HUNTING HALILINTI: 6RAR's EAST TIMOR DRY SEASON OFFENSIVE 2000

AFTER the euphoria and Welcome Home Parades accorded to Australia’s INTERFET contingent and the media coverage it entailed, East Timor had pretty much dropped out of the limelight.With little or no ongoing media coverage, the public could be forgiven for thinking that Australian military action in East Timor was a thing of the past.

It took the death in combat of a young New Zealand scout in a Militia attack in July to slam home the message to a complacent Australia that far from being over, the Australian Defence Force’s engagement in East Timor is just starting to heat up.

There are currently just under 1700 Australians on active service in East Timor, less than a third of the personnel involved at the height of INTERFET’s expansion operations.

Out on the long and rugged borderline between the soon to be Republic of East Timor and Indonesia, the current Australian combat force of 1100 Diggers from the Gallipoli Barracks (Brisbane) based 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment Group (6RAR Group) are facing off a new far more aggressive and organised Militia offensive.

The 6RAR Group, or the AUSBAT (AUStralian BATtalion) as it is known in United Nations terminology, rotated into East Timor in late April to replace the mechanised infantry of 5/7RAR which had remained in country after INTERFET’s hand over to the United Nations on February 23.

Tasked with securing the 1600 square kilometres of rugged ridgelines that make up Bobonaro (pron. Bob-on-ar-oh) Regency including between 60 and 70 kilometres of the north western section of border for the multinational United Nations Transitional Authority East Timor (UNTAET), the 6RAR Group is hard at work in a security environment that has dramatically eroded since the end of the Wet Season.

At the cliff face, down at the fortified patrol bases along the banks of the almost dry Malibaka River , which marks the border between East Timor and Indonesia, the rarified air of victory enjoyed by INTERFET in February is gone. Things are getting serious. Fresh grenade craters pockmark the perimeters. Bullet holes mar the woodwork. A low-level war in Asia is going on, and the Digs from 6RAR are in the thick of it.

FIRST A LITTLE HISTORY

Emerging from Vietnam as the best known of the Royal Australian Regiment’s nine infantry battalions, 6RAR has lived a volatile life, blasted by the winds of change that have swept the Royal Australian Infantry Corps since the withdrawal from Vietnam.

6RAR hit the bottom of the barrel last year when the Australian Regular Army’s most revered infantry battalion was reduced to a skeleton staff of less than 200 heads.

Having served as the trials battalion for the now abandoned A21 all arms Motorised Task Force concept and later as a second level Integrated motorised infantry battalion, 6RAR was gutted down to little more than a Headquarters Company.

As part of the experiment with all arms combat groups, 6RAR was at the cutting edge of Regular/Reserve integration in 1998, featuring one Regular Coy (Delta) and one General Reserve Company (Alpha) alongside embedded LAV-25s, 155mm guns and engineering elements.

After the completion of the all arms Task Force trials, 6RAR maintained its motorised role but dropped the embedded support elements. But, many of the ideas trialed during 98 were adopted. A new generation of specialist vehicles built on the 110 Defender range of chassis and the Phase 2 Bushranger Infantry Mobility Vehicle were introduced to service, and 6RAR continued to develop motorised operations doctrine.

Despite its potentially far reaching work, 6RAR lost prestige steadily during the 1990s. The battalion’s decline in the minds of many ARA purists began in the early 1990s, prior to its role in the ‘Motorised’ Trials when 6RAR lost its Regular status and become one of three Ready Reserve infantry battalions built around short term full time enlistees.

Embedding Reservists and the battalion’s trials role outside the Army’s order of battle further muddied the waters about 6RAR’s position in the Royal Australian Regiment’s competitive pecking order, giving rise to the slur ‘Reserve RAR’ being leveled at the battalion by the all Regular units.

While much maligned by those who had never seen them training, 6RAR and its sister Ready Reserve battalions were fully manned, energetic and as keen as mustard. Thousands of Readies have since gone on to become Regulars. You don’t have to look very far in the ODF to find respected professional soldiers who began life as ‘Double Chocks’.

The net result of years in the ‘special projects division’ had lowered 6RAR’s expectations. As its sister battalions of the Regular Army deployed to a still smoldering Dili on September 20 last year, few of 6RAR’s olds and bolds would have predicted that the battalion “was the next to go” as the old song says.

The call to arms came in November last year. A new Commanding Officer, Lt. Colonel Mick Moon, shipped in and a rapid build up of personnel began.

