The 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8 RAR) was an

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

Regular

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

. The battalion was formed in July 1966 as part of an expansion of the Australian Army in the mid-1960s due to the perceived threat of Communism in southeast Asia. Initially the battalion was sent to Malaysia in 1967, before later being sent to

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

as part of Australia's commitment to the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. Between November 1969 and October 1970 the battalion undertook operations as part of the

1st Australian Task Force The 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) was a brigade-sized formation which commanded Australian Army, Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. 1 ATF was based in a rubber plantation at Nui Dat, north ...

, before being brought back to Australia. In October 1973, after Australia's involvement in Vietnam officially ended, the battalion was amalgamated with 9 RAR to form 8/9 RAR.

History

8 RAR was formed at Enoggera Barracks in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

on 14 July 1966 as part of the expansion of the Army during Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. On 8 August 1966 it had a strength of 370 men, including 150 experienced soldiers who had been posted across from

1 RAR 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) is a regular motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion of the 34th Brigade (Australia) on Balikpapan in 1945 and since ...

. The battalion was expanded the next month with both regular soldiers and conscripts.Healy 2008, p. 154. Australian soldier with a F1 submachine gun during training in 1967

Australian soldier with a F1 submachine gun during training in 1967

After a period of training 8 RAR embarked overseas in 1967. In January it was warned that it would relieve 4 RAR in

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, and this movement gradually took place from 24 August to 6 November. While in Malaysia the battalion formed part of the 28th Independent Commonwealth Infantry Brigade which also included

New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...

and

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

units.Healy 2008, p. 165. 8 RAR returned to Enoggera in April 1969 and began intensive training ahead of being deployed to South Vietnam.Healy 2008, p. 163. The battalion arrived in South Vietnam on 17 November 1969 and replaced 9 RAR six days later. Like the other Australian Army units in Vietnam, the battalion formed part of the

and was based in

Phuoc Tuy province Phước ({{langx, vi, Phước) is a common gender-neutral name originating from Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about an ...

. In early 1970 8 RAR took part in Operation Hammersley, a reconnaissance operation in the Long Hải area. This operation began on 10 February and on 18 February it captured a large

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

complex after the

Vietcong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the Communism, communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vi ...

(VC) defenders withdrew following air raids. The operation continued until 9 March, with the battalion carrying out patrols and conducting ambushes in order to engage VC troops. These operations were successful, and 8 RAR was awarded the South Vietnamese Government's Meritorious Unit Commendation, including Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation for its role in the operation. 8 RAR's main task was participating in and supporting pacification operations in Phuoc Tuy. This involved patrolling the province in order to engage VC units and prevent them from making contact with the civilian population. From 12 June 1970 these operations were designated Operation Cung Chung and were intensified. 8 RAR's tour of South Vietnam ended in October 1970, by which time it had lost 18 men killed in action and suffered 108 wounded. As part of the reduction of the Australian force in South Vietnam 8 RAR was not replaced by another battalion when it returned to Enoggera. The reduction in the size of the Army at the end of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War led to 8 RAR being amalgamated. On the morning after the

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...

won the 1972 Federal Election the battalion, like all others in the Army, was ordered to discharge all conscripts who did not wish to remain. This led to a large reduction in the size of the Army, and in 1973 it was decided to reduce the

Royal Australian Regiment The Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) is the parent administrative regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. It was originally formed in 1948 as a t ...

from nine to five battalions. This change was implemented by merging ('linking') several battalions, and on 31 October 8 RAR was linked with 9 RAR to form 8/9 RAR.Pederson 2008, pp. 241–245. Members of 8 RAR received the following decorations during its deployment to Vietnam: one

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

, three

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

es, two

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the British Armed Forces, armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, below commissioned o ...

s and 13

Mentions in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

Battle honours

* Vietnam 1970–71.

Commanding officers

The following officers commanded 8 RAR: * Lieutenant Colonel J.O. Langtry (1966–1969) * Lieutenant Colonel K.J. O'Neill (1969–1970) * Lieutenant Colonel A. Clunies-Ross (1971) * Major I.S.A. Power (1971) * Lieutenant Colonel J.M. Murphy (1971–1973) * Lieutenant Colonel A. Clunies-Ross (1973)

Notes

References

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External links