History of War – October 2019

HarrySmithis theauthorof

theautobiographyTheBattle

OfLongTan.TheCommander’s

Story, whichis publishedbyBig

SkyPublishing.

Topurchasea copyvisit:

wwwwwww.bigskypublishing.com.bigskypublishingcom.au

brigadier was given the DSO for his ‘able,
personal command of the battle’. This was in
his citation but he was actually 4,000 metres
from the battle and never had anything to do
with it. Nor did he give me any direction.”
The reasoning behind the downgraded
awards has long puzzled Smith, “I had a pretty
hard slog to get my own troops awarded the
medals that I recommended to them.
“I didn’t know what the problem was. It was
as though there was a veto and perhaps a
feeling of ‘You can’t give awards to national
servicemen because they wont be in the army
for the long haul’. However, I really don’t know
exactly what went on.”
Although D Company received the US
Presidential Unit Citation in 1968, the
unfairness of the individual awards for Long Tan
deeply frustrated Smith for decades, “I have
always been very critical of the situation. Of the
ones that I nominated half were downgraded
and half were withdrawn.
“I couldn’t do anything for 30 years because
of the official secrecy period but in 1996 I
started tackling Canberra. I was eventually able
to win and get those recommended in 1966
given the awards that I gave them.”
A new system of awards had since been
introduced but many of Smith’s men finally
received proper recognition along with an

AustralianUnitCitationforGallantry,“There

werenowCommendationsof Gallantryso

thosewhohadbeenrecommendedforMiDs

got thecommendations.OtherswhoI’d

recommendedfortheMilitaryCrossgotthe

Crossof Gallantry.I wascertainlyveryhappy

that theGovernor-Generalpresentedthese

awardsin August2016.”

Kirby,whodiedonanotherVietnamtourin

1967,didnotreceivea posthumousVictoria

CrossbutSmithwasawardedtheStarof

Gallantry(SG)in 2008alongsidehisMilitary

Cross.TheSGis thesecondhighestmilitary

gallantryawardin Australiaandis surpassed

only bytheVictoriaCross.

“Theyperformedoutstandingly”

AlthoughAustraliansoldiersfoughtmany

battlesin Vietnam,LongTanbecamethe

mostfamous.It is eventhesubjectof a new

film DangerClose, whichwasinternationally

releasedon8 August2019.

Smithexplainswhyhethinksthebattlewas

important,“LongTanwasn’ta longbattlelike

Coral-Balmoral,whichwentonforthreeweeks

and hada lotmoreairandtanksupport.It

was averyshort,sharp,nastybattlewhere

you hada companydefeatinga regimentof the

enemy.Thatis whatis significantaboutit.”As

the commandingofficerof D Company,Smith

Above: Smith pictured with Australian

Victoria Cross recipients Keith Payne (left)

and Ben Roberts-Smith. His own Star of

Gallantry is pictured at the far left of the

medal ribbon next to the Military Cross

Australianartillerymen

prepareto firea 105mm

gunin supportof forcesat

NuiDat,Vietnam

Smith leads men from D Company to receive medals for

gallantry at Long Tan, January 1967. Directly behind him is CSM

Jack Kirby who Smith recommended for the Victoria Cross. Kirby

was instead awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal

still retains great pride in his men after over

50 years, “I feel honoured to have been the

commander at Long Tan and very proud of my

soldiers who fought as well as they did.

“I have to say that for young national

serviceman and the regular army guys they

performed outstandingly. Without them I

wouldn’t be alive today.”

Images: Alamy, Big Sky Publishing and Harry Smith, Getty, Shutterstock

ANZACS AT LONG TAN