Within weeks more than 500 Regular soldiers were on the books and more than 200 Reservist soldiers were specially selected for full time service from thousands of volunteers from General Reserve units around Australia to make up the numbers.

What followed was to be the best funded and most comprehensive battalion work up for operational service since the Vietnam War. Six RAR was put through an arduous and complex training schedule designed to work the battalion up to operational standard and meld this newly formed group into a slick team.

Basic skills, sub-unit and platoon level tactics were hammered home, with the Battalion completing courses at the Land Warfare Centre at Canungra prior to operational readiness evaluations at Wide Bay Training Area north of Brisbane.

Those drawn from Reserve units were given special attention. With top flight Regular commanders and tuition from Regular instructors, the former Reservists (eager to prove themselves) eventually convinced even the most cynical of the Regs that they were up to the task ahead. Many former Reservists had to lose a hook to make the team, many more had to resign their jobs or faced no certainty of employment on return to Australia.

Competition for places on the East Timor deployment was fierce. 6RAR had more heads to choose from than they had tickets on the Jervis Bay and many were disappointed when the final role for deployment was announced.

As well as working the infantry companies up to standard, 6RAR also evolved into a true Battalion Group absorbing: M-113A1 APCs from 2 Troop A Squadron 2nd/ 14th Light Horse Regiment QMI (2/14 LHR), ASLAVs from 1 Troop A Squadron 2 Cavalry Regiment (2 Cav), a Battalion Support Group (BSG) sourced from 7 Combat Service Support Battalion (7CSSB), a Civil Military Liaison Group (CML) from 105 Field Battery and an Engineer Detachment from 1 Troop, 1 Field Sqn, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1CER).

By late March 6RAR (2000) had evolved from a skeleton unit into a well trained and integrated team chomping at the bit to get to the East Timor border. After months of uncertainty, the Diggers finally received their orders to deploy forward to East Timor and take over the Bobonaro Regency from the 5/7RAR Group which had been in country since October 99.

After their intensive working up, 6RAR was ready for anything the Militia could throw at them and are probably the best prepared battalion to deploy on Ops since 4RAR’s tour of South Vietnam in 1972.

WELCOME TO EAST TIMOR

The Timorese Wet Season had not quite given out when 6RAR rode the RAN’s iconic fast catamaran HMAS Jervis Bay into Dili harbour in mid April. Dili is scarcely recognisable to INTERFET era Digs.

The city is still pretty much in ruins, but tonnes of shiny new CGI roofs and an explosion of economic activity has transformed the city. The burnt out suburbs that were devoid of life in September now teem with returnees. Electric lights warm most windows, revealing large families within rebuilding their lives under United Nations roofing iron.

From the sky the city literally sparkles as new CGI roofs reflect the hot dry season sun. The bright reflections of new roves literally mirror the extent of the ex Portuguese colony's return from the dead. The sharp smell of open-air fish and meat markets mix with the mouth-watering aromas from countless little roadside snack stands.

The humpies are back on the esplanade and the traffic is constantly jammed up by an army of officious local traffic marshals armed with orange safety vests and ear splitting whistles. Beer is plentiful and expensive restaurants come complete with their own UN vehicle traffic jams outside.

The sea of DPCU has been replaced by an eccentric plethora of disruptive pattern uniforms. AKM armed Pakistani engineers lounge over their shovels on street corners, while snappily dressed Portuguese Military Police patrol the burbs in white Humvees mounted with flexed MG-3 GPMGs.

Brazilian infantry man vehicle check points, lazily waving traffic through without a sideways glance. Overweight Kenyan MPs mount ‘surprise’ vehicle check points where they only stop UNTAET vehicles much to the outrage of the Portuguese.

Currently UNTAET strength is 9390 uniformed personnel (7906 military and 1303 CivPol) from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, France, Gambia, Ghana, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

It took its time, but the United Nations comedy roadshow is in town. A floating hotel, The Olympia, dominates the Dili foreshore. Two armed CIVPOL guard its gates against any local intrusion.

While the Australian presence is well down on its heyday, almost 300 Australian Defence Force personnel are based in Dili working with the Force Logistics Group or National Command Headquarters.

The 6RAR Group maintains a rear echelon Battalion Support Group that occupies a large compound at Kampung Baru south east of Komoro airport and 26 Transport Squadron has built a transport yard on the western fringe of the city. With the exception of the 110 series land rovers, the most dangerous looking Aussie vehicles on the street are white minibuses.

THE BORDER

But, the newly arrived 6RAR Group did not get to dwell in Dili’s doubtful delights and was rapidly dispatched by road to the AUSBAT Area of Operations along the northern sector of the western border with Indonesia (Sector West) to conduct a rotation in place with the 5/7RAR (Mech) Group.

