Bien Hoa, South Vietnam. January 1968. Sergeant (Sgt) Tom Birnie (right), Platoon Sergeant of 4 ...

Places	Asia: Vietnam, Bien Hoa Province Asia: Vietnam, Bien Hoa Province, Bien Hoa Asia: Vietnam, Long Khanh Province Asia: Vietnam, Phuoc Tuy Province
Accession Number	EKT/68/0083/VN
Collection type	Photograph
Object type	Colour - Film original transparency (positive) other
Date made	January 1968
Conflict	Vietnam, 1962-1975
Copyright	Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Bien Hoa, South Vietnam. January 1968. Sergeant (Sgt) Tom Birnie (right), Platoon Sergeant of 4 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) and an unidentified soldier on patrol in typical jungle during Operation Coburg. Operation Coburg took the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) out of Phuoc Tuy to the border area between Bien Hoa and Long Khanh provinces to protect the Bien Hoa and Long Binh bases from Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese attack during the anticipated Tet Offensive. Sgt Birnie served in Vietnam for a second time with 2RAR in 1970-71 and was accidentally shot by a sentry while re-entering his own platoon area after a reconnaissance patrol. He died of wounds at 1 Australian Field Hospital on 25 March 1971. (Black and white version held as P1621.001)