by Patrick Ford
“Well,” said Jack, “I have a farm at Goondiwindi. That’s not so far away from you. Tell me about your Vietnam tour.”
“I was a conscript and went over in 1966 with the 6th Battalion. I was only there for seven months before I was wounded and sent home. I must have done something right because they sent me to OTU at Schyeville after I recovered. Then I was posted to Singleton, to train recruits. When my two years were up, I decided to find a CMF unit and become a part-time soldier. Finally, I got a posting to this unit. Now I can be home on the farm most of the time, but still be an army officer. It suits me down to the ground.”
Jack had noticed the small bronze oak leaf on Taylor’s Vietnam Service Medal ribbon. It indicated that he had been ‘mentioned in dispatches’. He must have done some good work to earn that, Jack thought. “How were you wounded? What were you doing at the time?”
“I was a Lance Corporal in charge of my section’s gun group. I stayed behind to cover our platoon after an ambush by a company or more of NVA. I must have forgotten the time, because I stayed longer than planned. I got a piece of shrapnel in the shoulder. They wounded my number two as well, but we managed to conceal ourselves and made it back after dark. That was the last time I fired a shot in anger.”
Jack reckoned this version was more than a little understated. He would put money on this man saving his companion’s life, and providing enough of a rear-guard to save the rest of his platoon, hence the recognition of his leadership qualities, and subsequent commission. This was a good thing. It meant he had at least one good steady company commander. “What about the other officers?” he asked.
Taylor looked at him and hesitated before speaking. “I think it would be a little out of order to speak of my brother officers, sir. Perhaps you should ask them yourself.”
Good, thought Jack, I have a loyal one as well. “I think you misunderstand me, Captain. I just want to know where they have come from.”
“Oh, sorry, sir. Jacks and Theopolus are both CMF officers. Rob Jacks is another conscript who went to OTU straight away. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion, but they were between tours, and he didn’t go to Vietnam. He lives in Bourke, down in New South Wales. Family has a pub. Con Theopolus came out of Sydney somewhere. He lives in Quilpie now. He is a schoolteacher. The two Second Lieutenants are brand new; this is their first posting. They have been mates from school, I believe. Both are from Mt. Isa, and work at administration jobs at the mine.” The recruiting area of the regiment extended through all of western Queensland and north-west New South Wales, along with the Northern Territory, a huge area about a third the size of the contiguous United States. Jack was not surprised to find his officers were widely scattered.
“Ok, thanks for the information. We will have a good long discussion tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have noticed a few things we will have to take strong action on. If we get it all sorted out, I will be happy to buy you all a drink in the Mess tomorrow night.”
* * * *
When Jack returned from his meeting, the household was waiting for him. Duncan had a cold beer waiting, Susan had her usual passionate embrace, and Jacqui came running to hug his leg. “Daddy,” she said, “Grace and I have been playing. She can say Dad-da now and she can sit up. Denni let me help to bathe her.” Everybody looked happy and relaxed.
Dinner was a casual affair. Duncan liked to drink wine, and always served a good one. Jack was not a wine fancier, but drank some to be polite and found it pleasant enough. Susan rarely drank alcohol, and now with her new baby on the way it was abstinence for her. She, with Helen, Denni and Jacqui had been to one of the large shopping centres now appearing across Brisbane. Jacqui had gazed in wonder at the unfamiliar lights, the maze of shops, and all manner of strange things. Jack could see that Brisbane would be a regular destination for his young ladies from now on.
After the children were asleep, they talked about Jack’s new appointment. Jack could not tell them much but he voiced his concern about his new CO. “It looks as though I will be locking horns with him on occasions. I would have preferred a more sympathetic commander. Still, it’s only a few weeks a year.”