The mechanised grunts of the predominantly Darwin based 5/7 RAR Group had been working the Bobonaro Regency hard since taking over from 2RAR in January and were more than ready to go home.

Since the onset of the wet season the armed incursions from West Timor had become less frequent. Off road travel was virtually impossible and pursuit of reported Militia incursions was incredibly difficult. 5/7’s APCs quickly lost traction in the saturated mud and the low cloud cover in the mountains grounded the helicopters for days at a time hindering mobility and reaction time.

Fortunately for the mech Diggers, the Wet Season was putting a severe downer on Militia operations as well. The high water levels on the Malibaka River meant that there were very few places that the border could be safely crossed and all of the crossing points were under surveillance by the AUSBAT

The first evidence that the situation in East Timor was changing came in March. During a let up in the monsoon an upsurge in Militia activity occurred along the length of the East Timor/Indonesian border, predominantly in the New Zealand AO.

With a lot of effort Kiwi and 5/7RAR patrols managed to effectively sweep the Militia groups back into West Timor in search operations mounted in RNZAF UH-1H Iroquois helicopters and M-113A1 APCs. Impassable tracks and low visibility frustrated 5/7RAR and the Kiwis time and again as blocking forces failed to move quick enough to trap Militia withdrawing into West Timor.

On March 19, a patrol from 5/7RAR traded shots with a group of armed Militia about 300 metres inside East Timor near Nunura (Nun-ur-ah). The shooting occurred after an eight man 5/7RAR patrol contacted a three man Militia team who fired on the Digs after being challenged. When fired upon the Militia broke contact and ran across the border.

Heavy rain saw a general stabilisation of the situation in the Australian AO after the mayhem of March. Severe flooding in West Timor put paid to any Militia plans for the month and by the time the 6RAR advance party arrived in mid April, the security environment along the border was once again quiet.

6RAR’s main body arrived in East Timor on April 19 and after a week working two-up with 5/7s’ Diggers and APCs, the battalion took over the reigns after a hand-over ceremony on Anzac Day 2000. After months of patiently waiting their turn, the 6RAR Group got busy doing business their way.

6RAR took over an Area of Operations roughly bordering the north western Bobonaro Regency, an area that INTERFET forces had occupied since early October 1999. To the south of 6RAR’s AO was the NZ COMBAT’s (NZ BATtalion) hunting ground. The NZBAT is based around a core of a headquarters and two Rifle Company’s from 2/1 Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1RNZIR) with attached infantry companies from the Fiji and Nepalese Armies and an embedded Irish Spec Ops platoon supported by UH-1H helicopters from 3 Sqn RNZAF and uparmoured M-113A1s from QAMR.

To the Anzac Battalion’s rear lies Sector Centre which has a plethora of forces built around a Portuguese and a Brazilian Battalion. Beyond Central (or Dili) Sector is Sector East secured by combined Korean, Thai and Filipino Forces.

Along with the Bobonaro AO, the 6RAR Group inherited existing positions that had been occupied for some time. Battalion Group Headquarters took over the old Portuguese fort (formerly known as Fort Samichon by 2RAR but now rechristened Fort Balibo) at Balibo (bally-bo) with Support Company, Headquarters Company, RAEME workshops and the Civil Military Liaison CML group taking up residence in the large parade ground at Balibo school.

Company Patrol Bases were taken over from 5/7RAR at Aidabeleten (aid-ah-bell-et-in) and Batugade (bat-ah-guard-ay) on the north coast and at Tonobibi (toe-no-bib-ie) and Maliana (mally-arn-ah) along the border proper.

Closer to the border, 6RAR has established a series of overt and covert observation points and section and platoon strength positions opposite TNI positions over the frontier riverbed.

Without the mobile pill boxes provided in the form of 5/7RAR’s Section M-113A1s, 6RAR’s first priority was building and upgrading the existing defences left over by previous battalions. Thousands of sandbags and tonnes of hardwood, steel sheeting and kilometres of razor wire went into the hardening of patrol bases and Company positions throughout the AO. Grenade wire barriers were thrown up around the Balibo compound and hardened grenade proof towers were constructed at every defensive position. Trees were cleared to provide a commanding view of all approaches to manned defensive positions.

Within weeks of arrival, the 6RAR group had transformed the Australian sector. INTERFET era Digs would scarcely recognise their bases of eight or nine months ago.

