Writer Colin Richardson, steel helmeted and armed with a Thompson sub-machine gun, stands guard onboard the Daring class destroyer HMAS Duchess
Writer Colin Richardson, steel-helmeted and armed with a Thompson sub-machine gun, stands to guard onboard the Daring class destroyer HMAS Duchess. He is on alert against enemy underwater sappers or other attacks. As a safety precaution, the magazine has been removed from the weapon, and will only be fitted in the event of a confirmed threat. His ship is escorting the troop transport HMAS Sydney carrying soldiers and cargo to Vietnam. This is a side trip for HMAS Duchess during its deployment to the Indonesian Confrontation.