Today marks the anniversary of the death in action of Pte Robert(Bobby) Hughes. He was involved in a bunker attack with 4 Pl B Coy designed to allow the Company to withdraw it’s wounded. An RPG struck a tree just above Bob and the shrapnel blasted down on him. He was killed instantly.
Rest in Peace
Today marks the anniversary of the death of Pte Graham Robert KAVANAGH. Graham was 21 years of age when he collapsed from heat exhaustion and died. He was in 6 Pl B Coy. The fact that his fate was contributed to by the harsh climatic conditions and the arduous insertion into the operation by foot compounded the tragedy of his death
Rest in Peace
Travelling in Victoria in March or have a burning desire to see Seymour and Puckapunyal again?
Then here is a ready made excuse.
The Mitchell Vietnam Vets group and Mitchell Council have established a Commemorative Walk at Seymour which will be opened on Saturday, 9th March this year. It’s the Victorian Labour Day long weekend. There is other Military history stuff on over the weekend as well as a (non-related) Bike Ride and Seymour is booked out accommodation wise, we are told. The Walk includes a series of glass panels with the names of all who served. It’s expected to be a big event – State Premier, PM etc attending and includes a concert.
Today marks the anniversary of the death of Neil T. Richardson.
On 26 August, the Reconnaissance Platoon had been detailed to search for signs of enemy activity around the feature nicknamed the Ear, midway between Dat Do and Xuyen Moc. It was so called because the shape of the map contours on a 1:50 000 map of the area were similar to an ear. The next day, the Platoon Commander, Staff Sergeant Col Rowley, was selecting a night harbour position for the platoon 1 km south of the Ear at about 1615 hours. He had been leading for about 25 m when he sighted an enemy soldier going to ground behind a tree.
He opened fire on the enemy and took cover. The Viet Cong returned the fire, wounding the scout (Private Ray Gladman) and the section commander of the forward section (Lance Corporal Neil Richardson). The forward section deployed and returned the fire. Enemy fire was now coming from the left, centre and right of this section. The second and third sections deployed into an assault and swept through the enemy position under Staff Sergeant Rowley’s command.
The Platoon Sergeant (Sergeant Williams) and seven soldiers were detailed to care for the wounded. The assault group fought through a camp with accommodation for about fifteen men. While they were using spigot grenades to clear one of the huts, a further burst of fire detonated one of these grenades, wounding a further three soldiers – Private Pat Kelly, Private Neil Nitshke and Private Darrel Gillies – with the shrapnel.
Lance Corporal Neil Richardson died of his wounds in this action.
Rest in Peace mate
