Today we commemorate the death of our mate Robert who was Killed in Action on this day in 1968
Biography of Robert G. Perrin
Robert Perrin was born in Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, Australia, on the 2nd September 1945.
He was a National Serviceman.
He served in Vietnam with the 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, from the 8th April 1967 to the 2nd February 1968
… in Vietnam …
On 2 February Private Bob Perrin and another soldier were being returned to B Company by helicopter.
They needed to be winched in as the terrain was too rugged for a landing. Private Perrin was the first to be
winched. He was about 5 m below the helicopter when the wire cable started to part. The door gunner saw
what was happening and tried to throw Perrin a cable while drawing the winched rope back in. The cable
snapped and dropped Private Perrin about 20 m to the ground. He died immediately from a broken spine.
Private Chris ‘Simmo’ Simpson of 5 Platoon B Company said: ‘I was next on the winch and saw his broken
body removed from the company location. When he died we were numb and depressed for days’.
Official Commemoration
Garden Of Remembrance Victoria Wall 12 – Row H
I long remember the day. Bob and I had arrived back from R&R and as soon as we arrived at Nui Dat we were ordered to prepare quickly for a return to the fray as B Coy and others were having a lively time on a search and destroy operation in Bien Hoa province. We were choppered to Fire Support Anderson (from memory) and sat in a transit tent for a short period before getting the nod for a chopper insertion to the Company position. I was a section 2ic and Bob a medic. He actually argued with me that he had priority on the winch because someone told him that medics had top priority. I remember the Huey hovering over the Company position and doing its usual crazy dance over the jungle canopy as they strapped Bob to the cable, I sat beside the Gunner and watched him disappear over the side. Only seconds later the Gunner was stirred into action as the cable started to fail. In no time at all, the Huey did its usual nose down preamble to a power take-off and we headed back to the fire support base. I had no idea why I was not winched in until we hit the ground. Without much time to ponder the circumstance of Bob’s demise I was bundled into a second chopper and returned to the company position. My immediate thoughts were, how could it be that a bloke like Bob Perrin (not a big man) weighing very little even with full pack and weapons could possibly break a high tensile steel winch cable. And to this day, that very fact still astounds me. Fellow platoon members may also recall that we stretchered Bob Perrin out of the bush on another occasion as he had fallen ill whilst on patrol. Bob was a good Soldier, absolutely cursed by the very worst of luck. VALE BOB PERRIN
several years ago I met Brian Perrin.
his story of his brothers loss has had a profound impact on my life.
As a decendant of two Anzacs I feel that I was blessed that they both survived,
My grandfather Harry Anderson was one of the founding members of legacy
no 25. Brian and I shared a special moment,
The loss of his younger brother dramatically effected his family,
My respect for those of you that served in Vietnam is immense.
I wear the Vietnam veterans day badge on my work jacket daily, often I am asked what it is< I explain this is the day that we need to remember for all those that served and those thaat never returned
Julian Anderson