The Royal New Zealand Artillery

From Ernie Chamberlain:

I’ve attached three versions of the notice sent to the Australian Vetaffairs magazine on the VC D445 book. Perhaps you can “mix and match” depending on the format and length best for your magazine.   Very recently, I came across a photograph of a VC 70mm Japanese Howitzer – ie as used in the shelling of the 1ATF Nui Dat base on 17 August 1966 – the day before the Battle of Long Tan. I’m now writing a very short article on that weapon and the shelling.

Best wishes, Ernie Chamberlain

PS. Regrettably, in the referenced “free-to-read” on-line version of the D445 book, some of the sketch maps and photos are a bit blurry. That’s because the copy on the Internet is “low resolution” – ie to make it easier/quicker for readers to access the text.
I’ve heard that Willie Walker (Bdr RNZA – the radio operator for the FO party with D/6RAR at Long Tan) plans to attend the Gala Dinner in Vung Tau on 18 August 2016

D445 Book - Summary

emailed to Vetaffairs Magazine – 31 March 2016; to RNZAA - 9 June 2016

Chamberlain, Ernest: The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story (and the Battle of Long Tan).
Vietnam Veteran and linguist Ernie Chamberlain has recently written and privately-published a book that would certainly interest all who served in Phuoc Tuy  province during the Vietnam War. The core of the work is a translation of D445 Battalion’s history - as written by Vietnamese historians in 2004. In order to provide context – and to analyse and comment upon the Vietnamese writings, the book is comprehensively referenced.

The comments cite a large number of captured NVA/VC documents – many not previously translated or available to researchers. Additionally, signals intelligence (SIGINT) material related to the Battle of Long Tan – that was only declassified and released to the author in February 2016, is also included.
The work also has 18 annexes covering aspects such as VC personalities, an analysis of VC casualties at Long Tan, SIGINT, the 275 th Regiment and the 5 th VC Division etc. While the book is not available commercially, the text of the book has been placed on the Internet as – https://www.scribd.com/doc/306536690 .

Interested readers will probably find it more convenient to access a copy on the Internet. Perhaps the sections of most interest to veterans are the Viet Cong’s version of the Battle of Long Tan on 18 August 1966 – including the first available VC sketch map of the Battle, and 7 RAR’s successful ambush at Ca Thi (near Xuyen Moc) on 31 December 1970 – just another couple of hours and D445 Battalion would have been “safe” ie covered by the 1970/1971 New Year’s ceasefire. D445 Battalion no longer still exists on the Vietnamese Army order-of- battle. Later this year, D445 Battalion’s memorial will be inaugurated in Baria.