Peter Smith
Kamilaroi Man (Wilfred Cecil Peter Smith)
Retired Warrant Officer Class 2
2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment
Royal Australian Infantry Corps
Australian Army Training Team Vietnam AATTV
Australian Army Aviation Corps
Malaya & Vietnam Veteran

Medals
Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75 with 2 clasps
General Service Medal with clasp
Vietnam Medal
Defence Force Service Medal (23 years)
National Medal
Australia Defence Medal
Anniversary of National Service Medal 1951-72
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Infantry Combat Badge

National Service:
1952 followed by two years Citizens Military Forces (CMF), 1952 -1954. I initially enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in February 1955 to February 1958 and re-enlisted in August 1959 to February 1978.

Malaya:
I served for 12 months in Malaya from October 1956 to October 1957 with the 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment

Vietnam:
from October 1966 to October 1967 with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) in various locations throughout Vietnam firstly with the ‘Winning Hearts and Minds Team’ based in Hoa Long and then Duc Thanh before being transferred to the United States 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces Airborne based in Nah Trang and operating out towards the Lao and Cambodian border.

Return to Australia:
After a couple of years back in Australia I transferred to the Australian Army Aviation Corps I served in a number of positions including Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) and having completed an Air Traffic Controller course was appointed Operations Warrant Officer in 1st Aviation Regiment based at Oakey on the Darling Downs in Queensland. It was during this time that I was required to learn to fly a Kiowa helicopter ‘straight and level’ and land during the day and at night. I was not required to take off as it was explained that one would not normally take off without a pilot but we may be required to return to base and land without the pilot. This was a great experience as was my experience in every unit in which I served.