That Time Of Year Again

[Nignoy]

Well folks its that time of year again ,when a group of old farangs magically appear in the Amnat charoen ,LeongNok Tha area and consume inhuman amounts of beer and Lao khao on a concrete strip that used to be an airfield, hidden among the paddyfields, the numbers grow less each year as age takes its toll, as on today we commemorate the deaths of fallen comrades,in a conflict that for a few poms and aussie soldiers was as a dream, because it supposedly never happened,I will sadly not be there so I will raise a glass to you all, see you all next year Lest we forget!! Nignoy

[Rinrada]

LEONG NOK THA AIRFIELD BUILT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR THE DEFENCE OF THAILAND 1963 [EMBLEM] 1965

THE WORK WAS DONE BY OFFICERS AND MEN OF COMMANDER ROYAL ENGINEERS (WORKS) CROWN WHOSE EMBLEM IS SHOWN THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE OPENING OF THE AIRFIELD BY H.E. MINISTER OF DEFENCE FIELD MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN ON 17TH JUNE 1965

.....and was also used by........................................all the best...

[Nignoy]

LEONG NOK THA AIRFIELD BUILT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR THE DEFENCE OF THAILAND 1963 [EMBLEM] 1965

THE WORK WAS DONE BY OFFICERS AND MEN OF COMMANDER ROYAL ENGINEERS (WORKS) CROWN WHOSE EMBLEM IS SHOWN THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE OPENING OF THE AIRFIELD BY H.E. MINISTER OF DEFENCE FIELD MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN ON 17TH JUNE 1965

.....and was also used by........................................all the best...

Quite Correct!! but no mention of the troops who died in action up there and were buried in singapore and their parents and loved ones in UK and Australia denied all pensions and benefits, because it was not a theatre of war, funny how 25 years later, the initial 3 years of the operation were declared as active service and medals and war injury pensions were issued, by the way I started my stint on op crown in 1961 and finished in april 66, the operation went on until 1968 when the engineers moved on to build roads in the Leong Nok Tha area Nignoy

[boppintone]

LEONG NOK THA AIRFIELD BUILT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR THE DEFENCE OF THAILAND 1963 [EMBLEM] 1965

THE WORK WAS DONE BY OFFICERS AND MEN OF COMMANDER ROYAL ENGINEERS (WORKS) CROWN WHOSE EMBLEM IS SHOWN THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE OPENING OF THE AIRFIELD BY H.E. MINISTER OF DEFENCE FIELD MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN ON 17TH JUNE 1965

.....and was also used by........................................all the best...

Quite Correct!! but no mention of the troops who died in action up there and were buried in singapore and their parents and loved ones in UK and Australia denied all pensions and benefits, because it was not a theatre of war, funny how 25 years later, the initial 3 years of the operation were declared as active service and medals and war injury pensions were issued, by the way I started my stint on op crown in 1961 and finished in april 66, the operation went on until 1968 when the engineers moved on to build roads in the Leong Nok Tha area Nignoy

Hi nignoy/rinrada, Just found this site for the first time, very pleased to see there are still some of us around, to introduce myself my name is Tony Bennett and I was there from Dec 1963 - Nov 64, my job up there was CRE's Driver Lt Col Harry Macintyre (mad mac) can't remember his successors name, as such I was also the driver who drove Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn on the opening ceremony, but as I remember it he was not Minister of Defence but no less than the Prime Minister of Thailand.

I have found a previous post nignoy where you mention Hippo who could only have been Hippo the soil mechanic a good pal of mine at the time but lost contact when I returned to Blighty,i wonder if he is still with us.

Gonna have a look at back posts to see what else I can find about this Op, and by the way I never knew anything about it being active service, it certainly didnt seem like it to me , more a dream posting, if they hadnt sent me home I would have signed on for ever and maybe still been there.

Best regards Boppintone

[Rinrada]

Boppintone ........BIG WELCOME to the Forum.........

[Farma]

Nignoy, have you read http://www.angelfire.com/wi/poetryantiwar/index.html

It mentions

"This insurgency is documented in the Australian Federal Parliamentary Hansard and acknowledged under the Hazardous Service Act 1986. The Australian government awarded a medal in 1995 to RAE veterans who were there at the same time and doing the same job as the British REs.

Leong Nok Tha is only 25 km from the Laos border. "

There's also a mention of the Australian Service Medal 1945-75 with Thailand clasp being awarded for service in Ubon prior to 25 June 1965 on the Australian DoD honours and awards site.

