The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1735424) Sapper Ian Neil Scott, 1 Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers, Vietnam

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by , the story for this day was on (1735424) Sapper Ian Neil Scott, 1 Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers, Vietnam

1735424 Sapper Ian Neil Scott, 1 Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers
KIA: 14 June 1970

Today, we remember and pay tribute to Sapper Ian Neil Scott.
Ian Scott was born in Charleville, Queensland on 26 September 1948, the son of Alex and Mona Scott.

Scott grew up in the Ipswich suburb of Brassall where, attended Brighton State School, and Ipswich State High School. He attained his sub-junior certificate at the end of 1962, and became an apprentice carpenter at the age of 14. Over the next three and a half years he learned his trade, and attended Ipswich Technical School. He left his apprenticeship three and a half years later and worked as a slaughterman at an abattoir and as a station hand. He had returned to work at the abattoir when his call up for National Service arrived.

After passing his initial testing, he joined the Australian Army on 22 April 1969. With a keen interest in motorbikes and engines, he asked to be posted to transport or engineering. Selected for training with the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, he was sent to the 3rd Training Battalion at Singleton.

By September, Scott had qualified as a field engineer and became part of the Royal Australian Engineers reinforcement pool for service in South Vietnam.

Scott flew out of Sydney on 28 October and arrived at Tan Son Nhut Airport in Saigon the following day. He was then flown to the main Australian base at Nui Dat where he was taken on strength of 2 Troop, 1 Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers. Operations were constant and the climate took its toll on Scott who was hospitalised on New Year’s Eve suffering from heat exhaustion. The main task for 1 Field Troop was the clearing of the barrier minefield between Dat Do and the coast, although it is unclear if Scott was involved in those activities that day. He returned to his unit in early January 1970.

Scott was given leave in April which he spent at home in Australia. After returning to South Vietnam he was soon back in the field.

On 12 June, Scott was deployed as part of a two-man engineer splinter team with 7RAR on Operation Cung Chung, a reconnaissance and ambush operation conducted in cooperation with the province chief of Phuoc Tuy.

On 14 June, 7RAR was operating in the south-east of Phuoc Tuy province near the coastal village of Lang Phuoc Hai. Scott was attached to an infantry section travelling aboard an Armoured Personnel Carrier call sign 21 Alpha. With the threat of mines ever-present, the men travelled on top of the APC in an attempt to minimise casualties from mine strikes.

Just after 3 pm, the APC struck a large anti-tank mine. The resulting blast wounded the driver and crew commander of the APC and a 7RAR soldier. Scott, who was sitting on the front of the vehicle, was killed instantly.

His remains were returned to Australia, where they were laid to rest in Charleville General Cemetery. Ian Scott was 21 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on your right, along with more than 500 others from the Vietnam War.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Sapper Ian Neil Scott, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Military History Section