THE HON. DR MIKE KELLY MP
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support
Thursday, 29 May 2008
019/2008
COMBAT HISTORY OF THE 2nd D&E PLATOON IN THE
VIETNAM WAR
The Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, the Hon. Dr Mike Kelly AM MP,
and Ms Jennie George MP met today with veterans of the 2nd D&E Platoon who
served in the Vietnam War as part of the Australian Task Force (ATF), to discuss the
acknowledgement of the Platoon and its history in that conflict.
For many years now the surviving members of the Platoon have been battling to
have their record and role in the Vietnam War officially recognised.
Dr Kelly said, “I am pleased to announce that I have been able to bring this long
struggle to a conclusion by confirming that the Rudd Labor Government and the
Defence Department have been able to determine that the Platoon did indeed exist
and engaged in a series of important actions in Vietnam as part of the Australian
Task Force.”
“I would like to pay particular tribute to the courage and dedication of the men of the
2nd D&E Platoon. They were a team that was effectively born in battle, not having
been formally raised and trained as a sub-unit in Australia before deploying to
Vietnam, but being assembled in country in response to the particular security
requirements of the ATF. They were able to come together as an effective fighting
force thanks to the professionalism of the soldiers and in particular the Non-
Commissioned Officer who led them, Corporal James Bertram Riddle,” he said.
The action for which the 2nd D&E Platoon should particularly be noted for was the
successful ambush they executed together with 2 Troop, B Squadron, 3rd Cavalry
Regiment, in May 1969 at Thua Tich. This was a ferocious battle that involved the
engaged troops taking on a much larger enemy force beyond artillery support and
through many heroic individual and collective efforts were able to soundly defeat the
enemy without loss. Their success was a tribute to their professionalism and the
outstanding leadership and courage of Corporal Riddle whose personal actions
ensured the survival of many members of the Platoon who would otherwise surely
have been killed.
“I am delighted to advise these proud veterans that their role in the war will be forever
enshrined and acknowledged in the Official History of the Vietnam War which is soon
to be published. I was privileged to have been able to meet with them personally and
thank them for their service to the country and the Australian Army. They served and
performed in the finest traditions of the Australian Defence Force and they will have
an honoured place in its history. As part of my responsibility for education and
training in the ADF I intend to see that our future generations of Army leaders will
have the opportunity to not only be aware of this legacy but to have the opportunity to
learn from it,” Dr Kelly said.
Media contacts:
Mark Sjolander (Dr Mike Kelly):
02 6277 4840 or 0407 102 220
Defence Media Liaison:
02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
