TOUR

In October the New Zealand Government decided to deploy a second rifle company group to South Vietnam.  This company was formed, in Malaysia, within the 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment under the interim command of its second - in - command, Captain B.D. Sinclair.  On November 14 Major P.G. Hotop arrived from New Zealand to assume command. The company group including a mortar section and an assault pioneer section, conducted preparatory training, assisted by 1RNZIR, from Terendak.

On 20 November 1967 the company Advance Party deployed to Nui Dat, South Vietnam to join the 1st Australian Task Force and was placed under the command of the 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment together with the other New Zealand company (V Company). This combined Battalion officially became The Anzac Battalion on 1 March 1968. The remainder of the company now called W Company, deployed by royal New Zealand Hercules from Singapore to the coastal town of Vung Tau and after a move by road convoy was complete in Nui Dat on 17 December 1967. The company then set about establishing its new company lines and conducted some familiarisation training. Fortunately, the company had internal lines within the other companies, so had no perimeter post responsibilities except to fill the gaps when any company lacked the manpower to guard their area at night because of other operational commitments.