Memoirs of a Proud Unit
"The Punch Behind the Task Force Fist"
The armourers, accomplishing the knights,
With busy hammers closing rivets up,
Give dreadful note of preparation.
King Henry V. Act iv. Prologue.
106 Field Workshop, RAEME was added to the Order of Battle on 14th October 1968 as a reinforcement for 1st Australian Task Force, a brigade sized fighting formation, whose primary Area of Operation was Phuoc Tuy Province, Republic of South Vietnam.
The Unit was raised in response to an urgent need to improve battle worthiness and damage recovery of the Task Force's fighting equipment.
The Unit became operational on 1st November 1968, taking over from 1st Armoured Squadron Workshop, RAEME. The Unit Lines were at the Task Force's Operational Base at Nui Dat, beside those of the armoured squadron, where it established a repair facility and from where it deployed, as needed, forward repair and recovery elements throughout the Task Force Area of Operations.
The Unit withdrew to Wodonga, Australia on the 1st September 1971 where it disbanded. 106 Fd Wksp RAEME was re-raised at Coopers Plains, Brisbane, then moved to Enoggera, where the unit was reorganized as an ARA/ARES unit, 104/106 Wksp Coy.
Who We Were
A Unit is those who served and the Unit finds success and wins respect in their strength, conviction and sacrifice. 106 Field Workshop, during its operational service in South Vietnam, was just such a Unit.
There were five hundred and thirty five of us who made up this Unit when it was deployed on active service in South Vietnam.
We were regulars, reservists and conscripted national servicemen with engineering skills but from all walks of life
Most of us were from the Royal Corps of Australian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers but were supported by our comrades from the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps and, of course, the Australian Army Catering Corps
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As engineers, our primary mission was to ensure that arms and equipment were sufficiently battleworthy to enable the Task Force to successfully conduct its offensive operations. This included recovering damaged and non-operational equipment from the battlefield and throughout the Area of Operations.
We operated from the workshop site in the Operational Base at Nui Dat but deployed forward repair and recovery teams with, and in close support of, the fighting echelons wherever required.
As a combatant service, we reinforced Task Force Operational Base defence sectors depleted by the forward deployment of fighting units; we defended Forward Operation Bases for units otherwise engaged; we were actively involved in the Task Force Area of Operations patrolling program, supplying reconnaisance and fighting patrols.
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We are proud of what we achieved and have every right to say so. It was done with a lot of heart, sweat and sacrifice and with great regard for those we supported.
For we five hundred odd it was a unique and bonding experience. Whatever our background, and whatever fate has dealt each of us since that time, we remain united as comrades, altered for all time by this shared adventure.
This Website
This website records details of that experience
- The personal details of those 500 who served are found in the Nominal Rolls section. There is also an Memorial Page listing those who have passed from our ranks
- Details of the Unit's mission, organisation and operation and the environment, political and geographical, are contained in the Unit section
- The other sections are made up from contributions from Unit members in the form of stories and photos. The Unit Album for 1971 is also published in the 1971 section
If you are one of the 500, we are especially keen to hear from you
Dedication
We dedicate these pages to those comrades we have lost, to those who loved us and supported us, to our children and grand children, and those who will tread a similar path, in Service to the Corps, the Army and the Nation
Contact Us
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