Photos Aussies and Kiwi's in Vietnam

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Corporal William Moore, D Company 6RAR, of Qld is congratulated by Mr Lewis Border, Australia’s Ambassador to South Vietnam, after receiving a Mention in Despatches award for his actions during the Battle of Long Tan. June 1967.

 

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Nui Dat, Vietnam. 1967-01. 2/7758 Warrant Officer 2 John William 'Jack' Kirby Company Sergeant Major (CSM) D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), and of Windsor, Brisbane, Qld, receives the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) from Brigadier O. D. Jackson, former Commander of the 1st Australian Task Force. Kirby distinguished himself at the Battle of Long Tan on 18 August 1966 and was awarded the DCM on 21 December 1966 for his actions. However on 6 February 1967, whilst participating in Operation Tamborine, he was fatally wounded by artillery fire from the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery (RNZA), when 12 105 mm rounds accidentally fell amongst the D Coy Headquarters. This friendly fire incident killed four Australians (including Kirby) and wounded 13 others.

 

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Major Harry Smith about to receive the Military Cross for the Battle of Long Tan in Vietnam in 1967.

 

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18 August 1966. Little Pattie and Col Joye performing on stage at the 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat while the Battle of Long Tan began 5km's away.

 

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18 August 1966. Little Pattie and Col Joye performing on stage at the 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat while the Battle of Long Tan began 5km's away.

 

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18 August 1966. Little Pattie and Col Joye performing on stage at the 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat while the Battle of Long Tan began 5km's away.

 

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18 August 1966. The Sydney entertainer Patricia Amphlett (later Thompson), who performed as "Little Pattie" and accompanied Col Joye and the "Joyboys" concert party that toured Australian troops in Vietnam and Malaysia in March. This photograph was probably taken in the early evening of 18 August as D Company, 6 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) were in action in the rubber plantation of Long Tan. The concert was underway when D6RAR went into action. The audience quickly evaporated as they returned to their action station. The situation at the Task Force was considered to dangerous for Little Pattie, who was evacuated by a No 9 Squadron Iroquois helicopter to Vung Tau. Col Joy and his band remained at Nui Dat overnight and the concert party was re-united the next day.

 

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18 August 1969. Long Tan cross ceremonies with D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment - New Zealand (Anzac).

 

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18 August 1969. Long Tan cross ceremonies with D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment - New Zealand (Anzac).

 

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Long Tan, South Vietnam. 1969-08-18. A memorial cross, made by the Assault Pioneer Platoon of 6RAR /NZ (ANZAC) (The ANZAC Battalion comprising 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment and a component from the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment), was placed in a sunlit opening in the rubber plantation for a commemorative service, three years to the day after D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), fought an overwhelming Viet Cong (VC) force on this spot. Eighteen Australians died here in the Battle of Long Tan. They left 245 enemy dead buried on the battlefield.

 

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Long Tan, South Vietnam. 18 August 1969. A poignant moment at the commemorative service held on the site of the battle of Long Tan, fought in 1966 by D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR). The service held by 6RAR /NZ (ANZAC) (The ANZAC Battalion comprising 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment and a component from the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment), was to commemorate the dead of 6RAR at Long Tan and from the present tour of 6RAR/NZ. On either side of the memorial cross are men who served in 6 RAR's first tour and who fought at Long Tan. From left: Corporal (Cpl) Richard Brown of Stafford, Qld; Lance Cpl Malcolm Campbell of Bicton, WA; Cpl Reilly of Auchenflower, Qld; Sergeant (Sgt) John Beere of Woodville North, SA and Cpl William O'Rourke of Chelsea, Vic, who was a member of the Cavalry troop which brought relieving forces to the battle. From right: Cpl Bill Roche of Narrandera, NSW; Cpl Brian Halls of Stafford, Qld; Cpl William Akell of Townsville, Qld; Cpl George Richardson of Kelloe, United Kingdom and Sergeant Neil Rankin of Wollongong, NSW.

 

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LONG TAN, SOUTH VIETNAM. 1969-08-18. THE PIPERS' LAMENT FOR THE DEAD OF LONG TAN. A POIGNANT MOMENT AT THE COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE HELD ON THE SITE OF THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN, FOUGHT IN 1966 BY D COMPANY, 6TH BATTALION, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT (6 RAR). THE SERVICE HELD BY 6RAR /NZ (ANZAC) (THE ANZAC BATTALION COMPRISING 6TH BATTALION, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT AND A COMPONENT FROM THE 1ST BATTALION, ROYAL NEW ZEALAND INFANTRY REGIMENT), WAS TO COMMEMORATE THE DEAD OF 6RAR AT LONG TAN AND FROM THE PRESENT TOUR OF 6RAR/NZ. THE PIPERS ARE CORPORAL (CPL) DAVID NEWLAND OF GOSNELLS, WA (LEFT), AND CPL GORDON BLACK OF BELMONT, NSW. ON EITHER SIDE OF THE MEMORIAL CROSS ARE MEN WHO SERVED IN 6 RAR'S FIRST TOUR AND WHO FOUGHT AT LONG TAN. FROM LEFT: CPL RICHARD BROWN OF STAFFORD, QLD; LANCE CPL MALCOLM CAMPBELL OF BICTON, WA; CPL REILLY OF AUCHENFLOWER, QLD; SERGEANT (SGT) JOHN BEERE OF WOODVILLE NORTH, SA AND CPL WILLIAM O'ROURKE OF CHELSEA, VIC, WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THE CAVALRY TROOP WHICH BROUGHT RELIEVING FORCES TO THE BATTLE. FROM RIGHT: CPL BILL ROCHE OF NARRANDERA, NSW; CPL BRIAN HALLS OF STAFFORD, QLD; CPL WILLIAM AKELL OF TOWNSVILLE, QLD; CPL GEORGE RICHARDSON OF KELLOE, UNITED KINGDOM AND SERGEANT NEIL RANKIN OF WOLLONGONG, NSW.

