161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight –
The Possums
Captain Barry Creig DONALD DSM
Service No:29745
Service: Army
Death Date:03/12/1969
Service Between:27/08/1968 and 3/12/1969
Total Days:289
Home Life
Born in 1940 Captain Barry Creig Donald had a difficult
start. At the age of 4 his parents James Creig Horne and Nerrissa Maguerite
Horne divorced on 26th July 1944.
Life would have been tough for the divorced mother and
young boy as Australia was still experiencing significant wartime rationing. It
would be good to learn a little more about how he fared after this.
Army
Captain Barry Creig Donald enlisted in the Australian
Regular Army on 13th February 1958. He fought a very different war against
communist insurgents- in Malaysia as an infantrymen.
After service in the Malayan Insurgency he was commissioned
on 6th June 1961.Later he qualified as an Army Pilot and flying instructor. He
arrived in South Vietnam on 27th August 1968.
161
Reconnaissance Flight- The Possums
The Army formed and deployed the 161st
Reconnaissance Flight in September 1965. Initially based at Vung Tau they
shifted to Nui Dat (Luscombe Airfield) by July 1966. They operated a mix of
fixed wing Cessnas, PC- 6 Turbo Porters and Sioux and Bell helicopters.
Their radio call sign was Possum for the duration of the
war.
By
the end of the war the 161 had flown 75,000 hours of missions.
September
1968 saw significant personnel change in 161 including the arrival of Barry
Creig Donald.
Nature
of work as a Reconnaissance Flight pilot.
The nature of the work was quite dangerous due to most of
the planes being unarmed which led to the section losing 12 planes and three
pilots.
It was also dangerous because of the crowded nature of the
skies over South Vietnam. During an engagement with the enemy pilots had to
keep their ears and eyes open for
1.artillery fire and clearances
2. FAC’s
3.ground attack aircraft
4. dust offs
5. light fire teams
6. anyone else
7.limited radio facilities made the job more difficult
161 Reconnaissance Flights unique role led to its
involvement or contact with almost every other Australian Unit during the
course of the Vietnam War.
Personnel serving in the 161 were drawn from all services
and included New Zealand personnel.
As the Fixed Wing Section Commander and flying instructor Captain
Donald operated under arduous operational flying conditions. Despite this he continually
sought to improve the flying standards of his pilots teaching new and
inexperienced rotary and fixed wing pilots in their operational tasks.
Captain Donald also developed and taught operational
procedures that significantly improved the support provided by his unit to the
1st Australian Task Force.
28th October 1968 Captain Barry Donald and
Captain Frank Markcrow were making a routine landing at Luscombe Airfield and
crashed when his Cessna lost a wheel. One of the stubs on the wheel had broken
off possibly due to the aircraft landing on a flat tyre which might have strained
the stub.
Phouc Tuy Province- pronounced ‘Fuuk Touy’
https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/history/conflicts/australia-and-vietnam-war/events/phuoc-tuy-province
Captain Donald has regularly flown all types of missions in fixed wing
aircraft and acted as an observer in rotary wing aircraft on every possible
occasion.
He was extremely well regarded as an excellent flying instructor, outstanding
reconnaissance pilot and a highly skilled artillery observer.
His aircraft was hit by ground fire on a number of occasions because
Captain Donald consistently ignored his safety frequently by flying his
aircraft low over occupied enemy bunkers and installations
By his skill, leadership and disregard for his own personal safety
when seeking out the enemy, Captain Donald has been an inspiration to the
members of his unit.
26th October 1969
During a reconnaissance flight on the 26th October 1969 Captain Donald
communicating with Australian artillery altered their fire on to an occupied
enemy bunker system.
He demonstrated significant courage and disregard to his own welfare
by then flying his Albatross low over the bunker system to work out the effectiveness
of the artillery fire for an extended period of time.
Captain Donald exposed himself to more ground fire when he found other
enemy units and decided to maintain surveillance until he could direct South Vietnamese
troops to contact Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces.
Duration
Captain Barry Creig Donald served for approximately 285 days in
Vietnam.
Possums Down
Engineering Officer- John Digweed
I don’t really know the whole story. I know that there were
bullet holes in the aeroplane. Warrant
Officer Don Collins went out with a crew overnight. They
obviously removed the bodies that night and the aeroplane sat there. Don went out the next morning
with the old 5 tonner and brought the remains back. (Nolan, 2006 ,156- 157)
Possum Master Graeme Hill-Smith was saddened but not surprised by the
incident I’d been wondering
when we were going to have a casualty. The aircraft were being shot at. I remember Allan
Jellie took a round through his shirt a while before. It took the pen and
penholder out but didn’t hurt
him…It was a bit of a surprise that it was in a Porter. I think the aircraft
had probably flown that afternoon on its first test flight and Barry
Donald had taken it up to do some training. It was the first night flying exercise. Anyway, he got mixed up in a bit of a firefight about ten
miles north of the base and yes I was very unfortunate. I went up next day to have a look at
the aircraft ad there was no doubt about the hits. It was probably the equivalent of a Bren Gun- an
RPD I think they call it. I don’t know what he was doing. There was a post about ten miles north, and
as I said they had a firefight going on, and how he got mixed up in it or why I don’t know. Perhaps
he was going to bring them some assistance. (Nolan, 2006 ,157)
Citation-
Distinguished Service Medal- Posthumously
During a training flight on the 3rd December 1969 (approximately
10.30pm) Barry Donald flying Porter A14-686, with Alan Jellie (passenger) took
ground fire and crashed at the edge of the Binh Ba Rubber Plantation, Phouc Tuy
Province. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.
On
3rd June 1998, a Vietnam "End of War List" was announced by the
Australian Government, in that "End of War List" Barry Donald was
awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (Posthumously).
He is buried at Ipswich
Cemetery, QLD. Plot 4A 11 27 B8274
Captain
Barry Creig Donald at work
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