50th anniversaries of the battles at Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral in Vietnam Program of commemorations and exhibitions

The Australian War Memorial will have a program of commemorations and exhibitions to mark the 50th anniversaries of the battles of Coral and Balmoral in which Australian soldiers fought their largest, most sustained and arguably most hazardous battles of the Vietnam War.

During the actions on and around Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral, 26 Australian soldiers lost their lives, 100 were wounded, and at least 300 North Vietnamese were estimated killed.   

The program at the Memorial begins on Monday 7 May and will run until Wednesday 6 June. It includes the display of two significant military items on the Memorial Forecourt, a photographic display and two dedicated Last Post ceremonies featuring stories of men who died during the fighting. 

In May and June 1968, while located astride North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong infiltration routes to Saigon, Australian units fought a series of pitched battles over a prolonged period around Fire Support Bases (FSBs) Coral and Balmoral. 

Memorial Director Dr Brendan Nelson said it was important for the Memorial to mark the anniversaries of these significant battles of the Vietnam War and he encourages veterans and their families to attend. 

“It is vitally important that we tell people what the men who were involved in the battles of Coral and Balmoral endured. Almost a month of bitter fighting against a committed foe, and through it they showed a touching level of compassion and care for their enemy wounded and each other.

“More Australians need to know and understand what these young men did and what they saw. Had we worked harder to do so a generation ago, some of these returned Vietnam veterans would not have suffered as much as they have,” Dr Nelson said.      

The Memorial’s program will commence with a photo display featuring images from operations at FSBs Coral and Balmoral, installed in the entry corridor of the Memorial’s Main Building. This will run from Monday 7 May until Wednesday 6 June 2018. 

Two large military items which both saw action in the battles will be displayed on the Memorial’s Forecourt from 9 to 16 May. An M577A1 Armoured Command Vehicle which served as Major J.D. “Blue” Keldie’s vehicle during his command of the local area defence of FSB Coral; and an M2A2 Howitzer, the standard artillery piece used by Australian gunners at FSBs Coral and Balmoral in Vietnam in 1968. 

On Sunday 13 May 2018, the Memorial will hold a Last Post Ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the first enemy night attack on Fire Support Base Coral. This ceremony will commemorate Corporal Robert Bernard Hickey of 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), who was killed during the fierce action. Colour parties will be present and Australia’s Federation Guard will participate in the ceremony. 

On Saturday 26 May 2018, the Memorial will hold a Last Post Ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of first enemy attack on Fire Support Base Balmoral. This ceremony will commemorate Private Lindsay Noel Brown of the3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) who was killed in the action. The ceremony will be supported by Australia’s Federation Guard. As always these Last Post ceremonies will be streamed live on the Memorial’s Facebook and YouTube pages. 

An article on the battles of Coral and Balmoral, written by the Memorial’s Head of Military History, Ashley Ekins, can be found here. 

A Commemorative Service will be held on Sunday 13 May at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial on Anzac Parade, Canberra; a Reception will follow at the National Convention Centre, organised by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. For further information, please use the following link.