GO GET THE FLAG By Darren Townsend 5 RAR
Timor Nov ’99 Interfet, 8 Pl, C Coy of the mighty Tiger Battalion (5 RAR) was on guard at the soccer stadium and distributing rice to the natives. Across the road was a comms building with satellite dishes in the back, all fenced up with barbed wire at the top of the perimeter walls. It was full of Indog diggers and “Kopassus” or “Special Forces Command”.
My sergeant at the time, Cpl Rowan “Rock” Free said he was overlooking their flag and we were to take over the compound in several hours. He instructed me go across the road, walk in through the gate, pull their flag down, throw it over my shoulder, put ours up, take one pace back, salute, about turn and come back across the road. So I did. With the hairs on my back standing to attention, to my disbelief the whole Indog contingent just sat there looking at me and no one did a thing apart from opening the gate for me. I bought their dirty stinking cloth home and used it as a bed cover. Thinking back, I should have thrown it on the ground, pulled my cock out and pissed on it!
