Damaged water bottle : Corporal D W Cunningham, 1 Royal Australian Regiment

Damaged water bottle made from olive green plastic, with raised lettering on the base which reads: 'US 1964 A.P.C.'. The front of the bottle bears, in raised letters, 'FOR WATER ONLY DO NOT APPLY CANTEEN TO OPEN FLAME OR BURNER PLATES'. The bottle is missing its lid and has a large gash in the back though to the front left. There is another gash in the front right of the bottle.

This water bottle is associated with the service of Corporal (Cpl) David William Cunningham, service number 37824. Cpl Cunningham served two tours of duty in Vietnam, the first in 1965 - 1966 as a machine gunner with 1 and 2 Sections, 10 Platoon, Delta Company 1 Royal Australian Regiment (RAR); and the second in 1968-1969 when he served as Section Commander 6 Section, 11 Platoon, Delta Company 1 RAR. During the 'Mini-Tet' offensive mounted by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces in May 1968, 1 Australian Task Force deployed two battalions to an area twenty kilometres north of Bien Hoa city to intercept and disrupt the approach of enemy forces towards the capital, Saigon, or to the Bien Hoa-Long Binh base complex. Several fire support bases (FSBs) were established to provide defended firing points for artillery and mortars which would cover foot patrols to be sent out by the battalions. One of these FSBs was named 'Coral', situated seven kilometres north of the town of Tan Uyen. Occupation of Coral was begun on 12 May. It was attacked on 13 May following a brief but intense rocket and mortar barrage. With the aid of extensive air support, the attack was beaten off. On 16 May Coral again came under attack, this time from a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) force estimated at three battalions strong. David Cunningham was in position in a pit on the western side of FSB Coral with his scout, 1732899 Ron Salzmann (who later died on 14 April 1971, while serving with 3 RAR). The pit was very shallow, only 7 - 15 centimetres deep but the men been too occupied with the attacks, patrols and ambushes to deepen the pit. When the NVA forces attacked A and C Companies, 1 RAR, everyone 'stood to', quickly storing their gear in their packs, and placing them on the edge at the back of the pit, behind their feet. During the battle a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at 215500 Corporal Gary Jones' section in 10 Platoon nearby, but it overflew his pit, hitting Cpl Cunningham's pack instead. The pack took most of the shrapnel, this water bottle being the one item left relatively in one piece and in a recognisable condition. The attack on FSB Coral was repelled after four hours of fighting. Australian casualties were five men killed and nineteen wounded.