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 Contact, contact, Contact, late afternoon, Platoon strength North West of 1ATF 'Operation Atherton' 10 December 1969. 1 Platoon, A Company, 8 RAR, 1 Platoon diggers go to ground under fire from heavy machingun, automatic weapon, rifle and RPG fire.photograph, 1 atf, operation atherton, 1 platoon, a coy, 8 rar, gibbons collection catalogue, machine gun, diggers, automatic weapons, denis gibbons

A black and white photograph of Contact, Contact, Contact, late afternoon Platoon strength North West of 1ATF 'Operation Atherton' 10 December 1969. 1 Platoon, A Company, 8 RAR, a 1 Platoon M60 prepares to return fire from heavy machine gun, automatic weapon, rifle and RPG fire.photograph, 1 atf, 1 platoon, a coy, 8 rar, operation atherton, gibbons collection catalogue, m60 machine gun, digger, rpg

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 Contact, contact, Contact, late afternoon, platoon strength, North West of 1ATF, Operation Atherton, 10 December 1969, 1 Platoon, A Company, 8RAR, Pte Graeme C Piltz goes to ground under fire from heavy machine gun, automatic weapon, rifle and RPG firephotograph, pte graeme c piltz, 8 rar, gibbons collection catalogue, 1 atf, operation atherton, 1 platoon, a company, denis gibbons

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 Contact, contact, Contact, late afternoon, Platoon strength North West of 1ATF 'Operation Atherton' 10 December 1969. 1 Platoon, A Company, 8 RAR under heavy machin gun fire, automatic weapon, rifle and RPG fire. A wounded digger is pulled away from a bunkerphotograph, 1 atf, operation atherton, 1 platoon, a coy, 8 rar, rpg, gibbons collection catalogue, digger, wounded serviceman, ak47, machine gun, denis gibbons

The L1A1 SLR rifle was the first 'best friend' for infantry and other elements of the Australian Armed Forces; the rifle was the closest focus for troops during training and drill.The L1A1 SLR rifle was often the survival factor for troops in a combat situation hence it was treated reverently by the soldier and kept in best working order even in extreme circumstances.LiA1 SLR Rifle. Known as the L1A1 SLR (Self Loading Rifle) and is known for is straightforward fieldstripping and robust nature. The L1A1 is the British version of the Belgian FN FAL rifle. The L1A1 is a reliable, hard-hitting, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle. The weapon was extensively used by the Australian Infantryman. The L1A1 SLR rifle was the initial general issue to infantrymen and other elements of the Armed Forces. L1A1 SLR (Self Loading Rifle) Type: Battle rifle Wars: Cold War, Vietnam War, Falklands War Designed: 1951 Manufacturer: Fabrique Nationale (FN) Number built: Over 1 million Weight: 4.0–4.96 kg (8.8–10.2 lb) Length: 1,090 mm (43 in) Barrel length: 533 mm (21 in) Cartridge: 7.62 mm NATO Rimless Calibre: 7.62 mm (.308 in) Action: Gas and return spring operated, tilting block Rate of fire: 20 rounds/min semi auto Muzzle velocity: 823 m/s (2,700 ft/s) Effective range: 600 m (656 yd) Feed system: 20-round detachable box magazine Sights: Aperture rear sight, hooded post front sight Accesaries bayonet, sling, grenade launcher, telescopic sights Serial No. AD8100176vietnam, vietnam war, diamond valley vietnam veterans sub branch