* * * *
At 0800 the next morning, Jack and the other officers began their meeting. Colonel Rocca was not present. Jack began by welcoming the others and lost no time in emphasising the need for harmony between the officers, and the need for a common goal. “It appears that Colonel Rocca believes reserve soldiers are not up to his lofty standards. I know we all disagree, but we must not be mutinous about this. I hope we can deliver him well-trained troops, and in the process, change his mind for him. However, I will not tolerate insubordination. Our best approach is to lead by example. How many of you have Vietnam veterans in your companies?”
A quick, informal tally revealed about twenty of these. Jack said, “We must make sure they are all made Corporals and distributed equally among the companies. Once we have a backbone of experienced troops, we will be able to instil the proper attitude in all our soldiers. Captain Jacks, you will be responsible for this, and for identifying any others with leadership potential.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Jacks.
“Captain Theopolus, please take charge of the troops’ fitness. We will have a few office workers and the like who will need some work. Most of our men will be farm workers, stockmen, and other manual labourers. They should be in reasonable condition. We will have to work hard, all of us, on our fitness!”
“Now, I have given you outlines of our training syllabuses as issued by Army Training HQ, but I want you to pull them apart and come up with any changes we need. Split up into pairs and each pair take one of the following sections: Basic Drill & Weapons Skills, Field Craft, Tactics, Map Reading and Navigation. I want you to go for it without inhibition. There are no sacred cows, and remember, the only silly questions are those that haven’t been asked. There is a coffee pot somewhere. Ask the duty Sergeant if you need anything. I have to see the Colonel. I’ll be back at 1000 hours.”
Jack crossed the parade ground and entered the main office area. As he stepped onto the veranda, a staff car drew up to the building, and a senior officer was ushered from the vehicle by his driver. Jack came to attention and saluted the man as he passed by. The Major General halted and looked back at Jack. “Good morning, Major Riordan, fancy meeting you here. Can you spare me a few minutes of your valuable time?” It was the former Brigadier Freeman. OC Australian Task Force Vietnam during Jack’s time there; Freeman had recommended Jack for his Military Cross. The General led Jack to his office. On the door was the inscription, ‘Headquarters Australian Army Training Force—Northern Command’. “Well Jack,” said General Freeman, “I was pleased to see you are with the Bushmen’s Rifles. I have just had a look at your file and I was going to call you in anyway. This will save some time. How are you and your new family?”
Jack was not surprised that Freeman knew about his family. Good commanders take an interest in their men. “Well, thank you. What do you want to see me about, sir?”
“You were about to meet with Colonel Rocca? I’m afraid that will not be possible. Colonel Rocca is indisposed. I expect he will soon be resigning his commission. Between you and me, he was involved in a bad car crash last evening. It is believed he had had quite a lot to drink.”
“Where does that leave the Rifles, sir?”
‘You will have to take command for the present. I am afraid there will be no promotion for you; you are already the army’s youngest officer of field rank. A replacement will be found in due course. Until then the Rifles are all yours.” Jack was stunned. Things had happened so fast he was not sure how he would handle this. One thing was for damned sure, he would not miss Colonel Rocca! He hoped he would have the Rifles long enough to leave a permanent mark.
* * * *
The McGregors were plotting an evening out with all the family. They had reserved a table at the Mayfair Hotel, one of Brisbane’s few five star hotels. A family meal was to be held to celebrate
the news of the new baby, and the completion (almost) of the renovations to the homestead at Ballinrobe.
Ollie had phoned to report a good fall of rain so that was yet another reason to celebrate. They did not know it, but the demise of Colonel Rocca was a reason to celebrate for Jack. After dinner, Helen planned to hand Jack & Susan the key to a luxury suite as a small surprise honeymoon!
* * * *
Jack returned to the room in Annex A. His officers looked up at him. “Gentlemen, I have a sad announcement to make,” he said. “Colonel Rocca has had a serious car accident and will not be returning to the Rifles. I am to be in temporary command until a replacement is appointed.” He tried not to notice the jubilant grins on their faces. “General Freeman has indicated that this may take some time. Meanwhile, we will continue as I have outlined. How did you get on with your planning?”