PDF download. http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dpe_site/honours_awards/

Edited December 4, 2006 by Farma

[Nignoy]

LEONG NOK THA AIRFIELD BUILT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR THE DEFENCE OF THAILAND 1963 [EMBLEM] 1965

THE WORK WAS DONE BY OFFICERS AND MEN OF COMMANDER ROYAL ENGINEERS (WORKS) CROWN WHOSE EMBLEM IS SHOWN THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE OPENING OF THE AIRFIELD BY H.E. MINISTER OF DEFENCE FIELD MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN ON 17TH JUNE 1965

.....and was also used by........................................all the best...

Quite Correct!! but no mention of the troops who died in action up there and were buried in singapore and their parents and loved ones in UK and Australia denied all pensions and benefits, because it was not a theatre of war, funny how 25 years later, the initial 3 years of the operation were declared as active service and medals and war injury pensions were issued, by the way I started my stint on op crown in 1961 and finished in april 66, the operation went on until 1968 when the engineers moved on to build roads in the Leong Nok Tha area Nignoy

Hi nignoy/rinrada, Just found this site for the first time, very pleased to see there are still some of us around, to introduce myself my name is Tony Bennett and I was there from Dec 1963 - Nov 64, my job up there was CRE's Driver Lt Col Harry Macintyre (mad mac) can't remember his successors name, as such I was also the driver who drove Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn on the opening ceremony, but as I remember it he was not Minister of Defence but no less than the Prime Minister of Thailand.

I have found a previous post nignoy where you mention Hippo who could only have been Hippo the soil mechanic a good pal of mine at the time but lost contact when I returned to Blighty,i wonder if he is still with us.

Gonna have a look at back posts to see what else I can find about this Op, and by the way I never knew anything about it being active service, it certainly didnt seem like it to me , more a dream posting, if they hadnt sent me home I would have signed on for ever and maybe still been there.

Best regards Boppintone

Hi Mate I remember you well, hippo is fondly remembered in the village and its quite funny to hear grown thai men trying to sing have you seen the muffin man!!I can still picture hippo hall new years morning 1964 stood outside the billet in his underpants there are still about 47 of the lads that I am in touch with , even some of the aussies,drop in here at home for a beer,Yacker Yates died 2 years ago, I bumped into him in Soweto in 81 he was a police major, we sort of stayed in touch, we are hoping to have an Op crown reunion next october in UK, PM me we have certainly got a lot to talk about, Nignoy

[Nignoy]

Nignoy, have you read http://www.angelfire.com/wi/poetryantiwar/index.html

It mentions

"This insurgency is documented in the Australian Federal Parliamentary Hansard and acknowledged under the Hazardous Service Act 1986. The Australian government awarded a medal in 1995 to RAE veterans who were there at the same time and doing the same job as the British REs.

Leong Nok Tha is only 25 km from the Laos border. "

There's also a mention of the Australian Service Medal 1945-75 with Thailand clasp being awarded for service in Ubon prior to 25 June 1965 on the Australian DoD honours and awards site.

PDF download. http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dpe_site/honours_awards/

Thanks farma I am a recipient of this medal, but beware of MR Bach the so called war poet, he came and interviewed me in 2001, and then a couple of weeks later he was giving interviews on TV and radio here in Oz about his horrendous experiences on active service in Leong nok tha as far as we have been able to confirm he was up there for 3months to help pack up after everything was finished .He described vividly the death of jim box, I just wish he had been there he could have helped me carry the body, he is just another wannabee , his poems are not bad mind Nignoy

[Farma]

A bit of trivial for you.

The old crew room fridge from 79 SQN’s time in Ubon was found and restored complete with stickers etc. It took pride of place at the Squadron Ball in Malaysia 1986 when 79 SQN rose from the ashes again.

[Nignoy]

A bit of trivial for you.

The old crew room fridge from 79 SQN’s time in Ubon was found and restored complete with stickers etc. It took pride of place at the Squadron Ball in Malaysia 1986 when 79 SQN rose from the ashes again.

used to be able to scrounge a decent steak at 79!!but they were always tight with the spuds Nignoy

[boppintone]

LEONG NOK THA AIRFIELD BUILT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR THE DEFENCE OF THAILAND 1963 [EMBLEM] 1965

THE WORK WAS DONE BY OFFICERS AND MEN OF COMMANDER ROYAL ENGINEERS (WORKS) CROWN WHOSE EMBLEM IS SHOWN THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE OPENING OF THE AIRFIELD BY H.E. MINISTER OF DEFENCE FIELD MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN ON 17TH JUNE 1965

.....and was also used by........................................all the best...