Thursday, December 15, 1949, the quiet little bank was embroiled in an infamous wild shoot-out between a daring thief and two bank officers. Today, the building still carries the scars ; a bullet hole remains visible in a cedar bench testifying to the events that played out that day. 3.30 a.m., Friday, December 9. The manager of the Commercial Bank branch at Greensborough, Mr Harry Wallace and his wife are asleep in their bedroom of the little house behind the branch. Harry is awakened by a noise and sees an intruder in a corner of the bedroom. He calls out but the intruder who has switched off the power in anticipation flees through a side door and scarpers down Main Street. Harry summons the police but a search by First Constable Thomas of the Greensborough Police assisted by a wireless patrol car is unsuccessful. A report is filed noting the theft of a .25 calibre pistol from the wardrobe. Thursday, December 15th. It is 1pm and the Commercial Bank has just opened. The branch is only open Mondays and Thursdays from 1-3pm. The morning started off a little cool with some scattered showers but it has fined up and the temperature is now around 61 degrees (16 C). A new grey Singer sports car with soft-top pulls up on the opposite side of the road and a young man, neatly dressed in a dark blue suit, wearing a grey hat and carrying a brief case exits the vehicle. He looks around then crosses the road and walks up the steps and through the door into the bank. There are three people inside; Mr. Jack Burgoyne whose grocery store is situated just 50 yards up the road, Mr. Lindsay A. Spears, the Eltham Agency Receiving Officer and by chance, Mr Harry Wallace, manager of the Greensborough branch. Jack Burgoyne takes note of the young stranger; thinking to himself he appears nervous. The man approaches the counter and introduces himself as John Henderson of Greensborough and explains that he wishes to open a new account. He places his hat and £3 on the counter. Mr Spears attends to the paperwork. He asks the young man to sign two forms, which he does but then he withdraws from the counter and starts walking towards the door. Suddenly he spins around pulling an automatic pistol from his right-hand pocket. He exclaims forcefully; “The game’s on! I’ll take the lot!” Spears appears to comply by pretending to open a drawer. The man shouts loudly, “Keep your hand away from that drawer.” Spears instead reaches for a pistol in his pocket and challenges the man, “Here it is. Come and get it!” At the same time, Harry Wallace pulls a pistol from his pocket as well. The bandit fires a shot but misses, the bullet striking the counter. Both Spears and Wallace open fire and Jack Burgoyne ducks for cover. As the bandit turns and runs for the door leaving his £3 behind, he fires another shot, which strikes the ceiling. Spears fires back, and thinks he may have hit him in the foot. The bandit flees the bank and heads for the grey Singer car, registration NO-106, parked opposite. Wallace and Spears pursue him to the door and open fire again, striking the car three times around the driver’s door. Spears lets off eight shots and Wallace, seven before his gun jams. The getaway car initially heads slowly down Main Road towards Bridge Street. About 100 yards down the road, Dave Adams, a PMG employee, who has heard the shots, throws a steel manhole step at the driver. It hits the roof of the car nine inches above the driver’s head and tears the hood. Another witness claims to have seen the door blow open and the driver raise his hand. The car gathers speed and swings left into Bridge Street racing along at about 60 miles an hour careering recklessly past council employee, Mr. Percy Williams, who is driving a dray along Smarts Road [believed to be Bridge Street]. At the end of the road the Singer fails to get round the sharp turn and crashes into an embankment skidding to a stop outside the home of Mr John Clifford. One side of the car is wrecked. Mr Clifford, an aircraft engineer hears the fast travelling car bump heavily into the road bank at about 1.25 p.m. Hearing the whine of an engine he goes outside to find the grey Singer parked at the side of the road. Jack George also lives at the corner and hears the car crash. “The bandit opened the car door, ran 50 yards, and suddenly turned back,” exclaims Jack. “He took something from the car. It might have been a gun.” In his haste, the bandit drops his grey felt hat, size 6 7/8, on the road and dashes up Sherbourne Road for about 200 yards then disappears into the scrub carrying a brief case and a bundle in which a sailor’s cap can be seen. About 3 p.m., Mr H.D. Pettie of Mountain View Road, Montmorency is looking through his field glasses and notices a young man walking through thick scrub on private property some distance from his house. The man is wearing a sailor’s cap and disappears along the railway track toward Montmorency. As the day progresses, ten police cars, one motor cycle, and about 40 police