One by one, the officers presented their plans for the training and advanced courses. Captain Taylor said, “We are unable to get a time slot at the Tin Can Bay training area, nor at Lavarack near Townsville. It seems we are on everybody’s shit list. The best we can do is Darwin. The recruit training facilities are good there, and we are trying to arrange an exercise along the Kimberley coast. We will have to liaise with the Western Australian Government about that. There are a number of Aboriginal Reserves involved.”
Jack was pleased with the progress they had made. The news about Colonel Rocca lightened the atmosphere and every officer joined in the frank discussions that followed. Jack had learned the value of listening. Uninhibited, the junior officers had made a very positive contribution to the meeting. “Well, I think the sun is over the yardarm, so it is time to finish up. Con, Peter, and Rob, let me have your summaries in the mail within a week. Now, let’s mount a frontal assault on the bar.”
His men were in good spirits, glad to see the back of Rocca, and enthusiastic about the huge task in front of them. All of them were glad Jack was to be CO. They knew about Bien Long and Fire Base Romeo. While in Singleton, Peter Taylor had come across a certain Sergeant Andy McGuire. McGuire had told him about his old platoon commander in Vietnam. Taylor said he would be working with Jack. “You have just won the lottery, sir. He is the best officer in the army. I don’t care that he was a ranker and a reserve, I know I would follow him into Hell, and God help the Devil!”
Jack spent a fruitful hour with his officers, after which he excused himself and phoned Susan. “My darling, it is all wrapped up here. I will be home in half an hour.” She said, “We are all going to the Mayfair Hotel in Queen Street for dinner. We’ll meet you there. Love you.”
* * * *
The dining room at the Mayfair was a Brisbane institution. It had seen royalty, prime ministers, generals and business moguls. Tonight it was a splendid sight, all white tablecloths, crystal, silver service and attentive waiters. Jack joined his family, who were waiting for him, reading large menus and wine lists. He looked at Susan. She was wearing a pale green sheath dress and her lovely silver necklace with the green Indian stone and matching earrings. God, thought Jack, this gets better every day. How lovely she looked, how lucky he was!
Jacqui was by her side, brown eyes twinkling, and a green ribbon in her hair. “Daddy, Helen said we are going to eat like toffs. What are toffs?”
Jack said, “Toffs are very important people.”
“Are we very ‘portant people, Daddy?”
“All of you are the most important people in the world, at least to me,” said Jack, a tear in his eye. He picked her up, hugged, and kissed her. Thank you, Susan, he thought, you have given me a very precious gift. He kissed Susan gently. “You are the most beautiful woman ever to grace this place.”
The dinner was wonderful. Helen was looking forward to moving into her new quarters and had many questions to ask about them. She chose a colour scheme before leaving for Brisbane, and was anxious to hear how it had turned out. Jack was pleased with the rain. It would just about guarantee a bumper wheat crop.
Duncan and Denni had some news too. Duncan had been offered a partnership in a wealthy private practice as soon as his internship finished in July. He was excited about this. His bank had approved a loan for the purpose. Their future looked good.
Jacqui was enthralled by the meal. Their waiter brought her special dishes he knew she would like, finishing with a plate of chocolate ice cream.
As they were leaving, Helen drew Jack aside. She handed him a room key. “You and Susan will be staying here tonight. It is time you had some special time for each other. Have a lovely night; we will see you tomorrow. Don’t worry about Jacqui. She is a fellow conspirator. She wants her Granny to herself for a night too.”
They took the elevator to their room. Neither spoke. They were feeling the old electricity again; neither wanted to break the spell. Their room was lovely. They stood looking at the vista of nighttime Brisbane before them. Lights sparkled for miles and miles, reflecting in Susan’s eyes. “Susan,” he said, “this is the Armidale lookout on a grand scale.” They had driven to the lookout in Armidale on the night they met. Jack had fallen in love with her beautiful brown eyes on that night. Susan had fallen in love with her ‘little bush kid’ at the same time. They would love each other for the rest of their lives.
