Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection. .A black and white photograph of two Huey 'slick" helicopters of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company collecting Vietnamese troops operating in the Mekong Delta area of IV Corps, South Vietnam. This Unit was unique, consisting of half Australian Navy and half US Army pilots.photograph, huey helicopter, mekong delta, 135th us army & ran, 135th ahc ran, gibbons collection catalogue, photographer, vietnam war, denis gibbons, vietnamese troops, iv corps

Black and white photograph pilot Roger DeSusa stepping out of Jayrow Helicopter with another person, DCNR fire fighting training. Lakes Entrance Victoriafirefighting, training

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection. A black and white photograph of Crew members of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company refuel their aircraft. The Unit was unique as it consisted of half RAN Pilots and half US Army pilots. The unit was stationed at Bear Cat, 3 Corps areaphotograph, 135th assault helicopter company, australian navy pilots, united states army pilots, bear cat, 3 corps, gibbons collection catalogue, vietnam, crew members

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A black and white photograph of crew members from the 135th Assault Helicopter Company refuelling their aircraft, as they wait for a new tasking. The Unit was unique in that it was made up of half Australian Navy Pilots and half US Army pilots. The unit was stationed at Bear Cat, 3 Corps area, Vietnam.photograph, 135th assault helicopter company, australian navy pilots, united states army pilots, bear cat, 3 corps, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, crew members

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A black and white photograph of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company landing rangers from the Army Of The Republic Of Vietnam into paddy fields in the Mekong Delta. The 135th was unique, being half Australian Navy pilots and half United States Army Pilots.photograph, mekong delta, 135th assault helicopter company, army of the republic of north vietnam (arvn), australian navy pilots, united states army pilots, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, rangers, paddy fields

Storyboard of Andy Perry, Navy Pilot, Bear Cat, Dong Tam, December 1969 - December 1970. Service Number 02877, RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnamstoryboard, behind the wire, andy perry, dong tam, ran

A coloured photograph of Andy Perry, Navy Pilot, Bear Cat, Dong Tam, December 1969 - December 1970. Service Number 02877, RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnambehind the wire, photograph, andy perry, dong tam, ran

The Forests Commission developed the use of helicopters for aerial ignition from the mid 1960s. Bryant and May at Richmond worked with the Commission to develop a Delayed Action Incendiary Device. DAIDs as the were known, had an overall length of 180 mm, striker end length - 10 mm. Ignition end length - 80 mm, then a layer of high melting point wax (to prevent accidental ignition when rubbing together in transit). Both ends coated with a modified match head compound with safety fuse exposed length between coated match ends. There was a 17-second delay from when the small end was struck to an intense flaming of the large end, which lasted for 40 seconds. DAIDs were dangerous so were stored in a metal box outside the helicopter along with a disposable striker patch attached with a quick release pin to a special half-door. The first test was with a Bell 47G on 4 October 1967 and the first use, anywhere in the world, of DAIDs to backburn a large bushfire was undertaken in north eastern Victoria in February 1968. There was a crash of an FCV helicopter conducting aerial ignition near Wandiligong on 19 April 1978 with the tragic death of two forest officers and their pilot. The crash led to the immediate end of the use of DAIDs and the adoption of the safer Premo ping-pong ball incendiary machine which originally came from Canada but was modified at the Altona workshops. Overall, the development of aerial ignition techniques by the Forests Commission from the mid-1960s resulted in a steady climb in the area burnt each year…. peaking at 477,000 ha in 1980-81 and with an impressive 10-year rolling average of 220,000 ha around the time of 1983 Ash Wednesday Bushfires.Developed in Victoria for aerial ignitionLarge double ended match used for aerial ignition and back burning by dropping from a helicopterbushfire, forests commission victoria (fcv)