UNAMIR II - Australian Medical Support Force to Rwanda - Personal/Sub-Unit diary [ASC I COs diary LT Col P McIntosh] 25 Jul 1994 to 16 Dec 1994 - Part 2

Up to Pg 4
17

Tuesday 16 August

On 16 Aug I found that the    
two loads of stores were not complete 
on the ground as tasked on 15 Aug. 
I visited 2nd Coy Bn with my 
O Group and were walked the 
compound and identified a 
general lack of urgency and 
a lack of supervision. People 
were busy but their efforts were 
not being coordinated. There were 
stores strewn all over the compound 
and warehouse in BMSS and 
pallets and the various sections were 
trying to identify their stores and 
repack them in accordance with the 
load lists.

I reconvened my orders group 
and ordered that an officer be 
placed in charge of each C5 load 
and that he was to do nothing 
else but coordinate the packing and 
preparation of that load. I also 
directed that nobody would go 
home or to bed at night until 
there were two C5 loads of stores, 
complete and ready to be moved to 
the airport. Sortie bays had been 
marked on the ground for the loads 
to be stacked. I directed that 
loads would be prepared as follows:

2 C5 loads by COB 16 Aug

2 C5 loads by COB 17 Aug

2 C5 loads by COB 18 Aug

2 747 cargo loads by COB  19 Aug. 

The contingent worked until about 
0200 hrs.
[*Folio 18*]

Sitrep at Folio 18 received from 
Advance Party. 

18

Wednesday 17 August 

[*Folio 19*]

Sitrep 17/94 was received from the 
Advance Party (See Folio 19)

I held another logistics conference 
and agreed to allow the aircraft 
after sortie 6 to be loaded in any 
configuration provided the equipment or 
stores had been identified as being 
required as it was becoming clear that 
the main body would be deploying 
over a shorter period than what had 
been expected. 

The contingent worked until 
after midnight to prepare two C5 
Galaxy loads.

19

Thursday 18 August

Sitrep 8/94 was received from 
the Advance Party (Folio 20)

All those who may need to carry 
a pistol were tested in TSOBT 
and fired a qualification pistol 
shoot. 

At 1900 hr that evening the 
final briefings and innoculation 
checks were conducted for the 
main body.

COL Bysouth from xx Army Office 
pay and conditions visited to field 
any questions about the Conditions 
of Service.

It was confirmed that a 747 
cargo and two C5 Galaxies would 
depart on Sat. The contingent 
worked until 0200 hr in preparation 
of the 747 cargo loads.

20

Friday 19 August

A dangerous cargo check was conducted 
at 0800 hr.

Comd 1 Div visited the contingent. 

I was ordered to drop four people 
from the contingent as HQ ADF would not 
seek ministerial approval for numbers 
to be increased to 310. A figure which 
everybody had assumed had been 
agreed. I fought to have the 
decision changed but to no avail. 
I selected one infantry private who 
had been to Somalia and who was 
having domestic trouble, one 
driver from 4 Fd Regt, one 
signaller from 103 Sig Sqn and 
one MP SGT. I come to drop the 
investigator MP SGT as he had 
shown no effort to help with the 
preparation of stores whereas the other 
less qualified MP SGT was there 
until the end each evening. DMP 
tried to have my decision overturned 
but to no avail.

Sitrep 19/94 was received from 
[*Folio21*] 
the Advance Party (Folio 21)

Statistics for the contingent were 
prepared for the inevitable press 
conferences to be conducted on 20 Aug 
[*Folio 22*] 
(Folio 22)  

21

Saturday 20 August

The first contre of the main body 
departed at 1530 hr. I was on this 
aircraft. The aircraft was a 
C5 Galaxy. The 747 cargo was 
load early in the morning and 
departed AM 20 Aug.

The Prime Minister, Mr Paul Keating, 
the CDF, Admiral Beaumont, the 
CGS, LTGEN John Grey and many 
others attended the farewell ceremony.

The contingent paraded in front 
of the RAAF terminal and the 
PM inspected the whole contingent.

The second C5 Galaxy was on 
the tarmac but had arrived 
late and would not be departing 
until AM 21 Aug.

Those who did not deploy 
returned to Lavarac Barracks to 
prepare stores.

We flew direct to Perth and 
had a four hour delay in the 
transit lounge.

22

Sunday 21 August

We arrived in Diago Garcia at 0300 hr
and were transported to a transit
building for a shower and about four 
hours sleep. In the morning we 
had breakfast and waited for the 
aircraft to be repaired. We departed
Diago Garcia at about 1100 hr and 
arrived at Kigali at about 
1430 hr.
I was collected by COMASC and
was taken to UNAMIR HQ for a briefing
I then reurned to the accomodation 1
headquarters area to settle in and
be briefed in detail by the Advance
Party staff. 
[*Folio 23*]
Sitrep 10/94 sent (Folio 23)