PATROL ORDER

6RAR hit the ground running, initiating a comprehensive patrol program alongside its improvements of defences. Without the advantage of an APC per section, 6RAR instigated an intensive regime of foot patrols over the rugged ridgelines throughout their company Areas of Responsibility (AO).

Within days, the patrolling was paying off. 6RAR Digs found recently occupied Militia O.P.s and defensive positions overlooking Australian positions – some of which held evidence of long occupation. Finding the bad guys' hidey-holes so close to home bought home the seriousness of the situation Sign of Militia groups was everywhere as were reports coming from Timorese civilians who had sighted Militia groups during their wanderings.

6RAR’s answer to the incremental increases in Militia incursions was to saturate the AO with foot patrols. The aim of the patrol program was two fold: to interdict Militia movements and increase local confidence in the AUSBAT’s ability to protect them.

The psychological impact on Timorese villagers of Militia bands roaming the countryside was a potentially far more serious threat than the Pro-Otonomi military capabilities. Still terrified from their experiences last year, the Timorese in the border area are prone to packing their bongos and bolting for the jungle at the mere mention of the word Milisi.

To counter this, the 6RAR Group made an intense effort to visibly secure Bobonaro’s civilian population. The idea was for the locals to go to sleep with a night vision equipped patrol sweeping their streets and to wake up with the guttural diesel growl of an ASLAV passing by in the morning.

The Digs had to not only secure the AO, but be seen doing it. The distinctive outline of 6RAR Group Diggers was a constant presence in the many Timorese villages. Some villages had not been visited since INTERFET’s arrival in September 99. In one remote village the locals were not even aware that the Portuguese had left, let alone the Indonesians.

Running an active patrol program in Bobonaro Regency is easier said than done. The topography is incredibly rough. Sharp eroded ridgelines pile up upon each other, dropping steeply away to dry rainforest lined creekbeds far below. Weeds and a low scrub of ghost gums, Corphia palms and lantana provide exceptional cover for the bad guys and make life a misery for patrolling Diggers.

Sections returning from local patrols are soaked in sweat after the extreme effort of toting a heavy load of water and ammunition up and down the endless ridges.

With the exception of Bell 206B-1 Kiowa Light Observation Helicopters from 161 Reconnaissance Sqn based at Suai (soo-ii) there was no organic Australian helicopter support. The 6RAR Group was forced to rely on troop lift capability out of UNTAET Headquarters. RNZAF UH-1H Iroquois (3 Sqn), Chilean Super Puma and Ukrainian Mi-8 medium lift helicopters supported by 1960’s vintage Chilean LOHs provided the battalion airlift. Without organic air mobility, 6RAR was forced to rely heavily on the 2/14 Light Horse Regiment’s M-113A1 APCs and 2 Cav Regt ASLAVs to move troops around the border area.

While the Rifle Companies spread their influence through the villages, HQ Six, support units and workshop personnel began work turning the tiny hill top town of Balibo into a Task Force Headquarters complex. The school sports field was soon transformed into a tent city. Shower and toilet conex’s were shipped in and the ADF presence in Balibo began to gather an air of permanence.

As the 6RAR Group’s Head Shed and support elements established themselves at Balibo, the Rifle Companies set about a major improvement of facilities at their patrol bases. The Rifle Companies rotate through a series of four Company AO s.

At the time of writing Alpha Six was established in an Indonesian Government Compound in Maliana with a smaller platoon strength position or Junction Point at Memo (me-mo).

Bravo Six was in residence at the seaside Battalion Support Group compound at Batugade with a platoon forward at Junction Point Alpha at Motaaine (mow-tarne) on the Indonesian border.

Delta Six is based at the tiny hamlet of Tonobibi working from a Company compound in an old complex originally used by the Beri Mesah Puti during the Referendum Violence. Delta Six has Diggers forward deployed to Junction Point Charlie overlooking the border where the IDP returnees crossed the river in early INTERFET times.

Charlie Six is currently the AUSBAT’s depth company Headquartered at Aidabeleten with patrol bases at Aidabasalala (ida-bass-ah-la-la) and Marko (Mark-oh). While well back from the border, Charlie’s current AO includes the troublesome ville of Aidabasalala where INTERFET’s Response Force fought a 40 minute battle with Militia in October 99.

The ASLAVs and APCs of 2 Cav and 2/14 Light Horse rotate through each Company supplying tracks and cars as required by operational circumstances.

CONTACT

As the Monsoon petered out after the mid May flooding, river levels along the border began to subside.

By June, reports of Militia incursions increased rapidly. Reaction patrols to reports of armed Militia groups became a major part of the 6RAR Group’s workload.

