We continued ambushing around the Song Rai River area.

We had a couple of minor contacts with the enemy,
but no major engagements. Some enemy graves were found around the area.

A Land Clearing Team of heavy bulldozers and tanks was sent in to divide the Jungle into sections. The cleared areas could be surveyed from the air for any signs of enemy movement across them. We took our turn of working with these guys. With all the gear that the tankies could carry their life seemed luxurious compared to our existence in the bush. We enjoyed our time with them.

On 12 April 1971 2RAR/NZ had a contact with D445 in the northern part of Phuoc Tuy Province. It was now obvious that D445 had escaped our cordon. We stopped ambushing and went back to patrolling around the Song Rai River..

On 25 April we left the Song Rai area and started moving North, trying to contact D445 again. This was Anzac Day and the significance wasn't lost on us ... we wanted to meet the Nogs and fight.

On 27 April 3 RAR Headquarters and a section of A Field Battery moved from Fire Support Base Beth to establish Fire Support Base Ziggie, about 8 miles north of Beth, in the tropical gardens of the abandoned village of Thua Tich.

7 Platoon was sent to provide infantry support while Ziggie was being established. Patrolling north to this new location we came across many beautiful garden areas that were being over run by the Jungle. It was beautiful country and as you passed through the ruins you could imagine how magnificent these gardens must have been in the past. I think we were all a bit awe struck by their beauty. Although I was scouting in very open country, and was vunerable to an ambush from the J, the sheer beauty of this place overcame any concerns that I may have felt for my safety. We came across a main road leading to Thua Tich. Being the Goon Platoon we marched straight up the road to Thua Tich. Moose never did figure out how we got to Thua Tich so quickly. While other units were hacking their way through the J, we were marching straight up the middle of the main road.

The Fire Support Base was sheer luxury ... sleeping behind the wire, with hot meals, clean water, clean clothes and bunkers for protection. During the establishment of Ziggie occassionally we would patrol and ambush the Jungle around the Base.