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14 TPI VICTORIA INC. • CHINup WINTER 2018 • WWW.TPIVIC.COM
Ministers Speech – Sunday 13 May 2018

50th anniversary of the Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and
Balmoral, and Unit Citation for Gallantry

Welcome, A man dazed by an exploding mortar shell in the first
Shadow Minister Amanda Rishworth, Former Deputy attack on Balmoral remembered his thoughts as
Prime Minister and Vietnam Veteran Tim Fischer, enemy troops launched their second assault on the
Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, and base, ‘I was an innocent country boy from Australia
most importantly, to the Veterans and their families, … Now I found myself on the brink of madness …
thank you for your service. Everybody else at Balmoral must have been feeling
the same terror I was feeling.’
To those of you who stand in uniform today – thank
you for your service too. You should be proud of what Coral and Balmoral were too strongly defended to fall
you do for our nation. to the waves of infantry sent against them, but for the
men who faced these attacks the fighting was
Today is a special occasion as we commemorate the intense, close and terrifying.
50th anniversary of Fire Support Bases Coral and
Balmoral. But first things first and without any further Outside the two bases infantry patrols had many
delay. contacts with North Vietnamese troops. On one day,
nine such encounters left three Australian and 12
Today I am pleased to formally acknowledge the North Vietnamese soldiers dead.
extraordinary gallantry displayed by members of the
1st Australia Task Force (Forward) and associated Australian tanks and infantry fought several fierce
units deployed to Area of Operations SURFERS during battles in the midst of heavily defended enemy
the Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral, bunker complexes as the toll of dead on both sides
and have the great pleasure to announce His rose.
Excellency the Governor-General’s approval to
award the Unit Citation for Gallantry for these actions. By early June, after suffering devastating losses, the
North Vietnamese conceded this route to Saigon. The
It has been a long time coming – perhaps a medal for last Australians left the area on the sixth.
persistence. I’d like to acknowledge my predecessor
Dan Tehan and the work of the Defence Honours and Twenty-six Australians lost their lives in three and a half
Awards team and Appeals Tribunal. weeks at Coral and Balmoral. Almost 100 were
wounded. At least 270 Vietnamese were killed,
Fifty years ago Australians fought their longest and though we will never know the true figure.
most costly battle of the Vietnam War, at Fire Support The Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral
Bases Coral and Balmoral. are not widely known in Australia. Yet they were
among the most important of our country’s long
The Australian Task Force commander called the commitment to the war in Vietnam.
battles ‘some of the heaviest fighting that the task
force ever undertook.’ The Unit Citation for Gallantry is richly deserved. In the
words of the Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal
Australian troops moved into the area of operations, report – the citation is for “everyone who was there”.
known as ‘Bondi’ in Bien Hoa Province on 12 May 1968
and began setting up Fire Support Base Coral. They The Battle Honour ‘Coral-Balmoral’ is shared by the 1st
didn’t know how strong the enemy presence in the and 3rd Battalions, the Royal Australian Regiment, the
area was until a devastating attack fell upon them 1st Armoured Regiment and the 3rd Cavalry
less than twelve hours later. Regiment. The Royal Australian Artillery’s 102 Field
Battery received the Honour Title ‘Coral’ in 2008, the
Nine Australians were killed. The artillery and mortar year of the battle’s 40th anniversary.
men were the hardest hit.
Today we remember all those who fell in this distant
The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong could not corner of South Vietnam, we honour the veterans
tolerate the Australian presence across the route they who are here with us today and acknowledge those
used to attack Saigon and over the next 16 days who could not be. All of those who served at Coral
North Vietnamese troops launched another and Balmoral earned a proud place in Australia’s
determined attack against Coral and twice wartime history.
attempted to drive the Australians from nearby Fire
Support Base Balmoral. Lest we forget.