It was only a matter of time until 6RAR’s round the clock patrols caught up with the Militia. On May 10 a Support Company sniper pair occupying a semi covert Observation Point spotted a small group of armed Militia approaching their position not far from Batugade.

The OP had been compromised by village dogs, and the Militia appeared to be stalking the Aussies. After being challenged by the Diggers, a Militiaman raised his rifle (believed to be a K98 Mauser) to his shoulder. The Aussies were first in, severely wounding the Militiaman who was dragged into West Timor by his associates. Indonesian authorities reported that the Militia approached a KOSTRAD position the next day seeking medical aid for gunshot wounds in the leg and the waist.

INTERFET and 5/7RAR had experienced many similar incidents during their tours. While it was not apparent at the time, the contact was not routine. Rather it was the first of a series that was to demonstrate that the situation along the border was dramatically changing.

Two weeks later on May 28, the small patrol base at Nanura Bridge copped some Militia attention. Nanura Bridge lies only a few hundred metres from the Indonesian border and is an obvious entry route for incursions. The steel beam bridge spans at least 200 metres of mostly dry riverbank where the main road from Dili to Balibo and Maliana crosses the river.The nearby river crossing is the site of popular markets, with hundreds of people crossing the border on market days.

At the time of the incident, the position was occupied by Charlie Coy Diggers. After dark, a switched on sentry spotted a group of four men who had crossed the border and were approaching the patrol base tactically. After alerting the Section Commander, the position was stood to.

The Nanura Bridge Digs could clearly make out that the targets were armed – two carried Colt Commandos (M-4 style carbines) and the other two carried SKSs. The approaching group moved into the open in front of the bridge and assumed a half moon (crescent) shaped patrol order with their commander in the centre of the arch. The Militia approached carefully, in pepperpot style – two up while the other two took up fire positions to cover them.

The leader constantly directed his men with field signals, unaware that he was being closely watched through the Digs’ Ninox NVGs and weapon night sights. Classic sensors, thermal imagers and ground surveillance radar also tracked the intruders’ approach.

Still hindered at that time by the then interpretation of the Rules of Engagement, the Digs lay low drawing a bead on the intruders. Each Militiaman was lit up like Christmas lights from multiple NAD designators.

Unaware that their heads glowed with invisible illumination, the Militia pushed home their attack sneaking their way right under the bridge to recce the position from close range – less than 25 metres from the Aussie observation tower.

While under the bridge, the Militia filled the night vision scope of the three O’clock Minimi, presenting a frustratingly perfect target for the gunner with no open fire order. Feeling very secure, the Militia then approached the patrol base from the dead ground behind the bridge and calmly threw a small fragmentation grenade into the compound.

A Dig in the tower observed the arm rise over the bridge and throw the grenade. He immediately opened fire with his Steyr. The Militia then withdrew in good order, confident that the Aussies ROEs forbade them to shoot fleeing targets. NAD designators lighting up the backs of their heads as they withdrew to West Timor.

While the Militia withdrew unmolested, one of the 6RAR Digs sustained minor fragmentation wounds to his chin and upper body.

The grenade attack had an immediate impact on the 6RAR Group. The AUSBAT now had the justification to significantly harden their defences. The 1 CER Engineers got to work and designed a new grenade ‘proof’ tower for the far-flung defensive positions.Fighting positions were sandbagged and new wire obstacles and grenade screens were erected.

A few days later on June 21, the 6RAR Group was once again under Militia attack this time it was Bravo Company at the Platoon strength patrol base in the marginally Pro-Otonomy village of Aidabasalala west of Maliana.

The patrol base at Aidabasalala is a highly exposed position closely surrounded by the densely clustered houses of the little ville. The largest contact between Militia and INTERFET occurred nearby when INTERFET recon teams fought a 40 minute contact with armed Militia that resulted in the recovery of three bodies and many blood trails through the bush.

The attack came without warning in the middle of the night. Once again Classic sensors detected movement outside the Patrol Base, just before the first of six fragmentation grenades were thrown into the defensive position. Fortunately wire mesh grenade screens had been erected around the base, one of which neatly deflected a well thrown grenade that was heading straight through the doorway.

Aidabasalala’s Aussie Defenders immediately stood too, rushing to their defensive positions outside of the damaged building they occupied. After the brace of hand grenades, the Militia group broke contact in a well conducted drill, firing more than 40 shots from SKSs, G-3s and M-16s as they did so.

