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It was 18 August, 1966, a dark and gloomy afternoon in Vietnam. The misty fog swirled around the Long Tan rubber plantation as if it could foretell the grizzly battle looming, and was trying to hide the terrible trauma and horror about to happen there.
A group of young men, most not yet twenty-one, who should have been enjoying life and going to footy with their mates or taking their girlfriends to the pictures, were about to enter the world of adulthood in the worst possible way with horrific violence not of their making. These young men were the brave soldiers of 6RAR, the sixth battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment.

D Company of 6RAR was patrolling in and around the Long Tan rubber plantation when at approximately 3.l5 pm, the lead platoon 11 platoon, commanded by a National Serviceman, 2nd Lieutenant Gordon Sharp, met a small group of Viet Cong who fled, but not before one of their group had been killed by the Aussies.

An hour later, 11 Platoon came upon the main Viet Cong 275 Regiment. The enemy attacked with mortars, rifle, and machine gun fire. 2nd Lieutenant Gordon Sharp was killed in action, so Sergeant Bob Buick assumed command. The monsoon rain began to pour down making visibility almost impossible. The Australians returned fire with the help of platoon weapons from the Nui Dat base five kilometres away. Close air support was ruled out because of the terrible conditions.

The 11 Platoon received support from the 10 and 12 Platoons and they were surrounded on three sides by the enemy. The Australians were quickly running out of ammunition, and at 5 pm they radioed for more supplies. By co-incidence (or was it an act of God), two Iroquois helicopters of the Royal Australian Air Force were at the Nui Dat base, having just dropped off Col Joye and Little Pattie for a concert there. These helicopters flew low in the monsoon rain and dropped the much needed ammunition to the Platoons.

The combination of aggressive fire from D Company soldiers plus ongoing artillery fire from Nui Dat was making an impression on the Viet Cong, but they continued to manoeuvre to try to gain control. Meanwhile, A Company of 6RAR was ordered in to support the troubled D Company. They advanced in armoured personnel carriers from 1st APC Squadron, fording a flooded stream to encounter a large enemy force. 2 Platoon of A Company advanced on the Viet Cong who then fled.

Just before 7 pm as the relief force arrived in the D Company area and as darkness descended, the Battle of Long Tan was over.

By morning light, the reality of the bloody battle was revealed. Of the estimated 2,500 Viet Cong, 245 bodies were found in the battle area. They also had 500 wounded, and 3 captured. The Australians had lost 18 in battle and had 24 wounded men.

To all those brave young men who lost their lives at Long Tan
Lest we Forget'.

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