Telling A-Coy’s story

HOT on the heels of Bob Grandin’s The Battle of Long Tan As told by the Commanders, comes Long Tan and Beyond, another perspective of the battle that remains as one of our most remembered of the Vietnam war.

In this 39th year since the battle, Charles Mollison, the A Coy 6RAR commander for much of the company’s deployment, has set out to chronicle the experiences of A Coy 6RAR during their 1966-67 tour, and importantly, to raise awareness of their involvement in the Battle of Long Tan.

The story starts at the beginning – from the moment 6RAR was raised – and describes the lead-up training in Brisbane and the Jungle Training Centre, right through to stepping onto the plane and off again.

It covers every operation, and includes many of the anecdotes members of the company can recall, as Mollison intersperses his narrative with first-hand accounts from A Coy soldiers.

It recounts the very real hardships, humour, tears and adulation of the deployment and also provides an insight into some of the past challenges of working with other arms and services.

The story is one of incredible courage in the face of huge adversity and is an fantastic read – one that history buffs should enjoy.

– Corporal Damian Shovell