussie digger who battled his way across the Papuan New Guinea hinterland and the numerous jungles not knowing if he would ever see home again. Picture: Spartan & Australian WW2 Digger I am pleased to note that there were a few Australians of Hellenic background involved and serving as diggers. Today most Australians of Greek background will be found serving in the Navy followed by the Army and Airforce in that order. This is a good reflection of our cosmopolitan integration of different cultures that have made Australia home and contributing to the welfare, security and economic longevity of this nation. "There are times in my life when I am of the belief that we Australians take freedom for granted". People forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in order to live our lives free. The battles in Papua New Guinea will go down in the annals of Australian folklore that it was: "But a few who held the Japanese at bay long enough to send reinforcements and win back a freedom that was about to be taken by force." Training exercises and planning. For months prior to flying over to Papua New Guinea, 1 RAR went on Exercises Byrne, Basch, and Berry. The funny thing about the names is that for 40 years I always thought that they were named Byrne, Basch and Berry and that is why we always burned our rubbish, bashed it into small pieces and then buried it. "Warrie" George Mansford. It was not until 2012 when my wife and I visited "Warrie" George Mansford (The mastermind) in his stronghold and lair at Cairns that I was advised of the correct operational names. Cobbers, diggers, mates and "bosses". After all these years the only blokes that I can remember from our Company was Big Macka (Great Boxer), Victorian ex Bank Clerk and "Natio"), Col Bolitho (Victorian and "Natio"). Mal Maloney (Victorian - country lad and "Natio"), Bondi (Victorian - ex farmer and "Natio"), Jock Bryson (Victorian, nearly married his sister and good all round bloke to have as a mate) Glen Barlow (Victorian - had a couple of punchups' with Glen - he was one of our Section Commanders), Ron Lovelock (went to Vietnam and then transferred to Catering Corps later to become a Victorian Tipstaff). John (Jack my Italian cobber) Arena (Victorian went to C Coy and will not hold that against him. Ended up fighting the Victorian unions. A good all round bloke), Andy Pring (Victorian went to SAS, now a Policeman in West Australia - a real great bloke), Randall (Randy) Green, (Queenslander ex Golden Gloves champion and best forward scout I have ever come across - survived a severe automobile accident) Bill Davern (one of my best mates in the Battalion - lost track after we returned from Malaya - Singapore), Bloxsome ( a good bloke in the bush), Peter Thomas (Section Commander and a real good bloke), Lt Craig Youll (Platoon Commander - a good bloke who took matters far too seriously).