7 RAR "Porky's People" or "The Pigs"

Subject to Crown copyright. Do not copy or use without approval

Category: Army today/RAR

	Raised	1 September 1965
	Battalion colour	Maroon (BCC 39)
	Battalion nick-name	The Pigs; Porky's People; The Pig Battalion
	Battalion march	Australaise(for brass band) and Cock 'o the North
	Current home	Now part of 5/7 RAR (Mechanised) in Darwin
	Mascot	A pig (unofficial and never on parade) see note

Now known as 5/7 RAR (Mechanised)
Tours of duty overseas.
Viet Nam	1967-1968; Feb 1970-Mar 1971

7 RAR was formed at Puckapunyal, Victoria on 1 Sep, 1965 as a part of the Australian Army’s build up for the Vietnam War. The Battalion subsequently served twice in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam. The first tour was from April 1967 and the second from February 1970. Both tours lasted approximately 12 months and during this time 7RAR was deployed on 48 operations. 7 RAR was eventually linked with 5/7 RAR in December 1973. The colours and traditions are maintained by 5/7RAR in Darwin.

Approximately 2,400 men served with the Seventh. Of these thirty three were killed and 220 were recorded as being wounded.

The nick name of the Battalion; "The Pigs" is one that Diggers loved or hated. These days after some 35 years being called a PIG by other members of the Regiment, most have got used to it. Here is the story of how it started taken directly from the pages of 7RAR Association's book Conscripts & Regulars, with kind permission of its writer; Brigadier Mike O'Brien who was with the Battalion in 1970-71, as a Platoon Commander and Intelligence Officer. Still a Serving Officer when this was written, Brigadier O'Brien was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 1992.

Corporal Roy 'Doc' Savage gave this explanation of the pig origin: The single men of 3RAR were sent to Puckapunyal (Victoria) to form a new Battalion, 7RAR. I arrived there on 11th November 1965. At first there were only regular soldiers. We used to keep the boozer open all weekend having the cooks bring our meals there. Anyway, on my second week there the new CO (Lieutenant Colonel Eric Smith) decided to inspect his Battalion area on a Sunday. He immediately closed the boozer. The next day he called a muster parade of the whole Battalion and commenced to tell us what he thought of us. Half way through his speech he said and I quote. "You are nothing but a mob of Pigs".

Then from the back rank someone called out "oink, oink". From that time onwards we became the "Pig Battalion". Editors note. At the time a story circulated that a pig wearing the Badges of Rank of a Lieutenant Colonel was released in the Officers Mess shortly afterwards. I did not see it but I believe it to be true.

Photo taken in 1967 and supplied by Wal Lotocki .10 Platoon Delta Company 7RAR

Secondly, the matter of whether Porky went on parade or not is interesting as well. I recall that when we linked with 5 RAR our transport Sgt went to a lot of trouble to find a pig that would match Quintus in size. He found a monster down Campbelltown way and on the linking parade Quintas, in a cage, was at the exit of the parade ground and Porky, likewise in a cage, was at the entrance to the parade ground (near the Sgts Mess) I recall as we marched off, Quintas got frightened by the pipes and drums (if a Bengal tiger is frightened by anything) and he let out a mighty roar.
Woman and kids, in the viewing stands along side his cage, screamed and ran in all directions. regards, Kev Gillett

I don't know whether the 7RAR blokes are sick of this photo or still proud of it.

However, either way, here it is again. It is probably the 3rd most famous photo of the Viet Nam war and the best known Aussie one.

HONOUR ROLL1967 ~ 1968

Date	Rank	Surname	First Name	Age
10 Nov 67	Pte	Allen	George Norman	22
6 Aug 67	Cpl	Aylett	Donald Raymond	22
5 Feb 68	Pte	Ayres	Marvin Walter	23
29 Jan 68	Pte	Bell	Alec Ernest James	21
6 Aug 67	Pte	Brophy	Edward Francis	22
26 Jun 67	Pte	Cox	James George	22
27 Nov 67	Pte	Cullen	Bryan Thomas	20
10 Nov 67	Pte	Fallon	Barry Edmond	31
6 Aug 67	Pte	Harstad	Alfred Barleif	21
27 Nov 67	Pte	Hawker	Norman Victor George	22
6 Aug 67	Cpl	Hayes	James Francis	27
2 Feb 68	L/Cpl	McMillan	Ross Charles
6 Aug 67	Pte	Milford	David Geoffrey	22
6 Aug 67	Pte	O’Connor	John Martin	25
2 Feb 68	Pte	Perrin	Robert Graham	22
27 Jan 68	Pte	Trzecinski	Paul Zygmund	21

