33 australian soldiers repatriated from vietnam war

[Peter Laidler]

1966 can't have been the cut-off date for repatriations because I was there from 67 to early 70 and casualties were buried there. One of ours I particularly remember for unhappy reasons best left unsaid. My mum even said that she would bring me home if I got the chop there. It COULD be done but I'm sure it was at the NoK cost. To be honest, it wouldn't have bothered me in the least!

[Gil Boyd]

Peter,
It was most definitely 21 January 1966 when the decision provided for the repatriation (from that date) of the remains of all Australians who died in the Vietnam War to be brought home.
Hope that helps

[ed skeels]

Who ever had the idea to leave them buried there, should be dug up and implanted in Cuba.
Can not fathom the "reasoning" for not bringing them home.
Ed

[muffett.2008]

Harold Holt made the decision to bring the bodies home, good decision in trying times, though not made retrospective hence the current situation.
The decision to bring those last ones home was made by Tony Abbott, probably the only decent decision he ever made.

After 1966 (when the Indon. Confrontation supposedly ceased) and the pullout of all but small rotational training units from the RAR Battalions and Support Units were moved to SVN. a remnant force of specially trained soldiers (following on from Operation Claret) were moved into Sarawak and Brunei to maintain surveillance on the supposed remnants of the Insurgency movement.

In the event that any of these personnell were injured or killed, they were immediately returned to Australia. Every effort was made to ensure that no remnants of their activeties remained, however our (now) friends to our north were not stupid (the Balibo Massacre was in direct retaliation to our activeties prior to 1973) and would use any excuse to exhume or desecrate the remains of soldiers known to have been involved in Borneo post 1966.

[Gil Boyd]

Thanks for that.
I certainly remember being on a JWC at Pulada in Malaya in early 73 and issued with live rounds, as many insurgents were indeed still operating up country where we were doing our "training"........well thats what we thought we were doing anyway when we left the UK.
So Op Claret did go into the 70's and beyond really.
Glad for you guys in achieving this for the families and your country....commendable!

[muffett.2008]

Claret officially finished at the cessation of hostilities, Specialist soldiers remained until much later........in OZ the OSA was extended and again by Julia Gillard for another 50 years..........wouldn't want to upset the Indons now would we?

[Gil Boyd]

One would assume they are too close for comfort to upset in some ways