8th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment Plaque

About

Bronze plaque dedicated to the memory of individuals of the Battalion who served and in some cases died in service of their country in South Vietnam 1969-70. The plaque displays the unit insignia and a South Vietnamese government plam ribbon citation for action in Operation Hammersley. Additional Information 8th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (8RAR) was raised on 14 July 1966 at Enoggera in Queensland. It arrived in South Vietnam on 17 November 1969, relieving 9RAR on 25 November. The battalion formed part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) with 5RAR and 6RAR. It was based at Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy province. One of the major operations the battalion engaged in was Operation Hammersley (10 February-9 March), a reconnaissance operation in the Long Hai area. On 18 February the battalion uncovered an enemy bunker system that had been evacuated as a result of air raids. The battalion spent the remainder of the operation carrying out patrols in the area in order to engage the enemy. This was primarily done with ambushes, which yielded good results with relatively small risks. The battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation, including Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation, by the South Vietnamese government for its involvement in Hammersley. (Source: Australian War Memorial www.awm.gov.au)