In September 1971, 4 RAR/NZ for the Battle of Nui Le. It was to be the final major engagement for Australia in the Vietnam War. This interview the Gary McKay is the second part of our two-part series with Gary, looking at his and his Platoon’s preparation for jungle combat and their tour of Vietnam, including the Battle of Nui Le. Gary was the Platoon Commander of 11 Platoon, Delta Company. He was wounded during the battle and after an extended recovery, continued on in the Army, rising to Lieutenant Colonel and commanding 8/9 RAR. For his conduct during the battle, Gary was awarded the Military Cross.
4 RAR/NZ and the Battle of Nui Le
During the drawdown of Australian forces the North Vietnamese Army’s (NVA) 33rd Regiment renewed efforts to control Phuoc Tuy Province. The Australian’s conducted Operation Ivanhoe in an effort to clear the enemy from the Area of Operations. This led to the Battle of Nui Le, where 110 soldiers encountered an estimated 400 to 500 NVA troops near the Nui Le feature. The Battle was fought in very difficult jungle terrain and at close range. This presented problems in maintaining command and control, and also in getting indirect fires close enough to be effective. Air support from Australia rotary wing assets and US fast jets provided excellent support to the Company as it became decisively engaged with the enemy.
Gary McKay’s account illustrates the importance of preparation and adaptability. His emphasis on thorough training and cross-training within his platoon proved vital. Soldiers were taught to operate all weapons in the unit, ensuring redundancy and readiness under fire. This training saved lives when McKay himself had to take over a machine gun after his gunners were killed during the assault.
Gary discusses the important relationship between the Platoon Commander and the Platoon Sergeant and how he relied on the experience of his Sergeant to lead the platoon. He also highlights the role of personal courage in combat leadership. When one of the guns fell silent, Gary moved forward himself to take charge of the gun and enable part of the platoon to withdraw.
Friendly fire
A seldom discussed part of combat in general and jungle combat in particular is that of fratricide, or blue-on-blue incidents. Jungle warfare is creates issues for command and control with the limited range of sight and the difficulties in communication. This lead to a tragic incident and Gary discusses how it happened and how he managed the situation.
Fire Support during jungle combat
The battle highlights the important role that US F-4 Phantoms and Cobra gunships played, especially in providing depth interdiction, as the artillery provided very close-in support to blunt enemy attacks on the position. This proved a critical capability, especially when troops are carrying limited amounts of ammunition for machine guns and their personal weapons.
Leadership lessons from Gary McKay
Gary McKay finishes with his lessons in leadership from his tour – know your team, their strengths, and weaknesses; understand your equipment and the enemy’s capabilities; lead by example; and maintain a sense of humour. Importantly, he stressed the need for commanders to balance authority with rapport, avoiding over-familiarity while fostering trust and respect.
Legacy of lessons learnt from New Guinea
This episode is part of our Kokoda Campaign series because the training, tactics and doctrine that prepared soldiers for combat in Vietnam was heavily based on the lessons learnt from the Australian Army’s hard-fought jungle campaigns in the Second World War. These lessons were very expensive and it is important that our jungle fighting lessons are not forgotten, given the amount of jungle within Australia and within our near neighbours.
