In Banda Aceh, unloading has been a big problem with no easy solution

Sergeant Slade Langley, a beach landing specialist from 30 Terminal Squadron in Townsville, uses his radio to confirm the loading preparations of a German military hospital transport truck onto an Australian Army landing craft. The Australian landing craft are assisting the German unload supplies for their military hospital in Banda Aceh from the German Navy ship Berlin.

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By Corporal Cameron Jamieson - filed 28 January 2005

Ships are great for moving lots of freight long distances, provided you can get the cargo off at the other end.

In Banda Aceh, unloading has been a big problem with no easy solution.

The devastating Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami not only destroyed the roads and infrastructure around the shores of the city, they also left a legacy of debris, silt and sand that has left the port, waterways and beaches unapproachable by boats with any load-carrying ability.

Sergeant Slade Langley, a member of the Amphibious Beach Team, 30 Terminal Squadron in Townsville, found himself in this situation when he arrived off the coast of Banda Aceh on HMAS Kanimbla, the Navy's amphibious transport ship.

His team were tasked with getting equipment and stores off the Army landing craft operating from Kanimbla and over the shoreline at Banda Aceh, but at first the situation looked hopeless.

"The first problem we had was finding an acceptable place to bring the LCM8s [landing craft] into the shore," he said.

"The beaches and rivers were too shallow for the LCM8s - the amount of rubble in the water made it almost impossible to get anywhere near a hard surface to put the equipment ashore.

"The other problem was to get the heavy tracked and wheeled vehicles into town without getting them bogged.

"The amount of water that pushed over the port and other places had cut off all the roads leading into town."

By reconnoitring the area using Zodiac inflatable boats, the beach team and the Navy hydrographers from HMAS Kanimbla were able to plot a narrow path to the remains of the western wall of the canal system that runs across the northeast on Banda Aceh and into the sea.

The wall had been badly eroded by the tsunami, but for once the destruction helped the Australians.

The collapsed wall formed a rudimentary ramp for the landing craft, and Australian Army engineers turned the rest of the wall into a road, allowing heavy machinery to be driven into town without further delay.

The beach team are still managing the delivery of freight over their ramp, and recently their duties have expanded to include supplies for other international teams, such as the German military hospital in Banda Aceh.

"But it will be good to go home."