“I will never forget that night,” she said. “I wanted you so much, but you were so nervous and determined to do the right thing. I have loved you from that night on.”
He drew her to him. The subdued light in their room allowed the distant city lights to sparkle in her eyes. He remembered the first time he had seen her, how he wanted to fall into her eyes and never come out again. He began to kiss her gently, running his hands down her sides to her hips, feeling the warmth of her through the soft material of her dress.
She put her arms around his neck, moulded her body to his, and returned his kisses with increasing passion, her tongue seeking out his. They savoured the familiar taste of each other, her perfume, the scent of her hair, the warmth of her body. She could taste Jack’s familiar aftershave, the musky, almost animal smell of him. She felt filled with desire, weak at the knees, quivering with anticipation.
They moved to the bed. Still kissing, he ran his hand up her stocking clad leg, feeling her warm skin, her lace suspender, and her marvellous silky inner thighs. She buried her face in his shoulder, began to unbutton his shirt, running her tongue down his chest, moaning with pleasure, emitting those familiar soft mewling sounds that excited him so.
Finally, they slept, entwined from head to toe, waking to the feel of each other, and making love again. Jack and Susan showered and dressed, then went down to the Brasserie for breakfast. “Do you remember Jacqui in Boston?” said Susan. “Remember she wanted to mimic you all through breakfast?”
“I loved that,” said Jack. “There was a little angel at my table, and another pair of those lovely eyes. Thank you my darling for giving me Jacqui.”
Soon they set out for the McGregor household. Today they were heading back to Ballinrobe, back to the joyous life they had been living since their return from America, a life they fully expected to last forever.
Their expectations would be met, but there was some rough weather ahead.
Chapter 4
Dangerous Waters
Hakam Biku and his five workers were very happy. They had been out of work for some time and had hungry mouths to feed. Then fortune had smiled upon them. Soon they would have a large number of Rupiahs, more than they could have imagined. The man who had engaged them for this work was one of Abdul Amir Mahomet’s hirelings. They were transported to this island, known as Ramu, uninhabited, hard to find and difficult to access. Here, they had sealed off several caves in the hillside overlooking the landing beach. If they were curious about the steel mesh doors placed across the entrances to the caves, or the large padlocks attached to them, they did not ask any questions. They piped water to the caves from a natural stone reservoir above them. Now, Hakam waited for his employer to do a final inspection of the
work.
The man approached with two of his companions. He gave the caves a perfunctory glance and said, “You need to dig a large hole here to bury all the left over materials and refuse.” They picked up their tools and began. When they had finished throwing everything into the hole, they were told to get in the hole and flatten out its contents. Hakam thought this was a joke and turned to say so. He was stricken with terror. Two of the men had produced submachine guns from the folds of their robes and gestured them towards the hole. As they reached the edge, they were cut down by short bursts of gunfire and fell into their grave, for that was what they had been ordered to dig. All traces of the workmen now obliterated, the three men moved towards the beach and their boat. Abdul Amir Mahomet would be well pleased.
* * * *
There was no moon. Captain Shen Go of the Hong Kong registered container ship Sunbird III had an extra lookout this night. A formality really, as his radar was state of the art. In these congested shipping lanes, particularly here off Melaka, his radar was essential. He had passed several small tramp ships and dozens of fishing boats. None had been of concern. Sunbird III was no giant herself, but carried about 200 large containers, packed with cars and electrical goods, bound for Europe.
No one took any notice of yet another dilapidated fishing boat. As their stern passed the boat, it executed a 180-degree turn. Foam kicked from its stern as it accelerated back towards the ship, hard in against her port side. Seconds later, grapnel hooks sailed over her railings and black clad men surged up the ropes to her deck. The first indication that trouble was aboard was the appearance of a black figure with an AK47 on the bridge. The invaders herded Captain Shen Go and his watch together. At the same time, they sealed off the radio room and the crew’s quarters. There was no resistance.
