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 colour photograph of Capt Len Opie and WO1 Bill Birkett, of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV), at the special forces camp at Lake Lac Thien where they are working with Rhade, M'nong, Muong and Sedang Montagnards.photograph, aattv, capt len opie, wo1 bill birkett, lake lac thien, sedang montagnards, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, australian army training team vietnam (aattv), rhade montagnards, m'nong montagnards, muong montagnards

Montagnard people were the indigenous non-Vietnamese ethnic minorities living in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Australian Army Captain Barry Petersen was sent to Vietnam in 1963 as part of the elite Australian Army Training Team to train Montagnard rebels in how to deal with the guerrilla tactics used by Viet Cong insurgents. The laplap is an integral part of the traditional ceremonial costume of various Montagnard groups, particularly the Rhade tribe, with whom Petersen lived and worked, learning their language and wearing their traditional clothing.Top and shawl black. Embroidery and weaving in white, red and ocremontagnard, ceremonial costume, laplap, loincloth, petersen, barry petersen, rhade, rade

This item was given to Captain John E D White, of the AATTV, by the Chief of the Rhade/Rade tribe, whose wife had woven it. The chief was John's recruitment officer in 1968. During the Vietnam War, the Rhade would be "recruited" from their villages to work with various units such as the MIKE force led by Captain White. As well as fighting-power, they were valuable for their understanding of the local environment. Like all Montagnards serving in the war, translation was also a vitally important skill they provided.Long piece of coarsely woven fabric with patterned braid and fringing at each end. Fabric is striped vertically with broad black sections and fine lines of yellow, white, and red.montagnard, white, rhade tribe, vietnam, john white, jed white, lap lap, laplap, loin cloth, rade