Darwin’s 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (5 RAR), is commemorating the Battle of Binh Ba in Vietnam through a series of events including the enlistment of a new unit mascot. Bengal Tiger Quintus Durga was officially enlisted into the Australian Army in a small military service at Crocodylus Park on 10 June.
Commanding Officer 5 RAR, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Dirago, said the ceremony coincides with the 51st anniversary of the Vietnam War’s Battle of Binh Ba (6-7 June 1969). “It is only fitting that we welcome our new mascot during this special anniversary, which illustrates the battalion’s remarkable history and fighting spirit,” Dirago said.
The battalion completed two tours of Vietnam and fought in the Battle of Binh Ba, the most significant battle in the battalion’s history involving fierce close-quarter fighting. It was on the battalion’s return from their first tour that the unit mascot tradition began. “Quintas Durga joins a line of striped mascots since the battalion first received a Sumatran cub named Quintus from Taronga Park Zoo following its initial tour of Vietnam in 1967,” Dirago said.
More recently, 5 RAR has maintained a longstanding partnership with Crocodylus Park, which has been the home to the unit’s mascot since 2004. “We greatly appreciate Crocodylus Park allowing their tiger to join the Army,” Dirago added. “We are looking forward to welcoming Quintus Durga as the mascot of the Tiger Battalion and helping with her care and upkeep at Crocodylus Park. Our ongoing relationship with this Darwin cultural institution is a great way for us to engage with the local community.”
Earlier, five RAR soldiers and officers attended another important ceremony at St Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Cathedral in central Darwin. Two new brass plaques were unveiled to accompany the Battalion’s Queen’s and Regimental Colours, which are on display in the cathedral.
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