led by Det. Sgt. McMennemin of Malvern CIB are searching for him. They believe he is hiding in thick scrub along the bank of the creek about half-a-mile outside Eltham township. Wireless patrol cars, four mobile traffic cars and the CIB area cars from Malvern and Kew are taking part. Police check the thief’s car and discover it was stolen from Helen Baxter, of Doncaster Road, North Balwyn from outside Victoria Barracks. Harry Wallace informs the police that he believes he recognised the bandit as the man who took his pistol from his bedroom the previous Friday morning. As night falls, armed police are posted at strategic points in the Eltham-Greensborough district. Police in cars are watching the roads. Others are searching the bush and checking passengers on trains. Little do they realise the young man has already slipped out of the net. SEQUEL YOUTH OF 19 CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY OF BANK AT ELTHAM Weekly Times, Wednesday 15 February 1950, page 6 Detectives who raided a house in Bell St., Coburg, Melbourne, charged a 19-year-old youth, of South Yarra, with attempted armed robbery at the Commercial Bank’s Eltham (Vic.) receiving depot on Dec. 15. Police say they recovered a loaded automatic pistol, diamond and signet rings worth more than £200, a complete set of house-breaking instruments, a sailor’s uniform, and chloroform gauze in the raid. The youth was charged that while armed with an offensive weapon, he attempted to rob Lindsay George Spears of a sum of money. He was further charged on six counts of breaking, entering and stealing. Police allege that the person who tried to hold up Mr Spears in the Commercial Bank receiving depot at Eltham on December 15. escaped in a stolen car, after Mr Spears and Mr Henry Wallace, manager of the bank’s Greensborough branch, had fired at him. After the car crashed, he escaped into thick scrub and is alleged to have changed into a sailor’s uniform. On December 9 an automatic pistol was stolen from Mr Wallace’s bedroom at the Greensborough bank. The chloroform pad recovered is alleged to have been stolen from the Dental Supply Company, Plenty Road, Preston. The rings are alleged to have been taken in a £513 burglary from the shop of James Paton. Sydney Road, Coburg. Det. Sgt. H. McMennemin conducted the investigations with Senior Dets. R. Newton and M Downie, Detectives l. Dent, R. Rayner, P. Pedersen and M. Handley and First Constable A. Thomas. The youth will appear at Eltham Court on February 22. Manager’s Gun Used in Holdup at Bank The Age, Thursday 23 February 1950, page 4 It was stated in Eltham court yesterday that a youth who robbed a bank manager of his pistol, later used it in an attempt to hold-up the bank. Kay Arthur Morgan, 19, draftsman, of Castle-street, South Yarra, was committed for trial on charges of breaking and entering, and stealing a pistol and attempted robbery while armed with an offensive weapon. He pleaded guilty. The manager of Eltham branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd., Henry Clifton Cabot Wallace, said he disturbed someone in the bedroom, in which he and his wife were sleeping, at 3 a.m. on December. 9, 1949. Later he found that his automatic- pistol was missing. On December 15 a youth, who said his name was John Henderson, entered the bank and opened a new account. As the youth was leaving the bank he turned round with a pistol in his hand and said: — “I want the lot.” Spear indicated a drawer under the counter; and said.— “Here it is. Come and get it.” The youth said:— “Keep your hand away from that drawer.” Witness said Spear then drew his pistol from his hip pocket. The youth fired at them, and Spear returned the fire. “I pulled my pistol and fired, too” said witness. The youth fired again, ran out to a car and drove off. Witness and Spear fired several shots at the car. The youth was the accused Morgan, sitting in court, witness said. Evidence was given that one bullet was found in the celling and the other in the bank. Morgan was allowed £100 bail on each charge. Morgan ended up serving three years for the failed armed robbery and became a notorious criminal. He had twin sons, Peter and Doug and even though only ten years old, Morgan would get his sons to act as lookouts whilst he committed burglaries. The lads became building contractors but when the industry suffered a downturn in 1977 and they were short on cash, they returned to the family business. Over the following 23 months they undertook 24 raids on country and outer-suburban TABs and banks. Whilst robbing one country bank for the third time, just like their father, it all went wrong ending up with a police officer shot. They were nick-named the “After-dark” bandits and are considered to be Australia’s last bushrangers. They were convicted and served 17 years in prison.5 x A4 photocopied pagesbank hold-up, cba bank, det sgt mcmennemin, eltham, h.d. pettie, harry wallace, jack burgoyne, kay arthur morgan, lindsay a. spears, main road

