CHRONOLOGY: 29 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 1969


DAY TWO OF THE SEARCH: 29 SEPTEMBER 1969

C Company Commences Search. On 29 September 1969 at 0745 hrs C Company commenced a ground search. "The company moved to YS 633958 … and commenced the search ..." 44 hours after FISHER actually fell. "The area was divided into four approximately equal sectors by a centre NORTH/SOUTH and EAST/WEST line and referred to as North East, South West etc serials. The Coy HQ and one PI remained in the firm base in the center of the search area, and a PI was allocated to the North West and South East sectors. The Platoons conducted a base line search in the following manner:

a. They moved to the centre bottom/top of their sector.
b. Section patrols were then sent west and east for a minimum distance of 110 meters on a two-man front.
c. The first two men were primarily concerned with the ground search. Following men were warned to look for signs of where a body may have struck trees and left clothing or equipment, or trees damaged as a result of being struck by a body.
d. After moving east or west on a compass bearing the section moved north south approx 30 metres and searched back towards the PL HQ on a back bearing.
c. On the return of the patrols the complete Pl covered north or south fifty metres and repeated the process until the sector had been completed.

After completing their sectors, the PI returned to firm base and after debriefing was given another sector to the north or south of the previous sector. The search of the four sectors was completed by about 1600 hrs on 29 Sep 69."

Alternate Area Considered. On 29 September 1969 at 1045 hrs a Bushranger pilot advised Major BEESLEY that the incident might have occurred to south of the current search area. At 1330 hrs Bushranger pilot, OC 3 SAS Sqn, and the commander of Patrol 11 conferred and decided that possibility existed. At 1530 hrs Bushranger aircraft re-enacted the extraction with the commander of Patrol 11 and confirmed that area to south was the correct area. There appears to be some confusion regarding the coordinates of the "alternative area," hereinafter referred to as the "SECOND AREA," and the "bomb crater." Three grid references are quoted - GR YS 628 958, 627 957 and 632 952. See here for details of these. This matter is discussed below under the heading "SECOND AREA and the Bomb Crater."

C Company Advised of New Search Area. It is recorded that "C Coy 9 RAR was advised of new search area" on the 29 September 1969 at 1530 hrs and that on the same day "1600 (hrs) - Search of first area (was) completed by C Coy 9 RAR."

Method of the Search of the FIRST AREA by C Company 9 RAR. Major Lewis indicated that troops worked in pairs - one searching the ground and one searching the trees. It should be remembered that in parts of this area there was a canopy, which could have impeded and given signs of FISHER'S fall. Also there was considerable secondary growth in the area, which would have hindered movement and observation.

Suggested locations that were put forward by various parties on 29 September 1969 for the impact of FISHER are listed here.

DAY THREE OF THE SEARCH: 30 SEPTEMBER 1969

Encounter. On 30 September 1969, a patrol from C Company encountered three enemy in the vicinity of GR YS 633 956 with negative results.

Most Likely Area Confirmed. During the morning of 30 September 1969, a POSSUM aircraft with VAN DROFFELAAR on board conducted a visual reconnaissance and confirmed the bomb crater in second area of search as the most likely location of incident.

Enemy Camp. After searching the FIRST AREA for the second time C Company moved south, crossed the SUOI SAP and located an enemy camp at GR YS 633 955 where they spent the night. See photographs 3 to 6 for shots of the camp as it was in 1970, courtesy of Mr Jack Thurgar.

DAY FOUR OF THE SEARCH: 1 OCTOBER 1969

Timing of Search of SECOND AREA. The timing of C Company being advised of the new search area and completing the search of the FIRST AREA becomes a point for discussion since the Officer Commanding C Company, Major LEWIS, reported that C Company searched the FIRST AREA, for a second time on the 30 September 1969, patrolling north - south. He also refers to UH overflying the AO on that day and subsequently providing advice that FISHER may have fallen "into the south of the S. SAP in the vicinity of the bomb crater" which was marked by smoke. It is noted that the advice that FISHER may have fallen south of the SUOI SAP was provided to C Company the day before, on the 29 September 1969 at 1530 hrs. Major LEWIS then indicates that the search of the SECOND AREA was conducted on the 1 October 1969 after the "bomb crater" had been confirmed by POSSUM, with Corporal VAN DROFFELAAR on board.

SECOND AREA and the Bomb Crater. The location decided upon by the re-enactment of the fly-out was GR YS 628 958 as reported by Corporal VAN DROFFELAAR at the Court of Inquiry or GR YS 627 957 as recorded in the 3 Squadron SAS log. This message came in from BUSHRANGER 71 and "patrol commander 11" (VAN DROFFELAAR) at 1540 hrs on 29 September 1969. Being in close proximity to one another, the coordinates reported by BUSHRANGER 71, with TARDENT and VAN DROFFELAAR on board, GR YS 627 957, will be accepted as representative. The location of the bomb crater marked by POSSUM and referred to by Major Lewis is not given, but on the morning of 1 October 1969, it took his company 45 minutes to move from the enemy camp at GR YS 633 955 to the referenced bomb crater. It appears that C Company moved to the crater at GR YS 627 957 and not to the area of GR YS 632 952, based on this timing and the description of the areas searched, as given below. GR YS 627 957 is contained in the second area.

Method of Search of the SECOND AREA. The area was divided into two sectors, north and south, and a platoon allocated to each. The northern platoon searched up to the SUOI SAP and the southern platoon searched 250 to 300 metres beyond the bomb crater. Hence it appears that the lower 150 metres of the SECOND AREA, approximately 52,500 square metres, was not searched.

Extraction of C Company 9 RAR. C Company were extracted PM 1 October using the insertion LZ.

SUMMARY OF AREAS SEARCHED BY C COMPANY 9 RAR

See here for the area searched by C Company 9 RAR on 29 and 30 September. The area searched on 1 October 1969 is plotted on this map.

NO SIGN OF FISHER

No sign of FISHER was found during the searches over the period 29 September 1969 to 1 October 1969.

CONDITION AND LOCATION OF FISHER BY LAST LIGHT ON 1 OCTOBER 1969

The area searched by C Company 9 RAR on 29 and 30 September 1969, the FIRST AREA, was not the area that was assessed by a re-enactment of the extraction on the afternoon of 29 September 1969, GR YS 627 957.

C Company did not search the area of GR YS 627 957 until AM on the 1 October 1969, almost four days after FISHER had fallen. However, it is noted that on their approach march to the FIRST AREA on 28 September 1969 they passed nearby and spent the night of 28 September within 100 meters of the location derived on 29 September 1969, although at the time they would not have been aware of this. The delay in starting the search of this area would have given the enemy a window of opportunity in which, perhaps, to discover the body, bury it or remove the remains to another location, if this was in fact the area of impact.

Condition of FISHER as of 1 October 1969. By last light on 1 October FISHER would have definitely been dead. On the proviso that FISHER fell in either the FIRST AREA or the portion of the SECOND AREA that was searched and no sign was found of him, reinforce the possibility that his body may somehow have been hidden from view or concealed - perhaps submerged in water or mud or even buried. The possibility that FISHER'S body could have been discovered by the enemy at some stage, prior to the arrival of the search elements is acknowledged and will be considered later.

This page was last updated on 4 November 2003.