This sign was on the side window of a car parked in the Dromana Hub Shopping Centre carpark.
I had no idea what it meant, so I did some Googling.
I was shocked!
The sign referred to a unique group of Australian men who served in Vietnam.
The members of the Field Troops listed on our banner (3 Field Troop and 1, 2 &3 Troop of 1 Field Squadron) performed a unique role in Vietnam, and payed a heavy price for it. These men are the only Engineers who went out on four and six week-long operations with the Infantry and Armoured units. They fought alongside the Infantry plus they performed their additional tasks of mine and booby trap detection and clearing, bunker and tunnel searching and demolition, and bomb disposal. Of the 36 Royal Australian Engineers killed in Action in Vietnam, 35 came from the Field Troops (the one other KIA was an Engineer posted to the “Training Team” (AATTV).
Ref: Tunnel Rats
These engineers were withdrawn from Vietnam in November-December 1971.
More details of their activities in the Vietnam War are HERE!
Hot and dark tunnels
Trapdoors leading to levels
Brave men explored them
Linking to:
Signs, Signs
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8 comments:
Thanks for bringing this info back into the light of day. Yes, they paid a heavy price.
Unsung heroes!
What an interesting post. My daddy was an engineer with the infantry troops in France during WWI. They actually rode on horseback. Whatever he saw had to be terribly traumatic because he NEVER spoke of his time there. Engineers play a very important role when at war. genie
such a hard time in history! they suffered much
They did a VERY important and dangerous job! Glad you came across this sign!
A frightening job.
Brave men!
I would never have guessed. Thanks for looking up the info.
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