Australian Military Forces - infantry Training - The Platoon Australian Military Forces - infantry Training - The BattalionPrinted in 1967 Restricted 1. Infantry Training Volume 4 Part 1 The Battalion (1967) 2. Infantry Training Volume 4 Part 2 The Platoon (1967) 3. Elementary Field Defences All Arms (1969) Three copies 4. Infantry Training Volume 1 Fieldcraft and Target Detection (All Arms) 1967 5. Infantry Training Volume 1 Infantry Platoon Weapons Pamphlet 3C The Automatic Rifle - M16 (1966) Two Copies 6. Infantry Training Volume 1 Infantry Platoon Weapons Pamphlet 7 Grenades and Pyrotechnics (All Arms) 1970 7. Infantry Training Volume 1 Infantry Platoon Weapons Pamphlet 12 Theory of Small Arms Fire & Training the Battle shot (All Arms) 1967 Two Copies. 8. Infantry Training Volume 1 Infantry Platoon Weapons Pamphlet 13 Gun, Anti-Tank, 84 mm, L14A1 (1966)noneaustralian military forces, infantry training volume 1

This round was fired by the QF 1 pounder gun known as the Pom-pom because of its distinctive sound when firing. It was the world's first automatic cannon and was used by many different countries. It achieved notoriety when used by the Boers in the South African War 1899 - 1902.Brass case and iron pom-pom projectile.V S & M

A replica model of M16 automatic rifle as on issue in Vietnam: on wooden stand with 1 straight magazine and 1 curved magazine and including bayonet - depicting one of the most common weapons of the Australian soldier in Vietnam.Lifelike model of a mainstay weapon of the Australian soldier in Vietnam.Model M16, replica, on wooden stand with 1 straight magazine and 1 curved magazine including bayonet, polished mahogany coloured wood.On the base: VIETNAMvietnam, vietnam war, diamond valley vietnam veterans sub branch

A faithful depiction of an M16 automatic rifle that gradually partnered the SLR rifle as the typical weapon for riflemen and other soldiers.The model represents the M16 automatic rifle that, with the SLR rifle, became the 'best friend' to many infantry soldiers and other elements of Australian Armed Forces in Vietnam.The M16 rifle is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine. Wikipedia Length: 38.81 in (986 mm) (M16A1); 39.63 in (1,007 mm) (M16A2); 39.37 in (1,000 mm) (M16A4) Caliber: 5.56 mm (.223 in) Designed: 1959 In service: 1964–present Muzzle velocity: 3,150 ft/s (960 m/s) (M855A1 round) Produced: : 1963–present; Sights: Iron sights: Rear: aperture; L-type flip; Front: wing-protected post; Various aiming opticsM16 automatic rifle; made of metal, plastic.vietnam, vietnam war, diamond valley vietnam veterans sub branch

A blue colour cover with black details. Top right corner reads 7610-66-013-1640 In the middle is the insignia of the Australian Military Forces. At the bottom of the covr there is a white sticker with the information: Including lessons for the 7.62mm Automatic Rifle.There are four punch holes down the left hand side. (note the pages in this manual are loose)australia - armed forces - service manuals, drill manual, australian military forces, infantry platoon weapons, 7.62mm self loading rifle and bayonet.

A bluish (faded in places) cardboard cover with red information on it. There is a stamp on the front thatr reads 3 RAR Library - Not to be removed) Top right hand side reads 7610-66-026-3500. Also contains amendment list 2 which is inside the booklet. There are two metal staples and two punch holes down the left hand side. The booklet is covered in a plastic cover.australia - armed forces - service manuals, infantry training, m16 rifle, infantry platoon weapons

A bluish (faded in places) cardboard cover with red information on it. Written in black texta is the name E.W. Brown. Top right hand side reads 7610-66-026-3500. Also contains amendment list 2 which is inside the booklet. There are two metal staples and two punch holes down the left hand side.australia - armed forces - service manuals, infantry training, m16 rifle, infantry platoon weapons

A blue coloured cardboard cover with black information on the front. Top right hand corner there is the name McLean and under this reads DSN 7610-66-043-7060. Under this the then number 3 in black texta and under this there is a stamp which reads HQ CRAASC 3 Div, Raynard Street, COBURG Vic. There is the Australian Army Insignia and under this is the title of the booklet. There are two punch holes down the left hand side of the booklet.australia - armed forces - service manuals, infantry training, infantry platoon weapons, 7.62mm self loading rifle and bayonet., 7062 automatic rifle

A blue coloured cardboard cover with black information on the front. Top righ hand corner reads DSN 7610-66-043-7060. Under the Australian Army insigia are the details of the booklet. There are two punch holes down the left hand side.australia - armed forces - service manuals, infantry training, 7.62mm self loading rifle and bayonet., 7.62mm automatic rifle

A blue coloured cardboard cover with black information on the front. Top righ hand corner reads DSN 7610-66-043-7060. Under the Australian Army insigia are the details of the booklet. There are two punch holes down the left hand side.australia - armed forces - service manuals, infantry training, 7.62mm self loading rifle and bayonet., 7.62mm automatic rifle

A blue coloured cardboard cover with black information on the front. Top righ hand corner reads DSN 7610-66-043-7060. Under the Australian Army insigia are the details of the booklet. There are two punch holes down the left hand side. The booklet is covered with a plastic cover.australia - armed forces - service manuals, infantry training, 7.62mm self loading rifle and bayonet., 7.62mm automatic rifle