Units of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME) served Australia well in many conflicts.

Their skill and dedication in keeping essential equipment repaired and in good working order have been well documented.

Vietnam was no exception.

Quicktime Player

Windows Media Player

106 Field Workshop repaired damaged vehicles such as tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), often under extreme conditions.

A Centurion tank was badly damaged when it struck a Viet Cong mine during clearing operations near Nui Dat. Following closely behind were members of the 106 Field Workshop, travelling in a specially adapted armoured mobile repair unit. Despite the tanks track assembly being a complete write-off the team managed to repair the tank, replacing the complete front suspension unit, front idler wheels and track in only eight hours.

After seeing at close range the damage caused by vehicles hitting mines 106 Field Workshop set to work to make armour kits. After a number of trials using damaged APCs over VC mines, they were approved for use. This additional armour became a universal modification for Australian APCs and saved many young soldiers from serious injury and death.

Years after the war Major Claude Palmer, who was Officer-in-Charge of the unit, was walking along Darlinghurst Road in Sydney when a young man rushed up.

"I know you - your unit designed that anti-mine kit that was fitted to my APC in Vietnam,"

"I've wanted to thank you personally for years. Soon after your boys rearmoured my APC, it hit a mine. Thanks to your work, my mates and I survived in one piece."