Vietnam: Australia’s First Tunnel Rats
Chris Masters, a great TV Journalist, did this story for Page 1 (Channel 10) more than 34 years ago (in 1988). It is a story about the first allied tunnel rats in the Vietnam war in January 1966. Sandy MacGregor, the Troop Commander of 3 Field Troop (the original Tunnel Rats) has interviewed the Political Commissar and some of the enemy who were in the tunnels against his unit 3 Fd Tp Engineers (Australian Army). I want you to know that Journalists are not always accurate so I want to correct an aspect of this video – the handler of the dog was from the Army Republic Vietnam not a US soldier.
It was interesting even after 34 years Chris Masters failed to mention that 1RAR was first on the ground and below it. Men like Phil Thomson and Trevor Hagen (both now deceased) were among the first to venture down the tunnels. Phil even brought back a bunch of VC badges which were distributed through the 7 platoon. The Engineers came later. It was as if our efforts were not worth mentioning.