History of War – October 2019

nodoubtin mymindthatwehaddefeated

theenemy.TheAPCsgotto within 300 metres

southof usandtheycouldseetheVietCong

disappearingin thegloomto east.They

turnedrightandchasedthemuntiltheylost

themin thedark.”

TheexhaustedD Companywererelievedfor

thenightbuttheyreturnedto thebattlefield

withAPCsthefollowingmorning.A sceneof

carnagegreetedthem,“Thebattlefieldlooked

likea cyclonehadhitit. Allthetreeswere

blownapartandtherewereshellcraters,

bloodtrailsandbodieseverywhere.The

amountof highexplosivesthatwelandedon

theenemywashorrendousandwhenwewent

backin nextmorningit wasnowonderthat

were 245 bodiesin bitsandpiecesonthe

battlefield.Wefoundanother 48 in a shallow

gravejustto theeastsothetotalforthebattle

thattheycouldn’tdragaway,andtheydiddrag

a lotaway,was 293 bodies.”

Despitethedevastation,D Company

managedto findtwoof theirownmissingmen

woundedonthebattlefield,“Theywerefrom 11

Platoonandwhenwepulledthembackintothe

companyareasthosetwowerethoughtto be

dead.Whenwewentbackin thenextmorning

wefoundthemstillalive!Oneof them,Jimmy

Richmond,waswoundedin thechestand

couldn’tmoveor breatheproperly.Hejustlay

thereuntilwegotbackbuthenowlivesnottoo

farawayfrommeontheSunshineCoast.”

ThecasualtyfiguresfromLongTanwere

grim.Outof 108men, 17 soldiersfromD

Companyhadbeenkilledand 24 wounded

alongwitha corporalfrom1 APCSquadronwho

wasmortallywounded. 11 of Smith’smenwho

werekilledwerenationalservicemenbutthe

opposingforcessufferedevenworselosses.

Thecombinedfatalitiesof theVietCong

andNorthVietnamesetroopscameto 293

asrecordedbytheAustraliansbutthetrue

numberis mostlikelymuchhigheralongwith

analmostunverifiablenumberof wounded.

Addingto thebloodshedwasthetragic

possibilitythatthebattlecouldhavebeen

preventedbyBrigadierJackson,“Hehad

alltheinformationprovidedbytheSouth

VietnameseforcesandciviliansplusSAS

patrols.If hehadaddedtwoandtwotogether

therewasenoughinformationto saythata

regimentof theenemywasthere.Wewere

ableto survivebutsadlyI lost 17 of my

soldierskilledand 24 wounded.Onreflection,

thatwasn’ttoobadforwhatwewentthrough.”

Downgradedawards

Theincompetenceof theAustralianhigh

commanddidnotendafterthebattleandto

addinsultto injury,theofficialrecognition

of D Company’sgallantrybecamemiredin

controversy.TheAustralianpublicwereshocked

at thedeathsof thenationalservicemen

andSmithwasorderedto makeaward

recommendationsat shortnotice.Complicating

matterswasanunusualquotasystem,“You

wereonlyallowedonemedalper 150 men

everysixmonths.TherewasalsoonlyoneMiD

(Mentionin Dispatches)per 100 meneverysix

monthsandtherewerealsonounitcitation

awardsin thosedays.Wehadto bevery

carefulaboutwhowerecommendedandit

wasa verydifficultprocedure.”

Smithdidwhathecouldandrecommended

manyof hismenforprestigiousawards,

includinga VictoriaCrossforCSMJackKirby.

However,onlya fewlower-grademedals

andMiDswereawarded.Smithhimselfwas

recommendedfortheDistinguishedService

Order(DSO)buthisawardwaslikewise

downgradedto theMilitaryCross.

Perversely,Jacksonwashighlydecorated

forreasonsthatSmithfindsdubious,“The

Smith pictured just before he received the Military Cross from Brigadier Oliver Jackson. Smith had

been recommended for the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) but his award was downgraded.

Jackson, who was not present at Long Tan, controversially received the DSO instead

“THE INCOMPETENCE OF THE

AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMAND

DID NOT END AFTER THE BATTLE”

ANZACS AT LONG TAN