Historical information

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.

Physical description

A black and white photograph of a Huey Gunship from the 1st Platoon 334th Armed Helicopter with its windscreen sprayed with mud from the explosion after firing two rockets into a VietCong sampan, loaded with explosives and ammunition attempting to enter South Vietnam down the Mekong River from Cambodia. The sampan was blown to pieces with all on board being killed and the force of the explosion pushing the nose of the helicopter upwards. nearly turning the aircraft over. The pilot had to fight the controls to regain a normal flying attitude.