dinomartino1
Well-Known Member
Nearly 60 000 personnel of the Australian army, RAAF and RAN served in Vietnam from 1962-1973.
New Zealand also sent contingents from the army, RNZN and RNZAF,
From the AWM collection.
Flying Jacket worn by Section Officer (Sister) P A Furbank, No 4 Hospital Butterworth Malaya,
during the Vietnam War and throughout her subsequent service.
Land Manufacturing Co.
Forage cap : Section Officer (Sister) P A Furbank, No 4 Hospital Butterworth Malaya
Flying Boots : Section Officer (Sister) P A Furbank, No 4 Hospital Butterworth Malaya
The RAAF primarily used C130 Hercules to transport wounded from the Vietnam War. RAAF Nurses were not posted to Vietnam itself, as army nurses were. Instead they were posted to RAAF Butterworth in Malaya. In November 1969 Furbank was posted to No 4 RAAF Hospital Butterworth. RAAF Nurses took part in Aeromedical Evacuations (AME), between Vietnam, Butterworth and Australia. Furbank’s first Medevac was to collect wounded from Vung Tau on 12 January 1970 in a Hercules. In all Furbank carried out 84 AME trips with the RAAF in Australia and overseas, most taking place during the Vietnam War. In March 1970 she was attached to the United States Air Force (USAF) Aeromedical Evacuation Group, Clark Air Base (AB) in the Philippines. Her main role there was to evacuate wounded from Vietnam to Clark AB. On her days off she volunteered to work in the hospital as assistant nurse of the day or nurse of the night, monitoring wounded patients in Vietnam, writing up manifests for the next day’s flight and ordering special equipment and drugs. The latter she found challenging as the Americans used different drug names to the Australians. The Americans used C130 Hercules and C141 Starlifters to evacuate wounded. On a Hercules stretcher patients could be placed five deep allowing up to 74 stretcher patients to be carried per flight. During her time attached to the USAF she flew 45 trips, mostly to the Philippines, Japan and Korea, but also to Washington and Alaska.
New Zealand also sent contingents from the army, RNZN and RNZAF,
From the AWM collection.
Flying Jacket worn by Section Officer (Sister) P A Furbank, No 4 Hospital Butterworth Malaya,
during the Vietnam War and throughout her subsequent service.
Land Manufacturing Co.
Forage cap : Section Officer (Sister) P A Furbank, No 4 Hospital Butterworth Malaya
Flying Boots : Section Officer (Sister) P A Furbank, No 4 Hospital Butterworth Malaya
The RAAF primarily used C130 Hercules to transport wounded from the Vietnam War. RAAF Nurses were not posted to Vietnam itself, as army nurses were. Instead they were posted to RAAF Butterworth in Malaya. In November 1969 Furbank was posted to No 4 RAAF Hospital Butterworth. RAAF Nurses took part in Aeromedical Evacuations (AME), between Vietnam, Butterworth and Australia. Furbank’s first Medevac was to collect wounded from Vung Tau on 12 January 1970 in a Hercules. In all Furbank carried out 84 AME trips with the RAAF in Australia and overseas, most taking place during the Vietnam War. In March 1970 she was attached to the United States Air Force (USAF) Aeromedical Evacuation Group, Clark Air Base (AB) in the Philippines. Her main role there was to evacuate wounded from Vietnam to Clark AB. On her days off she volunteered to work in the hospital as assistant nurse of the day or nurse of the night, monitoring wounded patients in Vietnam, writing up manifests for the next day’s flight and ordering special equipment and drugs. The latter she found challenging as the Americans used different drug names to the Australians. The Americans used C130 Hercules and C141 Starlifters to evacuate wounded. On a Hercules stretcher patients could be placed five deep allowing up to 74 stretcher patients to be carried per flight. During her time attached to the USAF she flew 45 trips, mostly to the Philippines, Japan and Korea, but also to Washington and Alaska.
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