During the Tet Offensive in Vietnan in February 1968 and Australian infamtry company assaulted a North Vietnamese bunker complex. In the longest sustained attack fought by Australians during the Vietnam War the soldiers were forward again and again over three days. Yet the battle passed without any notice in Australia at the time, and the men who fought it were further insulted by higher command's apparent failure to acknowlede what they had done.vietnam war, north vietnamese bunker, tet offensive (1968), nui dat, operaion coburg, c company, 7 platoon, 8 platoon, 9 platoon

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 Engineer 'Tunnel Rats' prepare to blow a NVA/VietCong bunker complex and its connecting tunnels, and at the same time seed the underground area with C.S, gas crystals North West of the 1st Australian Task Force Base, Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province.photograph, 1st atf base, nui dat, tunnel rats, nva/vc, gibbons collection catalogue, engineers, c s gas, nva viet cong, phuoc tuy province, 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 Engineer 'Tunnel Rats' prepare to enter a NVA/VietCong bunker complex, and its connecting tunnels to check the underground area for enemy, prior to blowing up the complex North West of the 1st Australian Task Force Base, Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province.photograph, tunnel rats, nva/vc, 1st atf base, nui dat, gibbons collection catalogue, engineers, nva viet cong, phuoc tuy province, denis gibbons

This item was donated by Sgt Derrill Vivian de Heer (37643) who served with the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He was in Vietnam with 8th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment from Nov 1969 to April 1970, 1st Psychological Operations Unit from April 1970 to November 1970 and 4th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment from September 1971 to December 1971.A Copy of The Viet Cong Easter Offensive, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, April - June 1972 by Derrill de Heersgt derril vivian de heer, 37643, royal australian infantry corps, 8th battalion, the royal australian regiment, 1st psychological operations unit, 4th battalion, the easter offensive, phuoc tuy province, president nixon, president nguyen van thieu, us ambassador ellsworth bunker, nui dat, vung tau, 1st australian task force, battle of nui le, 274 vc regiments, 33 nva regiment, d445 battalion (nva/vietcong), arvn, nva, dong khoi operation, 74th north vietnamese army (nva), 4 rar/nz (anzac), baria, long kanh province, galia rubber plantation, binh ba, lt col bich - province chief, xuyen moc, 5th ranger group - south vietnamese, long le district village, hoa long