While the Bravo Coy Digs could clearly see the muzzle flashes from the attacking group, they were unable to return fire because they were literally surrounded by houses full of hundreds of people. The only Australian casualty of the attack was a cups canteen, but everyone present knew how different things would have been if the grenade wire hadn’t gone up a few weeks earlier.

While the Militia had escaped, the lessons from the attack were inescapable. The Militia threat emanating from across the Indonesian border had evolved from the planned low level violent gang activity of ’99 into an organised well-trained program of deliberate probes.

Gone are the days of ratbags on motorcycles armed with pipeguns. The second generation Militiaman is fully uniformed in TNI cammos, is armed with a range of assault rifles (M-16, G-3, SKS and SS-V1), wears webbing, carries South Korean made fragmentation grenades and operates in well trained groups that make well reccied and planned random attacks on United Nations positions.

The supposed Laksaur and Halilinti (now pronounced Hali Linta) groups operating along Sector West’s approaches bare all the marks of professional irregular Special Forces cadre similar to that operated by the Free World Forces in MACV – SOG during the Vietnam War. They may be arseholes, but these are talented and battle experienced arseholes.

AND HE SHALL NOT GROW OLD

Sooner or later it was bound to happen, but it was still an awful shock to Sector West’s Australian and Kiwi battalions when the Militia killed their first Anzac on Monday July 24.

During a routine follow up patrol, a five man team from the NZBAT’s 2/1 RNZIR was tracking Militia sign near the village of Nano about 10 kilometres out of Suai when they were ambushed by what was believed to be a group of nine Militiamen from the Laksaur Group.

The Militia opened up with automatic weapons from less than 10 metres on the Kiwi patrol, firing from concealed positions in the undergrowth. The opening burst caught Kiwi grunt Pte Leonard Manning in the chest. The balance of Manning’s patrol initiated a break contact drill firing their Steyrs, Minimis and six 40mm HE rounds from their M-203 unders, leaving Mannings' body in the field. It was only after regrouping that the Kiwis realised that they’d lost Pte Manning.

Leonard Manning was not recovered until the following day, after 150 reinforcements were air inserted to conduct sweeps of the area. The Militia scored his weapon, ammo, webbing and boots and had cut off his ear to take home as a trophy.

Manning’s body was given a warrior’s farewell; his comrades performed a haka as his coffin left for home. Men had died in East Timor before. A Kiwi had crashed his vehicle, and an Aussie had died of sickness. But Manning’s death was more than the 1649th Blue Helmet to die in UN service. He was conclusive evidence that there was a hot, albeit low grade, war going on along the Indonesian frontier.

Instead of shaking WESTFOR’s morale, Mannings’ death brought a new sobriety to the troops along the border. Manning was the first Kiwi KIA since Lt. Kidd got knocked during 6RAR/NZ’s second tour of Vietnam in 1970. After hearing that his ear was taken, the Kiwi rank and file have vowed to avenge his death. Manning was the first, but not the last Anzac to come home in a coffin, as the AUSBAT would find out a few weeks later.

PAYBACK

Things may have been going the Militia’s way, but 6RAR had a few tricks of their own up their sleeve. On June 22, Charlie Company OC decided that he would conduct a series of random Vehicle CheckPoints on the feeder roads out of Atambua into East Timor. The aim of the surprise VCPs was to keep the Militia off guard and add an element of unpredictability to the AUSBAT’s border screening process.

The first surprise VCP was established at the roundabout in central Batugade where the Balibo Road intersects the road to Atambua via Motaaine. Charlie Coy wasn’t at it long before a busload of East Timorese aroused their suspicions. A thorough search of the bus soon revealed two Militiamen, an M-16, an SKS and South Korean hand grenades.

Charlie Coy’s two new mates were soon enjoying a long questioning period, but it was obvious to all that the AUSBAT was now facing a new dry season offensive. Local reports and sign of Militia passage picked up by trackers increased after Manning was KIA.

On August 2, less than a week after the Nano contact, a platoon minus patrol from Alpha Company 6RAR was following up sign six klicks out of Maliana. The lead section (Callsign 1/1 Charlie) was following hard sign down a creek bed, the scouts following a trail of still filling TNI boot prints, empty Gutang packets and cigarette butts when the signal to harbour up for the midday meal came.

Having sited the Minimis in all round defence, the patrol settled down to pick at their dehyd patrol rations when the Dig on the 12 o’clock gun noticed a group of three armed Militia coming down through the creek bed patrolling aggressively.