HONOUR ROLL 1970 ~ 1971

16 Jun 70	Pte	Cashion	Gary Owen	19
21 May 70	Pte	Crouch	Noel Valentine	22
27 Oct 70	Lt	Davies	Rex William	25
6 Jun 70	Pte	Dickson	Stephen Warwick	21
15 Jan 71	Pte	Dufty	Milton Raymond	21
16 Jan 71	L/Cpl	Halkyard	Eric	27
22 Apr 70	Pte	Hughes	Robert Edward	19
21 Apr 70	Pte	Kavanagh	Graham Robert	21
6 Jun 70	Pte	Larsson	Stanley George	23
30 Dec 70	Pte	Lloyd	Allan L	20
6 Jun 70	Pte	Navarre	Paul John	21
6 Feb 71	Pte	Patten	Raymond Brian	20
26 Apr 70	Lt	Pothof	Robin Christiaan	21
27 Aug 70	L/Cpl	Richardson	Neil Thomas	23
3 Apr 70	Pte	Smith	Ronald Keith	19
30 Apr 70	Pte	Stanczyk	Henry Jan	21
1 Feb 71	Pte	Talbot	Allen	21

FORMER 7RAR MEMBERS KILLED IN ACTION

WHILE SERVING WITH OTHER UNITS

MEMBERS OF SUPPORTING ARMS KILLED IN ACTION

WHILE IN SUPPORT OF 7RAR

Cpl FJ ANNESLEY (1968) 1RAR,
Pte TJ ATTWOOD (1971) D&E Platoon,
Cpl TD BLACKHURST (1971) AATTV,
Pte DM CLARK (1966) 6RAR,
Pte A PURCELL (1967) 5RAR,
Pte P TEBB (1971) D&E Platoon,
Pte M TOWLER (1971) D&E Platoon,
WO2 B WALSH M.M. (1969) AATTV.

Sapper TJ RENSHAW (1967-68) 1st Field Squadron;
Gunner B TREGEAR (1967-68) 108th Field Battery;
Sapper IN SCOTT (1970-71) 1st Field Squadron.

LEST WE FORGET

Nui Dat, Vietnam. 1967. During a changeover of infantry Battalions within the 1st Australian Task Force three senior warrant officers met for the first time since the Korean War. Left to right: WO1 Peter Balzary, Sandringham, Vic, Regimental Quarter-master of 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), WO1 George Chinn of Stafford, Qld, Regimental Sergeant Major of 6th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), and WO1 Alexander (Blue) Thompson of Hobart, Tas, Regimental Sergeant Major of the newly arrived 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR).

The "Welcome Sign" that greeted 1RAR, The Pony Soldiers, when they arrived on their second tour of SVN to replace 7RAR, Porky's People.

SOUTH VIETNAM. 1968-04-07. Informal portrait of commanding officers of the four infantry Battalions represented in Vietnam at a farewell party for officers of 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR). Left to right: Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) J. Shelton, Commanding Officer (CO), 3rd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR); Lt Col (Chick) Charlesworth, CO, 2RAR /NZ (Anzac) (the Anzac Battalion comprising 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment and a component from the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment); Lt Col E. Smith, CO, 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR); Lt Col P. Bennett, CO, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian regiment (1RAR).

Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province, Vietnam, c. 1967-10. Tent lines of 2 Platoon, "A" company, 7RAR, among the rubber trees at the 1 ATF base. The sign fixed to the tree reads: "2 Pl. A Coy. 7RAR. The Western Front". (donor E. O'Donnell)

"lets go to work" 7RAR

Vietnam. 1967-08. Second Lieutenant (Lt) John Renowden of Paynesville, Vic, with an all-Australian knitted woollen toy, a pig, which has become the mascot of the 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR).

The jungle-green animal named Pig, which has its own identity discs, was knitted and sent to Lt Renowden by a friend.

Battalion Home page. http://www.7rar.asn.au/