In Memoriam

Private Arie Van Valen (21) of Queens Park, Perth Western Australia.

1 Bn RAR. Died of injuries 29 June 1965

Private Desmond Hugh Penn 26 of Boulder, Western Australia.

1 Bn RAR killed in action 1 January 1966 at Ben Cat, Phouc Tuy

Private Bror Ola Petersen 25 Gosnells Western Australia

1 Bn RAR killed in action 1 January 1966

Died after suffering fragmentation wounds to the head at Ben Cat, Phuoc Tuy

Capt Graeme Rhodes Belleville 32 Claremont Western Australia

Australian Army Training Team

Killed in action 12 February 1966 at Ai Van pass on the "Freedom Road" Highway I, 15 Kms north of Da Nang

Cpl Leslie Charles McDonnell 28 Geraldton Western Australia

1 Bn RAR Killed in action 9 March 1966

A Viet Cong sniper shot him in the head in Phuoc Tuy

Lcpl Marian Tomas 21 Cundinup Western Australia

5 Bn RAR. Killed in action 8 July 1966

Shrapnel wounds to the back , fired by friendly forces, Phuoc Tuy

Pte Richard Alfred Aldersea 20 Subiaco Western Australia

6 Bn RAR

Killed in action 18 August 1966

Battle of Long Tan

Cpl Peter Edward Clements 21

Moora Western Australia

1 Armoured Personnel Sqn

Died of wounds 27 August 1966

while relieving troops at the Battle of Long Tan Corporal Clements was fataly wounded,

he died at 36 Evac Hospital, Vung Tau nine days later.

Pte Gordon Henry D'Antoine

Broome Western Australia

5th Bn RAR

Killed in action 18 October 1966 Phuoc Tuy Province

Pte Bryan Phillip Watson 21

Melville Western Australia

5 Bn RAR

Died of wounds 10 November 1966

Pte David Raliegh Webster 21

Ongerup

6th Bn RAR

Killed in action 17 February 1967

Died in a enemy contact near Dat Do, three days before his 22nd birthday

Pte Brian David Waters

Tambellup Western Australia

6th Bn RAR

Killed in action 17 February 1967

Waters and six other Australian soldiers died on the same day during Operation Bribie on February 17-18 1967 when three platoons encountered a large enemy force between Dat Do and Phuoc Hai

Pte Wayne Maurice Riley 19

6th Bn RAR

Died of wounds 17 February 1967

VC troops shot him in an enemy contact in Dat Do. He later died of his wounds.

Pte Donald Murray Clark 21

Geraldton

5th Bn RAR

Killed in action 21 February 1967

The APC in which he was travelling hit a mine at the base of the Long Hai hills

Pte James Clifton Webster 22

Orange Grove Western Australia

5th Bn RAR

Killed in action 21 February 1967

Exploding enemy mine killed him in Phuoc Tuy

Pte Peter Richard Hart 22

Kulin Western Australia

6th Bn RAR

Died of wounds 29 March 1967

Died at 2 Field Ambulance, Vung Tau, of wounds received in a contact with a small force that was dug in at Ap My An, Phuoc Tuy

WO2 John Maxwell Stone 27

Bunbury Western Australia

Australian Army Training Team

Killed in action 19 April 1967

Died when shot in the eye during a enemy contact in the Ashau Valley, Thua Tien

Pte Ronald John Bell 22

Albany Western Australia

2 Bn RAR

Killed in action 30 November 1967

Killed by a Viet Cong mine in Phouc Tuy

WO2 Malcolm Austin Henderson 36

Mt Hawthorn WA

Australian Army Training Team

Killed in action

12 December 1967

He was killed in action with one other Australian and four Vietnamese regional soldiers when they were ambushed in Phuoc Tuy

Pte Alec Ernest James bell 21

East Victoria Park WA

7th Bn RAR

Died of wounds 29 January 1968

Died at 24 US Evac.Hospital, Long Binh, on January 29 1968 of wounds received during an enemy contact in Bien Hoa

Pte Geoffrey Francis Mathews 21

Swanbourne WA

3 Bn RAR

Killed in action 9 February 1968

Shot during an early evening patrol on February 8 1968.

He died of his wounds at dawn the following day in 24 US Evac. Hospital, Long Binh.

