Most Australians, particularly those to whom world affairs meant anything in the 1960's and 70's, would have heard of, and, in some cases, be intimately familiar with the Australian Army base at Puckapunyal, some 10 kms from Seymour. It was to this facility that the conscripted recruits from States other than Queensland and New South Wales were sent for basic training during the years of the Vietnam War.
But Seymour's military connections go back much further than that, to 1904 in fact when a troop of Light Horse was established at Seymour. As 'Aussie Towns' notes:
"The rail connection, local terrain, good water supply and agreeable property owners made the area a convenient assembly point for military trainees who met annually for field exercises and official inspection."
More was to come. In 1910, the then Commander in Chief of the British Army, Lord Kitchener, came to Australia to review our military capabilities and national defence. In Seymour a parade of 4,000 men and 2,000 horses and artillery greeted him.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, and Kitchener was elevated to Secretary of State for War, he retained very favourable views about what he had seen at Seymour. With this sort of clout behind them, the Australian military poobahs established the 'Seymour Camp' which was used for military training during both World Wars. Part of this original camp is now enclosed within the Australian Light Horse Memorial Park on the Goulburn Valley Highway just south of the town.
The Puckapunyal base was established in 1939.
The Puckapunyal base was established in 1939.
Today this base has grown to become the largest military training area in Victoria and is home to a number of Army Schools and units.
This restricted access town is also home to over 250 Defence Force families and is the centre of a restricted training area which now covers about 400 square kilometres of the surrounding bush.
Seeing photos such as this of the latest Australian battle tank, the Abrams, blasting away during a live firing exercise, the need for clear open space, and lots of it, becomes only too apparent (thanks to USA News Times).
The Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and extensive Army Tank Museum can also be found here but unfortunately this was closed during the days of our visit.
The Seymour Vietnam Veterans' Commemorative Wall was a different matter altogether. This incredible dedication to Australian (and others as I discovered) veterans of the Vietnam conflict is the only one of it s kind in the country, and is a 'must see' whilst in Seymour.
As I have noted earlier, this memorial in High Street was no more than 500 metres from our caravan park,
but even before we arrived, this decommissioned Leopard battle tank, now replaced by the Abrams, squats menacingly like a great angry toad in the nearby Rotary park, another reminder of the connections between Seymour and the Australian Armoured Corps.
The unmistakable sight of the 'symbol of the Vietnam War', the Bell 205 UH-1 'Iroquios' helicopter, know universally as the 'Huey', marks the beginning of this magnificent memorial.
As a quick aside, many have wondered how this machine acquired its nickname. Well, when this iconic, and very study rotary wing workhorse first rolled off Bell's production lines, it was designated the 205 HU-1, and despite the later reversal of the letters, the play on the original letter sequence stuck.
Stage 1 of the walk includes a full sized replica of the oddly shaped building known as the 'Luscombe Bowl' entertainment stage, a testament to Australian 'can do' and a structure which played a very important part in the lives of the Aussie diggers based at Nui Dat.
So what's the story? Plaques under its roof told of how this odd little building came to be.
What was not told here was the fact that the Aussie engineers who built this entertainment precinct had to piece it together during periods when they were not engaged in more pressing work.
What a boon it proved to be over the next few years, replacing makeshift stages such as this one from which Col Joye and Little Patti were belting out tunes (thanks to Anzac Portal for the shot). Many earlier concerts were actually performed on the back of flat top trucks.
What a boon it proved to be over the next few years, replacing makeshift stages such as this one from which Col Joye and Little Patti were belting out tunes (thanks to Anzac Portal for the shot). Many earlier concerts were actually performed on the back of flat top trucks.
This rather poor shot taken from one of the Memorial plaques shows the result of the engineers' work,
and in this we can see the diggers crowded around the stage.
And finally, this 'pinterst' photo demonstrates just how close the 'Luscombe Bowl' was to the runway of the airfield from which it took its name.
The replica now standing in Seymour has on its walls plaques detailing a brief history of Australia's involvement in Vietnam and two which tell the stories of three famous battles, in the rubber plantation at Long Tan and at the Fire Support bases of Coral and Balmoral. In all three the Aussie troops performed with commitment and courage against seemingly overwhelming odds.
They were victorious in all three, and many years after the guns fell silent, a North Vietnamese general admitted that after Long Tan his troops had gained such a fear of the Australians and respect for their fighting abilities that orders were issued prohibiting any direct engagement with the Aussies (unless virtually by accident).
Something of interest to me was the map of the Australian area of influence. After some time I found what I had been looking for,
the location of Fire Support Base 'Sally'. It was here that my good Surf Club mate of the mid 60's, Alex Remeljej, lost his life when, as one of the perimeter sentries, he opened fire on a group of advancing enemy troops, killing one and alerting his mates within the base before an incoming RPG mortally wounded him. The highest annual award in our Club is dedicated to his memory and for me, the visit to this Commemorative Wall had a personal note to it.