The patrolling pattern was a clear sign of ‘intent’ under the new robust definition of the ROEs, and the young Dig cut loose with the LSW into the lead bloke with 20 rounds before following up with 200 rounds on a second target.

After the opening bursts, which dropped one Militiaman armed with a K98 Mauser rifle, the Militia (supposedly from Halilinti) broke into a professional and swift break contact drill returning a large volume of fire on the Australian patrol and attempted to work around its flanks. Unseen Militia joined in the firefight, while the Alpha Six patrol put in a platoon attack in an attempt to cut off the Militia’s escape.

During the consolidation phase of the platoon assault, a second blood trail was found which led to a second dead Militiamen armed with an SKS. In either a super staunch or drug addled frenzy, the Militiaman had run 200 metres with two SS109 rounds in the guts and one in the ankle before carefully taking up a fire position, placing out his ammo and grenades for easy access and preparing to fight a suicide delaying action to help his mates escape. Fortunately he died of blood loss before implementing his plan.

The Alpha Coy Digs were stoked with their success, with the exception of an M-79 that refused to fire during the battle, the manoeuvre under fire went smoothly. The soldiers had reacted exactly as they were trained and prevailed on the field.

The bodies of the two dead Militia told a big story. Clothed completely with TNI issue DPM uniforms and wearing basic webbing, the KIA Militia were clean- and shorthaired. Underneath their DPM they wore civilian clothes. They carried plenty of ammunition and grenades and had local fruit in their pockets. Weird talismans of silver coins and weird stringy bits of dark frayed organic material were worn in little crocheted bags around their necks along with quantities of a red pharmaceutical drug in thin clear sealed sachets. While not clinically tested it was suspected that the liquid was Ba – a new super speed which is sweeping Asia - which would go along way in explaining KIA Two’s 200 metre final.

Trouble was again in the air a few days later (August 6) when the 6RAR Battalion Group was contacted twice within 30 minutes at opposite ends of its AO. In the first contact a patrol from Bravo Six spotted a group of three armed Militiamen wearing black T-shirts and TNI trousers inside East Timor near the coastal town of Batugade.

The Bravo Six Diggers twice challenged the Militia group warning them to put down their weapons, but after the second challenge one of the Militia raised his weapon and aimed it at the Australians. The Digs opened fire on the group, wounding one armed with an SKS and probably wounding another in the brief engagement.

Thirty-five kilometres east, a Section from Reconnaissance Platoon 6RAR was manning an OP near Maliana not far from the August 2 contact site. Recon had only just heard about the Batugade contact over the radio, and one Dig said, “I wish we could have a contact.” At that moment a group of nine armed Militia strode into view and a Recon Minimi gunner opened up with a series of well aimed bursts at the intruders.

Luck was with the lead Militia, when reacting to the Minimi burst he was literally blown into the only dead ground around. Recon maintained fire on the intruders for a minute while the Militia conducted a high speed organised break contact drill. “Shit they were fast,” the Recon gunner reckoned.

A REAL WAR

Reaction to the increased rate of Militia incursions saw a number of changes within the 6RAR Group. Patrol Heavy - helmets and kevlar body armour – was instituted throughout the AO.

A detachment of four S-70 Blackhawk helicopters and support crews from the Townsville based 5 Aviation Regt and extra 6RAR Diggers were deployed to Balibo in early August, bringing the online 6RAR Group strength to almost 1100 personnel. The 5 Avn Det moved into the big hill to the west of Fort Balibo, and 1 CER Engineers dozed the top off the feature to provide four hard LZs for the Blackhawks and workshop and accommodation lines for the Avos.

Included in the 5 Aviation Det, were an Aero Medical Evacuation Team, who were soon at work with a run of accidents and WIA flowing in from the battlefield.

The following day near Maliana, August 9, a Steyr lying in a bundle of field equipment on the floor of a 2 Cav ASLAV –PC discharged accidentally fatally wounding 2 Cav Recon Scout section commander Corporal Stuart ‘Monster’ Jones. Monster Jones was rushed to 6RAR’s Forward Aid Station at Maliana before being airlifted by the AME team Blackhawk to Dili where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Monster died from an unfortunate accident, but there would soon be more combat casualties for UNTAET. Having banged their heads against the Aussie door and found it well guarded, the Militia groups focused their attention on the Fijian and Nepalese Company AOs south of the giant mount Foho Leo Laco that dominates the Maliana horizon.

The worst casualty rate of the entire East Timor deployment was about to occur. On August 10, four Nepalese infantry were wounded in action in two separate contacts with a large Militia force that had entered their sector of border. All were whinched out of the battlefield by the 5 Avn AME Team in a dramatic NVG night rescue mission. One of the Nepalese later died of his wounds.