 

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Long Tan, South Vietnam. 8 August 1969. Group portrait of original soldiers of D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), to mark the 3rd anniversary of the company's epic battle against overwhelming odds, at the landing zone before marching back into the Long Tan rubber plantation for a commemorative service at the memorial cross. Left to right: Corporal (Cpl) Brian Reilly of Auchenflower, Qld; Cpl George Richardson of Kelloe, United Kingdom; Cpl William Akell of Townsville, Qld, who was mentioned in despatches in the battle; Cpl Bill Roche of Narrendera, NSW; Lance Cpl Malcolm Campbell of Bicton, WA; Sergeant John Beere of Woodville North, SA and Cpl Brian Halls of Stafford, Qld. Front row, left to right: Cpl Richard Brown of Stafford, Qld and Sergeant Neil Rankin of Wollongong, NSW.

 

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outh Vietnam. 18 August 1970. Solemn moment for four veterans of the historic Battle of Long Tan as they stand again on the battlefield at a fourth anniversary service. Left to right: Sergeant (Sgt) Murray Broomhall of Invercargill, NZ; Sgt John Beere of Woodville, SA; Corporal (Cpl) Robin Rencher of Plymouth, England; Sgt Bill O'Donnell of Townsville, Qld. All four were in the Battle on 18 August 1966, when eighteen Australians and at least 245 enemy were killed. Sgt Broomhall, then serving as a NZ artillery signaller, is back in Vietnam with the 161st Battery. Sgt Beere, who served with D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), is now based in Saigon at the Headquarters of the Australian Force Vietnam. Cpl Rencher, who was a D Company signaller during the Battle, is serving a second tour of duty, with the Divisional Intelligence Unit. Sgt O'Donnell, is on his third tour of Vietnam, he was with D Company during the Long Tan Battle, and is now with the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) HQ.

 

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Long Tan, South Vietnam. 18 August 1970. Soldiers bow their heads under monsoonal drizzle to pay homage to their fallen comrades. The service, to mark the fourth anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, was held on the former battlefield in the middle of a rubber plantation. More than fifty soldiers including the Commander of 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF), Brigadier William Henderson, attended the memorial service. In the Battle, on 8 August 1966, troops of D company, 6th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), were attacked by a regiment of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. A stone cross and four corner posts now stand near the spot where eighteen Australians and 245 enemy troops died.

 

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LONG TAN, VIETNAM. 1970-08-18. SILENT HOMAGE BY THREE MEN OF THE SPECIAL AIR SERVICES (SAS) REGIMENT FOR FALLEN COMRADES. THE THREE WERE AMONG ABOUT FIFTY SOLDIERS WHO ATTENDED A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE EIGHTEEN AUSTRALIANS WHO DIED IN THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN ON 8 AUGUST 1966. THE SERVICE WAS HELD ON THE FORMER BATTLEFIELD, IN THE MIDDLE OF A RUBBER PLANTATION, WHERE A SIMPLE CONCRETE CROSS MARKS THE SITE. THE THREE SAS MEN ARE, FROM LEFT: CORPORAL BRIAN KELLY, 22, OF BALLARAT, VIC; TROOPER KEVIN BOVILL, 23, OF CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND; AND CAPTAIN CRAIG LEGGETT, 26, FROM NEWPORT, NSW.

 

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Long Tan, South Vietnam. 18 August 1970. Soldiers bow their heads under monsoonal drizzle to pay homage to their fallen comrades. The service, to mark the fourth anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, was held on the former battlefield in the middle of a rubber plantation. More than fifty soldiers including the Commander of 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF), Brigadier William Henderson, attended the memorial service. In the Battle, on 8 August 1966, troops of D company, 6th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), were attacked by a regiment of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. A stone cross and four corner posts now stand near the spot where eighteen Australians and 245 enemy troops died.

 

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South Vietnam. August 1971. A memorial service commemorating the 5th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan was held in the rubber plantation, three miles east of Nui Dat, where seventeen soldiers of 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), lost their lives in 1966. Gathered by the cross erected by 6RAR during their second tour are, left to right: Chaplains Dermott Casey, Roy Cosier and John Hamilton. The Commander of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF), Brigadier B. A. McDonald, has his back to the camera.

 

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17 February 1967 - Helicopters dropping off troops during Operation Bribie.