Thread: Our VC Heroes

A couple of points...

• Has anyone noticed that Keith Paynes VC is more on his right chest than his left? bloody hell!
• I see Mark Donaldson got a promotion... well done!
• Apparently Ben Roberts-Smith is the beiggest bloke in the SASR... Bloody hell again!

I think Mr Payne should consider a second row of medals!!

There is not much precedence for such a thing..

There is a lot of courage standing there...In a related thread in REMLR I put ROBERTS-SMITHs bio..very impressive, his dad is also ex military.

and for those who dont know...

Warrant Officer Class 2 Keith Payne, VC

Keith Payne.
Date of birth: 30 August 1933
Place of birth: Ingham, QLD



Keith Payne was born at Ingham, Queensland, on 30 August 1933. He attended Ingham State School and later became an apprentice cabinet-maker. Unsatisfied with working as a tradesman, Payne joined the army in August 1951 and was posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in September the following year.

Payne served with his unit in Korea between April 1952 and March 1953. He married Florence Plaw, a member of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps, in December 1954, was promoted to corporal the following year and returned to operational duties when he joined the 3rd Battalion in February 1960. Payne served in Malaya with this unit and in 1965, now a sergeant, he joined the 5th Battalion. In June 1965, by now a Company Sergeant-Major, Payne was posted as an instructor to the Officer Training Unit at Scheyville, NSW. In February 1967 he joined the 2nd Pacific Islands Regiment in Papua New Guinea and remained there until March 1968 when he returned to Brisbane. On 24 February 1969 he was appointed to the Australian Army Training Team in Vietnam.

In May that year he was commanding the 212th Company of the 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion when it was attacked by a strong North Vietnamese force. His company was isolated and, surrounded on three sides, Payne's Vietnamese troops began to fall back. Payne, by now wounded in the hands and arms and under heavy fire, covered the withdrawal before organising his troops into a defensive perimeter. He then spent three hours scouring the scene of the day's fight for isolated and wounded soldiers, all the while evading the enemy who kept up regular fire. He found some forty wounded men, brought some in himself and organised the rescue of the others, leading the party back to base through enemy dominated terrain. Years later, asked whether he was afraid, Payne replied, "My God yes, yes, I was."

Payne's actions that night earned him the Victoria Cross. He was evacuated to Brisbane in September suffering from an illness, receiving a warm reception at the airport before entering hospital. In January 1970 Payne was posted to the Royal Military College Duntroon as an instructor.

Payne received his VC from the Queen aboard the Royal Yacht, Britannia, in Brisbane. He was made a Freeman of the city and of the shire in which his hometown was located. A park in Stafford, Brisbane, where Payne lived was also named after him. He received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star from the United States and the Republic of Vietnam awarded Payne the Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star. He retired from the army in 1975, but saw further action as a captain with the Army of the Sultan of Oman in the Dhofar War.

Payne returned to Australia and became active in the veteran community, particularly in counselling sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. Payne and his wife raised five sons and are now living at Mackay in Queensland.

Keith Payne - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

scroll down to honours and awards for the (long) list of honours for Kieth PAYNE

If you want to see a real VC "in the felsh" s to speak, Keith's is here:
Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum, Queensland.

The display item is a copy of his medals but the woner will often bring out the real thing and show it to you, if he is there.




Couple of other VC's in the collection too

They are Keith Payne VC OAM who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in Kontum Province on 24th May 1969 and Lt-Col Harry Smith SG MC who commanded Delta Company 6RAR during the battle of LONG TAN on the 18th of Aug 1966.

Other VC's held by the Museum are - Cpl George "Snowy" Howell 1st Bn AIF and a Gallipoli VC to Major Herbert James Worcestershire Regiment.

There is a HEAP of really interesting stuff at that museum it's WELL worth a visit.

I've held Keith's VC, many moons ago. My dad served with him (and Dasher Wheatley VC) amongst others.
He is a dead set champion, and done so much great work and many hard yards post-service as well.

His book is a great read, and I recommend it to anyone. It is a great insight into what life was like for men of their generation, and the sacrifices and challenges they had (in theatre and at home).
It also brought home to me, how fortunate, and at times how ungrateful and soft we are.

GREAT men, great pic - thanks for sharing.

I've only just noticed that in my picture all three have the infantry combat clasp..now that's worth having too.
On a lighter note the big fella in the middle would have to be a whiz bang with a trenching tool to get that big frame in a safe spot and Keith Payne would have a definite lopsided gait with all his regalia

Reminds me of going to an ANZAC day parade several years ago. There was on old digger there who was all of 5ft tall. Couldn't see his chest for the medals. Didn't recognise half of them but I did recognise service medals for WW2, Korea and Vietnam. I could only wonder at the places he's been and the things he had seen (and done).

On a different note, my brother lost a leg and an ankle in Vietnam and I can tell you the treatment injured veterans get from the Veterans Affairs department is a national disgrace. They have to fight tooth and nail for even the most rudimentary treatments for their infirmaties suffered for this nation.

Originally Posted by ugu80

Reminds me of going to an ANZAC day parade several years ago. There was on old digger there who was all of 5ft tall. Couldn't see his chest for the medals. Didn't recognise half of them but I did recognise service medals for WW2, Korea and Vietnam. I could only wonder at the places he's been and the things he had seen (and done).

On a different note, my brother lost a leg and an ankle in Vietnam and I can tell you the treatment injured veterans get from the Veterans Affairs department is a national disgrace. They have to fight tooth and nail for even the most rudimentary treatments for their infirmaties suffered for this nation.

Yet my young brother who had 3 tours to Vietnam suffers from many things and receives excellent service from DVA. Strange isn't it, I did not think they could be selective in any way.