Quite Correct!! but no mention of the troops who died in action up there and were buried in singapore and their parents and loved ones in UK and Australia denied all pensions and benefits, because it was not a theatre of war, funny how 25 years later, the initial 3 years of the operation were declared as active service and medals and war injury pensions were issued, by the way I started my stint on op crown in 1961 and finished in april 66, the operation went on until 1968 when the engineers moved on to build roads in the Leong Nok Tha area Nignoy

Hi nignoy/rinrada, Just found this site for the first time, very pleased to see there are still some of us around, to introduce myself my name is Tony Bennett and I was there from Dec 1963 - Nov 64, my job up there was CRE's Driver Lt Col Harry Macintyre (mad mac) can't remember his successors name, as such I was also the driver who drove Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn on the opening ceremony, but as I remember it he was not Minister of Defence but no less than the Prime Minister of Thailand.

I have found a previous post nignoy where you mention Hippo who could only have been Hippo the soil mechanic a good pal of mine at the time but lost contact when I returned to Blighty,i wonder if he is still with us.

Gonna have a look at back posts to see what else I can find about this Op, and by the way I never knew anything about it being active service, it certainly didnt seem like it to me , more a dream posting, if they hadnt sent me home I would have signed on for ever and maybe still been there.

Best regards Boppintone

Hi Mate I remember you well, hippo is fondly remembered in the village and its quite funny to hear grown thai men trying to sing have you seen the muffin man!!I can still picture hippo hall new years morning 1964 stood outside the billet in his underpants there are still about 47 of the lads that I am in touch with , even some of the aussies,drop in here at home for a beer,Yacker Yates died 2 years ago, I bumped into him in Soweto in 81 he was a police major, we sort of stayed in touch, we are hoping to have an Op crown reunion next october in UK, PM me we have certainly got a lot to talk about, Nignoy

Hi Nignoy, Very pleased to hear you remember me, sorry to hear that Yakker has passed away I remember him well both from his days as SSM of 12 Sqn at Ripon and then 59 on op Crown, I got to know him very well when he became acting RSM when Timber Wood had to go home on compasionate leave, do you remember when we had trouble with stray dogs becoming a problem on camp, probably the only time anyone had occasion to draw weapons from the armoury was when Yakker and I drew 12 bore shotguns and went hunting, I think we bagged 3, one of them being a dog that Plant troop had adopted, he was a hard B-----d that Yakker just walked up and blew it away, I doubt if Plant troop ever forgave him for that.

From what you say you must be living in Oz now, or have I misread it and you are actually an Aussie, which unit were you with and what job did you do and would I know you if I knew your name. I read in the Sapper a couple of years ago that the old OC 11 Sqn Major (then) Stacy Marks had died. I will look forward to hearing if a reunion comes off in UK, would you be coming over?yes there certainly would be a lot to talk about. Boppintone

[Rinrada]

Right chaps ...a bit more interesting reading and maybe you might remember........

been kept quiet for a wee while ..Harold Wilson and all that.......so the question is./was.....

Did British Troops Serve in Viet Nam?...start with 1 specials..... eh

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Vietnam/rum.htm

[Nignoy]

LEONG NOK THA AIRFIELD BUILT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR THE DEFENCE OF THAILAND 1963 [EMBLEM] 1965

THE WORK WAS DONE BY OFFICERS AND MEN OF COMMANDER ROYAL ENGINEERS (WORKS) CROWN WHOSE EMBLEM IS SHOWN THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE OPENING OF THE AIRFIELD BY H.E. MINISTER OF DEFENCE FIELD MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN ON 17TH JUNE 1965

.....and was also used by........................................all the best...

Quite Correct!! but no mention of the troops who died in action up there and were buried in singapore and their parents and loved ones in UK and Australia denied all pensions and benefits, because it was not a theatre of war, funny how 25 years later, the initial 3 years of the operation were declared as active service and medals and war injury pensions were issued, by the way I started my stint on op crown in 1961 and finished in april 66, the operation went on until 1968 when the engineers moved on to build roads in the Leong Nok Tha area Nignoy

Hi nignoy/rinrada, Just found this site for the first time, very pleased to see there are still some of us around, to introduce myself my name is Tony Bennett and I was there from Dec 1963 - Nov 64, my job up there was CRE's Driver Lt Col Harry Macintyre (mad mac) can't remember his successors name, as such I was also the driver who drove Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn on the opening ceremony, but as I remember it he was not Minister of Defence but no less than the Prime Minister of Thailand.

I have found a previous post nignoy where you mention Hippo who could only have been Hippo the soil mechanic a good pal of mine at the time but lost contact when I returned to Blighty,i wonder if he is still with us.

Gonna have a look at back posts to see what else I can find about this Op, and by the way I never knew anything about it being active service, it certainly didnt seem like it to me , more a dream posting, if they hadnt sent me home I would have signed on for ever and maybe still been there.

