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 Corporal Storeman and an Assistant are kept busy checking and issuing stores from the Quartermasters Store at 1st Australian Field Hospital, Vung Tau, South Vietnam.photograph, 1st australian field hospital, cpl storeman, quartermasters store, gibbons collection catalogue, vung tau, denis gibbons

This is a set of 12 photographs of A Section, 1st Topographic Survey Troop taken from the 25th of May to the 12th of June 1966 during their deployment to Vung Tau, Vietnam. Led by OC CAPT Bob Skitch, the ten personnel from A Section 1st Topo Svy Tp and six personnel from supporting units were the first contingent from the Royal Australian Survey Corps deployed to provide topographic support to the Australian Task Force in Vietnam. They arrived in Saigon, Vietnam on the 10th of June 1966 enroute to the Australian Reinforcement Unit (ARU) “back beach” camp in Vung Tau. The ten RA Svy technical personnel from 1st Topo Svy Tp deployed were: WO2 David Christie, SGT Stan Campbell, SGT Dave King, CPL Jim Roberts, CPL Dennis Duquemin, CPL Des Ceruti, SPR Derek Chambers, SPR Brian Firns, SPR Joe O’Connor and SPR Ron Smith. External personnel deployed were: WO2 Snow Rollston from Northern Command Field Survey Unit, T/CPL Peter Clarke – orderly room corporal, T/CPL Alan Carew – Technical Storeman, SPR Stan Johns – Map Storeman, SPR Boots Campbell – batman/driver and PTE BNF Brunning – cook. The ship featured in photos .1P and .2P was the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney on its 4th voyage to Vietnam. On board were SGT Stan Campbell and SPR Brian Firns, tasked to manage A Section’s stores and equipment. The rest of A Section deployed to Vietnam by air on the chartered Qantas 707B ‘City of Longreach'. A Section’s main tasks were to establish a Theatre Grid, map compilation and map revision; Engineer Survey Support in the camp and to the civil community; give assistance to the Cordon Search Missions by producing large scale plots from aerial photos with every house and fence etc plotted; and then reproduce these by silk screening usually, within a 24-hour period. RA Svy’s support concluded with the withdrawal of Australian troops from Vietnam in 1972. More information on the A Section, 1st Topographic Survey Troop and the Army Survey Regiment’s supporting role is provided in pages 89 to 94 of Valerie Lovejoy’s book 'Mapmakers of Fortuna – A history of the Army Survey Regiment’ ISBN: 0-646-42120-4.This is a set of 12 photographs of A Section, 1st Topographic Survey Troop (1st Topo Svy Tp), taken from the 25th of May to the 12th of June 1966 during their deployment to Vung Tau, Vietnam. The black and white photographs were printed on photographic paper and are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. The photographs were scanned at 300 dpi. .1) &.2) - Photo, black & white, 1966. HMAS Sydney departing Woolloomooloo wharf en-route to Vietnam. .3) - Photo, black & white, 1966. A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp relaxing in a bar before deployment. OC CAPT Bob Skitch in centre of photo. .4) - Photo, black & white, 1966. Unidentified A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp personnel and troops from other units relaxing in a bar before deployment. .5) - Photo, black & white, 1966. A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp personnel arrival by bus at Saigon (Tan Son Nhut) Airport. OC CAPT Bob Skitch 4th from right. .6) - Photo, black & white, 1966. A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp personnel boarding the USAF Hercules aircraft enroute from Saigon (Tan Son Nhut) Airport to Vung Tau Airfield. OC CAPT Bob Skitch on left. .7) - Photo, black & white, 1966. A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp personnel and troops from other units boarding the USAF Hercules aircraft enroute from Saigon (Tan Son Nhut) Airport to Vung Tau Airfield. .8) & .9) - Photo, black & white, 1966. A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp personnel arrive at the Australian Reinforcement Unit (ARU) “back beach” camp. .10) - Photo, black & white, 1966. A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp personnel in oppressive conditions work on map products. .11) - Photo, black & white, 1966. Group photo of A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp. OC CAPT Bob Skitch on far right. .12) - Photo, black & white, 1966. Group photo of A Section 1 Topo Svy Tp. OC CAPT Bob Skitch 3rd from right.Annotated with the photo set - ‘ DET 1 Topo Svy Tp Vung Tau 25 May to 12 of Jun 66’royal australian survey corps, rasvy, army survey regiment, army svy regt, fortuna, asr, 1st topographical survey troop