The following day, August 11, a rubbish fire exploded injuring four Alpha Company Diggers at Junction Point Memo. While seriously injured, three of the four wounded Diggers are expected to return to duty with their Company by the time this issue hits the shelves. The fourth WIA is expected to make a complete recovery and return to light duties with the Group.

The accidental death of Monster Jones and the wounding of the Alpha Coy Digs at Memo certainly put on a downer on 6RAR which had been on a high since the successful Maliana contact. A moving ceremony was conducted on the bare hill overlooking Balibo to pay last respects to the fallen Recon Scout. ASLAVs lined up as an honour guard as the sun went down over the Savu Sea and another young Aussie Dig was farewelled by his mates during an Asian war. Hymns and tears flowed as the ASLAVs symbolically carried Monsters’ empty Alice from the field, every soldier on that hill no doubt asking whether his mates will one day gather to say good bye to him on an East Timorese hill top.

Operations however could not stop. With the increased tension and reports of Militia activity throughout the border region, 6RARs Diggers and the armoured vehicle and helicopter crews are hard at it maintaining a solid presence throughout their Company AOs.

On A&NZD’s last night in AO Matilda (17 August 2000), the Fijian Company of the NZBAT fought a sharp contact with a group of four Laksaur Militia near Suai firing more than 40 rounds at the group and pursuing them as they fled into West Timor.

MORE TO FOLLOW

After the elation of INTERFET, and the brief pause in Ops due to the Monsoon the cold reality is that Australia’s combat operations in East Timor are now far more intensive than ever.

After the speed and aggression of INTERFET’s expansion Operations during September and November, the existing Militia were obviously too shocked to mount a coherent campaign of nuisance raids. Things have changed. The security environment within which 6RAR is operating has deteriorated seriously since the Militia and TNI were chased out of town pre Xmas.

Obviously the Militia and their sponsors within the Indonesian security apparatus have had time to think and have learned a few lessons. The Groups that violate the border now are serious Hombres. A&NZD suspects that they may be the paid uniformed irregulars seen riding TNI trucks with the Kopassus scarlet berets and balaclava wearing INTEL SF during the TNI’s withdrawal from Dili. If so, these operators could have years of experience fighting Falintil behind them.Either way, the situation is far more serious than it was when INTERFET handed over to UNTAET in late February.

Prior to their deployment, the 6RAR Group’s Digs copped a lot of slagging from INTERFET vets who teased them for being too late for the party. Four months after rotating in, 6RAR stands proud. The battalion may have missed the brilliant opening sequence of the ADF’s East Timor story, but have no doubt that Six is doing The Hard Yards in a much more threatening environment than existed last year.

Despite Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister’s claims to the contrary, the men of the 6RAR Battalion Group are facing an organised and well armed military incursion which is being actively aided by at least sections of the TNI’s Bali based western command.

The nature of the Militia has changed too – the thousands of renta-thug Militia with their pipe guns, T-shirts and cigarette lighters have now given up the cause and turned into stand over criminals in Atambua and Kupang. What the Digs on the border are currently facing is a much smaller, very well trained and experienced irregular cadre who are good to very good in a rumble.

For a battalion that barely existed this time last year, 6RAR and its support units have given a sterling performance on the scrubby ridgelines of the Bobonaro Regency. After 16 weeks constant intensive security operations and two serious accidents, the men of 6RAR are still Mad Keen to hunt the raiders from over the border.

Credit, must go where credit is due. A&NZD has no doubt that 6RAR is finding more trouble because it has hunted the hardest. The professionalism and aggression of the 6RAR Groups’ Digs is a credit to the ADF.

No doubt a combination of factors are contributing to the Group’s achievements. The detailed preparation of the battalion prior to rotation, the steady build up of ADF operational experience in East Timor and a well respected command team have all contributed to the continued success of the Australian occupation of the border region.

Go down to any patrol base, junction point or company position and you’ll walk away impressed with the quality of Ops and the dedication of the blokes in the paddock.

As this issue goes to press, tensions are building along the border. Sector West Command was openly canvassing the opinion that a major Militia offensive was expected to coincide with the first anniversary of the August 30 Independence Referendum.

It is very doubtful that the last angry shot has been fired. “Stay safe!” is the new good bye on the border. The show is not over! No one is predicting an early end to the fighting. 1RAR will find plenty to keep them busy over the Wet and I suspect the ADF will find that business is brisk in East Timor for many Tours to come.