Pte Kevin George Coles 21

Kalgoorlie WA

3 Bn RAR

Killed in action 22 March 1968

Killed by an enemy mine explosion on March 22 1968, in Phuoc Tuy, the day before his second wedding aniversary

Spr Vincent John Tobin 24

Bayswater WA

1st Field Squad RAE

Killed in action 22 March 1968

Died from multiple wounds from an enemy mine in Phuoc Tuy

CPO Raymond Henry Hunt 27

Geraldton WA

Killed aboard HMAS Hobart

17 June 1968

Struck by shrapnel and died instantly.

(On June 17, 1968 while on the gun line with Yankee Station, off the coast of North Vietnam, Hobart was struck by three Sparrow missiles fired from a USAF 7th Air Force aircraft (one of the three missiles failed to explode). Two crewmen were killed and seven injured. HMAS Hobart, in company with the heavy cruiser USS Boston (CAG-1), had been in the vicinity of two US Navy Swift Boats (PCF-12 & PCF-19) that were under attack by North Vietnamese Helicopters on 16 June 1968. The initially "unidentified hovering aircraft" had sunk PCF-19, and PCF-12 had been involved with a 2 hour running gun battle with other hovering aircraft. When US jet aircraft arrived on the scene, hours later, the enemy aircraft had departed, and the US jets attacked the Boston and Hobart. The USS Boston suffered no casualties, and was only slightly damaged in the attack. Due possibly to both attacks occurring around the hours of midnight, and the enemy's unprecedented use of hovering aircraft to attack allied forces during the war, the two events had somehow been combined into one action, with the concluding official report stating "Fractricide." )

WO2 Frederic George Hamersley 37

Gosnells WA

Australian Army Training Team

Killed in action 30 May 1968

Killed in an operation against a enemy convoy in Quang Nam

Pte Stuart John Barnett 21

Cowaramup WA

4th Bn RAR

Killed in action 27 June 1968 in Bien Hoa Province

PO O'Brian Cedric Phillips 32

Bassendean WA

Fleet Air Arm

Killed in action 21 August 1968

Was sent with 41 RAN officers and ratings, to join the US Army's 135th Assault Battalion in Vietnam, where he died after an RPG hit his helicopter and caused it to ditch and explode on August 21 1968. He was three weeks from the end of his tour of duty.

Pte Archibald Stanley Williams 21

Darlington WA

1 Bn RAR

Killed in action 21 September 1968

Killed by an enemy sniper at Bien Hoa, on September 21 1968, three days before his 22nd birthday.

Pte Keith Charles Shaw 21

Trigg's Beach WA

4th Bn RAR

Killed in action 9 October 1968

A sniper shot him in the head during an enemy contact in Bien Hoa

Lcpl Paul Richard Peter Van Rijsewijk 21

East Victoria Park WA

3 Bn RAR

Killed in action 19 October 1968 in Phuoc Tuy

Pte Ian James Gibbs 20

Wandering WA

1 Bn RAR

Killed in action 18 Nov 1968

Was killed accidentally when a sentry mistook him for a Viet Cong and shot him in the chest at Phuoc Tuy

Cpl Ronald Arthur Harris 26

Balga WA

2nd SAS Sqn

Killed in Action 17 january 1969

Was acidentally killed by his own platoon commander as he tried to locate the postion of his patrol, in Bien Hoa. Returning to the patrol postition, he took the wrong entry path, and died from frag wounds and a gunshot wound to the head.

Pte Arnold Sykes 25

Burekup WA

9th Bn RAR

Killed in action 19 January 1969

Died from multiple gunshot wounds on a morning patrol in Phuoc Tuy

2Lt Brian Geoffrey Walker 21

Claremont WA

5th Bn RAR

Killed in action 9 march 1969

Accidently killed by SVN forces.

Pte James Mungo Thomas White 21

Collie Cardiff WA

5th Bn RAR

Killed in action 4 April 1969 at Long Khanh

Pte Lyall Hugh McPherson 21

East Belmont WA

9th Bn RAR

Killed in action 12 April 1969 at Bien Hoa

Pte Andrew Drummond 27

Carnarvon WA

5th Bn RAR

Killed in action 30 May 1969

Was the forward scout of his 5RAR platoon operating in Phuoc Tuy when the man behind him slipped and discharged two rounds from his M16, both of whic hit Drummond in the throat.