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 2Lt Tom 'Rockets' Guivarra, a fixed wing pilot with 161 (Indep) Recce Flt checks with a maintenance technician during routine maintenance on one of the flights Cessna fixed wing aircraft's engines. (Circa April 1967)photograph, 161 recon flt, 2lt tom "rockets" guivarra, cessna, gibbons collection catalogue, fixed wing pilot, 161 (indep) recce flt, 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 2Lt Tom 'Rockets' Guivarra , a fixed wing pilot with 161 (Indep) Recce Flt at the 1st Australian Task Force Base, Nui Dat, checks the engine of his Cessna Aircraft prior to a mission, over the jungle of Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnamphotograph, 161 recon flt, 2lt tom "rockets" guivarra, 1st atf base, cessna, phuoc tuy province, nui dat, fixed wing pilot, 161 (indep) recce flt, 1st australian task force, jungle, 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 2Lt Tom 'Rockets' Guivarra, a fixed wing pilot with 161 (Indep) Recce Flight at the controls of his Cessna fixed wing aircraft, as he carries out yet another mission over the jungle of Phuoc Tuy Province searching for signs of NVA/VietCong operations.photograph, 2lt tom "rockets" guivarra, 161 recon flt, cessna, phuoc tuy province, nva/vc, gibbons collection catalogue, 161 (indep) recce flt, fixed wing pilot, jungle, nva/vietcong, 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 2Lt Tom 'Rockets' Guivarra Mid, a fixed wing pilot with 161 (Indep) Recce Flt receives a mission brief from Bombadier Allan 'Bomber' Harris DFC, in the 161 (indep) Recce Flight prior to a mission in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam (circa Apr 1967)photograph, 2lt tom "rockets" guivarra, bombadier allan "bomber" harris, 161 recon flt, gibbons collection catalogue, phuoc tuy province, fixed wing pilot, 161 (indep) recce flt, 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 2Lt Tom 'Rockets' Guivarra, a fixed wing pilot with 161 (Indep) Recce Flight stamps down sandbags as he works on raising the height of the sandbag protection against NVA/VietCong attack, at the 1st Australian Task force Base, Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam. (Circa April 1967)photograph, 161 recon flt, 2lt tom "rockets" guivarra, 1st atf base, nui dat, phuoc tuy province, nva/vc, gibbons collection catalogue, 1st australian task force, denis gibbons, 161 (indep) recce flt, sandbags, nva/vietcong

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 Lt Kevin Peacock, a fixed and rotary (helicopter) wing pilot with 161 (Indep) Recce Flight, stationed at the 1st Australian Task Force Base, Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam. Lt Peacock was one of a very few with 'duel' pilot qualifications.photograph, lt kev peacock, 161 recon flt, 1st atf base, nui dat, phuoc tuy province, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war

From the early 1960s, the Forests Commission had pre-season arrangements in place with local aeroclubs and pilots across regional Victoria. Air observers from FCV districts routinely flew during the summer months in small, fixed-wing aircraft on fire spotting missions and to map fire boundaries. The information was often needed quickly by crews on the ground or in the control centre and these small chutes were used to drop messages and maps from the reconnaissance aircraft on a low pass above a cleared area like a football field. About 3-foot long when fully extended, they had a small pouch secured with a press stud for the map or package. The chutes were made from tough canvas with a small, weighted sandbag at one end and a long yellow streamer tail on the other to help direct its fall and locating it on the ground. Drop chutes were still in common use in the 1990s, but the increased availability of helicopters combined with improved digital data transfer made drop chutes redundant. Simple, but now redundant technologyAerial drop chute"Return to Forests Comm Vic" stenciled on sidebushfire

161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight was an Australian Army aviation unit of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. This item was collected because it commemorates the war in Vietnam.Shield-shaped wooden plaque with metal badge/insignia of crown, eagle, crossed swords and laurel wreath in two shades of blue. The emblem of 161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight Vietnam.VIGILANCE/ 161 (INDEP) RECCE FL.T./ VIETNAM161 reconnaissance flight, vietnam, army pilots, 161 recce