40 Vietnam 1966 In preparation for deployment to South Vietnam the battery participated in Exercise Cesar Augustus and Exercise Iron Lady, both heavily intense in their own right. In May 1966 the 103rd Battery would start their 12 month tour of Vietnam, arriving into Vung Tau to familiarise themselves with the area until the 6th of June. The battery would then be moved by air to Nui Dat, alongside the Australian 105th Battery and the New Zealander 161 Field Battery to take up positions in the regimental gun area. On the 17th of August, the Nui Dat Task Force base came under mortar fire in an attack that lasted 15-20 minutes. A total of 30 rounds fell into the Regimental Area, wreaking havoc and destruction as the rounds detonated. 10 minutes into the attack, the battery received orders to conduct counter battery fire – a previously prepared task drawn from intelligence related to likely enemy approaches. Under mortar fire, the battery retaliated insanely quickly once the order was given, having 6 rounds in the air before anybody else had fired. A number of casualties resulted from the attack. Previous writeups, including those from the AWM have confirmed 2 casualties that came from the attack, however an inconsistency appears when these recounts are compared with the Royal Australian Artillery History Collection’s records. Their records indicate that a total of 6 people were affected by the mortar attacks; Pvt K. Quinell, Gnr P. Norris, Gnr C. Chapman, Bdr Terence Hayes, K. Doehramm and D. Simmons. The RAAHC is comprised of previous serving members who were on the ground on the 17th of August, so its on good authority the number could actually be 6.
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