6 February 1967
Australian Clearance Diving Team 3 (CDT3) made an important and highly distinctive contribution in Vietnam. It was an elite group of 49 officers and sailors.
Divers were trained in the dangerous business of explosive ordnance disposal, both on the surface and underwater. They established an enviable reputation for courage and innovation in time of war, in the spirit of the divers’ motto ‘United and Undaunted’.
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) approved the formation of CDT3 in late 1966 as one element of a larger naval contribution to the war in Vietnam.
The first group of six personnel arrived in Vietnam on 6 February 1967. They were initially attached to a United States Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team based in Saigon. They then moved to Vũng Tàu and assumed responsibility for defending shipping against enemy attack, known as Operation Stable Door.
CDT3 was responsible for searching the hulls and anchor cables of shipping, for improvised explosive devices. The team was deployed in such areas as the Vũng Tàu anchorages, or alongside the docks. Other responsibilities included:
- salvaging downed military helicopters
- searching villages for ammunition caches
- demolishing Viet Cong cave and tunnel complexes.
From January 1969, CDT3 participated in special forces–type operations. This helped them make full use of their unique skills. They helped with attacks on the enemy. The operational focus shifted towards the provision of explosive ordnance disposal support for offensive operations.
Team members were frequently attached to American and South Vietnamese special forces. They were often fired upon while they were destroying:
- bunker complexes
- tunnels
- trenches
- observation posts
- log barricades erected by the Viet Cong in the rivers and waterways of South Vietnam.
CDT3 was relieved by South Vietnamese Navy personnel in August 1970.
In the 3 and a half years of Operation Stable Door, CDT3 searched 7,441 ships. The eighth and final contingent returned to Australia in May 1971. It brought to a close 4 years of war service in trying and hazardous circumstances.
The one fatal casualty was a young sailor, Able Seaman BK (Bob) Wojcik, who was killed in a motor vehicle accident while on exchange with an American unit. Seven personnel were decorated. Others received recognition from the United States and South Vietnamese governments. This included a United States Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation awarded to the first contingent.