Best regards Boppintone

Hi Mate I remember you well, hippo is fondly remembered in the village and its quite funny to hear grown thai men trying to sing have you seen the muffin man!!I can still picture hippo hall new years morning 1964 stood outside the billet in his underpants there are still about 47 of the lads that I am in touch with , even some of the aussies,drop in here at home for a beer,Yacker Yates died 2 years ago, I bumped into him in Soweto in 81 he was a police major, we sort of stayed in touch, we are hoping to have an Op crown reunion next october in UK, PM me we have certainly got a lot to talk about, Nignoy

Hi Nignoy, Very pleased to hear you remember me, sorry to hear that Yakker has passed away I remember him well both from his days as SSM of 12 Sqn at Ripon and then 59 on op Crown, I got to know him very well when he became acting RSM when Timber Wood had to go home on compasionate leave, do you remember when we had trouble with stray dogs becoming a problem on camp, probably the only time anyone had occasion to draw weapons from the armoury was when Yakker and I drew 12 bore shotguns and went hunting, I think we bagged 3, one of them being a dog that Plant troop had adopted, he was a hard B-----d that Yakker just walked up and blew it away, I doubt if Plant troop ever forgave him for that.

From what you say you must be living in Oz now, or have I misread it and you are actually an Aussie, which unit were you with and what job did you do and would I know you if I knew your name. I read in the Sapper a couple of years ago that the old OC 11 Sqn Major (then) Stacy Marks had died. I will look forward to hearing if a reunion comes off in UK, would you be coming over?yes there certainly would be a lot to talk about. Boppintone

Hi Mate, I was in the british army at crown atached HQ CRE was there on and off from when the first tentpeg went in until after the court of inquiry in april 1966, I returned to hereford in may 66, and was RTU,d in july and posted to sunny Hameln on the weser was invited to OZ in 96,liked the wildlfe so we were encouraged to stay ,,now happily retired, spend our time between the Sunshine coast and thailand, we hope to have the reunion in Aldershot at 2 para sgts mess in september of course We will be there. Nignoy

[Nignoy]

Right chaps ...a bit more interesting reading and maybe you might remember........

been kept quiet for a wee while ..Harold Wilson and all that.......so the question is./was.....

Did British Troops Serve in Viet Nam?...start with 1 specials..... eh

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Vietnam/rum.htm

OF course they did ,they are all retired now and running Bars and Greasy Spoons in Pattaya, Surin and Phuket Nignoy

[boppintone]

Hi Nignoy, Hope this reunion comes off, and hope you will keep me posted on the progress toward that end, who are the organisers? anyone in the north of England involved by any chance. Boppintone.

[parky]

Well folks its that time of year again ,when a group of old farangs magically appear in the Amnat charoen ,LeongNok Tha area and consume inhuman amounts of beer and Lao khao on a concrete strip that used to be an airfield, hidden among the paddyfields, the numbers grow less each year as age takes its toll, as on today we commemorate the deaths of fallen comrades,in a conflict that for a few poms and aussie soldiers was as a dream, because it supposedly never happened,I will sadly not be there so I will raise a glass to you all, see you all next year Lest we forget!! Nignoy

[parky]

Well folks its that time of year again ,when a group of old farangs magically appear in the Amnat charoen ,LeongNok Tha area and consume inhuman amounts of beer and Lao khao on a concrete strip that used to be an airfield, hidden among the paddyfields, the numbers grow less each year as age takes its toll, as on today we commemorate the deaths of fallen comrades,in a conflict that for a few poms and aussie soldiers was as a dream, because it supposedly never happened,I will sadly not be there so I will raise a glass to you all, see you all next year Lest we forget!! Nignoy

[Lite Beer]

Sober up Parky. Happy New Year.

[Nignoy]

Well folks its that time of year again ,when a group of old farangs magically appear in the Amnat charoen ,LeongNok Tha area and consume inhuman amounts of beer and Lao khao on a concrete strip that used to be an airfield, hidden among the paddyfields, the numbers grow less each year as age takes its toll, as on today we commemorate the deaths of fallen comrades,in a conflict that for a few poms and aussie soldiers was as a dream, because it supposedly never happened,I will sadly not be there so I will raise a glass to you all, see you all next year Lest we forget!! Nignoy

Seems you are having a bit of a problem expressing yourself, PM me if you are shy or when you are sober Nignoy

[parky]

Sober up Parky. Happy New Year.

[dee123]

it sounds as you guys were in thailand many years ago.......pardon me but can i ask you a question; my thai wife was born 1960 on a farm in chaiyaphum she the eldest of ten and when she was a kid her and her brothers and sisters used to go to the american base ,and pilfer their dustbins for waste food ,it plucks my heartstrings when she tells me this story everytime,but she says they got caught oneday but instead of being scolded they were given fresh food by the soldiers and told eating from the bin was no good.well the question is has any one any info of this base what was it used for ,and any details that i could pass on to my now overfed wife.ps i think it was a us base but i have very little info on this..thanks guys