In the courtyard of the first stage of the walk, this strikingly simple black marble monument pays homage to those from the various services who fell during the conflict. A howitzer field gun can be seen under the trees in the background.
The walk we were about to undertake was the brain child of the Vietnam Veterans' Association of Victoria (the Mitchell Sub-Branch) and came into being with the able assistance of the Mitchell Shire Council.
Its centrepiece is an extensive DigiGlass wall, one which is engraved with the names of over 60,000 Australians and the eleven tacker dogs who served in Vietnam. The 106 panels carry pictorial images of various aspects of the war. Over these images, which are divided into Navy, Army and Air Force, the names have been listed in alphabetical order.
I'm indebted to 'Mark Wilson Architecture' for this overview of the wall, a shot which was impossible for me.
In addition to the wall itself, a separate 'Rememberance Panel' lists those who did not come home and another pays homage to four recipients of the Victoria Cross.
And there is more.....off we go! Much of the space between the Luscombe Bowl and the beginning of the wall is covered with orange pavers,
dotted amongst which the contributions of various organisations and individuals can be found.
Without making too much of a welter of it, we did come across two
with a South Australian connection.
Beyond the pavers stands another piece or armour, this time a Centurion battle tank, many of which performed very effectively in support of the ground troops during the conflict.
We then came to a group of gums, planted in strict rows. These symbolise the rubber plantations of Vietnam, and, as would be expected,
here amidst the trees at the end of a short path
stands the Long Tan cross. You might be able to just make out the beginning of the wall at the end of the row of trees.
The entire memorial stretches some distance along High Street. The grass planted along its length is designed to symbolise the rice paddies in which many encounters took place.
At the end of 'the plantation' we came to the board on which the names of all who died during the conflict were listed, including that of my old mate. It seemed like only yesterday I was in Canberra for the Australian War Memorial's 'Last Post' ceremony which honoured Rem's sacrifice.
And then we came to the wall itself.
where the panels swept away from us in gentle curves from our staring point.
As one of the official websites notes, "The background is stunning photography of all the Services - their experiences, their battles, their good memories." Let me share a few of them with you.
Hopefully the inscriptions on them
mean they need no further explanation.
All the services are represented one way or another, Army,
Navy,
and the RAAF.
The variety of the photos is breathtaking. Many have been sourced from the private collections of those who served.
On the panels showing a howitzer crew in action
I found the name I had been looking for. Apart from Rem's, we found several others, the names of good friends and erstwhile colleagues who had patrolled, sweltered and fought through the jungles, trails and rice paddies of this war torn south-east Asian country in the late 60's and early 70's, many as a result of a numbered marble.
At the far end of the wall we came to the stand alone set of panels on which the photos and stories of the four VC winners are told.
These include the South Australian, Major Peter Badcoe, sadly KIA as was another of the four, Warrant Officer Kevin Wheatley.
Probably the best known of all, Warrant Officer Keith Payne, survived the war. Warrant Office Ray Simpson was equally lucky.
It was just beyond this poignant reminder of the courage of these Australians that I came across this seemingly insignificant little plaque, but a closer inspection showed that I had a personal connection with it (albeit distant).
The three feathers symbol in the top left hand corner brought instant recognition and many memories. This is the crest of the British 'Prince Of Wales' regiment.
During the last six months of my service in Cyprus, I was posted to the UN Joint Operations Centre in Nicosia. In a nearby camp were the members of 'the Force Reserve', a company of British soldiers who manned Ferret Scout Cars. Amongst other things, they provided armed escorts for the twice daily Greek Cypriot run between Nicosia and the northern town of Kyrenia (most of which was through Turkish held country).
So what I hear you cry? Well, dear readers, I became, and still am, an honorary member of the Sergeants' Mess, B Squadron, Prince of Wales Own regiment. In fact, on my departure from the island, the PMC of the Mess presented me with an ice bucket in the form of the regimental battle drum, a beautiful piece of work, one which will again take pride of place on my bar......when we again have a house which is not on four wheels! "Ich Dien" old comrades......this was the last place I expected to be brought this reminder of 1972.
Beyond this incredibly personal reminder of my past life, we found a 40/60 anti-aircraft gun (Universally knows as the Bofors after its Swedish manufacturer)
and one of the most important land vehicles used during the Vietnam War, an APC (armoured personnel carrier).
At this point we had reached the end of this remarkable place, where I paused briefly to take one last shot back along High Street with its line of bottle trees and the symbolic grass.
What an achievement by the dedicated band from the VVA, and what a fitting place to have sited this memorial. And, I might add, what an achievement of editing it has been to bring this to you so succinctly!
This visit had been a real highlight of our travels from both a personal and broader perspective. I could not more highly commend to you all that no visit to this area of Victoria could be considered really complete without a sojourn in Seymour and a wander down to High Street.
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