60: Battle Of Long Dan

 

(Second Lieutenant Dave Sabben advances cautiously through the rubber plantation the day after the Battle of Long Tan in 1966.)

60 years ago today (August 18, 1966) The Battle of Long Tan took place in Phước Tuy Province, South Vietnam.

It took place during the Vietnam War (1965-1973) between Australian and New Zealander Soldiers (of the  D Company, 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment) and the North Vietnamese and Vietcong Communists.

108 Australian and New Zealander Troops faced 2,800 North Vietnamese Communists with Americans providing Air Fire for the Australians and New Zealanders.

 

The Battle of Long Tan lasted until August 21, 1966 with the Australians and New Zealanders winning. 

18 Australian and New Zealander Soldiers were killed and 24 were wounded.

500 North Vietnamese and Vietcong Communists were killed.

 

The Long Tan Cross Memorial which was erected by the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment on August 18, 1969 to mark the site of the Battle of Long Tan, which was fought three years earlier.

After the North Vietnamese Communist Victory in April 1975 the Cross was removed.

The Cross was found by the  Đồng Nai Province Museum in 1984 and gifted to Australia in 2017 where it has been on permanent display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra ever since.

For the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 2016 a Ceremony was held on the Battlefield; where 1,000 Australian Veterans and their Families travelled to Vietnam to participate.

In Australia hundreds attended the Australian War Memorial and Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra.

Commemorations were also held at Sydney's Cenotaph, Brisbane's ANZAC Square, Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance.

 

 

61,000 Australian Men and Women served in South Vietnam from July 1962 –  December 1972.

521 Australian Soldiers were killed and 3,000 were wounded during the War.

Australia had Military Conscription until 1972 and sent Draftees to fight in Vietnam.

 

3,890 New Zealander Men and Women served in South Vietnam from June 1964-December 1972.

37 New Zealander Soldiers were killed and 187 were wounded during the War.

New Zealand had Military Conscription until 1972 and sent Draftees to fight in Vietnam.

 

2,709,918 American Men and Women served in South Vietnam or Cambodia from August 1964-April 1975.

543,000 American Soldiers were in South Vietnam at the peak in 1969.

 58,148 American Soldiers were killed and 303,644 were wounded.

The United States had Military Conscription until 1973 and sent Draftees to fight in Vietnam.