Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) were deployed to Vietnam between 1965 and 1972. The proportion of conscripted National Servicemen ('Nashos') rose throughout the years. From 1967, New Zealand contributed an infantry company as part of the ANZAC Battalion.
Each doctrinal section had one M60 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun.
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| 5RAR 1966 |
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| 7RAR 1967 |
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| 7RAR, 1970 |
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| 3RAR, 1968 |
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| 7RAR, 1970 |
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| Oil painting by Bruce Fletcher, 1967 |
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| 2RAR, 1971 |
This gunner is patrolling professionally, albeit with a finger on the trigger. He’s got his sleeves rolled down and has cam paint on. He wears a scrim scarf and a giggle hat. He’s made a protective belt sleeve from a cut-up plastic air mattress.
This is a companion piece to my 2016 Anzac Day post, a rifleman with an SLR. It’s an OzMade 54mm sculpt by Mike Broadbent I painted about 20 years ago. I made the distinctive front sight from a bent staple! I have given the figure a bit of a touch-up with a wash, and added some tufts to the base. I also used some HO ferns from JTT. The improved basing really brings it up a notch, but I could blend the groundwork in better. The plinth needs a touch-up as well.
Lest we forget.
Picture sources:
Top: Lyles, K. 2004. Elite 103: Vietnam ANZACs. Osprey Publishing.
All others: Australian War Museum
