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A Day in the Life of an RAR Soldier.
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First published in the RAR Regimental Magazine NHOWO, 1976.)
At 0400 hours the sentry woke me up from inside my basher. I got up and rolled up my leeping bag and fastened it to my webbing. I
then took my towel and washed my face with cold water before taking my rucksack and kit bag to the stores truck for safekeeping. It was still
dark but it was one of those nights when the moon decides to set before the sun comes up and as a result it was still hanging up there in the
western sky.
So by the light of the moon I checked my area and satisfied myself that the CSM would have nothing to discuss with me
when I came back - you see he does not normally like to see bits and papers lying around. By the time I finished checking my section area
the east was red, the time was 0445 and I took my mug and went to the kitchen. The cook was in a good mood despite the early hour and I got a
full mug of tea. The whole platoon was there in the kitchen this morning and they were talking in low tones, joking and laughing
quietly.
We had been briefed the previous evening and everyone knew what he was going to do today but it seemed that no one was
worried at all. At 0500 hours we were summoned to the Ops ' tent for more orders (the
NCOs that is), and were briefed for 10 minutes. Helicopters were
allocated to the various sticks and soon after we poured out of the
tent to brief our sticks. As the sun peeped over the horizon we were
sitting in our helicopters.
The pilot in our helicopter switched on his engine and after a whinning
noise the huge rotors started to turn, as if they really did not intend
to, then gathered momentum until they were a blur.
All
five choppers were now roaring and slowly, one by one, they lifted off
from the side of the bush airstrip. Soon we were up and circling the
base camp waiting for the rest of the choppers to lift off. I looked
down below me and saw amid the reddish brown dust the last of the
helicopters lifting off. Before long the choppers were off to the north
of our base camp. Up there the wind was cold and crisp and it blew on
my face from the open side of the chopper. Down below the trees were
green and some turning grey, but they all seemed to be of identical
height, so that looking down one was reminded of those advertisements
for carpets.
I have enjoyed riding in a helicopter ever since I was a recruit and
right now I was enjoying myself looking out there below as the world
slid past.
Then
I got to thinking. I thought of the first day that I came to Methuen
Barracks, six years previously and of the jumble of years between; it
was hard at times. There were moments of happiness and sorrow, and I
thought of people, faces of soldiers that had come and gone, faces of
men who are and were a family that is one of the greatest and happiest
of all families, the RAR.
I was brought back to reality by the bank of the chopper, we
were now in an area with a lot of small gomos and we were flying at
tree-top level along a small river with water and a lot of reeds. There
were quite a lot of rocks on the river bed itself, but the sand showed
here and there. The suspected base camp was down near a waterfall next
to a big rock and I saw the leading helicopter circling around the
rock. All round the area were very thick bushes and tall trees and
slightly right and away from the river was a field. Already, one of the
choppers had landed there while we were circling.
The pilot indicated a clearing in the field and gave the sign
that he was going to land and went down. As soon as the chopper touched
down we spilled out, took up a defensive arc and cocked our weapons. I
was ordered via the radio to join the other stick and moved down the
river on both sides. I took the left bank and the other stick commander
the right and we moved forward. Behind us could be heard the deep bark
of the FN and the clatter of the AK. Occasionally a stray bullet went
cracking above us. I thought any moment now a bullet would find its way
into me, but the sound of the crack indicated that the bullets were
well to the left.
Then, without warning, automatic fire broke
out about 75 metres in front of us. The bullets hit the rock in the
river bank and the ricochet made an ugly sound. We opened fire from
both sides of the bank - aimed fire was impossible, because we could
not see anyone, but only hear the firing. A grenade exploded, though I
was not sure who threw it, our people or the terrorists. Ahead of us
someone shouted an order, and I guessed the direction of the voice.
Already we were moving from cover to cover in bounds towards the
firing. The fire from the terrorists was not very effective because it
was not aimed either. As we neared the place where the firing came from
it stopped.
We carried on firing and this time we were running
as fast as we could. Reaching the place we spread out, then as I was
passing a large tree I saw a man lying face down. I stopped to take a
look, he was dead, his AK carbine lying by his side. Here and there in
the thick bush were well concealed hideouts and it seemed they were
empty. We went quickly through the area, then fanned out into all round
defence. By that time I was sweating a lot. I reported on my radio and
sent a searching party into the camp, then I checked for any casualties
in my stick - there was none. Ammunition state was satisfactory.
When
the searching party arrived they re-ported two dead ters and about
seven packs in the base camp. There were four hides of three men each.
I reported that and was told to carry on sweeping until I met a stick
that had been deployed 400 metres further on. There was a stick and I
was informed that it was making its way into the area of my contact.
Then, as we prepared to advance, firing broke out about 300 metres
ahead of us and we were told to lay an ambush on the river bank and we
quickly did that and waited. It was getting very hot now as the sun was
halfway up, and sweat kept blinding me. I used my face veil to wipe my
face.
Then, as the firing stopped ahead of us, one of my men
kicked me and showed the thumbs down sign and pointed, and sure enough,
moving along the river bed were two terrorists. One had an RPD and, the
other an SKS, and they were walking in the shallow water to lose
tracks. We waited until they were parallel to us and let go. They never
had a chance. Leaving two men covering me, I took the other man and we
went to pull the bodies from the water and recover the weapons.
The helicopters came to take away the bodies.
By that time
the day was high and the sun was very hot now. We were told to rest as
the trackers were looking for tracks. Other sticks arrived and a
follow-up was initiated. After a thorough search of the contact area,
we were told to go to the clearing and helicopters arrived. We ran to
them keeping our heads well down, because you see, every soldier who is
in love with his head bends down in order to keep it where it belongs.
As the chopper lifted off, I looked down in the contact area, now so
peaceful. We climbed high and sped back to base, the wind blew on my
face and, I thought, that was the life, never a dull moment. Then I got
to thinking of that cold beer waiting for me and I settled back. Today
is good and gone, tomorrow out of sight.
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